Streets of Rage 4 was a smash hit when it crawled back into the beat ‘em up scene in 2020. Critics and fans of the genre rejoiced as their favorite 16-bit characters from yesteryear teamed up with a new cast of characters and took back the streets of their city from the gangs and criminals that seek to cause chaos.
Not all characters are created equal, however, and nothing is worse than finding yourself grinding out levels with a character you weren’t equipped to use with your established playstyle.
Now let’s get on with the ranking!
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Floyd – (Rank: OK – 6.5/10)
Details:
A massive muscle-bound cyborg and apprentice to the brilliant Dr. Zan, Floyd is one of the newcomers to Wood Oak City – but he’s no less devoted to restoring law and order to its chaotic streets!
Floyd is no slouch when it comes to first impressions… I mean, look at him, he’s totally rad with his robot arms and powerful physique. Heck, he looks like he could bench-press half of the character roster into oblivion.
He has but one crucial flaw.
He’s really, really slow.
Admittedly, he’s a powerhouse with his defensive special, Thunder Sphere, being among the best at stunning enemies that are attacking from various directions, but unfortunately, none of this compensates for his very slow movement speed.
Floyd has a great forward special that allows him to grab enemies from afar, but it’s just a slog in a side-scrolling brawler slowly maneuvering left to right with a cinder block of a character.
Use him if:
You want a powerful character.
You like throwing enemies like ragdolls.
You like… being slow… Which is fine. This is a judgment-free zone.
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Axel – (Rank: OK – 7/10)
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The OG himself. Fighting on the streets since the early 90s, series veteran Axel Stone once again risks life and limb to take down thugs and syndicates that target the hard-working citizens of Wood Oak City.
This one stings a little bit. Axel is my guy. I would play as him until my thumbs went numb. He’s one of the most badass beat ‘em up protagonists ever. He’s ripped, but he also has that leader vibe. With his muscle-shirt and bandana he kind of looks like Kurt Russell in Big Trouble in Little China.
He’s still totally awesome and ridiculously fun to play, but some of the under-the-hood changes affect his overall viability this time around.
His signature blitz move, the Grand Upper, is amazing eye-candy – and his battle cry is as fun as ever. But it leaves him pretty vulnerable in the last few frames of its animation while he just kind of lingers there with his fist raised.
Despite having been buffed in subsequent patches, Axel – while still an amazing character and an overall solid choice – just isn’t quite as viable with the smarter AI and intricate combo system of Streets of Rage 4.
Use him if:
You like characters that look totally awesome.
You’re more of a no-frills type of player.
You identify as the protagonist in any game series you play.
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Adam – (Rank: Good – 7.5/10)
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An ex-cop with an axe to grind, Adam Hunter once again joins his old friends to take back the city. Playable for the first time since 1991, Adam’s got a brand new look and move set!
Adam gets one of the coolest glow-ups in gaming history. He went from a somewhat dated shoulder pad-wearing pretty boy, to the coolest man on the planet. He’s got suspenders, he’s got sunglasses – he’s got it all!
Among the entire roster, Adam benefits the most from all the bells and whistles added to the series over the years, because he was redesigned from the ground up specifically with them in mind.
His new blitz move attacks enemies with a straight-forward blow that knocks them toward the other end of the screen. His defensive moves have him twirling his legs like a hurricane and casting incoming goons aside like tumbleweeds, and best of all he conjures an electric sword projectile in his star move that has massive knockback on enemies.
He’s awesome. Enough said.
Use him if:
You have amazing taste in style.
You respect when your characters reflect your amazing taste in style.
You’ve wished he was playable again since 1991.
You like a good, solid pick that still requires skill to use effectively.
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Blaze – (Rank: Great – 8/10)
Details:
The other series mainstay opposite Axel, Blaze once again takes to the streets to fight crime and look pretty amazing while doing it. She uses a combination of dance and Judo-inspired moves to take down the villains that have overrun her home.
Blaze Fielding, just like Axel, borrows much of her move set from previous installments, but unlike Axel – she fares a bit better. She has less ending lag on her blitz attack and she has a ton of unique air combos that are unique to this game specifically.
Also aesthetically, she’s a really neat character. She does a lot of dives and acrobatic flips that just make for really satisfying gameplay. My favorite of all would have to be her star move where she unleashes a meditative stance and wipes out all of the enemies around her.
Incredible stuff!
Use her if:
You like acrobatic fighters.
You enjoy air combos.
You like characters that are neither too slow nor fast.
You wish you had the confidence to fight crime in a miniskirt.
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Estel – (Rank: Great – 8.5/10)
Details:
A police officer who hoped to do things by the book, Estel now has no choice but to go rogue on all the corrupt goons and officers alike that stand between her and peace.
Estel may be a cop, but she takes no prisoners. She has absolutely devastating attacks that involve grenades, flash-bang grenades, and just straight-up knife attacks!
I’m guessing the body cam was off for this one...?
She’s the only character who can re-orient herself whilst grabbing onto an enemy – choosing to fling them wildly in random directions. Her star move summons an additional police vehicle that fires explosives in one screen-clearing move.
She’s insane. I love it.
Use her if:
You love a character that is strong, yet balanced.
You really like explosives.
You really, really like explosives.
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Max – (Rank: Great – 8.5/10)
Details:
A pro-wrestler turned vigilante – Max joins the fight to help his old friend Axel. Beware of his attacks – just because he calls his spots doesn’t mean they hurt any less!
Remember Floyd? – Well, let’s just say that Max fares a little better. Yes, he’s as slow as molasses, but he compensates for it with his incredible blitz move which lets him slide quickly across the stage! AND his forward special lunges him quickly toward enemies.
Essentially, skillful players can maneuver Max fairly easily as long as they can efficiently refill the stamina meter. I feel very much that this is an example of great risk/reward gameplay – and Max is one of my personal favorites in this game.
Use him if:
You like wrestling.
You’re nostalgic for him because he’s the only returning SOR2 character besides Axel/Blaze.
You’re wondering where all those scars came from.
You respect any fighter who proudly shouts the phrase “Spinning Knuckle Bomb” mid-attack.
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Cherry – (Rank: Superb – 9.5/10)
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The teenage daughter of Adam Hunter, Cherry takes after her Dad in her pursuit to stop evil at all costs. She punches, kicks, and even hits people over the head with her trusty electric guitar!
Ah, the Hunter family! They’re the gift that keeps on giving. Originally there was Adam, then his younger brother Skate, who could zip quickly around enemies – but now the both of them have grown, so we have a new member of the family!
Cherry is in many ways a spiritual successor to Skate. She is the only character among the main SOR 4 cast that can sprint continuously. This leads to some insanely fast combos that are not limited to: bouncing on enemies’ heads, continuously spamming guitar shockwaves that keep enemies at a distance, and of course – using her star move to barge into enemies mid-guitar solo.
Cherry is one of the coolest characters I’ve seen in a modern beat ‘em up. To put it plainly: she rocks.
Use her if:
You love rock n’ roll.
You are very enticed by the idea of bouncing on the heads of your enemies.
You like to go fast – and aren’t blue or a hedgehog.
You’re the younger sibling/child of your player 1.
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Shiva – (Rank: Superb – 10/10)
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Formerly a member of a criminal syndicate, Shiva turned away from a life of crime and opened a dojo to help others train… But, even he is brought back into the fight, this time on the right side of history.
Think of Shiva as a dark mirror of Axel. Both study the martial arts, both have come to blows in the past, and while one proudly exclaims “Grand Upper!” – the other has a symbolic “Final Crash!” that mirrors it.
Where they differ is that Shiva is the best character in the entire game. He can chain a blitz move immediately into an air special – he can summon spiritual entities that aid him in the battlefield and even create duplicates of himself to even the playing field.
Shiva is also unique in that despite all of these buffs, he is unable to wield weapons. This makes him the ideal character for experienced players. Incredibly strong, yet still balanced and exploitable.
Use him if:
You want to play as the objective best character in this game.
You value your characters based solely on whether or not they are the best in any given game.
You value the power fantasy that comes with playing as the best character in a game.
You like the color black.
You wish you could shake his hand and tell him that you think he’s the best character in the game.
You wish he would be equally enthused at your shaking his hand and expressing that he is the best character in the game.
Wyatt Paul is a geek at heart, with a range of interests that transcend various media. A proficient screenwriter, he loves to use his attention to detail to elaborate on retro games. Read/play on!
Gamer Since:
2003
Currently Playing:
Retro games! Genesis/NES/SNES
Top 3 Favorite Games:
Portal 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Batman: Arkham City
