Streets Of Rage 2 - All Throws & Grab Moves

Axel Stone - 0:00 Blaze Fielding - 0:15 Max Thunder - 0:30 Skate - 0:56 Streets Of Rage 2 (known as Bare Knuckle II in Japan) is a side‑scrolling beat‑em‑up released by SEGA in 1992. It follows the 1991 title Streets Of Rage / Bare Knuckle and debuted on the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive, later appearing on many platforms, including handheld and mobile ports, as well as 8‑bit versions on the SEGA Master System and Game Gear. Widely regarded as the best game in the series and one of the greatest beat‑em‑ups of all time, it is praised for its excellent gameplay, appealing graphics, and outstanding music. The story follows ex‑police officers Axel Stone, Adam Hunter, and Blaze Fielding as they take the law into their own hands against Mr. X’s crime syndicate. They battle street thugs, kickboxers, ninjas, and other trained combatants, ultimately confronting the final boss, Mr. X. In this sequel, Max “Thunder” Hatchett, a professional wrestler and Axel’s friend, and Eddie “Skate” Hunter, a rollerblading enthusiast and Adam’s younger brother, join the team. Adam is captured by Mr. X and must be rescued. The game supports two‑player co‑operative play and includes a versus mode called Duel, which functions more like a 1‑on‑1 fighting game on static stages, adding weapons and 2.5D movement. Streets Of Rage 2 builds upon the grappling system popularised by the arcade brawler Final Fight. Players can hold an opponent by walking into them, and the game introduces a transition from front to rear grapple by vaulting over the opponent. Max lacks this ability, instead jumping with the opponent in a style similar to Mike Haggar from Final Fight. Grapple moves are executed by pressing the Punch button with a forward or backward direction, or Punch alone. All characters perform a striking combo when the player inputs Forward + Punch. Max and Skate can perform air throws by jumping from the front or rear grapple; Skate’s air throws are activated during his transitional vault movement. Compared to the first game, the sequel offers a greater quantity and variety of grappling techniques. Axel has a unique fighting style, while Blaze receives an additional judo throw, the O Soto Gari (Major Outer Reap). Max has a range of suplexes and slams, plus a front headlock, though a jumping piledriver or powerbomb would have added more variety. Skate’s melee‑based grab moves, except for his jumping throws, add further diversity. The game appears to recycle some sprites and animations to reduce file size, with Max’s front and back suplexes looking similar except for opponent orientation. A beta version shows Max’s front throw launching the opponent through the air, suggesting Axel’s similar front throw was originally intended for Max. The game would have had greater variety had Axel retained his shoulder throw from the first game, due to Adam’s omission. Overall, the selection of grabs and throwing techniques in Streets Of Rage 2 is very good.