Streets of Rage was developed and published by Sega, released for the Genesis in 1991 as the first entry in what would become one of the system’s most celebrated beat ’em up series. Players choose one of three former police officers, Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, or Adam Hunter, who resign from the force to fight the criminal syndicate boss Mr. X directly after realizing the department itself has become corrupt, battling through the streets of a crime-ridden city across eight stages of side-scrolling combat. Each character had a distinct balance of speed, strength, and jump height, and players could call in a limited-use police backup attack that cleared the screen of enemies at the cost of a usable item. Composer Yuzo Koshiro’s driving, dance-influenced soundtrack became one of the game’s most celebrated elements, giving the combat an energy that stood out from other brawlers of the era. Streets of Rage’s tight controls, satisfying combat feel, and standout music made it an instant hit and launched a series still fondly remembered as one of the best beat ’em up franchises of the 16-bit generation.