Streets of Range 2 (1992)

 This post is in loving memory of Gilbert “Gil” Kelly. Thank you Papa for showing me, day in and day out, what family truly means. You loved us grandkids equally. Even so, our relationship with you was uniquely our own. I for one, would not be who I am today, were it not for your willingness to drive me back and forth from Raritan Valley Community College for two years, on almost a daily basis. That was an immeasurable gift. You helped me start my college journey. You believed in me, even when I thought my disability would hold me back, you knew I could accomplish great things.

Also, I don't know what came first, the chicken or the egg, in terms of my love of visual storytelling, but having a grandfather who played video games in the '90s was pretty awesome. PGA Tour, 1994 on the Sega Genesis for the win, along with all the racing games you could find for the system. Love you, Papa. Say hi to Danny for me, and I'll see you both again, on the other side of eternity.

Streets of Range 2 (1992)

"Four young friends, rage burning inside them, make a stand for friendship and peace..."

-Streets of Rage 2

For all their necessary skill and 2D athletics, classic '90s games consistently bring me back to one fluid element of my early gaming experience, time. This one word is its own calling card for my mental search engine. Nostalgia, though is not the primary term here, family is. To be concise, connection with my family forms this echo from the depth of my memory.
It may be inconceivable for some to see Streets of Rage 2 as nothing more than an attempt to capture the attitude of a moment. The zeitgeist of a youth culture, whose roots stemmed from a love of anamorphic turtles, and a fascination with Eastern martial arts. While it is true that Streets of Rage, as a franchise, found its purchase in an audience captured by the 90s interpretation of "cool", Streets of Rage 2 never really held that particular pull for me. Sure, like most four-year-old boys I was enamored by the imaginative possibilities of the martial arts, I, in fact, was a young practitioner of the discipline of karate. However, in regard to its interactive potential it never concretely gained my anticipation or observance.
Streets of Rage never drew me in with its proficiency with hand-to-hand combat, nor its embracing of the attitude culture of its time. This journey of rescue, through the thug r infested streets of “The City" found its way into my young mind simply by encouraging an atmosphere of cooperation. In a uniquely simple way, Streets of Rage 2 allowed my family to connect. Simple here, is not a derogatory term. It denotes focus, the creation of memories centered around the importance of working together to solve problems, while having fun in the process. Each solo and cooperative attempt to finish a level or beat a boss, is a mental narrative that is enriched by the precise nature of Rages's gameplay. It's ironic that a game built on the foundation of hand-to-hand combat taught me not how to fight, but how to connect.
You might say that video games allow me, in some way, to experience the world like everyone else. They grant me the opportunity to look beyond my disability and give me the ability to walk. At an earlier stage of my disability acceptance journey I would have made way for that assessment, completely affirming its conclusion. As of now however, I would tell you that video games, with all their interactivity, have allowed me to accept my difference. Helping me understand that my life is unconventional, though that just means I'm human. We all have incongruences in some way. My difference doesn't preclude me from all life has to offer. Contrary to the general consensus, my disability gives me the opportunity to show others the capacity of a life to invent, adapt and inform.
That's not to say that I have achieved all of my possibilities, no one has, and honestly, no one will at this end of immortality. Though knowing our potential is a key movement in coming to terms with our God-given dignity. That is where the two sides of this story meet. Interactivity and its ability to connect us to the experiences of others. No matter our capabilities, video games possess the opportunity to be a window, to look towards human potential and our capacity for good. The field has become wider than expected. So, before we venture beyond its boundaries, let's return to a young boy who was enamored by a flickering TV screen, and the joy he found in the connective possibilities of two player co-op on the Sega Genesis, home video game console
Streets of Rage 2 is a quintessential example of how the capturing of a moment, in gameplay visuals and music, can set an imagination ablaze. Enriching our minds with the fire of our own internal narratives and the thrill of seeing our actions clearly eradicate evil. The development team at Sega captured lightning in a bottle, by burnishing their bare knuckles and prepping for a fight. Streets of Rage 2 is an interactive gem on so many levels. This classic video game brawler indicates a burgeoning medium, not defined by violence, but by its capacity to tell emerging, off-the-cuff stories of heroism, companionship and the perseverance of brotherhood. This is how, and why you fight together. This is Streets of Rage 2.

Rated E for animated violence

I found Streets of Rage 2 to be mechanically rich, visually enthralling and meaningful. I hope in some way you do too.

Streets of Rage 2 can be purchased digitally as part of the Sega Genesis or Mega Drive Classics Collection on Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, as well as Xbox Series X/S.

Explore the music of Streets of Rage 2 Charles Cornell here:

Listen to the Streets of Rage 2 end credits musical theme here:

Watch a Streets of Rage 2 Playthrough of the final level here (not me):

If you wish to explore over 170 film reviews and multimedia essays, my blog archive can be found at this link: Hour 21

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