As side-scrolling two-player button mashers go, a few titles immediately spring into most gamers' minds. Double Dragon and Bad Dudes are probably the first two, but shortly behind it should be SEGA classic, Streets Of Rage. The 1993 Mega Drive sequel recently fought its way onto Live Arcade.
Though it is likely the third such game series that gamers think of, it really should be the first. Yes, Double Dragon may have come first and Bad Dudes a solid clone, but Streets Of Rage took things to another level. Rather than handing an option of two stock characters, seemingly carbon copies of each other, Streets Of Rage 2 gives four entirely different fighters to choose from. Each fighter has their own set of traits, with different strengths and weaknesses. Gamers that want slower but stronger will find Max's methodical walk and punch play to their liking. Those looking for a little more speed will find their wishes fulfilled, and power sapped, with Skate.
The game's control scheme also lends itself to a little bit of strategy. Gamers will find the typical punch (B or X) and jump (A) buttons, but also get the vaunted special (Y) button to wrestle with. Using a special move can be devastating to your enemies, and yourself. Pressing the 'Y' button in the game will unleash a powerful barrage of fists, elbows, and knees at the nearest enemy, but also drains a bit of your own character's life bar in the progress. Knowing just when, and how often, to use the special attack in the game is key to making it to the end.
Offering a hint of strategy to the mix is not the only innovation that the game introduced to the genre. The game's use of grabs, holds, and reversals evolved nicely from its predecessors. The game plays like a deeper, longer, and simply better, version of Double Dragon. It is much easier than in early side-scrolling fighters to grab a hold of your enemy and wrap them up in a position to smash their face with your knee repeatedly. Perhaps too easy.
The fun, repetitive button-mashing mayhem screams Xbox Live, but the game is not without its issues when taking the fight to the net. Though it plays smoothly, the game's use of 'friendly fire' is an issue. Gamers will quickly find that racing over to help your partner finish off a baddie can have undesirable consequences, as it is too easy to accidentally grab the other player's hair and smash them into the ground. Just how quickly you lock-up another player in a hold move gets to be a nagging issue during online play, leaving both of you vulnerable to enemy attacks while trying to untangle from each other.
Live offers both co-op and versus play, in the form of the stripped-down take on Mortal Kombat style player versus player fighting. While offering no special moves, aside from the 'Y' button, the game drops two players into a small screen-sized arena, littered with weapons. The limited moves will bore most gamers within a minute or two, but it is a nice carry-over from the original. Those with friends outside of Live can enjoy the old-school two-person action on the same console, with both co-op and versus modes available to off-line two-player play.
