Bare Knuckle III (or Streets of Rage 3 outside Japan) is where the Genesis beat 'em up series goes all in. Mr. X is back—somehow—and now he’s got an army of weird cyborgs and robots. You pick between Axel (still punching things), Blaze (still kicking things), Skate (still zooming around), or the new guy Dr. Zan, who fights with a freaking cyborg arm. The music’s grittier, the combos feel heavier, and enemies actually block now (which is annoying but makes fights way more tense).

First 10 minutes? You’re smashing through neon-lit streets, dodging guys with extend-o-arms, and realizing the AI is way less predictable than the first two games. Also, the Japanese version is noticeably harder—enemies hit like trucks and the timer’s brutal. Still the best brawler on the system if you ask me.