Man, Streets of Rage still holds up. You boot it up on the Genesis and within seconds you're punching some goon in a leather vest through a neon-lit alley—classic. The music hits hard with those synth beats, and suddenly you're 10 again, mashing buttons like your life depends on it.

You pick between Axel, Blaze, or Adam (I always go Axel—his uppercut just feels right), and then it's non-stop brawling. Thugs come at you with pipes, knives, even motorcycles sometimes, and you just react. The controls are simple—attack, jump, grab—but nailing combos feels so good. And that screen-clearing special move? Pure desperation power.

It's way better with a friend, obviously. Two players, back-to-back, kicking dudes into the background while the bassline keeps you hyped. The later levels get brutal—bosses like Mr. X’s henchmen will wreck you if you’re careless. But that’s the charm: it’s tough, loud, and exactly what you want from a ‘90s beat ‘em up. Still one of the best.