By Robert Scucci | Published
I recently got a new PC installed and decided it was time to break out my Sega Genesis emulator for some good old side scrolling beat ’em ups. Naturally, the first game I launched was The streets of rage 2a game that has the potential to be the next John Wick style film. I’m not throwing shade at the first, third and fourth installments of the series, but everything about Streets of Rage 2 begs to be adapted into an ultraviolent and stylish feature film based solely on its tight storyline and characters. Later entries become more complex in terms of gameplay and story structure, and the sequel hits the sweet spot.
A simple left-to-right adventure about beating up thugs, swinging pipes, making flaming fists, rollerblading, and eating whole chickens, I’d love to see a film true to form. Streets of Rage 2 which builds on its gameplay while taking place in the real world, adding a surreal element to its storyline.
Fight bad guys in style
Streets of Rage 2 focuses on Mr. X, a wealthy union boss whose colorful goons have Wood Oak City at their mercy. Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding, respectively trained in martial arts and gymnastics, are both former police officers tasked with arresting Mr. X, who kidnapped their former partner, Adam Hunter. Enlisting the help of Adam’s little brother, Eddie “Skate” Hunter, and professional wrestler Max Thunder, our heroes fight through the streets to take down Mr.
Acting villains like the knife-wielding, leather jacket wearing punk Jack, the maniacal jet pack Happy Jet, the whip-wielding Electra, and the cybernetically infused Particle and Molecule pair are just some of the many layers of abstraction before tracking down and eliminating Mr. X, saving Adam, and restoring balance to Wood Oak City.
Should rely on its gameplay
We’ve seen a lot of John Wick copycats like Monkey Man, PersonAnd Atomic Blondeall of which feature hyper-realistic combat choreography in their respective fictional universes. What I am suggesting is that Streets of Rage 2 builds on its gameplay, providing a more surreal visual experience. In the game, characters strengthen their health bars by collecting healing items like apples and full roast chickens. If the movie played it straight, so much comic relief could come from stopping the melee rampage so the heroes could hit a food truck and power up before grabbing a lead pipe and getting back to business.
With each passing level, the fights became more intense as a comically large number of identical henchmen flooded the screen and our heroes had to clean up the floors with Galsia, Donovan, Signal, and the pipe bomb-throwing Riders. There is so much fertile ground to exploit to create Streets of Rage 2 one of the most memorable and intense action films of all time, and I can’t shake the idea that we have to involve Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer.
Cast Chris Hemsworth as Axel, Anya Taylor-Joy as Blaze, Michael B. Jordan as Skate, and Jason Mamoa as Max, and we have a certified hit on our hands. Better yet, have Nicolas Cage play Mr. X, and I think my heart might explode.
You could say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. Someone needs to finance an action movie based on Streets of Rage 2and I’ll make sure everyone watches it.
