My all-time favorite gaming sequel is still 69% off for Cyber Monday (nice) and perfect for handhelds — I DARE you to not enjoy it

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Streets of Rage 4 is a chemically perfect beat 'em up that's ideal for playing on handhelds like ASUS' ROG Ally and Valve's Steam Deck.

Streets of Rage 4 on ASUS ROG Ally
Streets of Rage 4 suits ASUS' ROG Ally like butter suits bread. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Anyone on the verge of middle-aged irrelevance, like I am, might remember the classic side-scrolling beat 'em up series Streets of Rage on the SEGA Genesis (or Mega Drive if we're serious.) It was a not-so-subtle response to the arcade hit Final Fight, but arguably perfected the formula and dominated the home consoles from 1991 to 1994. Yes, I'm afraid it was that long ago, sorry.

I had to wait a painful 26 years until I could play the long-awaited sequel, and now Streets of Rage 4 is down to $9.59 at CD Keys; there really is no excuse for you not to try it. Walking a fine line between nostalgia and innovation, the fourth entry adds juggling mechanics with a multiplying combo meter that offers an extra challenge to veterans looking to perfect their hand-to-hand violence.

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Taking it handheld to the streets

Streets of Rage 4 gameplay screenshot

The original protagonists are back, but the visuals are totally overhauled. (Image credit: Dotemu | Playdigious)

It didn't take much to convince me to buy Streets of Rage 4 on launch day; not even our glowing review would have made a difference because I was sold from the moment it was announced.

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Burning through the game on launch day, I still played it regularly on my Steam Deck and, now, an ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme) since they're reduced to $499.99 at Best Buy ($449.99 w/ My Best Buy Plus) for Cyber Monday.

It's a straightforward 2D brawler with depth, so you can walk into the background to grab secrets and fight hidden enemies, but it's mostly a standard affair of timing your attacks and beating up the bad guys.

Even if you don't love it enough to aim for 'S' rank on 'Mania' difficulty (it's painful), I'm certain you'll at least enjoy a single playthrough of its story once you figure out which character suits your play style.

Loaded with stellar music from new and returning composers, Streets of Rage 4 is a nostalgia-filled beat 'em up that stands alone in its own right and encouraged a slew of similarly-themed follow-ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Honestly, at $9.59 for a Steam key via CD Keys, you really can't let yourself miss out on this slap-happy gem.

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Ben Wilson
Ben Wilson
Senior Editor

Ben is a Senior Editor at Windows Central, covering everything related to technology hardware and software. He regularly goes hands-on with the latest Windows laptops, components inside custom gaming desktops, and any accessory compatible with PC and Xbox. His lifelong obsession with dismantling gadgets to see how they work led him to pursue a career in tech-centric journalism after a decade of experience in electronics retail and tech support.