It was ported for the Game Gear, Sega CD and Master System and has been rereleased as part of various compilations and on download services.

[3] Players act as Adam Hunter, Axel Stone, or Blaze Fielding, who save Wood Oak City from being overtaken by a criminal syndicate led by Mr.

[5][3] Surrounding the landscape are weapons that can be used to attack enemies, like knives, glass bottles, pipes, and baseball bats, and food items which increase energy, such as apples and chicken.

[6][3] As in Sega's previous beat 'em up Golden Axe, enemies walk onto the screen from both sides as well as occasionally appearing from other locations.

This was to signify the idea that it took place in the same universe as ESWAT: City Under Siege, an earlier Sega game.

Electronic Gaming Monthly claimed it was "a winner in a category that was lacking on the 16-bit Sega" and "a real version of Double Dragon for the Genesis".

[5] The magazine's critics were quick to call it the best fighting game of all time, making it superior to all other titles such as Final Fight; they highlighted its "superb graphics, terrific interaction", huge amount of attacks, and two-player mode, and called its music "funkadelic" and better than Sonic the Hedgehog.

"[13] Mega Zone's Brian Costelloe magazine cited the music, level backgrounds and boss fights.

The first story, entitled simply Streets of Rage, appeared in STC #7–12 and involved Axel, Blaze, and Max quitting the highly corrupt police force to do more good as vigilantes, taking down Max's ex-partner, the crime lord and martial artist Hawk.

A special one-off story, called The Facts of Life, appeared in "Sonic the Poster Mag" #7 and involved the heroes causing a racket by fighting one of the many street gangs in a sleeping neighborhood.

After the dust clears, the rookie officer says he has seen the true colors of the police force and requests that Axel hit him.

The third and final serial, called The Only Game In Town, appeared in STC #41–46 and involved the Syndicate unleashing an army of street gangs on the heroes, with the event turned into a gambling event as Mr. X opened a book based on whether or not the heroes would reach the river without being killed first.

"[21] In 2014, Sega formed the production company Stories International and teamed up with film producer Evan Cholfin for animated projects based on its games, with Streets of Rage one of them.