Benjamin Williams 
After a 14-year long wait, we are finally getting a new instalment of the highly-acclaimed Streets of Rage series.
Streets of Rage 4 was announced by French developer Dotemu on Twitter with an explosive trailer. It showed off the two mainstay protagonists of the previous games, Axel Stone (who has a beard now) and Blaze Fielding, in an animated sequence and during short bursts of gameplay footage. The game is a direct sequel to the 1994 classic and hopes to be “an entirely original arcade-style romp.” There is also a new antagonist, an androgynous woman with bright red hair and pet snake. This is an important development, as all other Streets of Rage games have had Mr. X as the primary villain.
Few details about the game have been revealed. For now, all we know is that it is a Streets of Rage game, so expect two player co-op, Beat ’em up gameplay and jokes about chicken on the floor.
Dotemu is the lead developer of the game, which should bring retro fans great relief. Their previous games (Windjammers and Wonderboy: The Dragon’s Trap) were retro-style and animated, so they have the necessary experience to remaster a classic. They are working with Lizard Cube as they did previously with Wonderboy: The Dragon’s Trap. Guard Crush Games are also part of the project, known for the parodical yet mechanically sound Streets of Fury. The French developers are hoping to breathe new life into the series while maintaining its original appeal. Sega are going to publish the game, as they did with the rest of the series.
As of yet, there is no release date for the game or the platforms it will be released on. Rumours are circulating around composer Yuzo Koshiro joining the project but nothing has been confirmed. One thing we do know is that there will be plenty of braised chicken for everyone to enjoy.
