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It was a HUGE game when it came out, it did not just become a cult classic. It topped all sales charts for months in the US, Europe and Worldwide. Many vote it the best Genesis/Megadrive game of all time. People still love it today because of how good it was and the music back in the day.
It only got forgotten about because Sega completely neglected the IP for nearly 3 decades and even then it took another company making SOR 4 for them to do anything with the franchise.
Absolutely, we all had it on our Megadrives in the UK. The original was really well received and everyone was chomping at the bit for the sequel, which had Final Fight-style bigger sprites (as that had come out on the SNES as a near arcade perfect conversion). Also needs to have props to the OG boss music - amazing song, up there with Sonic 2's Chemical Plant Zone as some of the greatest game soundtracks ever.
@@tomnisbett5788 It's good that a new generation is playing SOR4 and seeing the old versions too. I think Sega felt they couldn't do anything with the Game in 3D, that's why they gave up. All the 3D prototypes sucked.
Ahh, that's pure mad genius. I was thinking not ONLY is the music fantastically creative but the actual 16 bit audio sounds incredible compared to other stuff. It's definitely got it's own quality, I guess having those bespoke drivers makes it stand out more so you can really hear it.
Yuzo had NO BUISNESS going this hard on a Sega Genesis game in 1992! This dude made legit club bangers. This game was the soundtrack of my childhood in the early 90s. Like if you want to know how the early 90s sounded and felt, listen to this OST.
Even before his work on the Genesis, His work on the game "Legacy of The Wizard" for the NES/Famicom always amazed me, I didn't realize it was his work until recently, but explains why I loved the music in that game.
Yuzo is the reason I became a composer at all, but you are the only person to cover anything of his like this. Thank you. This whole game is one of the reasons I ever wanted to be a video game composer or make music. Your video is so appreciated. Thank you for covering Yuzo Koshiro. :D
Not only that butt Yuzo clearly was trying to push the YM3812 chip to it's dynamic limits on the SEGA. He really didn't have to go as hard as did. He basically used Deadpool style "maximum effort" on this sound track.
I must be getting old. I'm 35 and played this and even did a rap song to the music back in the day. To see people making videos like this like they just now hearing the music or playing the game is crazy to me. It's a classic and SOR series huge popularity. Lived under a cave?
Bro said “not as popular” like, ask someone from that time this was HELLA popular! Mario was for the lil kids. Streets of rage was for the big kids! 💯😐🤷🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
@@lyriktehuti u ain't lying. Streets of rage is a mainstream hugely popular series. What an idiot. It was even on the 6in1 Sega Genesis cartridge with Tetris golden axe etc. I can't with this guy
SOR2 is not just the best game on Megadrive, it's the best soundtrack. Smashes SNES (hello 90's console rivalry!) and frankly it's one of the best game OST's of all time. You can't help but move along to the tracks.
@@LeeONardogonna say, Koshiro was known for pushing the soundchips of both consoles to their limits. Trust me, on the SNES he was no slouch either. Play Actraiser 1 and 2, he pushed that soundchip to its absolute limits like how he did the Genny.
If I'm not mistaken he's done a lot of the music for the Etrian Odyssey series, which has a ton of great songs too. Had no idea he's been making great songs for so long.
@@zDakJ Yes, I been into computers, etc. ever since the good ol' Apple ][e (1978), still is my favorite computer to this day. Games back then, is what inspired or influenced many games today, if it wasn't for the games back then, no way you will see games as they are now. Yuzo Koshiro is most defin't in my favorites, Nobou Uematsu, (Final Fantasy games) Koichi Sugiyama, (Dragon Quest games) Naoki kodaka, (Nes batman, blaster master and much more) David Wise, (Donkey Kong Country games) Tommy Tallarico, (Skeleton Warriors) to name a few, oh, and also, never forget the Follin brothers (Tim & Geoff Follin), these 2 brothers can literally make any sound chip talk, they were known back in the nes/snes days. There is much more then this but, just given an example. Oh, if your into electronic music, Yuzo Koshiro did some excellent tunes on: Wangan midnight maximum tune.
Damn right he did! I will admit, I had SNES, so I was spoiled with a sample based console that had a lot more variety in music and sounds. As such I could spot a sega title from a mile away by how it sounded. Almost every Sega Genesis title sounded the same, used the exact same waveform instruments etc. This game had me stumped. It actually sounds more like a SNES game, but with the clarity of a NeoGeo game. That says a lot.
@@My2Cents1la verdad ningún juego de génesis sonaría como snes más aún con esa diferencia de sintetizadores que tiene sega, y eso que hay aún más juegos que explotan ese chip, pero los japoneses lo hicieron más en sus juegos y algunas personas de occidente
It's so adorable seeing newer generations discover classic house and techno for the first time. Yuzo Koshiro was an apt student of the early Chicago and Detroit underground dance scenes, and conveyed that energy perfectly in the SoR soundtracks.
Yep it's literally textbook Japanese music production paired with the Detroit underground dance. I know it sounds like I'm reducing it, and I don't want to. But this isn't the first time I heard this, moreover it influenced a lot of the things I've enjoyed in the later years. For example UFO Enemy Unknown (of all the things) that was released in 1994 A calm atmosphere filled with eerily dissonant strikes accompanied by saw synths and minimalistic bass lines. ruclips.net/video/aiwyKU836Ko/видео.html Really good and underappreciated imo. And it employs the cheap production concept of pitch-shifting a sampled material to an extent, which is what also makes Yuzo's work so unique. This kind of technique was mostly there because of the hardware constraints (and is exactly what made the early dance scene so authentic). Here's a notable example from a game I remember from Amiga, it had this epic space opera vibe with choral singing that obviously looped when pitch-shifted, but it was all part of the experience. ruclips.net/video/wU7dkVhxPk4/видео.html
yeah when he said “i’ve never heard anything like this” it’s like … ok you never heard real detroit techno or uh “electronica, house, things like that”
@@falconeshieldthe music we’re talking about, detroit techno and chicago house, starts in the mid 80s and continues until today. this is around the same time, but this definitely doesn’t predate it. like the ppl above are saying, this guy is a video game musician who was hip to the current underground dance music of the time
This game deserves to be called the masterpiece of all belt scroll action games because it was perfect in every way, graphics, fun, and even the music was fantastic.
Sega dominated Brazil in the 90's and even well into the 00's and Nintendo was nowhere to be seen. The history of the Brazilian games industry is really interesting.
@@faristhewanderer6571we had TecToy - a company licensed to produce and localize games for the master system and mega drive , as well as sell localised versions of game consoles as well. I believe they still sell the mega drive IV , which is just normal console with games in the onboard memory. I remember playing phantasy star I in Portuguese, that was so awesome.
Streets 1&2 were huge in UK, huge in my school, an obsession for me and my brothers - this was our jam. I think the soundtracks were partly why I got so into a lot of left field electronic stuff. Perhaps Wipeout too.
@@-Steven- I played some MAME and amazing Amiga OS games, but I guess you're talking about "a warrior defeating the dragon" game, and the dragon was a triangle!
I'm from Russia and 90s there was just a wild West (It's no better now if you ask me). So as we were just kids these games were not only games for us but a kind of way to escape from that reality, but we played it only in 1998 or around that, because of the money question. So yeah Yuzo Koshiro's (we didn't know his name at that time of course) music is now one of the best soundtracks that defined that decade for many of my generation
When I was growing up, I thought the 90s sucked. now I'd do just about anything to go back in time and play all those great games with my old buds again. 😄
It’s music like this - particularly early video game music, in my opinion - that lends such weight to the phrase “limitation breeds creativity.” What early VG composers did with such tight restrictions never ceases to amaze me.
yep, honestly i don't see myself getting nostalgic for many post-synth game tracks. all these orchestral sound tracks are completely forgettable to me (except halo because they did it first)
@@GraveUypoplus Halo used actual choirs and actual medieval harmony for the choral part - going full deep into the aesthetic rather than just loosely-applying it.
Watching the pure, unadulterated joy this man is experiencing with one of my all-time favorite game soundtracks is so unbelievably wholesome. I wish I had a fraction of the musical knowledge he does to articulate WHY this music resonates.
He’s actually still doing this kind of work. He is currently working on a new game called Earthion that will release for the Sega Genesis sometime next year. So he’s definitely going back to his roots.
I haven’t played this since I was a little tyke and I can’t believe I didn’t remember how awesome the music is. Just watching the joy it’s bringing this man is a thing of beauty. Heck, it’s bringing me joy too. Awesome video.
Streets of Rage 2 was a HUGE part of not just my childhood, but my life as a whole! The music has always been iconic, and I love seeing someone react to it for the first time, but that also understands the sheer complexity of it, but knowing that the complexity doesn’t diminish the musicality
I always thought this game had amazing music. I just didn’t know many kids who shared the same sentiment. Kids are in it for gameplay, but I always liked the jams that came out during the genesis and SNES era.
I got the original Streets of Rage with Sonic 1, Columns, and Golden Axe on a complication cartridge, which sounds wild to me in hindsight. The SEGA era was iconic, bro. Shout-out to Vectorman and Comix Zone. 🔥🔥🔥
@@ImABadTeammate Same I have the 6-Pac Cart still and my cart of Streets of Rage 2, this was my childhood! Sonic 1, Columns, Super Hang-On, Streets of Rage 1, Golden Axe & The Revenge of Shinobi. It imo is one of the best carts on the Sega Genesis.
I turn 41 in January, grew up playing Streets of Rage 1 & 2, and even just seeing the thumbnail for this vid, some of the music started playing in my head. It's absolutely full of timeless electro BANGERS.
Same. I hadn't thought about this OST, at least since Streets of Rage 4 was released a few years back. But could sing almost everything from it as soon as the vid started. I now want a remaster album.
I turn 50 this year. This soundtrack is absolutely one of the finest ever made. I wished I understood all of the music theory/understanding that goes into a video like this! I always knew the musician was skilled. Back in the 90s when i first played it it all blew my tiny mind away. I play this regularly....in only grab/headbutt mode....I have never finished it in the mode but it's so much fun. Liking and subbing. Thank you
I was born in 1984. I used to beat this game literally every effing Saturday morning for like 4 or 5 years. It's the best beat'em up in history, and together with Sonic 1 and 2 the game I've replayed the most times in my life. Its soundtrack is truly a gem, my favourite track being Dreamer 😍
Saturday morning and afternoon was gaming prime time in the 90s haha. Legit same here - but absolutely have to add Sonic 3 and Street Fighter 2 to that list. Some of the greatest soundtracks of all time span these games. I’d say Street Fighter 2 in particular helped to change gaming in a massive way
I was born in 83. I even today find these tracks on RUclips to listen and bring myself back for a second. Easily one of the best soundtracks ever. The boss theme was one of my favorites. So iconic and you knew something bad was about to happen.
Yuzo Koshiro is such a legend dude. One of the absolute best video game OST's of all time. It's timeless, because it still slaps my cheeks 3 decades later. Madness. Thank you for making this video, and thank you for sharing the same joy I have for this amazing masterpiece of a soundtrack.
Have to give props to Motohiro Kawashima too . He and Yuzo tried to outdo each other when producing the SoR2 soundtrack. Through their friendly competition they created an absolute masterpiece together.
I'm 46 , this game is one my favourites in my childhood and I even play it now by emulators. And the music in this series had been reproduced and remixed by fans for many many times. Fans even produced the game sequel themself and eventually the company released the officials Street of Rage 4 few years ago. Very glad to hear you commend on this game music!
SoR2 isn't a 'cult classic'... it's one of the greatest games ever made. Hugely popular in Europe/South America (where Sega dominated the early 90s). You should check out the original SoR soundtrack too. Equally great.
I'm a software engineer, not a musician, but dude let me tell you: it's immensely satisfying to see someone dissect and enjoy music as much as you do :) Kudos good sir
Hello ! May Allah protect and guide you to his light and happiness in this life and the hereafter, God bless, Ameen. Excuse me for giving a little presentation of Islam, because it is very misunderstood nowadays, especially on those « Antichrist's » times, where media and politics are mixed to distort history and truth. Thank you very much for your time. Islam is an arabic word that means the Surrender to the One and Only God, our Creator, Protector, Provider, who gives us life and all that we have, we are safe and sound by his will and grace, we are His and to Him we return, and we have to thank him in this trial life by submitting to him by our free will, or later in the Day of judgment when it's too late to save our own skin. Islam was the original Religion descended to earth from heaven with Adam and Eve (peace and blessing be upon them) in the beginning of humanity. and was passed to people with the succession of the 124 000 prophets and 315 messengers of God to all nations and civilizations since, passing by Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ismaël, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon and Jesus (Peace and blessing be upon them) during the history of mankind, the last replaces and completes the previous, until the succession of the last messenger of God fourteen centuries ago, Muhammad (Peace and blessing be upon him) to complete the noble morals of all mankind, to bring humans and jinns out of darkness into light, and to purify people's religion and belief from corruption and polytheism, and return it to purity and true monotheism, like it was in the times of the prophets (Peace and blessing be upon them). Many Religions that we know nowadays, at their beginning were true and under Islam, initiated by one of the prophets of God, but their original teachings, history and scriptures have been corrupted over time with falsification and polytheism, or lost and replaced with false ones. That's why Islam is the only Religion accepted by God nowadays, which consists in bearing witness that there is no god besides Allah (God in Aramaic, the original language of Jesus and the Gospel), and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, just like Jesus and Moses and others are His servants and messengers. Never a messenger of God said he was God or literally son of God, it was the people after him who changed the words of God and corrupted the Religion. God is unique and absolute, He does not need to have a family and sons or to associate anyone else with His kingdom, He can simply create whatever He wants, everything belongs to Him, and to Him everything will return. Allah said in Surah Al-Mu’minun : “God has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what it has created, and some of them would have gained supremacy over others. Glory be to God, far beyond what they describe. The Knower of the hidden and the manifest. He is exalted, far above what they associate. (91-92 / Translated by ITANI). Allah means the one and only God, the God of all prophets and creatures, the creator of the universe and mankind, and the Master of the Day of judgment, where our destiny, Hell or Paradise, is decided based on our faith and deeds in this trial life, and above all, Allah's mercy. Allah said in Surah Al-Ikhlas : In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. Say, “He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.” (1-4 / Translated by ITANI). Allah said in Surah An-Nisa : O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs, and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God's Apostle - [the fulfilment of] His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary - and a soul created by Him. Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, "[God is] a trinity". Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God. Never did the Christ feel too proud to be God's servant, nor do the angels who are near unto Him. And those who feel too proud to serve Him and glory in their arrogance [should know that on Judgment Day] He will gather them all unto Himself: (171-172 / Translated by Muhammad Asad). Allah the Most Merciful said in Surah Ali-Imran : Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning! Thus, [O Prophet,] if they argue with thee, say, "I have surrendered my whole being unto God, and [so have] all who follow me!" - and ask those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime, as well as all unlettered people, "Have you [too] surrendered yourselves unto Him?" And if they surrender themselves unto Him, they are on the right path; but if they turn away - behold, thy duty is no more than to deliver the message: for God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His creatures. Verily, as for those who deny the truth of God's messages, and slay the prophets against all right, and slay people who enjoin equity - announce unto them a grievous chastisement. It is they whose works shall come to nought both in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to succour them. (19-22 / Translated by Muhammad Asad).. God said : Say, “We believe in Allah, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. And to Him, we surrender.” (2:136 / Translated by Community) Salam (Peace) -----------------------------------
When I first heard this music as a 9 year old at the time, I was blown away by the music. I still return to this soundtrack once in a while as a 40 year old now. Yuzo's tracks from the 90s are timeless. Thank you for covering this :)
Charles, you should look into the limitations of the console's audio capabilities and what Yuzo had to work with and even design just so he could apply his majestic compositions. truly enormous! Always loved this game, and realized as a young adult how influential this was for me, musically. So much beauty and creativity!! Lovely surprise finding your video this morning. ❤🙏🏽
Yuzo Koshiro is not just one of the greatest video game composers but overall one of the best composers out there. From what I understand his mother is a pianist who taught him since an early age classical and by age 8 he also studied with a Japanese conductor and pianist Joe Hisaishi for 3 years. After that he ventured into other genres like jazz and also began creating video game music for Falcom as a teenager before he went freelance. By the time he got to creating music for Streets Of Rage 1 he already had a strong foundation and you can find clever phrasing and techniques in that soundtrack as well. But we cannot forget Motohiro Kawashima who also co-created the soundtrack with him and introduced a heavier techno sound with upbeat so it was a brilliant marriage of house with jazz chords everywhere. I was hoping you would get to cover Spin On The Bridge but I'm still happy you got introduced to this and like it. I've loved this soundtrack for over 30 years now. Don't just stop here and please venture out into his other works like Actraiser 1 and 2. 😎
He was an absolute prodigy, having worked on the scores early on for the Falcom sound team, one of gaming's first dedicated sound teams and one with a legacy of a frankly disgusting amount of talent throughout its history, all the way back when he was a teenager. His work with Mieko Ishikawa on the Ys I+II soundtracks made for arguably the first true great RPG soundtracks, a genre which for many is defined by their OSTs.
It was around the time he was composing for Streets of Rage that Koshiro-san had gotten into house music which is reflected in the game having a distinct house music sound to it. Streets of Rage 3 went for a heavy techno sound, which is great if you're into that. If you weren't into hardcore techno you can be forgiven for disliking that soundtrack.
@@RUclips.Commen-tater A lot of people either don't know or haven't played it but he also did the soundtrack to Super Adventure Island on Snes. That also has some playful tunes but some House bangers too. As far as Streets Of Rage 3, to me it's not as good as 2 or 1 music wise but I do enjoy a lot of songs from that project like the boss theme, the factory, and the battle with the Yamato warriors. I think on that game too Motohiro worked on it with Yuzo and had more songs contributed than Yuzo.
BRO YOU WON ME OVER WITH THIS ME AND MY LITTLE BROTHER USED TO PLAY THIS GAME ALL THE TIME AND IT ACTUALLY INSPIRED US BOTH WITH OUR MUSIC PRODUCTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COVERING THIS!!!
One of the best 2 player game experiences of all time. The funniest thing is when you accidentally hit your friend, he retaliates and then it turns into a battle to the death and the winner gets to continue the game lol
@diplamatikjuan3595 When I used to play with my brother or cousin there would always be a rule of player 1 goes on top of the screen, player 2 goes on bottom. That and a lot of communication not to grapple/punch each other. I don’t think we ever fought to the death apart from in SOR1 when one player selects Yes to join the syndicate and one selects no.
I can't tell you how many times I've played this one through. I have it on Steam and still regularly boot it up just to give another run. Easily my favorite game of last century and in my top 10 of all time. And yeah, top notch OST. The opening theme song is easily one of my favorite songs from a game ever, and that includes a whole lot of Final Fantasy games.
These types of chords and movements were really popular in 90's dance music. You don't hear the type played anymore these days, its as if it disappeared except for video games. Generally, 1992 was a great year for all audio music. ❤❤❤
you're totally right! Yuzo has been a dance music composer and fan since day one and it can be shown in its compositions. Even months ago, various Twitter followers (including me) asked him about Street of Rage saga soundtrack music references and he answered us with some examples such as: Enigma, Soul II Soul, Technotronic, etc ... I think he took dance music harmony and put it up to a master level.
This is a core game from my childhood and this soundtrack is nothing but bangers. Even him playing the segments short, my brain just started to autocomplete the loop. Glad to still see it holds up.
Absolute classic. I actually taped on my old tape cassette walkman (with a tiny microphone) the BGM test in options and listened to it while I went to sleep as a 9 year old kid.
This soundtrack, and SOR1, are Yuzo Koshiro’s magnum opus. The heavy influences from groups such as Black Box, Technotronic and Inner City are in full display here. The way he takes tracks such as Good Life from Inner City and transforms it into Go Straight is nothing short of genius. Truly a testament to the popularity of techno and house music of the early ‘90s.
Yeah, as good as the soundtrack was, it is VERY much early 90s House. Deee-lite kind of made House mainstream by 90-91, so playing this as a kid didn't really seem all that mind blowing. It just kept us playing.
It's not just techno, tho. The brilliance of this soundtrack is how Koshiro is blending in some really slick jazz techniques to make tracks with a lot more musical complexity than most house. This is an already-strong composer discovering some new toys (techno) and going wild with them.
@@jasonblalock4429 one of the great influences of the mid 80's techno artists (Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Juan Atkins) was the Japanese band Yellow Magic Orchestra, who was led by the great late Ryuichi Sakamoto, that also, naturally, influenced a lot of Japanese video games composers from that time. My favorite work from Yuzo is still Revenge of Shinobi an SOR3, and although he didn't wrote it, every fan of him should also check Shinobi III soundtrack, probably my favorite Genesis soundtrack, not as funky/techno/house/groovy as Yuzo work, but if you like more traditional Japanese music, you're going to love it.
Yuzo Koshiro has been crushing soundtracks for like 40 years. Legacy of the Wizard, ActRaiser, Streets of Rage, Ys, Revenge of Shinobi... he's still going strong.
Bro Shinobi III (3) has the best tracks I've ever heard not just in game but in general. Every now and then I watch playthrough just to listen to the legendary tracks!
This game deserves the love. I played this game regularly in my childhood and I play it through once every few years to reminisce. I’m a software engineer by trade and I used to code to this soundtrack. I always knew this soundtrack was amazing, glad to see it continue to get the love and attention it deserves
I had a giant smile watching the entire video. I don't know if I enjoyed your enthusiasm or you playing the notes on the piano more. I grew up with this game and the Streets of Rage series still have my favorite video game music ever. My dad used to do what you did when we played the game together back in the 90s. He'd hear it, be super impressed and look to recreate it on his keyboard. You just gave me a flashback to some happy memories.
Charles, can you pleeaaaaase do a long form video with the rest of the soundtrack from the game? This is like the 4th time I've watched this video lol I've played this game since I was a kid, and have been in love with the soundtrack the entire time. Not knowing a lot about music theory, and watching you discover it has been awesome!
Streets Of Rage was gigantic when it cam out. A lot more popular than a cult classic. It was absolutely adored as well. One of the pillars of Sega. It was the first game I ever played.
He was probably comparing it to Street Fighter, and the NeoGeo beat em ups, and they were more famous. Not gonna lie tho, SoR2 was every bit as good. I just thinknits following small and confined to Genesis console player. Wait… was there an arcade version??
@@lighthousemaccabee8133 Sonic 1 shifted 15 million units. This is because it was hardcoded into the Genesis 2. Sonic 2 shifted 6 million units and is therefore the proper top selling game of the Genesis era. Aladdin shifted 4 million and Streets of Rage 2 shifted 3.6 million. So no, it wasn't as big as Sonic. But it's still the third biggest game on the console. Everyone at the time knew about it.
Yeah this game was the foundation representing genesis when they compared snes.
11 месяцев назад+142
Yes. The Music was so important that when Dotemu recently made the next chapter (4) of this videogame, they prioritized the soundtrack too where Yuzo also participated. The music leader for this release was Oliver Deriviere, and what he did there, paying tribute to the classic, was out of this world too. Please check it out.
I love SoR4, and it's OST definitely has some good moments, but it lacks drive, punch, energy, excitement. It has too much of a French house sound and not enough of a harder driving UK Rave/Eurodance one. Confusingly Yuzo's track is one it's weakest.
Streets of Rage 2 was one of my favourite games as a child growing up in the 90s, and even now I can't help but listen to the soundtrack and bop along with the banging tunes.
Yuzo Koshiro is arguably the greatest video game composer of all time. The custom sound drivers he made for this game tapped into the on-board Master System hardware to give him more audio channels, which is one of the reasons it sounds so layered and complex. I highly recommend also checking out his soundtracks for the first Streets of Rage and Revenge of Shinobi. Revenge of Shinobi's boss music is pure audio euphoria...
I think one of the most amazing facts about games from the 16bit era, is the tiny tiny amount of audio channels they had available to them. It has six FM synthesis channels (or five FM channels plus one PCM channel), three square wave channels, and a noise channel. The ability to make this music with such restrictions is nothing short of sensational
I was about to comment that, it is even more mind boggling that he managed to do that with the limiations of the YM2612. It was a decent sound chip for the time but still very limited.
Still a joy to see the SOR OST living "rent free in my head for 3 decades" wasn't just a personal love but was seemingly shared by everyone all over the world. Remember, this was before the internet - and there was no media trend of this soundtrack so it wasn't like we were following the latest fashion. Just a world full of unconnected kids playing a video game. So heres to the lovely childhood memories of "Am I a weirdo because switched this game on just to listen to the soundtrack in the Options menu?"
I'm thrilled to see people discovering Yuzo Koshiro 30 years later. With Streets of Rage 2, he did the greatest video game OST of all time, I'll considered it as it is till the day I die.
It's a truly legendary one, but IMO it's more of an album rather than a score, if that makes sense. Nothing WRONG with that, especially considering the genre it was written for (and the time) but IMHO the true GOATs are a little more cinematic. That's just my taste, though.
@@ritzkola2302 I thought it was pretty self-explanatory, tbh. I think the classic RPG soundtracks of the time are way more impressive as works of art because they factor in things like storytelling VIA the music, leitmotifs, etc. This soundtrack is basically just an (extremely excellent, mind you) dance album that happened to be made with the Genesis sound chip.
This soundtrack is one of the best video game soundtracks of all time! From start to end. It is truly mind blowing incredible! This is a Grammy award winning soundtrack. This and Marvel vs Capcom soundtracks didn’t miss a beat. And I have very high standards for what I listen to.
Streets of Rage 2 was one of the entry points for my friends and I to get into electronic music in high school. We taped every song and took turns trying to play then on whatever keyboards we had access to. I went on to produce my own music, but never knew Yuzo Koshiro's name until now. He has had such an impact on my life trajectory. ❤
Being a lifetime fan of electronica, Yuzo Koshiro first hit my radar in 1989, with the soundtrack to another Genesis/Mega Drive game - Revenge of Shinobi/The Super Shinobi. Check that out for an earlier take on a similar theme (e.g., "Make Me Dance", "Ninja Step"). He remained fairly prolific throughout the 90s and into the 00s, crossing multiple music genres (rock, orchestral, etc). Y's 1-3, Actraiser, Shenmue, Deathsmiles, and more...
So stay tuned, because Yuzo Koshiro is developing a new game for the Mega Drive called Earthion, it's a shmup full of cool effects. It'll probably also be released for current platforms, but the focus is on Mega Drive.
You hear music how I hear music, but you have the knowledge and vocabulary to articulate it. This soundtrack has been blowing me away since I first heard it as a kid in the early 90's. So much intricate detail in every bar, it's incredible.
I grew up with the Megadrive in the UK, Streets of Rage was a huge part of my gaming life and still is today. As a heavy listener of mostly electronic/dance music with The Prodigy and the Rave music scene back then, the music in this game will always be a timeless classic. The first game had the best music for me personally. Very nice to see you break this down.
I gotta throw in The Shamen in there aswell! I think, and I believe theres a video of it on YT, that the track "Under Logic" sounds like Shamen's "Move any Mountain". That early 90s club, house music vibe. Absolute timeless soundtrack. My early teens in my room with friends being blown away by this game. SOR 1 has an excellent soundtrack aswell. The third game I think, is very underrated! Harder, edgier and grittier. So too, was the soundtrack. Heavy , abrasive techno and wierd blips and beeps sounded like Axl Stone himself Grand Uppering you in the face!
I still blast the stage 5 Beatnik on the Ship every now and then coz it's so, damn, good! There's a bunch of remastered/remixed versions of the first game soundtrack that sound amazing. Just youtube up the '(enhanced)' ones here, they're really good, and authentic to the originals.
It's cool to still find people discovering the Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack, because it really is a masterpiece which STILL holds to this day. I remember the first time I heard “Go Straight” and I absolutely lost it. Couldn’t even play through the first stage initially, because I was so lost in the music. There are some really amazing video game soundtracks from the 90s. Sonic CD is a great one to check out.
SO HAPPY you covered this and loved it as much as you did! Streets of Rage 2 is in my view one of the greatest games and greatest soundtracks of ALL TIME and it will always have a ridiculously precious place in my heart. This game's SOUND DESIGN is also god-tier. Never have more satisfying noises issued forth from a video game. 🙌🙌🙌
Imagine me, 9-10 years old jammin to this with headphones on a road trip with my GameGear, hurling knifes at punks in the jazz bar. The music was so iconic and instantly brings me back when I hear it.
The sound track isn't just an incredible music arrangement but a perfect compliment to the game play itself. Each track fits the level theme, design, and atmosphere in a meaningful and purposeful way. Go Straight being an upbeat heavy hitting track, fits perfectly with the frantic pace of the game play and which amazingly doubles as an incredible rhythm to play to. Every track after this one just fits so incredibly well with each level it accompanies.
This was the very first game my Dad introduced to me when he brought home a Sega Genesis Model 1 in 1993. I still have the cartridge and the console to this day, 30 years later and it has aged so well. Part of me gets emotional watching your genuine reaction to something that means so much to me (and everyone in your comments). Thank you for a fantastic and fun video.
‘Go Straight’ was heavily inspired by Inner City - Good Life by Kevin Saunderson, Magoria - Mutoid Waste and Bass Value - Do You Wanna Party with the latter following the same arrangement. Why you’re not familiar with its music theory is because in dance music it’s not uncommon to sample a chord stab and play it in a relative minor scale. In good life the chord stab was lifted from Nitro Deluxe - Brutal House, where Koshiro borrowed the same approach to make the soundtrack have a UK/US dance feel.
@@jankybit just look up streets of rage soundtrack influences, you'll find that a lot of that soundtrack is, ahem, inspired by 80s & 90s western dance music
I have always wondered if the composer was listening to the UK hardcore scene, as there are many parallels in that 1992 UK rave sound. Sy-kick - Upside Rhythm Section - perfect love Nebula 2 - Atheama remix Ellis Dee - Dance Factor DJ Seduction - Hardcore Heaven NRG - The music makers
I love this. It's that thing where you've loved something for year, then one of your friend finds it and they love it. That's the feeling I have watching you listen to this. I remember playing this on my Genesis and loving the music, but never realizing what I was hearing until much much later in life. I have all of the music from these old games (1-2-3) on my computer and often listen to it. So happy that you (and hopefully others) love the music from this game. Big props to Yuzo Koshiro for these bangers.
To think they put this greatness into a 4MB cartrige, is beyond legendary. Props to Yuzo Koshiro and all those that worked in this great game. I played this gem at the time, and it was a blast.
They didn't. The music is played by synth chip (Yamaha ym2612). They programmed the notes that should be played by this chip. Like midi files (though it was much more complicated than outputting midi files).
@@sirmiluch6856I think the easiest way for the new generation to figure the amount of genius required is watching a C64 cracktro. I better not say how many bytes you have to get SID play that tune.
Yuzo Koshiro is a musical mastermind and I'm glad people like you are discovering his work and then covering it extensively. When I first played Streets of Rage 2 that came packed in with my Sega Genesis in 1992 I was absolutely blown away by it all. It truly does stand the test of time. Thanks for showing appreciation for it.
This made turning on your Genesis at nine years old felt like your taste into clubbing or edm. You don’t know what you’re listening to, but know you need to turn it up. Bless Yuzo. Love watching you break it down on piano as well.
This game was a standard everyone knew and had to play at least once. The music got carved into our memories and remains a treasure forever. The 90s in general brought video games and club scenes together through awesome music which was going back and forth all the time. What started out like this went into music composers licensing their tunes to game developer studios like Psygnosis and more.
I have fond childhood memories of all the games he has covered. It brings me infinite amounts of joy to see him geek out over the musical scores. I love this content.
I'm SO GLAD you're dipping into game music more. This is stuff I grew up with and never really took the dive musically but I just knew then the music slapped...and STILL does.
Played it for the first time when I got my Sega Genesis Classic Mini a year ago. See I was a SNES kid. Love the SNES… not gonna go further into that… Point is, I had a 40 game library to discover right off the bat, and about 700 (?) more after I hacked the console and added some. It was like xmas for an old retro gamer. The 16bit era was simply magical. The eternal struggle between Sega and Nintendo gave us the strongest console gen in gaming history, and some of the most legendary titles. It’s a good life.
I played the game 30 years ago and sometimes I still play it for nostalgia. Music is like 70% part of the fun. Honestly, this soundtrack brought m attention to electronic music few years later, which still remains. Yuzo made a gem which actually made happy so many people. He used to perform his music in a live act. I would love to see that one day. Even if I am reaching 40s soon. 😊
The soundtrack for the two first games is insanely good. Absolutely epic. The music just got you so pumped the entire game. It was a sonic journey of brilliant music and sound effects
I'm glad the soundtrack is getting the recognition it deserves, me and my cousin used to put this on mania difficulty all the time. We had waaaaay too much fun!😂
I have been playing this game for 30 years and the joy this video gave me feels like a piece of me has been validated 😂. The reaction to the music is pure and is totally warranted. I'd love to see an in-depth breakdown of the whole OST because it is timeless music that deserves its flowers. Shout out to Yuzo Koshiro Edit: I was SHOCKED to hear you say you'd never heard of this game. It did not compute. 😂😂😂
I'm glad you discovered this music and gave it the credit that it needed. Yuzo was so ahead of its time and the music would still hold up till this day. When I was a kid I already liked the music so much, that's when I was like 8 years old and even now 30 years later I still love it. Thanks Charles for highlighting this and thanks Yuzo for making this timeless classics 🙏🏾
I am an older millennial. Just turned 38, and YES, my younger brother and I played this extensively in the early-mid 90s. One year, I remember my brother and I played this EVERY DAY after school until we got good enough to make it to the end without dying. Back in those days, there was no internet, you couldn’t just download another game if you got bored. So we got good instead! As a matter of fact, back then we had tape recorders, and like you, I had an interest in breaking down music for the joy of understanding it. Though I wasn’t nearly as musically talented. I actually recorded the soundtrack from Streets of Rage Level 1 on a cassette and listened to it for fun!
I’m 42 bro! Vividly remember that 1st stages of Streets of Rage 2 and Streets of Rage in general. Staple of a 80’s baby’s childhood ! Never forgot the “ Grand upper ! “ uppercut from Axel 😂
Right I was going to say the same thing. I found myself smiling and laughing, when I fact I had no clue why we were so excited as far as music cords go I know less than nothing lol love your energy. From a first time viewer
I played this game so much when I was 14. I recall noticing the amazing music, which the Genesis made possible, but never realized the composition was so complex until now, 33 years later!
I grew up playing this game, and while I didn't have any technical music knowledge, I always felt this ost was unique and special. Many tracks live in my head.
this is why VG Music lives in our heads rent free! Streets of Rage 2, Castlevania SOTN, Megaman 8, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Street Fighter 3 just to name a few. When I was going to school for music I did a paper on how House and Disco continue to live on in video games. Nintendo music is heavy disco even down to basic disco violin chord progressions like in "Guar Plains" and other Nintendo stage music and Capcom loves House music is like their signature base to start from.
Hey everyone, it's that time of year where we put together some crazy bundle for you all to kick off the holiday season. Right now, we have just HOURS remaining on the biggest sale we've EVER run on the Cornell Music Academy! So, be sure to head over and grab the ENTIRE course library for an insane discount! cornellmusicacademy.com/blackfriday
Please do a video on the soundtrack for "Ghost of Tsushima." The music is absolutely beautiful.
I played Streets of Rage with my brothers. That was so awesome bonding time and teamwork.
I can sugest Velours from Anomaly to react to. Its such a groovy track for Keys
A full jazz rendition of the streets of rage OST is needed for sure
You need to listen Plok's soundrack! It is a snes game
It was a HUGE game when it came out, it did not just become a cult classic. It topped all sales charts for months in the US, Europe and Worldwide. Many vote it the best Genesis/Megadrive game of all time. People still love it today because of how good it was and the music back in the day.
THANK YOU!
It only got forgotten about because Sega completely neglected the IP for nearly 3 decades and even then it took another company making SOR 4 for them to do anything with the franchise.
Absolutely, we all had it on our Megadrives in the UK. The original was really well received and everyone was chomping at the bit for the sequel, which had Final Fight-style bigger sprites (as that had come out on the SNES as a near arcade perfect conversion).
Also needs to have props to the OG boss music - amazing song, up there with Sonic 2's Chemical Plant Zone as some of the greatest game soundtracks ever.
Facts
@@tomnisbett5788 It's good that a new generation is playing SOR4 and seeing the old versions too. I think Sega felt they couldn't do anything with the Game in 3D, that's why they gave up. All the 3D prototypes sucked.
He wrote his own audio drivers for this game, his sister did the artwork for the characters. Massive respect to that family.
Insane I didn't know about that thanks for sharing
Ahh, that's pure mad genius. I was thinking not ONLY is the music fantastically creative but the actual 16 bit audio sounds incredible compared to other stuff. It's definitely got it's own quality, I guess having those bespoke drivers makes it stand out more so you can really hear it.
Ohh I didn't know that his sister was involved.... Damn I've been a drum n bass n electric Break beats guy ever since.
Insanely talented family! He designed his on audio drivers? Wouldn’t even know where to start..
wrote his own modtracker too iirc @@HiGlowie
I have been obsessed with this game's soundtrack my ENTIRE EFFING LIFE.
It makes me so happy whenever I see someone recognize the glory.
Same here. What a nice surprise to see this vid popping up!
Facts!
One of the best video game soundtrack of all time!
Sames man. This honestly soundtracked my whole teen years
Did you buy it on vinyl?
You really should. It sounds amazing.
Yuzo had NO BUISNESS going this hard on a Sega Genesis game in 1992! This dude made legit club bangers.
This game was the soundtrack of my childhood in the early 90s. Like if you want to know how the early 90s sounded and felt, listen to this OST.
Yes bro
He didn't just make legit club bangers.
He basically invented that musical genre.
Nintendo guy all my life but Go straight is my ringtone.
Facts
Even before his work on the Genesis, His work on the game "Legacy of The Wizard" for the NES/Famicom always amazed me, I didn't realize it was his work until recently, but explains why I loved the music in that game.
Yuzo is the reason I became a composer at all, but you are the only person to cover anything of his like this. Thank you. This whole game is one of the reasons I ever wanted to be a video game composer or make music. Your video is so appreciated. Thank you for covering Yuzo Koshiro. :D
do you do this for a job now?
@@bluebellbeatnik4945
I work for a company called MonRiverGames. I make music for artists and also for video games.
Not only that butt Yuzo clearly was trying to push the YM3812 chip to it's dynamic limits on the SEGA. He really didn't have to go as hard as did. He basically used Deadpool style "maximum effort" on this sound track.
There's a channel that has been around for a while called 8-bit Music Theory. It's what you're looking for
@@TheCuddlyKnife
I am a Patreon of Papa 8-Bit and have been for years. He has never covered Yuzo Koshiro.
However, I love his channel.
Glad to see people discovering this 32 years later. Streets of Rage is and always has been the greatest OST since its release.
would love to hear it for the first time again like this.
I must be getting old. I'm 35 and played this and even did a rap song to the music back in the day. To see people making videos like this like they just now hearing the music or playing the game is crazy to me. It's a classic and SOR series huge popularity. Lived under a cave?
Ridge racer type 4
Bro said “not as popular” like, ask someone from that time this was HELLA popular! Mario was for the lil kids. Streets of rage was for the big kids! 💯😐🤷🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
@@lyriktehuti u ain't lying. Streets of rage is a mainstream hugely popular series. What an idiot. It was even on the 6in1 Sega Genesis cartridge with Tetris golden axe etc. I can't with this guy
31 years later...this soundtrack still slaps. It is truly a masterpiece.
Gonna have to fire this up soon for a run through, booming it on surround sound
SOR2 is not just the best game on Megadrive, it's the best soundtrack.
Smashes SNES (hello 90's console rivalry!) and frankly it's one of the best game OST's of all time. You can't help but move along to the tracks.
@@LeeONardodid you ever heard about Gungstar Heroes?
@@LeeONardogonna say, Koshiro was known for pushing the soundchips of both consoles to their limits. Trust me, on the SNES he was no slouch either. Play Actraiser 1 and 2, he pushed that soundchip to its absolute limits like how he did the Genny.
Gunstar Heroes was great. Holds up too. Lots of Treasure games do. @@хеджхог
You know a videogame OST is brutal when you can perform an entire concert with it
yea each track is like 3 interwoven songs
@@chancepaladin in fact the two composers performed in 2018 in Paris, check it on youtube, i wish i had been there
Yes and that concert is here on youtube. I encourage people to look it up
@@drunkensailor112 I still watch it on my TV about once a year. Great set! I wish I could have been there.
Yuzo Koshiro showed the world what the Sega Sound Chip could do, and this was one of those games that was absolute perfection all around.
If I'm not mistaken he's done a lot of the music for the Etrian Odyssey series, which has a ton of great songs too. Had no idea he's been making great songs for so long.
@@zDakJ
Yes, I been into computers, etc. ever since the good ol' Apple ][e (1978), still is my favorite computer to this day. Games back then, is what inspired or influenced many games today, if it wasn't for the games back then, no way you will see games as they are now.
Yuzo Koshiro is most defin't in my favorites, Nobou Uematsu, (Final Fantasy games) Koichi Sugiyama, (Dragon Quest games) Naoki kodaka, (Nes batman, blaster master and much more) David Wise, (Donkey Kong Country games) Tommy Tallarico, (Skeleton Warriors) to name a few, oh, and also, never forget the Follin brothers (Tim & Geoff Follin), these 2 brothers can literally make any sound chip talk, they were known back in the nes/snes days.
There is much more then this but, just given an example.
Oh, if your into electronic music, Yuzo Koshiro did some excellent tunes on: Wangan midnight maximum tune.
Damn right he did!
I will admit, I had SNES, so I was spoiled with a sample based console that had a lot more variety in music and sounds. As such I could spot a sega title from a mile away by how it sounded. Almost every Sega Genesis title sounded the same, used the exact same waveform instruments etc. This game had me stumped. It actually sounds more like a SNES game, but with the clarity of a NeoGeo game. That says a lot.
Agreed
@@My2Cents1la verdad ningún juego de génesis sonaría como snes más aún con esa diferencia de sintetizadores que tiene sega, y eso que hay aún más juegos que explotan ese chip, pero los japoneses lo hicieron más en sus juegos y algunas personas de occidente
It's awesome seeing someone discover and appreciate this soundtrack that I've enjoyed for nearly 30 years
Yea…when I saw the thumbnail, I got so hyped. The music in that game is soooo good.
💯
Same here 🎉 although we have so much of retort good music like street of rage
I don't like this math.
It's so adorable seeing newer generations discover classic house and techno for the first time. Yuzo Koshiro was an apt student of the early Chicago and Detroit underground dance scenes, and conveyed that energy perfectly in the SoR soundtracks.
It’s so good
Yep it's literally textbook Japanese music production paired with the Detroit underground dance.
I know it sounds like I'm reducing it, and I don't want to. But this isn't the first time I heard this, moreover it influenced a lot of the things I've enjoyed in the later years. For example UFO Enemy Unknown (of all the things) that was released in 1994
A calm atmosphere filled with eerily dissonant strikes accompanied by saw synths and minimalistic bass lines.
ruclips.net/video/aiwyKU836Ko/видео.html
Really good and underappreciated imo. And it employs the cheap production concept of pitch-shifting a sampled material to an extent, which is what also makes Yuzo's work so unique. This kind of technique was mostly there because of the hardware constraints (and is exactly what made the early dance scene so authentic). Here's a notable example from a game I remember from Amiga, it had this epic space opera vibe with choral singing that obviously looped when pitch-shifted, but it was all part of the experience.
ruclips.net/video/wU7dkVhxPk4/видео.html
yeah when he said “i’ve never heard anything like this” it’s like … ok you never heard real detroit techno or uh “electronica, house, things like that”
@@vahidfoziAgain this soundtrack predates ALL OF THAT it's like the composer was a time traveller
@@falconeshieldthe music we’re talking about, detroit techno and chicago house, starts in the mid 80s and continues until today. this is around the same time, but this definitely doesn’t predate it. like the ppl above are saying, this guy is a video game musician who was hip to the current underground dance music of the time
This game deserves to be called the masterpiece of all belt scroll action games because it was perfect in every way, graphics, fun, and even the music was fantastic.
SoR1 was HUGE here in Brazil, then came SoR2 and every boy from every rental game station at every city played it to the exhaustion. A masterpiece
I hear really awesome things about the Sega scene in brazil that's so cool!
We have to thank you from Argentina, since most of the stuff that got here back in the day was brought in through Brazil. Thank you.
Sega dominated Brazil in the 90's and even well into the 00's and Nintendo was nowhere to be seen. The history of the Brazilian games industry is really interesting.
@@faristhewanderer6571we had TecToy - a company licensed to produce and localize games for the master system and mega drive , as well as sell localised versions of game consoles as well. I believe they still sell the mega drive IV , which is just normal console with games in the onboard memory. I remember playing phantasy star I in Portuguese, that was so awesome.
Streets 1&2 were huge in UK, huge in my school, an obsession for me and my brothers - this was our jam. I think the soundtracks were partly why I got so into a lot of left field electronic stuff. Perhaps Wipeout too.
"Guys, I just discovered this!". Thanks for making me feel old.
I was born in 1968 and saw the whole computer/console wars take off, now that's old.
@@-Steven- I played some MAME and amazing Amiga OS games, but I guess you're talking about "a warrior defeating the dragon" game, and the dragon was a triangle!
Right?? Anyone who played Sega in the 90s knew this game. I have a soft spot for the SoR3 soundtrack too but it's not nearly as universally loved
Dude...
I was born 93, but the megadrive was my first console. This was my childhood
So happy I grew up with the Streets of Rage games.
Even 30 yrs later those tracks still give me goosebumps ❤
I'm from Russia and 90s there was just a wild West (It's no better now if you ask me).
So as we were just kids these games were not only games for us but a kind of way to escape from that reality, but we played it only in 1998 or around that, because of the money question.
So yeah Yuzo Koshiro's (we didn't know his name at that time of course) music is now one of the best soundtracks that defined that decade for many of my generation
I can still hear all the games sound effects listening to this, especially the characters when they yell.
@@denschrodingermy parents, from England, lived in Moscow in 1997-98! They said it was very friendly and pretty crazy ...in a good way!
When I was growing up, I thought the 90s sucked. now I'd do just about anything to go back in time and play all those great games with my old buds again. 😄
Agreed
Not only a cool soundtrack, it's one of the best beat'em up of all time
It's actually the definitive beatm'up.
Man, these tracks would get us SO hyped when playing through this game back in '92.
bro my 8yo brain was blown away. i literally listen to this on spotify just bc the music itself is so good by itself.
@@beans301same! I’m big on ps2/dreamcast jungle beats also
Some musical scores in video games need no explanation: it is simply magical.
Yes this
Agreed. Check the opening theme for Solstice on the NES. Magical mixed with sorcery my man.
Even as kids we knew this soundtrack was something special as we played the game, nice to see it recognised now
Haha yes indeed
@haveanotherpinacoladawhere?
Just found? :) god damn we've all been listening to this since 1992!
They call us nerds, who's nerds now?
It’s music like this - particularly early video game music, in my opinion - that lends such weight to the phrase “limitation breeds creativity.” What early VG composers did with such tight restrictions never ceases to amaze me.
yep, honestly i don't see myself getting nostalgic for many post-synth game tracks. all these orchestral sound tracks are completely forgettable to me (except halo because they did it first)
@@GraveUypoplus Halo used actual choirs and actual medieval harmony for the choral part - going full deep into the aesthetic rather than just loosely-applying it.
Exactly! The sound chip on the Genesis wasn't great but what these composers did manage to do is just incredible! This game is the epitome of that.
Totally... I think that's why dark themed titles did so well on the amiga... Leander and Shadow of the Beast etc
The Super Mario Theme is probably the most well known song of all time.
Watching the pure, unadulterated joy this man is experiencing with one of my all-time favorite game soundtracks is so unbelievably wholesome. I wish I had a fraction of the musical knowledge he does to articulate WHY this music resonates.
I practically just said the same thing. He makes me want to take music COURSES, MULTIPLE!
It’s like watching someone taste all their favorite foods at a buffet. 😂❤
@@alexiswilliamsinc And each time, it's the new best thing ever. Love it.
Man I hope Yuzo Koshiro sees this video and remembers fond memories composing this score. What a genius this guy is.
I agree
He’s actually still doing this kind of work. He is currently working on a new game called Earthion that will release for the Sega Genesis sometime next year. So he’s definitely going back to his roots.
I haven’t played this since I was a little tyke and I can’t believe I didn’t remember how awesome the music is. Just watching the joy it’s bringing this man is a thing of beauty.
Heck, it’s bringing me joy too.
Awesome video.
@@fossil-bit8439 they are still making games for the Genesis?
I don't know if he left a comment, but he did reply to this on Twitter and was super flattered!
I my head I was inserting the yelling sounds “khaaaaaa”
Upperkah…..
Lol
BRASS UPPAAHHH!
Uurrrooah!
Yessssss... Or Skate's ooooh... Yee yeeee
Streets of Rage 2 was a HUGE part of not just my childhood, but my life as a whole! The music has always been iconic, and I love seeing someone react to it for the first time, but that also understands the sheer complexity of it, but knowing that the complexity doesn’t diminish the musicality
I always thought this game had amazing music. I just didn’t know many kids who shared the same sentiment. Kids are in it for gameplay, but I always liked the jams that came out during the genesis and SNES era.
I got the original Streets of Rage with Sonic 1, Columns, and Golden Axe on a complication cartridge, which sounds wild to me in hindsight. The SEGA era was iconic, bro. Shout-out to Vectorman and Comix Zone. 🔥🔥🔥
same but mine was a CD that came with my sega cd.@@synchronizedelbow5702
@@synchronizedelbow5702It might've been the 6-pac I had. It had those games plus a racing game. Forgot the other two. Oh, nostalgia.
@@ImABadTeammate Same I have the 6-Pac Cart still and my cart of Streets of Rage 2, this was my childhood! Sonic 1, Columns, Super Hang-On, Streets of Rage 1, Golden Axe & The Revenge of Shinobi. It imo is one of the best carts on the Sega Genesis.
I turn 41 in January, grew up playing Streets of Rage 1 & 2, and even just seeing the thumbnail for this vid, some of the music started playing in my head. It's absolutely full of timeless electro BANGERS.
Same. I hadn't thought about this OST, at least since Streets of Rage 4 was released a few years back. But could sing almost everything from it as soon as the vid started. I now want a remaster album.
I am also 41 and you said it all for me!
Makes me so happy to see someone who gets music experience this for the first time and appreciate it for what it is - an absolute masterpiece.
I turn 50 this year. This soundtrack is absolutely one of the finest ever made.
I wished I understood all of the music theory/understanding that goes into a video like this!
I always knew the musician was skilled.
Back in the 90s when i first played it it all blew my tiny mind away.
I play this regularly....in only grab/headbutt mode....I have never finished it in the mode but it's so much fun.
Liking and subbing.
Thank you
I was born in 1984. I used to beat this game literally every effing Saturday morning for like 4 or 5 years. It's the best beat'em up in history, and together with Sonic 1 and 2 the game I've replayed the most times in my life.
Its soundtrack is truly a gem, my favourite track being Dreamer 😍
Saturday morning and afternoon was gaming prime time in the 90s haha. Legit same here - but absolutely have to add Sonic 3 and Street Fighter 2 to that list. Some of the greatest soundtracks of all time span these games. I’d say Street Fighter 2 in particular helped to change gaming in a massive way
Such a fun 2p game, I used to play this at my friends house and it was one of those games we would almost always play the whole way through.
You only got to play once a week?
Im also 1984, cheers!!!!! Me too 😮
Dreamer and Alien Power were def my fav 2 tracks 😁
I was born in 83. I even today find these tracks on RUclips to listen and bring myself back for a second. Easily one of the best soundtracks ever. The boss theme was one of my favorites. So iconic and you knew something bad was about to happen.
Hell yeah me too! Welcome to 40 btw lol.
Yes, the boss theme is so good. Sounds like looming terror you can dance to lol. Surprised it wasn't featured in the video.
Team 40!
Facts I'm born in 84
Same turned 40 in july.. 😖
Yuzo Koshiro is such a legend dude. One of the absolute best video game OST's of all time. It's timeless, because it still slaps my cheeks 3 decades later. Madness.
Thank you for making this video, and thank you for sharing the same joy I have for this amazing masterpiece of a soundtrack.
Have to give props to Motohiro Kawashima too . He and Yuzo tried to outdo each other when producing the SoR2 soundtrack. Through their friendly competition they created an absolute masterpiece together.
can't believe more than 1 person in the world (aside from myself) is having some research on this OST right now :)
I'm 46 , this game is one my favourites in my childhood and I even play it now by emulators. And the music in this series had been reproduced and remixed by fans for many many times. Fans even produced the game sequel themself and eventually the company released the officials Street of Rage 4 few years ago. Very glad to hear you commend on this game music!
I see you brother👊🤝
SoR2 isn't a 'cult classic'... it's one of the greatest games ever made. Hugely popular in Europe/South America (where Sega dominated the early 90s). You should check out the original SoR soundtrack too. Equally great.
It was huge in N. America, too. He’s just young.
I have bought it on 5 different consoles and currently have it available on my XBoX series
Yup
I still play it to this day in my self phone
@@alexanderdelarosahidalgo3092 awesome - I have a rom on a rasp pi and play it w/ classic snes controller I have
I'm a software engineer, not a musician, but dude let me tell you: it's immensely satisfying to see someone dissect and enjoy music as much as you do :) Kudos good sir
Honestly I'm excited because he's that excited!
Hello ! May Allah protect and guide you to his light and happiness in this life and the hereafter, God bless, Ameen. Excuse me for giving a little presentation of Islam, because it is very misunderstood nowadays, especially on those « Antichrist's » times, where media and politics are mixed to distort history and truth. Thank you very much for your time.
Islam is an arabic word that means the Surrender to the One and Only God, our Creator, Protector, Provider, who gives us life and all that we have, we are safe and sound by his will and grace, we are His and to Him we return, and we have to thank him in this trial life by submitting to him by our free will, or later in the Day of judgment when it's too late to save our own skin. Islam was the original Religion descended to earth from heaven with Adam and Eve (peace and blessing be upon them) in the beginning of humanity. and was passed to people with the succession of the 124 000 prophets and 315 messengers of God to all nations and civilizations since, passing by Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ismaël, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon and Jesus (Peace and blessing be upon them) during the history of mankind, the last replaces and completes the previous, until the succession of the last messenger of God fourteen centuries ago, Muhammad (Peace and blessing be upon him) to complete the noble morals of all mankind, to bring humans and jinns out of darkness into light, and to purify people's religion and belief from corruption and polytheism, and return it to purity and true monotheism, like it was in the times of the prophets (Peace and blessing be upon them).
Many Religions that we know nowadays, at their beginning were true and under Islam, initiated by one of the prophets of God, but their original teachings, history and scriptures have been corrupted over time with falsification and polytheism, or lost and replaced with false ones. That's why Islam is the only Religion accepted by God nowadays, which consists in bearing witness that there is no god besides Allah (God in Aramaic, the original language of Jesus and the Gospel), and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, just like Jesus and Moses and others are His servants and messengers. Never a messenger of God said he was God or literally son of God, it was the people after him who changed the words of God and corrupted the Religion. God is unique and absolute, He does not need to have a family and sons or to associate anyone else with His kingdom, He can simply create whatever He wants, everything belongs to Him, and to Him everything will return. Allah said in Surah Al-Mu’minun : “God has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what it has created, and some of them would have gained supremacy over others. Glory be to God, far beyond what they describe. The Knower of the hidden and the manifest. He is exalted, far above what they associate. (91-92 / Translated by ITANI).
Allah means the one and only God, the God of all prophets and creatures, the creator of the universe and mankind, and the Master of the Day of judgment, where our destiny, Hell or Paradise, is decided based on our faith and deeds in this trial life, and above all, Allah's mercy.
Allah said in Surah Al-Ikhlas : In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Say, “He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.” (1-4 / Translated by ITANI).
Allah said in Surah An-Nisa : O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs, and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God's Apostle - [the fulfilment of] His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary - and a soul created by Him. Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, "[God is] a trinity". Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God. Never did the Christ feel too proud to be God's servant, nor do the angels who are near unto Him. And those who feel too proud to serve Him and glory in their arrogance [should know that on Judgment Day] He will gather them all unto Himself: (171-172 / Translated by Muhammad Asad).
Allah the Most Merciful said in Surah Ali-Imran : Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning!
Thus, [O Prophet,] if they argue with thee, say, "I have surrendered my whole being unto God, and [so have] all who follow me!" - and ask those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime, as well as all unlettered people, "Have you [too] surrendered yourselves unto Him?" And if they surrender themselves unto Him, they are on the right path; but if they turn away - behold, thy duty is no more than to deliver the message: for God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His creatures.
Verily, as for those who deny the truth of God's messages, and slay the prophets against all right, and slay people who enjoin equity - announce unto them a grievous chastisement.
It is they whose works shall come to nought both in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to succour them.
(19-22 / Translated by Muhammad Asad)..
God said : Say, “We believe in Allah, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. And to Him, we surrender.”
(2:136 / Translated by Community)
Salam (Peace) -----------------------------------
Ditto as a fellow software engineer!
Ayo @@inAllllllSeriousness
my homie is the same
Played this growing up! It was awesome! Awesome music! I’m 46 yrs old now. Tons of great tracks.
When I first heard this music as a 9 year old at the time, I was blown away by the music. I still return to this soundtrack once in a while as a 40 year old now. Yuzo's tracks from the 90s are timeless. Thank you for covering this :)
I played this game INCESSANTLY as a kid, I had no idea how superb the soundtrack was. I just knew I loved everything about the experience
SAME HERE!
Same !!!!
classic
Being 41yrs old that sound was from dance music from the 90’s I still remember being a kid and loving it.
Charles, you should look into the limitations of the console's audio capabilities and what Yuzo had to work with and even design just so he could apply his majestic compositions. truly enormous! Always loved this game, and realized as a young adult how influential this was for me, musically. So much beauty and creativity!! Lovely surprise finding your video this morning. ❤🙏🏽
Yuzo Koshiro is not just one of the greatest video game composers but overall one of the best composers out there. From what I understand his mother is a pianist who taught him since an early age classical and by age 8 he also studied with a Japanese conductor and pianist Joe Hisaishi for 3 years. After that he ventured into other genres like jazz and also began creating video game music for Falcom as a teenager before he went freelance. By the time he got to creating music for Streets Of Rage 1 he already had a strong foundation and you can find clever phrasing and techniques in that soundtrack as well. But we cannot forget Motohiro Kawashima who also co-created the soundtrack with him and introduced a heavier techno sound with upbeat so it was a brilliant marriage of house with jazz chords everywhere. I was hoping you would get to cover Spin On The Bridge but I'm still happy you got introduced to this and like it. I've loved this soundtrack for over 30 years now. Don't just stop here and please venture out into his other works like Actraiser 1 and 2. 😎
I need to check more of this ost out immediately.
He was an absolute prodigy, having worked on the scores early on for the Falcom sound team, one of gaming's first dedicated sound teams and one with a legacy of a frankly disgusting amount of talent throughout its history, all the way back when he was a teenager. His work with Mieko Ishikawa on the Ys I+II soundtracks made for arguably the first true great RPG soundtracks, a genre which for many is defined by their OSTs.
It was around the time he was composing for Streets of Rage that Koshiro-san had gotten into house music which is reflected in the game having a distinct house music sound to it. Streets of Rage 3 went for a heavy techno sound, which is great if you're into that. If you weren't into hardcore techno you can be forgiven for disliking that soundtrack.
@@RUclips.Commen-tater A lot of people either don't know or haven't played it but he also did the soundtrack to Super Adventure Island on Snes. That also has some playful tunes but some House bangers too. As far as Streets Of Rage 3, to me it's not as good as 2 or 1 music wise but I do enjoy a lot of songs from that project like the boss theme, the factory, and the battle with the Yamato warriors. I think on that game too Motohiro worked on it with Yuzo and had more songs contributed than Yuzo.
I didn't know he had studied under Hisaishi! It makes complete sense now.
BRO YOU WON ME OVER WITH THIS ME AND MY LITTLE BROTHER USED TO PLAY THIS GAME ALL THE TIME AND IT ACTUALLY INSPIRED US BOTH WITH OUR MUSIC PRODUCTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COVERING THIS!!!
Same with my bro & me. 🤘
@@MD-jf1mlshut up
Same with me and my little brother 💯💪🏾
this game was literally my childhood, and this is definitely one of my favorite ost's of all time
I used to play this with my cousin all the time
One of the best 2 player game experiences of all time. The funniest thing is when you accidentally hit your friend, he retaliates and then it turns into a battle to the death and the winner gets to continue the game lol
@diplamatikjuan3595 When I used to play with my brother or cousin there would always be a rule of player 1 goes on top of the screen, player 2 goes on bottom. That and a lot of communication not to grapple/punch each other. I don’t think we ever fought to the death apart from in SOR1 when one player selects Yes to join the syndicate and one selects no.
My favourite arcade of the 90s to spend my hard earned quarters on!
I can't tell you how many times I've played this one through. I have it on Steam and still regularly boot it up just to give another run. Easily my favorite game of last century and in my top 10 of all time. And yeah, top notch OST. The opening theme song is easily one of my favorite songs from a game ever, and that includes a whole lot of Final Fantasy games.
The playback of this soundtrack unleashed so many memories i got chills.
These types of chords and movements were really popular in 90's dance music. You don't hear the type played anymore these days, its as if it disappeared except for video games.
Generally, 1992 was a great year for all audio music. ❤❤❤
Might have been a question of what kinds of music those gaming consoles could successfully produce.
Beat me to it. Late 80’s to mid 90’s house music loved playing in the minors like that. Start in Chicago and NYC house tracks.
Good catch!!
92 was amazing for audio music. But other music… eh…
you're totally right! Yuzo has been a dance music composer and fan since day one and it can be shown in its compositions.
Even months ago, various Twitter followers (including me) asked him about Street of Rage saga soundtrack music references and he answered us with some examples such as: Enigma, Soul II Soul, Technotronic, etc ...
I think he took dance music harmony and put it up to a master level.
LOL !! Pfft, you know what I meant, silly. *dies* @@Link-ji7kx
This is a core game from my childhood and this soundtrack is nothing but bangers. Even him playing the segments short, my brain just started to autocomplete the loop. Glad to still see it holds up.
Same! I was even hearing all the sound effects when the clips were playing!
Absolute classic. I actually taped on my old tape cassette walkman (with a tiny microphone) the BGM test in options and listened to it while I went to sleep as a 9 year old kid.
I did EXACTLY the same thing back in the day 😂. Also the revenge of Shinobi soundtrack too
Wow.. U guys were really that much into it.. amazing.
Wow I did this too!! Also recorded the OST for TMNT Turtles in Time and Contra 3!
Hell yeah me too! I did that for SoR2 as well as Shadow Dancer. Amazing game soundtracks 😮
I did that too! I have final fantasy 6 and chrono trigger too!
The best beat em up ever made hands down. Ost just shows in the right hands what the mega drive sound chip could do
It’s always great to see this soundtrack get the recognition that it deserves. Almost every song is a certified banger!
As if that happens on a regular basis 😅
I ripped this to a cassette tape back then, and walked around with headphones everyday. The best track ever.😊
Did you beat up anyone?
Did you beat up anyone?
Did you beat up anyone?
@@scrumptious_guy Just a few news stands, and I found a long pipe behind a trash can I busted up.
@@khalifahshabazz5495hahaha perfect
This soundtrack, and SOR1, are Yuzo Koshiro’s magnum opus. The heavy influences from groups such as Black Box, Technotronic and Inner City are in full display here. The way he takes tracks such as Good Life from Inner City and transforms it into Go Straight is nothing short of genius. Truly a testament to the popularity of techno and house music of the early ‘90s.
Yeah, as good as the soundtrack was, it is VERY much early 90s House. Deee-lite kind of made House mainstream by 90-91, so playing this as a kid didn't really seem all that mind blowing. It just kept us playing.
Good Life has to be one of my favourite songs of all time.
Oh snap. I totally forgot about these groups. My sister used to play a house music mix tape at least once a day. Good Life was my jam.
It's not just techno, tho. The brilliance of this soundtrack is how Koshiro is blending in some really slick jazz techniques to make tracks with a lot more musical complexity than most house. This is an already-strong composer discovering some new toys (techno) and going wild with them.
@@jasonblalock4429 one of the great influences of the mid 80's techno artists (Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Juan Atkins) was the Japanese band Yellow Magic Orchestra, who was led by the great late Ryuichi Sakamoto, that also, naturally, influenced a lot of Japanese video games composers from that time.
My favorite work from Yuzo is still Revenge of Shinobi an SOR3, and although he didn't wrote it, every fan of him should also check Shinobi III soundtrack, probably my favorite Genesis soundtrack, not as funky/techno/house/groovy as Yuzo work, but if you like more traditional Japanese music, you're going to love it.
Best SEGA game of all time. I have literally been screaming about this since it came out and I was 5 then lol.
Yuzo Koshiro has been crushing soundtracks for like 40 years. Legacy of the Wizard, ActRaiser, Streets of Rage, Ys, Revenge of Shinobi... he's still going strong.
Don't forget about Etrian Odyssey
@@silverthecatastrophic5270 and Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune
Maxi music is he best work all of it.
I have played games because of his soundtrack.
Bro Shinobi III (3) has the best tracks I've ever heard not just in game but in general. Every now and then I watch playthrough just to listen to the legendary tracks!
This game deserves the love. I played this game regularly in my childhood and I play it through once every few years to reminisce. I’m a software engineer by trade and I used to code to this soundtrack. I always knew this soundtrack was amazing, glad to see it continue to get the love and attention it deserves
It's definitely one of my faves and the soundtrack is so underrated.
same bro same.
Da heck, me too
I had a giant smile watching the entire video. I don't know if I enjoyed your enthusiasm or you playing the notes on the piano more. I grew up with this game and the Streets of Rage series still have my favorite video game music ever. My dad used to do what you did when we played the game together back in the 90s. He'd hear it, be super impressed and look to recreate it on his keyboard. You just gave me a flashback to some happy memories.
Charles, can you pleeaaaaase do a long form video with the rest of the soundtrack from the game? This is like the 4th time I've watched this video lol I've played this game since I was a kid, and have been in love with the soundtrack the entire time. Not knowing a lot about music theory, and watching you discover it has been awesome!
Streets Of Rage was gigantic when it cam out. A lot more popular than a cult classic. It was absolutely adored as well. One of the pillars of Sega. It was the first game I ever played.
It's not as big as sonic, i think that's why people don't recognize it as often
He was probably comparing it to Street Fighter, and the NeoGeo beat em ups, and they were more famous. Not gonna lie tho, SoR2 was every bit as good. I just thinknits following small and confined to Genesis console player. Wait… was there an arcade version??
@@lighthousemaccabee8133 Sonic 1 shifted 15 million units. This is because it was hardcoded into the Genesis 2.
Sonic 2 shifted 6 million units and is therefore the proper top selling game of the Genesis era. Aladdin shifted 4 million and Streets of Rage 2 shifted 3.6 million.
So no, it wasn't as big as Sonic. But it's still the third biggest game on the console. Everyone at the time knew about it.
@@thedirectorschair1054 everyone that's in the gaming world...
Yeah this game was the foundation representing genesis when they compared snes.
Yes. The Music was so important that when Dotemu recently made the next chapter (4) of this videogame, they prioritized the soundtrack too where Yuzo also participated. The music leader for this release was Oliver Deriviere, and what he did there, paying tribute to the classic, was out of this world too. Please check it out.
This ^
Yoooo i might get it just to scratch the nostalgia itch ( which is why i watch this vid at least every other day now lol )
@@MrBeauChatdo it, man! The soundtrack is amazing.
The boat ride level has my favorite song in the whole SOR4 game but definitely SOR2 has my fav game soundtrack
I love SoR4, and it's OST definitely has some good moments, but it lacks drive, punch, energy, excitement. It has too much of a French house sound and not enough of a harder driving UK Rave/Eurodance one. Confusingly Yuzo's track is one it's weakest.
Streets of Rage 2 was one of my favourite games as a child growing up in the 90s, and even now I can't help but listen to the soundtrack and bop along with the banging tunes.
Yuzo Koshiro is arguably the greatest video game composer of all time. The custom sound drivers he made for this game tapped into the on-board Master System hardware to give him more audio channels, which is one of the reasons it sounds so layered and complex. I highly recommend also checking out his soundtracks for the first Streets of Rage and Revenge of Shinobi. Revenge of Shinobi's boss music is pure audio euphoria...
I think one of the most amazing facts about games from the 16bit era, is the tiny tiny amount of audio channels they had available to them. It has six FM synthesis channels (or five FM channels plus one PCM channel), three square wave channels, and a noise channel. The ability to make this music with such restrictions is nothing short of sensational
I was about to comment that, it is even more mind boggling that he managed to do that with the limiations of the YM2612. It was a decent sound chip for the time but still very limited.
Still a joy to see the SOR OST living "rent free in my head for 3 decades" wasn't just a personal love but was seemingly shared by everyone all over the world.
Remember, this was before the internet - and there was no media trend of this soundtrack so it wasn't like we were following the latest fashion. Just a world full of unconnected kids playing a video game.
So heres to the lovely childhood memories of "Am I a weirdo because switched this game on just to listen to the soundtrack in the Options menu?"
Same here my friend
So relaxing 😌
Great 👍 music.
MD good 👍
Hell yeah
"Go straight" and "dream" are my favorite songs ever
Me and my cousin have been playing SoR2 for over 20 years, specifically for the soundtrack.
I'm thrilled to see people discovering Yuzo Koshiro 30 years later. With Streets of Rage 2, he did the greatest video game OST of all time, I'll considered it as it is till the day I die.
SOR3 music is more challenging to the ears, but is also genius
I too
It's a truly legendary one, but IMO it's more of an album rather than a score, if that makes sense. Nothing WRONG with that, especially considering the genre it was written for (and the time) but IMHO the true GOATs are a little more cinematic. That's just my taste, though.
@@SamuraiFoochselaborate your comment confused me
@@ritzkola2302 I thought it was pretty self-explanatory, tbh. I think the classic RPG soundtracks of the time are way more impressive as works of art because they factor in things like storytelling VIA the music, leitmotifs, etc.
This soundtrack is basically just an (extremely excellent, mind you) dance album that happened to be made with the Genesis sound chip.
This soundtrack is one of the best video game soundtracks of all time! From start to end. It is truly mind blowing incredible! This is a Grammy award winning soundtrack. This and Marvel vs Capcom soundtracks didn’t miss a beat. And I have very high standards for what I listen to.
Streets of Rage 2 was one of the entry points for my friends and I to get into electronic music in high school. We taped every song and took turns trying to play then on whatever keyboards we had access to. I went on to produce my own music, but never knew Yuzo Koshiro's name until now. He has had such an impact on my life trajectory. ❤
Being a lifetime fan of electronica, Yuzo Koshiro first hit my radar in 1989, with the soundtrack to another Genesis/Mega Drive game - Revenge of Shinobi/The Super Shinobi. Check that out for an earlier take on a similar theme (e.g., "Make Me Dance", "Ninja Step"). He remained fairly prolific throughout the 90s and into the 00s, crossing multiple music genres (rock, orchestral, etc). Y's 1-3, Actraiser, Shenmue, Deathsmiles, and more...
Of COURSE the same guy did Shinobi, played the hell out of that one too, even without going back to listen I can tell
One of my all time favorites. I'm 40 and still play this game once a year
Same 💪🏻
Count me in too. Planning on beating it with my non gaming wife this year
Only once? lol. It was such a good game and I’m itching to play it now. There was a new one that came out not too long ago I believe.
So stay tuned, because Yuzo Koshiro is developing a new game for the Mega Drive called Earthion, it's a shmup full of cool effects. It'll probably also be released for current platforms, but the focus is on Mega Drive.
Random and off topic. But how do ya'll feel about SoR4? While 2 is my favorite I feel 4 was not bad and the music was banger.
You hear music how I hear music, but you have the knowledge and vocabulary to articulate it. This soundtrack has been blowing me away since I first heard it as a kid in the early 90's. So much intricate detail in every bar, it's incredible.
I grew up with the Megadrive in the UK, Streets of Rage was a huge part of my gaming life and still is today. As a heavy listener of mostly electronic/dance music with The Prodigy and the Rave music scene back then, the music in this game will always be a timeless classic. The first game had the best music for me personally. Very nice to see you break this down.
Exactly the same as you here! 😊
Fellow brit here this game got me into house and dance music
Same here but from Portugal 🇵🇹
I gotta throw in The Shamen in there aswell! I think, and I believe theres a video of it on YT, that the track "Under Logic" sounds like Shamen's "Move any Mountain". That early 90s club, house music vibe. Absolute timeless soundtrack. My early teens in my room with friends being blown away by this game. SOR 1 has an excellent soundtrack aswell. The third game I think, is very underrated! Harder, edgier and grittier. So too, was the soundtrack. Heavy , abrasive techno and wierd blips and beeps sounded like Axl Stone himself Grand Uppering you in the face!
I still blast the stage 5 Beatnik on the Ship every now and then coz it's so, damn, good!
There's a bunch of remastered/remixed versions of the first game soundtrack that sound amazing. Just youtube up the '(enhanced)' ones here, they're really good, and authentic to the originals.
It's cool to still find people discovering the Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack, because it really is a masterpiece which STILL holds to this day. I remember the first time I heard “Go Straight” and I absolutely lost it. Couldn’t even play through the first stage initially, because I was so lost in the music.
There are some really amazing video game soundtracks from the 90s. Sonic CD is a great one to check out.
SO HAPPY you covered this and loved it as much as you did! Streets of Rage 2 is in my view one of the greatest games and greatest soundtracks of ALL TIME and it will always have a ridiculously precious place in my heart. This game's SOUND DESIGN is also god-tier. Never have more satisfying noises issued forth from a video game. 🙌🙌🙌
Imagine me, 9-10 years old jammin to this with headphones on a road trip with my GameGear, hurling knifes at punks in the jazz bar. The music was so iconic and instantly brings me back when I hear it.
The sound track isn't just an incredible music arrangement but a perfect compliment to the game play itself. Each track fits the level theme, design, and atmosphere in a meaningful and purposeful way.
Go Straight being an upbeat heavy hitting track, fits perfectly with the frantic pace of the game play and which amazingly doubles as an incredible rhythm to play to. Every track after this one just fits so incredibly well with each level it accompanies.
Facts. Very well placed tracks all the way to the final boss.
This was the very first game my Dad introduced to me when he brought home a Sega Genesis Model 1 in 1993. I still have the cartridge and the console to this day, 30 years later and it has aged so well.
Part of me gets emotional watching your genuine reaction to something that means so much to me (and everyone in your comments). Thank you for a fantastic and fun video.
Wow. Your comment is exactly everything I was about to say myself. It’s as if I was reading a comment I wrote about my own life. Cheers, friend.
Same, been keeping it clean on the shelf till now.
‘Go Straight’ was heavily inspired by Inner City - Good Life by Kevin Saunderson, Magoria - Mutoid Waste and Bass Value - Do You Wanna Party with the latter following the same arrangement. Why you’re not familiar with its music theory is because in dance music it’s not uncommon to sample a chord stab and play it in a relative minor scale. In good life the chord stab was lifted from Nitro Deluxe - Brutal House, where Koshiro borrowed the same approach to make the soundtrack have a UK/US dance feel.
Thank you so much for pointing out those songs. I have studied and enjoyed koshiro's works for decades and this is the first I'm hearing of these.
Fantastic analysis. As a gamer and a dancer who grew up in the 90's, this is very spot on.
I've DJ sets where I rock a remastered version of "Go Straight" to the acapella of "Good Life", it works absolutely flawlessly.
@@jankybit just look up streets of rage soundtrack influences, you'll find that a lot of that soundtrack is, ahem, inspired by 80s & 90s western dance music
I have always wondered if the composer was listening to the UK hardcore scene, as there are many parallels in that 1992 UK rave sound.
Sy-kick - Upside
Rhythm Section - perfect love
Nebula 2 - Atheama remix
Ellis Dee - Dance Factor
DJ Seduction - Hardcore Heaven
NRG - The music makers
I love this. It's that thing where you've loved something for year, then one of your friend finds it and they love it. That's the feeling I have watching you listen to this. I remember playing this on my Genesis and loving the music, but never realizing what I was hearing until much much later in life. I have all of the music from these old games (1-2-3) on my computer and often listen to it. So happy that you (and hopefully others) love the music from this game. Big props to Yuzo Koshiro for these bangers.
To think they put this greatness into a 4MB cartrige, is beyond legendary. Props to Yuzo Koshiro and all those that worked in this great game. I played this gem at the time, and it was a blast.
They didn't. The music is played by synth chip (Yamaha ym2612). They programmed the notes that should be played by this chip. Like midi files (though it was much more complicated than outputting midi files).
@@sirmiluch6856I think the easiest way for the new generation to figure the amount of genius required is watching a C64 cracktro. I better not say how many bytes you have to get SID play that tune.
It was the first 16MB cartridge released on the Mega Drive...
I believe it was 2MB making it the first 16Mbit cart?
Yuzo Koshiro is a musical mastermind and I'm glad people like you are discovering his work and then covering it extensively.
When I first played Streets of Rage 2 that came packed in with my Sega Genesis in 1992 I was absolutely blown away by it all.
It truly does stand the test of time.
Thanks for showing appreciation for it.
This made turning on your Genesis at nine years old felt like your taste into clubbing or edm. You don’t know what you’re listening to, but know you need to turn it up. Bless Yuzo. Love watching you break it down on piano as well.
And he's still crushing it to this day. His own RUclips channel is spectacular.
This was one of the most popular games of the 90s. SoR2 was gigantic.
I honestly remember going to the options screen and listening to all the music. It's seriously one of the best sound tracks ever.
This game was a standard everyone knew and had to play at least once. The music got carved into our memories and remains a treasure forever. The 90s in general brought video games and club scenes together through awesome music which was going back and forth all the time. What started out like this went into music composers licensing their tunes to game developer studios like Psygnosis and more.
the amiga has a massive amount of rave music
The bassline in "Go Straight" is one of my favorite things ever.
I have fond childhood memories of all the games he has covered. It brings me infinite amounts of joy to see him geek out over the musical scores. I love this content.
I'm SO GLAD you're dipping into game music more. This is stuff I grew up with and never really took the dive musically but I just knew then the music slapped...and STILL does.
I played this game about a million times as a kid. Top 5 best games ever!
Easy top 5.
Played it for the first time when I got my Sega Genesis Classic Mini a year ago. See I was a SNES kid. Love the SNES… not gonna go further into that… Point is, I had a 40 game library to discover right off the bat, and about 700 (?) more after I hacked the console and added some. It was like xmas for an old retro gamer. The 16bit era was simply magical. The eternal struggle between Sega and Nintendo gave us the strongest console gen in gaming history, and some of the most legendary titles. It’s a good life.
Top 3 best soundtracks for a video game as well
I played the game 30 years ago and sometimes I still play it for nostalgia. Music is like 70% part of the fun. Honestly, this soundtrack brought m attention to electronic music few years later, which still remains. Yuzo made a gem which actually made happy so many people. He used to perform his music in a live act. I would love to see that one day. Even if I am reaching 40s soon. 😊
The soundtrack for the two first games is insanely good. Absolutely epic. The music just got you so pumped the entire game. It was a sonic journey of brilliant music and sound effects
I'm glad the soundtrack is getting the recognition it deserves, me and my cousin used to put this on mania difficulty all the time. We had waaaaay too much fun!😂
Yes! My brother and I played this all the time.
Yes…mania was the shiznit!!!
Insane level 💯
I have been playing this game for 30 years and the joy this video gave me feels like a piece of me has been validated 😂. The reaction to the music is pure and is totally warranted. I'd love to see an in-depth breakdown of the whole OST because it is timeless music that deserves its flowers. Shout out to Yuzo Koshiro
Edit: I was SHOCKED to hear you say you'd never heard of this game. It did not compute. 😂😂😂
It's amazing mate, I have also been playing this beast of a game since the 90s. If your on twitch come check out us speedrunners ! Sirleebobb8th
I'm glad you discovered this music and gave it the credit that it needed. Yuzo was so ahead of its time and the music would still hold up till this day. When I was a kid I already liked the music so much, that's when I was like 8 years old and even now 30 years later I still love it. Thanks Charles for highlighting this and thanks Yuzo for making this timeless classics 🙏🏾
I just turned 30 as well, I'm glad I'm not the only one that appreciates Yuzos music. He has earned the praise from all people especially 90s folks
Dude, I played this game endlessly. I’m glad there was an in depth reason that you brought out as to why I did. The music is incredible.
I will play this game when I'm 80. This is the essence of 90's gaming. I still hear the soundtrack and sound effects. Perfection
Yyyaaaaah
Me too!
Same. I always go back and listen to the soundtrack.
I am an older millennial. Just turned 38, and YES, my younger brother and I played this extensively in the early-mid 90s.
One year, I remember my brother and I played this EVERY DAY after school until we got good enough to make it to the end without dying. Back in those days, there was no internet, you couldn’t just download another game if you got bored. So we got good instead!
As a matter of fact, back then we had tape recorders, and like you, I had an interest in breaking down music for the joy of understanding it. Though I wasn’t nearly as musically talented. I actually recorded the soundtrack from Streets of Rage Level 1 on a cassette and listened to it for fun!
I’m 42 bro! Vividly remember that 1st stages of Streets of Rage 2 and Streets of Rage in general. Staple of a 80’s baby’s childhood ! Never forgot the “ Grand upper ! “ uppercut from Axel 😂
Thanks for making me feel old (39)😂
@@RedMachineR9 no problem 🤣
Don’t forget to apply that icy-hot to your lower back before bed!
@@badnewsbronson1563 it is most definitely a core memory for 80s-90s kids! 😎
Omg, trying to beat that elevator level on the hardest difficulty....til this day is one the toughest things in video games
Dude your excitement is contagious. Love the energy.
Right I was going to say the same thing. I found myself smiling and laughing, when I fact I had no clue why we were so excited as far as music cords go I know less than nothing lol love your energy.
From a first time viewer
THIS IS OLDSKOOL VIBES BABY 🎉❤
I played this game so much when I was 14. I recall noticing the amazing music, which the Genesis made possible, but never realized the composition was so complex until now, 33 years later!
No one can beat yuzo kishiro’s music production, he’s an absolute genius when it comes to composing best soundtrack
I grew up playing this game, and while I didn't have any technical music knowledge, I always felt this ost was unique and special. Many tracks live in my head.
Me too dude. #MikeyToo
this is why VG Music lives in our heads rent free! Streets of Rage 2, Castlevania SOTN, Megaman 8, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Street Fighter 3 just to name a few. When I was going to school for music I did a paper on how House and Disco continue to live on in video games. Nintendo music is heavy disco even down to basic disco violin chord progressions like in "Guar Plains" and other Nintendo stage music and Capcom loves House music is like their signature base to start from.