Streets of Rage

Gameplay is straightforward and simple. Three buttons are used: one to jump, another to attack, and another to perform a range attack from a support police car. Each character has a limited set of moves, including punching and kicking or performing a back attack if in the open. There are also two grapple moves, a flying attack, and additional abilities depending on the player's choice.

Levels are in typical arcade side-scroller fashion: move from left to right (with two exceptions), clearing screens from enemies one after another as fast as possible while avoiding damage with a boss at the end. Some levels feature "death drops" where the player must avoid falling, throwing enemies at the same time, including an elevator level.

Sometimes items are scattered on the ground, such as melee weapons and bonus points (and lives or additional police cars), apples, and turkeys to restore health.