Streets of Rage 4 is one of the best games of 2020, and it seems players recognize that, as the old-school brawler has already sold over 1.5 million copies. Now might be the perfect time to start a new SoR4 playthrough, as co-developer Dotemu has dropped a big update, which improves online play, balances all the playable characters, tweaks and improves the game’s stages, and more!
Here are your notes for the latest Streets of Rage 4 update:
General Gameplay Enhancements
- Specials and star move can interrupt any hitstun state on ground
- Specials can interrupt hit freeze
- Faster jump start for SOR4 characters
Streets of Rage 4 Character Balancing
Axel SOR4:
- Faster move speed
- Better recovery on-air special
- Added additional invincibility frames on grand upper start-up
- Added grand upper on the ground (OTG) property
- Grand upper travels farther
- Added neutral special OTG property
- Neutral special has less hit freeze
- Pipe swing has a less recovery
- Air special: all hits connect when OTG + ignore weight class
- Denfsive cost lowered
- Rescaled damage on grand upper
- Forward special has a bigger hitbox
- Buff charge kick wall damage
- Infinite stun-lock on enemies are removed
- Special pipe goes farther
- Better recovery on combo
- Better damage on normal combo and star move
- Charge attack goes a little farther
Cherry SOR4:
- Cherry can jump cancel after uppercut combo and grab uppercut
- Added 2 frames stun on punches
- Flying punch from combo is fully invincible
- Cherry’s charged flying punch is invincible before hit
- Full invulnerability during fall is removed
- Special forward is faster
- Damage Buff
- Back throw works in corners
- Pogo kick can hit OTG
- Cherry damages are rescaled on normal combo
- Infinite head stomping fixed
- Cherry knee loop slightly nerfed
Floyd SOR4:
- Floyd’s attack x3 infinite is removed
- Neutral special life costs adjustment
- Floyd can no longer reset his grab move counter by jumping
- Special take less HP
- Floyd has now a slower animation throwing a butcher knife like all SOR4 characters
Blaze SOR4:
- Reduced vertical speed on juggle neutral special
- Reduced vertical speed on juggle back attack
- Blaze’s back attack has a high bounce
- Jump cancel on combo kick 1st hit
Adam SOR4:
- Fixed Infinite loop
- Added neutral special OTG property
Retro Character Balancing
Axel SOR1:
- Added invincibility on headbutt
Blaze SOR1:
- Hitting behind with flip kick
Adam SOR1:
- Combo feels more like the original
- Added body hit property to his last kick in combo as in original SOR1
- Infinite fix
Axel SOR2:
- Fixed Star Move not recovering green health
Max SOR2:
- Atomic drop recovery is now shorter and bigger AOE
Skate SOR3:
Axel SOR3:
- Infinite removed
- Increased run speed (+10%)
- Fixed Star Move not recovering green health
- Punch range is better
- Jab recovery is shorter
Shiva SOR3:
- Blitz damage nerf
- Fixed hitbox on Star Move
Stage Changes
Stage 9:
- Apple added in the changing room.
- Added a roasted chicken.
Stage 12:
- Less green life at the beginning.
- Fixed Pheasant and sparrow rising move.
- Shorter electric vial time.
- Reduced steam hazards hitbox.
- Lots of enemies rising armor moves removed/nerfed.
Boss Fixes and Enhancements
Diva:
- Bug fix Diva never going in phase 2.
- Diva charge is slower.
- No armor on kicks.
- Electric area disappears faster.
- Diva has longer preparation for snake bite.
- Diva snake bite has less depth.
Commissioner Stage 2:
- Balancing.
- Commissioner has longer charge punch time + lower dash grab hitbox.
Estel:
- Police attacks are easier to dodge.
Barbon:
- Barbon kicks can hit another player after impact.
Shiva:
- Smaller hitbox on palm moves.
- Shiva double has a chance to align with the player (instead of being full random).
Commissioner Stage 7:
Riha & Beyo:
- Beyo is a little faster.
- No more armor moves for Beyo.
- Armor finishes sooner for Riha’s moves.
- Less fire pond (lesser time and bigger cooldown).
- Riha fire aoe moves are slower.
Max:
- Throw aoe damage nerf.
- Some AI fixes.
- Can’t combo the player anymore with 3 shoulder tackles.
Ms. Y:
- Mr. Y is now harder to defeat
- Elite Shadow reinforcements during the fight.
Mr. Y:
- Mr. Y stage 11 harder.
- Mr. Y stage 12 evades more.
Robot:
- Mr.Y and Ms.Y final fight lasts longer (before the robot appearance)
- Some robot hitboxes are smaller.
- Legs positions have changed.
- Twin getting into the robot regains full life.
- Additional damages on the robot.
- Fixed a bug preventing Mr.Y from throwing grenades.
- Spider robot now has the same attacks in phase 1 & 2.
- Fix a bug with Ms.Y not grabbing in stage 12 last fight.
If you want to know about every minor fix and enemy tweak, you can check out the full unabridged patch notes, right here. The makers of Streets of Rage 4 have promised more updates going forward, and perhaps even some new content, possibly featuring fan-favorite boss Estel based on this tease.
“Will you add content to Streets of Rage 4?”
YES, we will but there is no ETA. You guys are awesome and deserve the best so give us time to do things right.
PS: We also answered some other questions here 👉 https://t.co/0yLBXc0hoa pic.twitter.com/644W2AB2Hw
— Dotemu (@Dotemu) August 26, 2020
Streets of Rage 4 is available now on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Again, it’s definitely worth your time (check out my 9 out of 10 review here).
