Welcome to a brand new episode of Defunct Games Decides, the show that isn't afraid to get to the bottom of classic video game arguments. Today we're looking at Streets of Rage, Sega's answer to Final Fight. Released in 1991, this Genesis brawler made critics completely forget about Capcom's Super NES launch line-up. But forget about Final Fight, because the real debate is whether Streets of Rage is a better name than Bare Knuckles. It's East vs. West in this new episode of Defunct Games Decides.

Streets of Rage vs. Bare Knuckle

STREETS OF RAGE: One look at this cover and you know exactly what Sega means by Streets of Rage. On one side of the street is a ransacked building, while the other side is completely on fire. There are thugs crawling all over the streets, and clearly the only way to fight back is with a firm foot to the face. With a name like Streets of Rage, I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. That's not something I can say about Final Fight, Double Dragon, The Combatribes, Target: Renegade or Captain Commando.

BARE KNUCKLE: With a name like Bare Knuckle, it's not immediately clear what type of game you're about to play. Sure, you might figure out it's a beat-em-up, but that will come after guessing it's a one-on-one fighter or even a UFC simulator. Sega didn't just remove Streets of Rage from the name, but also from the box art. Hell, the heroes of Bare Knuckle aren't even standing on a street. Had these three known about the streets of rage, maybe they would have packed more than bare knuckles.

VERDICT: When it comes down to it, I like both names. Both games share their titles with terrible action films, neither of which are connected to Sega in any way. Even back in the 1990s, I knew these titles sounded like bad B-rate movies, and that was part of the appeal. I'm going to side with Streets of Rage in this debate, if only because I think the Japanese name would sound better plural -- Bare Knuckles. The one thing we can all agree on: Final Fight is a terrible name.

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments section. And don't forget to follow Defunct Games on Twitter and recommend future debates to be resolved on Defunct Games Decides!
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