Is this 103-level epic the most insanely over-the-top fan-game ever made? (Yes, yes it is)

How far would you go to pay tribute to the game you love? Write a forum post? Draw a picture? Debase yourself by composing some sexy fan fiction? Write to the developer in your own blood professing a tearful need to touch him or her and smell their musk with your snivelling nose?

Well these guys have gone further (in a way). How does dedicating eight years of one's life to creating the ultimate playable remake/tribute/ultra-edition remix of your favourite game with enough extra content to sink a thousand Mortal Kombats sound? Yeah, exactly. And how about doing all that for Streets of Rage?Read on. I have some terrifying stats for you. Terrifying like angry robots.

103 levels. 19 playable characters. 64 enemies. 40 cut-scenes. 8 endings. 76 music tracks. 30 configurable options. Every character, stage and enemy from the original three games has been remastered and added to. There are new special moves, new graphical touches and new ambient sound effects. And everything has been done from scratch, without using a single line of the original Mega Drive games' code. Sounds have been sampled, but that's it. Everything from looks to the feel of play has been created from knowledge of the original trilogy alone.

Bomber Games, you are insane. There is no doubt about this. If you weren't insane to initially undertake this project, you must be now that you've completed it. But dear God, we applaud you for it, you magnificent bastards.

April 5th, 2011

David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.