Streets of Rage 4's unlockable characters and mode unlocks explained
How to unlock Adam and classic characters.
Streets of Rage 4 unlocks give you something to aim for once you've finished the story.
Thankfully, there's plenty to get for those keen to revisit the story over and over. Headlining these are unlockable characters, which come in the form of new and classic characters plucked from previous entries in the series, each one presented in their original 16-bit splendour.
Beyond that, there's various modes to unlock - all of which are fairly simple of the course of play.
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If you've yet to sample the game yet, our Streets of Rage 4 review might be able to convince you.
How to unlock Adam and classic characters in Streets of Rage 4
All bonus characters in Streets of Rage 4 unlock the same way - with the exception of one - Adam - the other main character in the roster. He's the blanked out figure in the character select when you first start the game.
- To unlock Adam in Streets of Rage 4, you must play through the story and complete Stage 4.
- To unlock classic characters in Streets of Rage 4, you must accumulate points from playing the game.
On this second point; at the end of each stage, you'll notice your score is added to a total score across all your play sessions.
At certain points - the first starting at 200,000 points, the second 240,000 points, and so on at irregular increments - this unlocks a classic character from a previous entry in the series, game-by-game, starting from the first Streets of Rage and up.
Unlocking them all will take a lot of work. If you're a completionist also after a full set of Achievements or Trophies, should naturally get some of these along the way, especially as they require you to finish the Story Mode with each main character once, as well as go through the game on harder difficulties.
The good news is, the better you play, the more points you will earn - so in theory, you should get better at reaching these thresholds as you improve your brawling skills.
There is no Achievement or Trophy for getting every classic character, though they are used to complete some of them (such as playing Story Mode as a character from each previous game).
Ultimately, consider these classic characters as bonus, nice-to-have rewards for those who will be playing this in the years to come.
The full list of classic characters you can unlock in Streets of Rage 4 are:
- Axel (Streets of Rage 1)
- Adam (Streets of Rage 1)
- Blaze (Streets of Rage 1)
- Axel (Streets of Rage 2)
- Blaze (Streets of Rage 2)
- Skate (Streets of Rage 2)
- Max (Streets of Rage 2)
- Axel (Streets of Rage 3)
- Blaze (Streets of Rage 3)
- Eddie (Streets of Rage 3)
- Dr. Zan (Streets of Rage 3)
- Shiva (Streets of Rage 3)
Unfortunately Roo - also known as Victy - is not a playable character in Streets of Rage 4.
All other unlockables in Streets of Rage 4 explained
As well as characters, here's everything else you can unlock in Street of Rage 4:
- Arcade mode - Complete Story Mode
- Boss Rush mode - Complete Story Mode
- Stage Select - Complete Story Mode
- Mania difficulty - Complete Story Mode
- Gallery: Heroes (in Extras) - Complete Stage 4
- Gallery: Enemies (in Extras) - Complete Stage 6
- Character Info (in Extras) - Complete Stage 9
- Gallery: Environments (in Extras) - Complete Stage 11
- Retro Soundtrack - Already unlocked
On that last point, since it's easy to miss - unlike the retro-themed characters, the retro soundtrack is actually unlocked and ready to go from when you start the game.
To select it, head to Options from the main menu, then Audio, and toggle the box.
We'd recommend playing through the Story Mode at least once with the new soundtrack first - it's fantastic - before you bathe yourself in nostalgia for future replays.
While we're on the topic of things from the original - as well as the above unlocks, there are a number of Streets of Rage 4 retro levels you can find as you progress through the story. Something to look out for on your next playthrough!