Wtf?!@ I thought that this was going to be Rockstar’s VERY awesome The Warriors game from the PS2 /Xbox era, but nope. It’s a new game NOT from Rockstar, and judging by the fact that it’s missing most of the cool The Warriors soundtrack, voice talent, and sound effects, I can only guess that the legal quagmire surrounding the release of this game must’ve been staggering.

So despite all that missing crap, what are we left with? Exactly?
Well, for what it’s worth, it’s a pretty strong Streets of Rage clone. This side-scrolling beat-em up is actually above competent, and it’s surprisingly good.

Tight controls, a feeling of weight in the melee combat, and a damn near religious adherence to side-scrolling beat-em up convention in the use of beating thugs, grabbing their weapons, and beating them the hell up again with acquired arms, is intact. Here’s a little secret. Snatch my cool points and gamer cred as you wish: I liked Streets of Rage, but I LOVED Super Double Dragon on the SNES. There was something ‘real’ about the weight of combat and grappling in that game, and The Warriors: Street Brawl feels like a game that took a page from THAT book.

Pick one of several Warriors, and just like the movie, make your way through New York to Coney Island to square off against tougher and tougher adversaries. If Street Brawl lacks anything, it’s audio personality. Get it straight: Visually, the game’s solid. It’s all mood with ambient lights and varied locals paying homage to the original movie. Hell, the universe of The Warriors is like TRON or Star Wars, right? It’s made for gaming., and the new game – despite the handicaps – doesn’t disappoint.

Boy, does it drop the ball on the damn sound. No voice acting, very little of the movie soundtrack’s music, and you have a nearly bungled franchise.

As is, though, the control is tight enough for the nostalgic fan in you (and a friend) to feel pretty confident about dropping ten bucks of your hard-earned cash.