When sharing this mod, please link to this or the SoRRC page when possible.
It's done, it's complete. The Streets of Rage 1 Collection for V5 (Vecta Edition) is ready to go!
I worked tirelessly to construct everything in native resolution, all layers, all animations, and all music tracks looped, too. The first time I did this it was pretty much my 'training' mod where I learned the basics, and had no idea what I was doing with the graphics. Extending naturally to 240 height is a lot easier now than I ever expected it to be - if anything it's way less complicated than resizing, too (no transparency headaches).
For the old school fans, who love the original in all its glory.
Streets of Rage 2 may hold the most popularity.
Streets of Rage 3 may be the newest and have the most fluid mechanics.
But the first will always hold a special place in our hearts...
Back in our day, even real life didn't have graphics this good.
Pixelated schmixelated - the stages were brilliant.
Back in our day, you had one sound effect for 20 things, and you came to love that sound effect.
Back in our day... Streets of Rage - the Classic - the Original - was the best damn game out there.
This mod hopes to be a tribute to that Classic.
Ah but it's not just a simple port of the MegaDrive version any longer!
Speaking with Laucorn about the direction the mod was taking, I was encouraged to extend the mod to more than just a 'pixel perfect version done good this time' of the old mod. But it's not as simple as just 'GG' and 'SMS' routes would have you think.
Because of lower quality graphics, and smaller resolution, I had to get, hmm... 'creative' with how those routes were done!
The Game Gear route is a 16-bitified construction where I arranged the stages with 16 bit resources so they would look like full size levels from the portable. Even the music has a small but very effective change in how its used.
The SMS route starts off in an 8-bit stage, then transitions into 16-bit with 8-bit colours, then full on 16-bit (ending in a HQ with the SMS palette that may burn some eyes though, lol).
Oh and there's another one; you can thank Vecta for it even being considered.
You can play Bare Knuckle Mobile Stages with uncorrupted MIDI arrangements, giving Yuzo Koshiro's work the respect it deserves! No piano of death - the music no longer has to be a bad joke.
Experimental Scene in BKM
Confused?

Solution for Babbies:

*The extra blue to the bottom left is to prevent the player falling to their death if they drop down and hold left.
There always needs to be blue further to the left of the yellow above.

Download: 198MB
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cxlec4t6jmktqv3/SoR1%20Collection%20for%20V5%20Vecta.rar?dl=0
Includes a full SoR1 Palette Pack, please apply them before playing.
The palette pack is also compatible with the SoR2 Unified and SoR3 Ultimate mods (you'll still have to swap Break's palettes in), in case you forget to switch.
Download Also Includes Character Update Pack and Sound Packs!
This mod now contains an extensive set of sound packs, allowing 16- OR 8-bit schemes, and even the CD Voices (somebody's gonna like them).
An Abadede nerf is included with the sound packs, removing a lot of his priority (his AI is still broken, so don't expect him to stop being hard).
Minor upgrade character packs for Adam, Axel1, and Blaze1.
Adam is the same as that released with the SoR3U mod, but with good palettes this time.
Axel1 has the most notable update in that he's actually PLAYABLE in Mania.
Blaze1 is mostly to fix how her jump was underwhelming compared to the original and fix specific half-assed sprites where her outfit changes completely to someone else (slide kick and victory). If I can fix them to look decent (I'm not a spriter) then there's no damn excuse, come on.
Most Importantly, Bare Knuckle Mobile Axel and Blaze are finally here!
If you got the accidentally-leaked-by-Vecta-and-paletted-by-GLEclipse one then you may not have the correct palette set.
She has a full 16 colours with a specific palette collection so, to be safe, just replace the palettes.
Extracting Resources
If you extract resources from the mod for other projects, remember who took their free time to extend, arrange, layer, and animate them. Don't be an Allan Cyllakes; don't be a dick, please give credit.
I would appreciate it a lot, thank you!
Difficulty
Of course, what Natty mod would be complete if I didn't take the time to scale it properly?
Megadrive
Easy-Normal: Enjoyable placement reflecting original Easy-Normal and low health values for a fun casual playthough
Hard: All enemies present with fair health
Very Hard: Hardest only added more health and damage, so this mode simply upgrades many enemies to have large health pools. Be warned that wrestlers were cranked to 11 in the original, so they will also have a disproportionate amount of health compared to other bosses here
Mania: There was nothing above Hardest. Mania will increase health further and give some flavour by switching palettes here and there
2P: All 2P enemies and extra bosses. Also access to the Bad End*
Game Gear AKA Chihuahua Route
Easy: Many enemies with very low health, reflecting GG Easy placement
Normal: Many more enemies, still with low health, reflecting GG Hard placement
Hard: Slightly more enemy health, reflecting GG Hard's enemy health boost
Very Hard: Many many enemies, many of which have high health
Mania: Extra high health enemies, with MD palettes, pay you a visit
2P: 2P enemies from the MD join in, with GG palettes.
Super Master System AKA Sleepy Route
Easy: A very quiet playthrough
Normal: Quiet playthrough against very few enemies at a time, reflecting SMS Normal
Hard: A decent number of enemies, reflecting SMS Hard
Very Hard: High enemy health
Mania: Various enemies are leveled up to the next palette with more health. Many boss fights are made 'interesting' in case you fell asleep during the main level.
2P: 2P enemies from the MD join in, with SMS palettes.
Bare Knuckle Mobile AKA Beautiful Route
Easy: Baseline enemy placement reflecting BKM's fixed enemies
Normal-Very Hard: BKM used an enemy spawner. How much you raise the difficulty determines how much you draw from each level's spawner
Mania: Too many enemies from the spawner
2P: More enemies from the spawner. Also added specific waves to match those found when summoning Adam in the original
More Routes
Megadrive: Extra Boss
To simulate the option of one player starting with 2 players, and beating up player 2 before moving on alone, I added this to the start of the MD route.
All 2P enemies appear (most notably the extra bosses) in solo.
You can even bring a second player along to stack the effect!
The most stupid/masochistic/insane players may choose to bring a CPU partner AND turn on the Extra Boss Cheat (enjoy your Quadradede)!
Game Gear: Extension
Take an alley before the first boss and you'll get a GG-style (many many low health enemies) take on the 'missing' Stages 2 and 3!
You can also take an option before the twins on the ferryboat to run through a reversed factory to the 'missing' elevator (also reversed).
Why reversed? To match the orientation of the HQ - think about it.
Super Master System: Don Vecta Insanity
Vecta hates 8-bit stuff, so he redid the SMS Entertainment Street in BKM style!
From there, there are many new and beautiful scenes to explore.
Also, since they've been absent from the rest of the mod, I decided to populate it with 3's enemies (mostly).
Difficulty is somewhat higher in this route, ESPECIALLY if you're rushing to the camera locks. Consider it an 'Insanity' route, but there are some chill sections.
Warning: 2 Player Mania will have a bad time once you reach the first set of doors in the HQ.
Be ready for an Adam's Story Tier boss fight with those settings (it's the 'final' boss of the route, before rejoining with the standard BKM HQ).
Bare Knuckle Mobile: Sunny Gardens AKA Dilapidated Town
Similar to in the GG route, just squeeze through an alley before the boss fight (your last chance is after fighting Electra/Nora) and you can enjoy Vecta's beautiful rendition of what a BKM Sunny Gardens (what we call the Dilapidated Town's district) would look like, with BKM-style placement and a guest gang to spice it up even more.
Secret Routes
There is a way to get the 'Bad End' solo, but only if you can prove you're worthy of it. Most people should have found this route by now, and it hasn't been changed.
The Vecta Route contains 'hidden in plain sight' alternate paths, and the 'missing' Stage 2s have ways to lead back in case you missed the most secret scene (allowing you to stay in the Vecta Route).
*Megadrive Bad End
1. Enable friendly damage
2. Set lives to the lowest you are comfortable with
3. Play until Onihime&Yasha at the doors of Mr.X
4. Join 2nd player BEFORE defeating the Twins
5. A new option will open between Yes/No
6. Fight to the Death!
7. No, actually fight to the death.
8. Only one survivor? Good. Now you can have the Bad End
9. Just to make sure, make the loser choose Game Over.
Warning: Only 1 person can sit in The Chair. Attempting to cheat the system will have consequences.
Original Credits
Ported and Made By
NattyCat (aka CajNatalie - Almost Everything)
Don Vecta (Selector Concept, BKM Stage 1&3, Graphical Upgrade Ideas, New Route)
Mr. Din (BKM Stage 2&6, BK Beta Screenshot Conversion Assistance)
Vanza Crandle (aka Laucorn - Brainstorming)
Special Thanks To
Bomberlink
Yuzo Koshiro
8-Beats VGM
Jesper Kyd
That Sucka