My all-time favorite gaming sequel is 69% off for Black Friday (nice) and perfect for PC handhelds — I DARE you to not enjoy it

Anyone on the verge of middle-aged irrelevance, like I am, might remember the classic side-scrolling beat 'em up series Streets of Rage on the SEGA Genesis (or Mega Drive if we're serious.) It was a not-so-subtle response to the arcade hit Final Fight, but arguably perfected the formula and dominated the home consoles from 1991 to 1994. Yes, I'm afraid it was that long ago, sorry.

• See all Black Friday video game deals at CD Keys

I had to wait a painful 26 years until I could play the long-awaited sequel, and now Streets of Rage 4 is down to $9.59 at CD Keys; there really is no excuse for you not to try it. Walking a fine line between nostalgia and innovation, the fourth entry adds juggling mechanics with a multiplying combo meter that offers an extra challenge to veterans looking to perfect their hand-to-hand violence.

Beat 'em up

Streets of Rage 4 (PC Steam)
Was: $31.89
Now: $9.59 at CD Keys

"Streets of Rage 4 is a passionately crafted love letter to a nearly forgotten sub-genre of fighting games. If you want some good old-fashioned nostalgia peppered with many welcomed modern improvements, this is pretty much the ultimate package." — Miles Dompier

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

👉See at: CDKeys.com

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• 🎮ASUS ROG Ally Z1 512GB + free travel case | $349.99 at Best Buy
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• ⌨️Surface Pro Flex Keyboard (Pro 8-11) | $279.99 at Best Buy
• 💻Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) | $1,391 at Lenovo

Taking it handheld to the streets

It didn't take much to convince me to buy Streets of Rage 4 on launch day; not even our glowing review would have made a difference because I was sold from the moment it was announced.

Burning through the game on launch day, I still played it regularly on my Steam Deck and, now, an ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme) since they're reduced to $499.99 at Best Buy ($449.99 w/ My Best Buy Plus) for Black Friday.

It's a straightforward 2D brawler with depth, so you can walk into the background to grab secrets and fight hidden enemies, but it's mostly a standard affair of timing your attacks and beating up the bad guys.

Even if you don't love it enough to aim for 'S' rank on 'Mania' difficulty (it's painful), I'm certain you'll at least enjoy a single playthrough of its story once you figure out which character suits your play style.

Loaded with stellar music from new and returning composers, Streets of Rage 4 is a nostalgia-filled beat 'em up that stands alone in its own right and encouraged a slew of similarly-themed follow-ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Honestly, at $9.59 for a Steam key via CD Keys, you really can't let yourself miss out on this slap-happy gem.

🍁More great Black Friday deals🦃

• Best Buy: Big savings on video games, accessories, and more
• Walmart: Savings on practically everything
• Target: Live deals on a huge range of products
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• Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live
• Amazon: Constantly rotating sales on everything you can imagine