Streets of Rage 2, known in Japan as Bare Knuckle II: Shitou e no Requiem (ベア・ナックルII 死闘への鎮魂歌 lit. Bare Knuckle II: Requiem to the Deadly Struggle ), and in Europe as Streets of Rage II, is a Sega Mega Drive side-scrolling beat- em-up game developed by Ancient and published by Sega. A sequel to the popular Streets of Rage, it was first released in the United States in December 1992 to widespread commercial success and critical acclaim, and has since developed a reputation as one of the finest examples of the beat- em-up genre.

Boasting responsive and satisfying gameplay, well-balanced design, and a variety of creative and memorable stages, Streets of Rage 2 is equally celebrated for its world-renowned soundtrack. Veteran composer Yuzo Koshiro s club music-inspired approach to the game s soundtrack was exceedingly well-received, serving as an inspiration for a number of musicians, developers, and fans across the globe, and resulting in Koshiro becoming one of few Japanese developers to gain name recognition outside of Japan – such to a point where Streets of Rage 2 s soundtrack received a stateside release, a rarity for the American market.

The passion and consideration visible in Ancient s work ensured the staying power and continued success of the Streets of Rage series, both as one of Sega s flagship franchises and as some of the Mega Drive s most fondly-remembered titles. It s phenomenal popularity saw it ported to a number of different platforms – such as contemporary Master System and Game Gear versions, as well as the eventual release of a successful 1994 sequel Streets of Rage 3 – and continues to receive direct ports to the majority of modern consoles, personal computers, and mobile phones.