Fans of the original series are surely wanting for Streets of Rage 4 to be released as soon as is humanly possible and we have now learned that the release date is apparently NOT 23rd of April, 2020.

This is despite the listing on the official Nintendo UK website which also states a price of £22.49 alongside that 'definitely not a release date' of 23/04/2020, so don't get too excited.

What is exciting and officially confirmed news though is the addition of classic characters and the original soundtracks from the first two games in the series being made available.

Check below for the press release details and that all-important trailer which shows Streets of Rage 4 is Available Soon...

Amongst the best beat’em up series ever created, jammin’ ‘90s beats and over the top street beating, the iconic series Streets of Rage comes back with a masterful tribute to and revitalization of the classic action fans adore.

The all-time classic Streets of Rage, known as Bare Knuckle (ベア・ナックル Bea Nakkuru) in Japan, is a beat ‘em up series known for this timeless gameplay and electronic dance influenced music. Streets of Rage 4 builds upon the classic trilogy’s gameplay with new mechanics, beautiful hand-drawn visuals and a God tier soundtrack.

Team up with iconic and brand-new characters

Streets of Rage 4 got its iconic characters back: Axel, Blaze, and Adam teaming up with new brother and sister in arms Floyd Iraia and Cherry Hunter. With some brand-new moves and kickass tracks to take a listen, our heroes are ready to dish out beatdowns to a fledgling group of ill-advised criminals in full force.

Nostalgia strikes again

One of your dreams is coming true. In addition to the 5 new characters, unlock and play your favorite pixelated characters from the previous Streets of Rage games such as Axel, Adam, Blaze, Skate, Max and many more with their own retro SFX, in gorgeous HD hand-drawn urban environments. And for the full nostalgic experience, you will also be able to play with the music of the previous Streets of Rage games!

Outstanding Hand-Drawn Visuals

Streets of Rage 4 will be the first entry to the core series in 25 years, standing as Axel, Adam or Blaze’s glorious return to serving up side-scrolling beatdowns. With lush hand-drawn animations, new combat abilities, and fresh tracks from an amazing team of composers, Streets of Rage 4 will be a masterful tribute to and revitalization of the classic action fans adore.

Epic line-up of legendary games composers

The Streets of Rage series is known for its electronic dance influenced music around the world.

Led by Olivier Derivière the soundtrack of Streets of Rage 4 will be composed by not only an all-star ensemble of Japanese memorable musical architects in the video game history but also by 4 Western rising stars:

• Yūzō Koshiro
• Motohiro Kawashima
• Yoko Shimomura
• Harumi Fujita
• Keiji Yamagishi
• Scattle
• Das Mörtal
• XL Middleton
• Groundislava

Features

• The comeback of the legendary Streets of Rage series.
• Beautiful graphics fully hand-drawn animated by the studio behind Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap.
• Clean up Wood Oak City by yourself or with another friend online!
• Team up to 4 people offline for the first time and take the city back!
• Classic gameplay enhanced with brand-new mechanics.
• Soundtrack by a wide all-star line up of world-class musicians.
• Braised chicken everywhere.
• A dozen former Streets of Rage characters unlockable and playable in their original pixel versions.
• Play with the music of the previous Streets of Rage games.
• 12 unique stages.

Is it possible for the hype level of Streets of Rage 4 to be any higher than one of Axel's 'Grand Upper!' moves at this moment in time? Will there be any more surprise announcements before the game releases? (playable Roo dlc, perhaps?) And most importantly... will there really be enough braised chicken to go round in the games four player local co-op mode? (I certainly hope so)

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or join in with the discussion on our forum.