Dotemu have just released a sizeable patch for Streets of Rage 4, this also coincides with news that the game has reached a sales milestone of 1.5 Million copies, to date.

Many changes have been made in this latest update, including some much requested changes, and even some which may seem surprising.

Generally though, all of the changes outlined do appear to be significant improvements to the game, and we can't wait to play through the game again to see just how well it plays now, especially as we enjoyed the base game in our review, following its release earlier this year.

Check below for the full patch notes...

A new patch for Streets of Rage 4 that brings almost 80 updates, bug fixes and balance changes to the game, all of which were tested by the community itself, is now available!
Our main goals for this update were:

• Online improvements: better fluidity and stability, less latency.
• New online stats display options available on the HUD section.
• Balancing improvements for all main characters.
• Major gameplay improvements for all stages.
• Various bug fixes.
• Fixed rare random crashes.

Details and full gameplay breakdown below:

• Specials and star move can interrupt any hitstun state on ground
• Specials can interrupt hit freeze
• Faster jump start for SOR4 characters

AXEL SOR4:

• Faster move speed
• Better recovery on-air special
• Added additional invincibility frames on grand upper start-up
• Added grand upper on the ground (OTG) property
• Grand upper travels farther
• Added neutral special OTG property
• Neutral special has less hit freeze
• Pipe swing has a less recovery
• Air special: all hits connect when OTG + ignore weight class
• Denfsive cost lowered
• Rescaled damage on grand upper
• Forward special has a bigger hitbox
• Buff charge kick wall damage
• Infinite stun-lock on enemies are removed
• Special pipe goes farther
• Better recovery on combo
• Better damage on normal combo and star move
• Charge attack goes a little farther

CHERRY SOR4:

• Cherry can jump cancel after uppercut combo and grab uppercut
• Added 2 frames stun on punches
• Flying punch from combo is fully invincible
• Cherry’s charged flying punch is invincible before hit
• Full invulnerability during fall is removed
• Special forward is faster
• Damage Buff
• Back throw works in corners
• Pogo kick can hit OTG
• Cherry damages are rescaled on normal combo
• Infinite head stomping fixed
• Cherry knee loop slightly nerfed

FLOYD SOR4:

• Floyd’s attack x3 infinite is removed
• Neutral special life costs adjustment
• Floyd can no longer reset his grab move counter by jumping
• Special take less HP
• Floyd has now a slower animation throwing a butcher knife like all SOR4 characters

BLAZE:

• Reduced vertical speed on juggle neutral special
• Reduced vertical speed on juggle back attack
• Blaze’s back attack has a high bounce
• Jump cancel on combo kick 1st hit

ADAM:

• Fixed Infinite loop
• Added neutral special OTG property

AXEL SOR1:

• Added invincibility on headbutt

BLAZE SOR1:

• Hitting behind with flip kick

ADAM SOR1:

• Combo feels more like the original
• Added body hit property to his last kick in combo as in original SOR1
• Infinite fix

AXEL SOR2:

• Fixed Star Move not recovering green health

MAX SOR2:

• Atomic drop recovery is now shorter and bigger AOE

SKATE SOR3:

• Damage nerf on blitz

AXEL SOR3:

• Infinite removed
• Increased run speed (+10%)
• Fixed Star Move not recovering green health
• Punch range is better
• Jab recovery is shorter

SHIVA SOR3:

• Blitz damage nerf
• Fixed hitbox on Star Move 

Diva:

• Bug fix Diva never going in phase 2.
• Diva charge is slower.
• No armor on kicks.
• Electric area disappears faster.
• Diva has longer preparation for snake bite.
• Diva snake bite has less depth.

Commissioner Stage 2:

• Balancing.
• Commissioner has longer charge punch time + lower dash grab hitbox.

Estel:

• Police attacks are easier to dodge.

Barbon:

• Barbon kicks can hit another player after impact.

Shiva:

• Smaller hitbox on palm moves.
• Shiva double has a chance to align with the player (instead of being full random).

Commissioner Stage 7:

• Fewer armor moves.

Riha & Beyo:

• Beyo is a little faster.
• No more armor moves for Beyo.
• Armor finishes sooner for Riha’s moves.
• Less fire pond (lesser time and bigger cooldown).
• Riha fire aoe moves are slower.

Max:

• Throw aoe damage nerf.
• Some AI fixes.
• Can’t combo the player anymore with 3 shoulder tackles.

Ms.Y:

• Mr.Y is now harder to defeat
• Elite Shadow reinforcements during the fight.

Mr. Y:

• MrY stage 11 harder.
• MrY stage 12 evades more.

Robot:

• Mr.Y and Ms.Y final fight lasts longer (before the robot appearance)
• Some robot hitboxes are smaller.
• Legs positions have changed.
• Twin getting into the robot regains full life.
• Additional damages on the robot.
• Fixed a bug preventing Mr.Y from throwing grenades.
• Spider robot now has the same attacks in phase 1 & 2.
• Fix a bug with Ms.Y not grabbing in stage 12 last fight.

STAGES / ENEMIES:

• Nerfed Galsia weapon hitbox

Stage 9:

• Apple added in the changing room.
• Added a roasted chicken.

Stage 12:

• Less green life at the beginning.
• Fixed Pheasant and sparrow rising move.
• Shorter electric vial time.
• Reduced steam hazards hitbox.
• Lots of enemies rising armor moves removed/nerfed.

Karate:

• Longer parry recovery time.
• Massive punch is easier to dodge

Caramel and Candy:

• Headbutt nerf: hitbox + hitbox depth nerf.
• Lower hp.

DIAMOND / palettes:

• Jump kick track less.
• Slap is slower.

Dylan:

• No armor.

Raven / palettes:

• Slower kicks.
• Slower knee while rising.
• Turn towards the target when rising.

Taser Cop:

• Slower start up.
• Smaller hitbox height.
• Less HP.

• Bronze enemy is not armored anymore during his attack.
• Donovan and palettes have a slower jab punch.
• Lower nb of hits to destroy bikes : 3.

Big Ben / Gourmand:

• Gourmand jump attack tracks less.
• Gourmand doesn’t do 2 hits anymore with an air attack.
• Armor removed on Big Ben fire attack.

Elite Cop:

• Slower shield regeneration.
• Slower attack.

Boss Rush:

• Barbon clone bug fixed.

Signal R & D:

• Faster walk speed before grab.
  

• Deactivated special burst in Battle Mode
• Enemies hurtbox while jumping on-screen is bigger.
• You can pick up an item that is in the air if it is in your character height.
• All characters can hit at point-blank.
• You cannot charge a move while doing a charged move.
• Forward specials are not triggered when pressing up or down.
• Wall bounces increments the combo counter.
• A character that is in « Body Hit » mode will collide more easily with other characters.
• Nora palettes aren’t armored anymore.
• Donovan can hold a hammer.
• Gold reinforcements on stage 10 boss.
• Stage 11 more score items on the plane.
• Stage 12 ninja floor changed a little (removed spike ball, added Big Bens).
• Faster transition on stage 1_2.
• Donovan with a hammer on stage 3_1.
• Boss Rush Mr.Y & Ms.Y robot trigger threshold as in Story Mode.
• Bikes are now breakable in Stage 6.
• Walking upward in front of Roo makes spawn 3 vials.
• Score: combo bonuses don’t have a point limit now.
• Better reinforcements spawn code preventing some reinforcements from spawning out of bounds.
• Combo counters stay alive when hitting shields or guards.
• Falling into holes breaks the combo.
• Lowered Koobo control weapons number (2 flying at the same time).
• Fixing Grenade throwers on roff throwing their grenades out of bounds.
• Damage reduced on players when comboed by enemies.
• Fixed a bug where you could infinite combo an enemy and refill his life.
• Fixing pickup bug when several items overlap.
• Weapons start flashing in red at 1/3 life (instead of 1/2).
• Sledgehammer freeze reduced a bit.
• Fixed input bug when canceling blitz by fwd special near a wall.
• Fixed some scripting issues in the 5-2 bar fight.
• Better reinforcements spawning.
• Throwing knives do 36 damage instead of 35 preventing some weird 0hp enemy situations.
• Some K-washi shield issues fixed.
• Retro Shiva boss fight reworked.
• Added 10 frames of stun after vault jump.
• Pummel moves fix preventing some infinite.

And now a word from our beloved CEO:
“We couldn’t be happier with the reception of Streets of Rage 4. We thank the fans who have supported the game from day one – a lot of the updates in the patch enhance the replay value for folks who have been with us from the start, additional updates are currently in production and we’ll have more to share on that soon.”

We will always be grateful to the community for sharing its feedback since Streets of Rage 4. Even when we don’t reply, we read your comments, your opinion and feedback (no matter if it’s positive or negative)!

Have you played Streets of Rage 4 yet? If not, then will this latest slew of updates persuade you to try out this latest entry in the series? Or have you already played through it many times over, and will be doing so again, to appreciate the changes which have been made?

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