Bare Knuckle - Ikari no Tetsuken ~ Streets of Rage

Getting Started

When you first load Bare Knuckle, you will see a title screen in Japanese. Press Enter to reach the character select screen, where you can choose from three fighters: Axel, Blaze, or Adam. Each has unique speed, strength, and special moves. Press the A button (X key) to confirm your choice and then press Start to begin the first stage.

Your goal is to punch, kick, and throw your way through waves of thugs across eight stages. Use the D-Pad to move left or right, press S to attack, and X to jump. Combine jump and attack for a flying kick or punch. You can also pick up weapons like pipes and knives that appear on the ground. The game supports two-player co-op, so a second player can join by pressing Start on their controller.

If you are playing the Japanese version, all menus and story text are in Japanese, but the game is still fully playable. Your score and lives are shown at the top of the screen. When your health bar depletes, you lose a life. Continue by inserting virtual credits through the EmulatorJS menu or by mapping a coin key. The core loop is simple: clear each street of enemies, face a mid-boss, then a stage boss before moving to the next area.