Praprium - Streets of Rage Squel on Genesis/Megadrive

Back in 2012 the homebrew developers Watermelon announced that their next game to hit the Mega Drive had begun development. Codename Project Y was underway which promised to be the spiritual successor to the dormant Streets of Rage name. Fast forward to today and the prolific 16-bit studio have revealed all with Paprium - the newest game to be smashing through Sega systems come September.

Given how sporadic updates surrounding the newly named Paprium have been, it's fair to say that many retro gamers had all but forgot about Watermelon's on-going project. In a single update from the developers earlier today, this new title for the Sega Mega Drive has become the talking point for many months to come, and quite rightly so. In a nostalgia fueled trailer the team behind Paprium have showcased what appears to be one of the most stunning 16-bit titles to date, and also one which surely packs a punch.

Drawing a fistful of inspiration from Final Fight, Streets of Rage, and many more of the side-scrolling brawlers, it's safe to say that fans of the genre will have something to get stuck into. From memorable locations to fast paced action coupled with a heavy-hitting soundtrack (one even Yuzo Koshiro would be proud of), Paprium appears to have it all.

The game is due for release on physical cartridge this September starting at $69 for a worldwide version, with limited edition regional variants also available for collectors. Needless to say, if Paprium holds up to the quality Watermelon's previous release Pier Solar had, this is one swift uppercut you don't want to miss.

 

Praprium Gameplay