Back in the 16-bit days, Sega's Streets of Rage series was at the top of the side-scrolling 2D fighter list. It was fast paced, brutal, and full of action and bizarre characters (like a kangaroo). Today the series is dead, though its memory lives on, which may be the reason why Sega crafted its 3D Xbox brawler, Spikeout: Battle Street, a homage to the button mashing beat-em-ups of yore, and yet another reason why everyone needs to be on Xbox Live.

Basically, Spikeout (which is actually a series in Japan) is a 3D Streets of Rage that has online support for up to four players. Developed by Amusement Vision (the team behind the Monkey Ball games), Spikeout tells the story of Spike Jr., the son of the former leader of the gang Team Spike, who is out for revenge against his rival, Team Inferno. It's not the most complex story in the world, but none of the games it pays homage to were known for their deep narratives. Basically, you and several people travel to various locales and beat the heck out of waves of mindless bad guys including giant bosses. Each of the game's 12 playable characters is customizable, so you can alter their hair, tattoos, and clothes. On the street, each has punches, kicks, and unique special attacks that do heavy damage.

Based on what I played, the game is a lot of fun, but what Sega showed was but a small sample of what's to come. Playing with three other players, we just ran through a city attacking large amounts of enemies and the occasional boss. It feels like a mindless button masher that's short on substance, but depth matters little because the game's fun to play. Multiplayer runs very smooth, and the visuals are pretty, but are certainly not taxing the Xbox hardware, as the game is just an assorted mix of alleyways, city streets, and parking lots. But the more I think about it, I'll probably be too busy smashing other people's faces in to really care. Lastly, Sega mentioned that there are weapons in the game, but unfortunately, I didn't come across any in the demo, though I have seen screen shots of guys brandishing swords.

Spikeout looks promising but there are too many question marks. Sega mentioned that you'll be able to download new stories, items, characters, and sound files, but we'll have to see whether that will help the game avoid its biggest pitfall, which is getting repetitive in a hurry, something that even its older brothers had trouble overcoming. However, I had a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to beating the snot out of people when the game releases this March.