Play Bare Knuckle III (Japan) Online
Mr. X somehow returned with robot goons, so you grab a pipe as Dr. Zan or punch through cyborgs—combos hit harder now, but enemies actually block your swings. Japan got the slightly less punishing version, thank god.
Bare Knuckle III (or Streets of Rage 3 outside Japan) is where the Genesis beat 'em up trilogy goes all-in. Mr. X is back—somehow—and now he’s got an army of robots and cyborgs. You pick from four characters, including the new guy Dr. Zan, who swings a pipe like a maniac. The music’s grungier, the combos feel weightier, and enemies actually block now (which is annoying but makes fights way more tense).
First thing you’ll notice? The difficulty’s cranked up. Even on Normal, those shield guys in Stage 2 will wreck you if you just button mash. But nailing a perfect grapple throw into a crowd never gets old. The Japanese version’s a bit less brutal though—weirdly, they toned down the violence for the overseas release.
It’s not perfect (why does Skate feel slower here?), but it’s still one of the best co-op brawlers on the system. Grab a friend, spam Blaze’s back attack, and try not to get suplexed by a robot.
Download Bare Knuckle III (Japan) ROM
You can download this ROM to play Bare Knuckle III (Japan) offline using an Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) emulator (Top Emulators).
*This ROM is provided for backup and educational purposes only.
