Bare Knuckle III
Bare Knuckle III — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Bare Knuckle III on?
- Bare Knuckle III was released on Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
- When did Bare Knuckle III release?
- Bare Knuckle III was first released on March 18, 1994.
About Bare Knuckle III
Bare Knuckle III is the Japanese version of Streets of Rage 3. The Japanese version is known for having a more balanced challenge due to some gameplay changes made to the Western version in its localization. The plot was also heavily modified.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
- Developer
- Ancient
- Publisher
- Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Themes
- Action
- Series
- Streets of Rage
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1994 | $67 | $170 | — | 14 reviews | Medium |
Also released on: Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $75 | $268 | $422 |
| Japanese release (Bare Knuckle 3) | $92 | $263 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a week
- Complete: about 2 times a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $30 in Oct 2007, $71 five years ago, and $67 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $35 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $30 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $19.99 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $24 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $19.98 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $25 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $25 | $40 |
| Jan 2015 | $30 | $66 |
| Jan 2016 | $37 | $77 |
| Jan 2017 | $46 | $91 |
| Jan 2018 | $37 | $93 |
| Jan 2019 | $44 | $96 |
| Jan 2020 | $42 | $117 |
| Jan 2021 | $65 | $192 |
| Jan 2022 | $87 | $180 |
| Jan 2023 | $71 | $182 |
| Jan 2024 | $55 | $164 |
| Jan 2025 | $56 | $155 |
| Jan 2026 | $55 | $173 |
| Oct 2026 | $67 | $170 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 1994 | 1539 | 010086015393 |
| Europe / PAL | 22 July 1994 | 670-4645 | — |
| Japan | 18 March 1994 | G-4116 | 4974365541163 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1994
- Authenticity
- Med
The last of the original Streets of Rage trilogy, a fast and much-liked brawler, and one of the priciest US carts.
This is the Genesis version of Streets of Rage 3, released in Japan as Bare Knuckle III on 18 March 1994, in North America in 1994 and in Europe on 22 July 1994. Sega developed and published it, with Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima composing the music. It is the third and last game in the original trilogy.
Game Players said that anyone who had never taken Axel for a spin should try this one, and that fans of the series could not go wrong. The Japanese game has Ash as a playable fighter, who was taken out of the official English version; Computer and Video Games printed a tip in October 1994 for unlocking him on an imported Genesis or the Japanese cart.
What the press said at the time
| MegaTech Issue 30 | June 1994 | 90% |
| Sega Magazine Issue 7 | July 1994 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 33 | June 1994 | 82% |
| MegaTech Issue 33 | September 1994 | 90% |
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 82% |
| MegaTech Issue 34 | October 1994 | 90% |
| GameRankings (aggregate) | 83% | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 29/40 | |
| GameFan | 234/300 | |
| Game Informer | 8/10 | |
| Hyper | 83% | |
| Mean Machines Sega | 83% | |
| Superjuegos | 86/100 | |
| Video Games | 77% |
“If you're a Rage fan like me, I urge you to try this out. If you're after a combat game on a budget. Streets of Rage 2 is more than sufficient.”
“The scrolling beat'em-up bits scale new heights and if that's your thing then it's all here.”
“although it's pretty similar to the previous two Rage episodes, with little in the way of new gameplay features, this doesn't stop it from being simply the best scrolling beat 'em up on the Megadrive EVER!”
“| liked best about Streets #3 is that they brought the challenge level way up. Even on easy, this isn't a breeze.”
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Genesis version.
Before you buy
This is among the priciest US carts, and it is a known repro target, so ask for a photo of the board before paying for an expensive copy. The European cart usually costs a little more than the US one loose and noticeably more complete, and the Japanese cart usually costs more too and has a different cartridge shape. Sega Retro lists the game as using the six-button pad and as working with the Activator.
Bare Knuckle III screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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