Max Thunder (gameplay)

Max Thunder is playable in Streets of Rage 2 and Streets of Rage 4. In both titles, he is the definition of a slow and powerful character, who trades speed and mobility for pure raw damage. Being a wrestler, he specializes in grappling opponents to deal heavy damage, having the strongest throws in Streets of Rage 2, surpassing even Blaze's. Also, due to his hulky build, he cannot vault over his opponents, and will instead jump while taking the enemy to the air with him.

In Streets of Rage 4, Max returns as a DLC character. He retains his classic gameplay, but is given slightly more speed, as well more attacks based on pro-wrestling moves. Much like in the second game, he is unable to vault while holding his opponents, a trait also shared with Floyd Iraia and Estel Aguirre. With Floyd now being the true "slow powerhouse" of the game, Max is given more flexibility, dealing slightly less damage than Floyd but having more mobility to compensate. A retro version of Streets of Rage 2 Max can also be unlocked in the base game.

Attributes[]

Strengths[]

Has the highest damage output in both games he is featured in.
Potent grabs, in addition to being able to jump while carrying opponents.
Power Slide and Thunder Tackle remedy his poor mobility.
Spinning Knuckle Bomb is a great "get-off-me" move; in the fourth game Max can move while using it, expanding its flexibility.
In Streets of Rage 4, he has the only global Star Move in the game, which hits all enemies on screen regardless of where they are.

Weaknesses[]

Very slow movement speed and mobility.
Large frame makes him easy to target.
Poor anti-air options.
Limited combo potential.

Move List (Streets of Rage 2)[]

Regular Attacks[]

B: A left vertical chop. Cannot spam as quickly as Axel's jab. Used to stunlock enemies when up close to them.
B (Hold) - Hammer Punch: A stationary vertical punch with Max using both of his arms. Part of Max's regular combo attack's finisher. In Streets of Rage 4 this attack hits opponents off the ground and also causes ground bounces.

Combo Attacks[]

B (2x): 2 left vertical chops. Cannot spam as quickly as Axel's jab. Used to stunlock enemies when up close to them.
B (3x): 2 left vertical chops and a right punch - Cannot spam as quickly as Axel's jab. Used to stunlock enemies when up close to them. Can be followed up with a grab from behind or front or not, 1 or 2 knee kicks or not, and finished off with the Hammer Punch, German Suplex, Thunder Tackle, Spinning Knuckle Bomb, Thunder Body Slam, Brain Buster, Headbutt, Power Slide, Rear Kick, or Atomic Drop.
B (4x): 2 left vertical chops, a right punch, and a double axe handle with Max using both of his arms. Max's regular combo. Hits a single enemy or several by 6 times if up close.

Blitz Attacks[]

Performed by pressing the D-Pad Left or Right (2x) + B.

Power Slide: Max ducks down quickly and slides forward, hitting enemies at their leg level. This move is frequently used for mobility to compensate for Max's slow walking speed. Can be used as a combo finisher. In Streets of Rage 4 this attack hits opponents off the ground.
Power Chop: the alternate Blitz attack unlockable in the DLC for Streets of Rage 4. He performs a quick karate chop while sliding a bit forward, ground bouncing enemies hit. Max can potentially do an infinite loop while dragging the opponents forward.

Jumping Attacks[]

Neutral Air[]

C + B (mid-air) - Super Hammer Punch: A double axe handle that consists of Max using both of his hands. Can hit enemies while behind them if they get too close. Useful for hitting enemies without getting anti-aired by most. Also used to exploit Shiva's blocking, which bypasses his block and hits him. Not recommended against Ravens, Hakuyos, Jack variants, Barbon variants, Zamza variants, Abadede variants, R. Bear variants, Oxygen variants, and Mr. X.

Forward Air[]

D-Pad Left or Right + C + B (mid-air) - Drop Kick: Max extends both his legs in the air; highest range of all jumping attacks. Can be used to hit Abadede when he's charging at Max. Useful for non-anti air enemies.

Down Air[]

C + D-Pad Down + B (mid-air) - Elbow Drop: A moving vertical elbow drop that staggers enemies without knocking them down, and can be used for Max to follow up with a grab and any applicable move.

Rear Attack[]

B + C (almost simultaneously; on the ground) - Rear Kick: One of Max's defensive tools. Can be used to turn Max around without having the need to move. One of his fastest moves.

Grabs[]

Max is unique as he can jump while holding opponents. However, he's unable to vault over opponents to use front or back throws, instead requiring him to grab enemies from different directions.

From behind[]

C + B - Atomic Drop: Max jumps with his grabbed opponent and prods his knee out to snap the enemy's spine once impacting with the ground. Upon finishing the attack, Max's jump height will be gimped the next time Max jumps. Atomic Drop also hits several enemies at once if colliding with the enemy in the hold. Second strongest throw in the game.
D-Pad in the direction opposite of the enemy + B - German Suplex: Can hit several enemies if the enemies collide with the enemy in the hold. Strongest throw in the game.

From the front[]

D-Pad Left or Right + B - One knee kick: Can be followed up with another knee kick, Thunder Body Slam, Headbutt, Brain Buster, German Suplex, Thunder Tackle, or Spinning Knuckle Bomb.
D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) - Two knee kicks: Can be followed up with the Thunder Body Slam, Headbutt, Brain Buster, German Suplex, Thunder Tackle, or Spinning Knuckle Bomb.
B (5x; wait 0.5 seconds) - Bear Hug: Max holds the enemy in place by their head and squeezes it. Max's most powerful move, but leaves him vulnerable to attacks from other enemies.
D-Pad Left or Right + C + B - Thunder Body Slam: Used to hit several enemies and knock them up into the air. Also used as a combo finisher.

Defensive Special Attacks[]

Spinning Knuckle Bomb: Max spins rapidly with his arms extended horizontally with hands clasped together, hitting enemies both in front and behind him in a circular hammering motion. Can be used to have invincibility frames from attacks such as Jack's knife throwing, Mr. X's firing, Oxygen's eye laser, R. Bear's uppercut in a corner, getting hit from both sides, and Shiva's Jump Kick. Can be used as a combo finisher.
Hammer Slam: the alternate Defensive Special unlockable in the DLC for Streets of Rage 4. He does an overhead swing and violently slams both hands on the ground, causing a small shockwave that knocks opponents down. This attack hits enemies off the ground.

Offensive Special Attacks[]

Peformed by pressing the D-Pad Left or Right + A.

Thunder Tackle: Max projects himself forward at incredible speed with an extended shoulder, taking down multiple enemies ahead. This move is frequently used for mobility to compensate for Max's slow walking speed. Can be used to chip off Barbon variants and Zamza variants very quickly due to a programming error where Max's Thunder Tackle bypasses the block and keeps hitting them for the duration of the Thunder Tackle. Thunder Tackle also removes a bit of Max's health regardless if using it to hit an enemy or not. Can be used as a combo finisher.
Rolling Grab: the alternate Offensive Special Attack unlockable in the DLC for Streets of Rage 4. He'll roll forward a long distance, and grabs the closest enemy at the end. The player can use directional inputs to grab behind or in front of Max.

Star Moves (Streets of Rage 4)[]

Giant Swing: Streets of Rage 2 Max's Star Move featured in Streets of Rage 4. He performs a Thunder Tackle, and it connects with an opponent, he'll grab them by their feet, spin and launch them.
Cyclone Knuckle Bomb: the alternate Star Move unlockable in the DLC for Streets of Rage 4. He performs his Spinning Knuckle Bomb for around 10 seconds; the player can freely move him around during the entire duration. Max will kneel down for a second after finishing it.

Combos (Streets of Rage 2)[]

Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + C + B - Two knee kicks plus Thunder Body Slam. One of Max's combo finishers for his grab. Used to hit several enemies and knock them up into the air. Does a lot of damage.
Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + B (5x; wait 0.5 seconds) - Two knee kicks plus Brain Buster. Max holds the enemy in place by their head and squeezes it. Does a lot of damage. Useful for staying in the same spot.
Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + D-Pad in the direction opposite of the enemy + B - Two knee kicks plus German Suplex. One of Max's combo finishers. Does a lot of damage. Useful for staying in the same spot and hitting several enemies by knocking them up the air.
Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + D-Pad Left or Right + A - Two knee kicks plus Thunder Tackle. Used best on Zamza variants and Abadede variants.
Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + A - Two knee kicks plus Spinning Knuckle Bomb. Used as a combo finisher on Abadede.
Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (3x) - Two knee kicks plus Headbutt. One of Max's combo finishers for his grab. Used to keep Max in his original position. Does less damage than the other combo finishers.
B (3x) + Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + D-Pad in the opposite direction + B - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch, a grab, 2 knee kicks, and German Suplex. One of Max's best combos to deal damage with.
B (3x) + Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + C + B - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch, a grab, 2 knee kicks, and a stationary Thunder Body Slam.
B (3x) + Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + D-Pad Left or Right + C + B - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch, a grab, 2 knee kicks, and a moving Thunder Body Slam. One of the most damaging attacks in Max's arsenal.
B (3x) + Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + D-Pad Left or Right + A - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch, a grab, 2 knee kicks, and Thunder Tackle. Used best on Zamza if he's still able to block or as a high damaging combo finisher.
B (3x) + Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (2x) + A - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch, a grab, 2 knee kicks, and Spinning Knuckle Bomb. Used best on Abadede to show off.
B (3x) + Grab from front + D-Pad Left or Right + B (3x) - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch, a grab, 2 knee kicks and, Headbutt. Used for showing off and keeping Max in the same spot once he's grabbed an enemy.
B (3x; quickly turn D-Pad Left or Right before the third B input) + Grab from behind + C + B - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch, a grab, and Atomic Drop. Used best against all enemies, including bosses not named R. Bear, R. Bear Jr. Jet, Mosquite, Griphis, Comet, Barbon, Wayne, Vulture, Zamza, Souther, and Nail.
B (3x) + Grab from behind + D-Pad in the direction opposite of the enemy + B - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch, a grab, and German Suplex. Used best on regular enemies and, of course, Abadede.
B (3x) + D-Pad Left or Right (2x) + B - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch and Power Slide. Used as a safe combo finisher on the likes of Abadede.
B (3x) + D-Pad in the direction opposite of the enemy + C + B (almost simultaneously; on the ground) - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch and Rear Kick. One of the best damaging combo finishers. Hits an enemy or several by 8 times if up close.
B (3x) + A - 2 left vertical chops and a right punch and Spinning Knuckle Bomb. One of the many combo finishers that Max has.
A + Grab from behind + C + B - Spinning Knuckle Bomb, a grab, and Atomic Drop. Used best against R. Bear when up close to a wall.
D-Pad Up + Grab from behind + C + B - A moving in place Max and guarantees an opportunity to Atomic Drop all enemies besides the Zamza variants and Shiva. Used best when up against a wall.
D-Pad Down + Grab from behind + C + B - A moving in place Max and guarantees an opportunity to Atomic Drop all enemies besides Zamza variants and Shiva. Useful for when Zamza spawns in the map on Stage 3.
D-Pad Up + Grab from behind + D-Pad in the direction opposite of the enemy + B - A moving in place Max and guarantees an opportunity to German Suplex. Used best when up against a wall.
C + D-Pad Down + B+ B (4x) - Elbow Drop which leads into 2 vertical chops, a right punch, and a Hammer Punch.
C + D-Pad Down + B + B (3x) + A - Elbow Drop which leads into 2 vertical chops, a right punch, and a Thunder Tackle.
C + D-Pad Down + B + B (3x) + Grab from behind + C + B - Elbow Drop which leads into 2 vertical chops, Max turning to the left or right of the enemy's back, a grab, and Atomic Drop. One of the highest damaging movies found in the entire game.
C + D-Pad Down + B + B (2x) + Grab from behind + D-Pad in the direction opposite of the enemy + B - Elbow Drop which leads into 2 vertical chops, a grab, and a German Suplex.
C + D-Pad Down + B + Grab from behind + C + B - Elbow Drop which leads into an easy Atomic Drop. Very easy to pull off and exploit on many enemies due to their stun times on the first hit. Very damaging. Countered by prominent anti-air attackers such as Raven and Donovan.
C + D-Pad Down + B + Grab from behind + D-Pad in the direction opposite of the enemy + B - Elbow Drop which leads into an easy German Suplex. Very easy to pull off and exploit on many enemies due to their stun times on the first hit. Countered by prominent anti-air attackers such as Raven and Donovan.
C + D-Pad Down + B + Grab from front + B (2x) + D-Pad or Right + C + B
C + D-Pad Down + B + Grab from front + B (2x) + C + B
D-Pad Left or Right + C + D-Pad Down + B + Grab

Move List (Streets of Rage 4)[]