Final Fight

Final Fight IS one of the greatest games of all time. It really introduced alot of new elements to the beat-em-up genre, and it had an influence on lots more games in the future (e.g. Warriors Of Fate, The Punisher, Alien Vs. Predator). My favorite character is Guy. He had such a cool design. And my favorite of the generic bad guys is Two P. He used to really crack me up for some reason. Abigail (The boss of Bay Area) is really a tough boss! He picks you up and throws you, and it takes away half your energy! Anyway, back to the review. This is a classic, and I think it will live on for generations to come.

This was the one I remember the most ever when I played it for the first time in a laundromat in my neighborhood on a hot, sunny day YEARS ago. I was utterly flummoxed by the graphics, sound, and game play, and it was one of the most challenging games I ever played; often begging a relative for more quarters to pump into the machine. So throughout all the years of playing video games, this one was the one I played the most. It was just so exciting, beating the even immortal Double Dragon, which was a predecessor to side-scrolling beat'em ups but "Final Fight" was the best out of them all. The sequels that followed were utterly disastrous and unconvincing and "Streets of Rage" were trumping them already. However, there's just no denying that "Final Fight" is the original that can never be topped and will always be fondly remembered than any side-scrolling beat'em up that has come before and after it. It was the game that drove me into fighting games. More so than not, it was also one of the best gaming experiences of my childhood. Love it. Simply just love it.

I played this game on a couple of home consoles and it was alright on the SNES to me as I did not have any friends to share the experience with anyway. I also played it on the Sega CD. The arcade is actually the easiest of the bunch due to you having as many continues as needed to get through it. Granted, you needed quarters to feed the machine, but this game takes maybe three or four dollars worth which is doable, but I never got through the SNES version because of the difficulty and the limited continues.

The story, what is there to say? It is a beat em up, and this one has the typical gangs running wild thing. About the only thing that sets this apart is that it is the father who is the main dude and he is beefed up. Hagger would appear in other games he was so awesome while Cody and Guy are just the typical guys you find in this genre of games. Hagger has to fight to get his kidnapped daughter back from a gang that is apparently run by a dude who has an infinite shooting crossbow and rides in a wheelchair.

The game play is standard, you have your attack and jump and you press both at the same time for the super attack which reduces your health a bit. However, there are ample health power ups in this one, they are not stingy, too bad you cannot earn a one up through your score. The sprites are very large in this one, another thing that sets this game apart from the rest and the scenery is pretty good, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

So, a game I enjoyed playing as a kid, and I revisited it and won. I may play the Sega CD version again and review it as it has a separate listing here, but this game is fun. It would be cool to play with others as the extra muscle would help, but then you are going to have to share the health drops, which is a drawback. A fun beat em up whether in groups or alone though.

The best scrolling beat 'em up game... Ever! This game still holds the crown nearly 30 years later. I loved the arcade version. Huge characters taking up a lot of screen, the animation was very detailed for the time. Huge boss characters and a great soundtrack to boot. The best home version was on the Sega Mega-CD as the graphics looked identical to the arcade and even included a new time attack mini game as well. Seems it also had the best music and exclusive new voice acting as well. I still play it on Xbox Live the double impact addition. Still waiting for something to better it!

If you're a Streets of Rage or Double Dragon fan then Final Fight will no-doubt appeal to you. I only ever played it in the arcade once about 13 years ago but I was a cool game indeed. This Gameboy Advance version is identical to the Arcade but with a few more touches added such as new cut-scenes and animations and a couple of hidden levels.

Since I am such a wimp when it comes to games I did complete this on my fourth go (on the easiest setting) but I did notice a LOT of similarities between this and SOR in regards to the baddies, level progression and power-ups. That's not a bad thing but I only wish it lasted a little longer. Still it's a cool game and definitely worth getting.

Graphics A Sound B- Gameplay B Lasting Appeal B-