Final Fight - The Battle Ends

Happy New Year!

In stark comparison to classic original, remainder is largely restricted to a single format.

Final Fight 2, Capcom 1993 (Super Famicom/SNES)

North American/European box art literally ‘covering’ the meat of Mega Drive classic Streets of Rage and tidbits from sequel is possibly more famous than actual game.

For some reason, Damnd can also be seen, even though dreadlocks doesn’t feature in gameplay.

Weighing in at a modest 10 megs, a resurgent Mad Gear kidnaps Guy’s fiancée Rena and her father Genryusai.

How original.

Rena’s sister Maki contacts Haggar for help.

Carlos owes Haggar and Guy so much and enjoys kick’n butt.

His words, not mine.

Brawling begins in Hong Kong, then moves to France, Holland, England, Italy and finally Japan.

So the same idea as Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone.

Aside from some new enemies, weapons and uninteresting specials, the most notable addition is simultaneous play.

Even with extra sprite, you’ll only ever fight a maximum of three enemies at any one time.

Inserting area transition sequences and story dialogue between stages adds beef to presentation.

Won Won (chef), Freddie (Andore alternative), Bratken (Frankenstein’s monster wannabe), Phillipe (clown), Rolent (misspelled relative of Rolento?) and Retu (Kabuki-esque brick shithouse with long pink hair) completes uninspiring boss line-up.

Despite obvious improvements, stages stop way too often and make rescue attempt very fucking boring.

Still, there are some nice looking backgrounds.

Censorship

Japanese enemies Mary and Eliza are replaced with Robert and Leon.

Hong Kong boss Won Won uses a meat cleaver in Japan, but unarmed in North America and Europe.

(Sigh).

Final Fight Tough, Capcom 1995 (Super Famicom/SNES)

Sensibly renamed Final Fight 3 when released for North America and Europe in 1996, 24 megs of hardcore action returns to classic Metro City roots (less kidnapping theme).

Mad Gear is no more, so gangs scrap among themselves to decide who reigns supreme.

In the end, Skull Cross rules the roost.

Guy’s back, mainstay Haggar has perversely grown a huge ponytail, and newcomers Dean and Lucia are on hand to clean up the trash.

Co-op play is retained, but now, you can hit each other.

If humans can’t be trusted to turn on each other, selecting Auto-2P puts all your eggs in computer’s basket.

As well as a greater variety of grabs and throws, being able to dash for the first time (archetypal to other classics such as Captain Commando, The Punisher and Cadillacs & Dinosaurs etc), also increases combo potential.

Once Super gauge is filled, characters can execute deadly specials via basic motion (a la Streets of Rage II).

If character picks up his/her specialist weapon, a unique combo can be performed.

Dialogue and screens in between stages reveal Skull Cross have been smuggling weapons inside cargo ship owned by Sim Inc.

If story actually went anywhere, I might give a shit, but as it doesn't...

Wrecking a bulldozer and destroying super computer are bonus chores.

Another series first is branching path system which kicks in part way through third stage.

If bus stop is destroyed - stage ends, but resist, and action continues.

Basically, there are two different stage fours.

We fight a bevvy of new enemies and bosses are a vast improvement over tepid predecessor.

Most importantly, this runs at a much better pace, which eliminates the possibility of falling asleep at the joypad.

Censorship

For the first time since Mighty Final Fight on NES, North American and European versions have a female baddie.

Bizarrely, May has no palette swap.

Nintendo also allowed Guy to wield signature weapon Nunchaku.

Some enemies in the Japanese version are darker skinned, but other than that.

Final Fight Revenge, 1999 (Arcade)

Developed by American division Capcom Production Studio 8, spin-off was the first to debut in arcades since classic original.

It was released for Saturn only in Japan a year later, which was also system’s final game.

Damnd, Cody, Sodom, Haggar, Sodom, Rolento, El Gado, Edi. E, Poison and Guy are all itching to get started.

3D models in lamentable 2D one-on-one fighter were ugly back then, and camera only rotates for dramatic effect.

Arenas contain an assortment of melee weapons (knife, sword, night stick, claw) and firearms (shotgun, spark shot*, bazooka, flamethrower).

*Possible ref to Claire's glorified stun gun of same name in Resident Evil 2?

Boxes can be broken for health-ups and once gauge is filled, two supers are at your disposal.

Zombie Belger is unplayable end boss who during staff roll, parodies dance in Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Now for the main event.

Final Fight Streetwise, 2006 (PS2/Xbox)

Non-canonical spin-off was CPS 8's final game and roaming fighter was clearly influenced by Yakuza and even Square’s infamous bomb The Bouncer.

You play as Cody's pit fighting brother Kyle Travers.

Kyle gets knocked out and Cody gets kidnapped by The Stiff in Vanessa's bar.

About Kyle's bird, she's sexy AND tough.  Not a bad combination.

Kicking enemy's ass with fist, feet, melee weapon or firearm gains respect and talking to NPCs extracts information.

Instinct moves are more powerful, but drains meter.

As a nice touch, bad guys can mimic Damnd whistle.

There is no set opportunity to save.  Instead, checkpoints occur after boss fight, cut scene event or quitting game.

Not ideal, but whatever.

Cash can be earned by partaking in optional side missions, ranging from cockroach crushing, arm wrestling, slinging arrows and trashing Weasel's car.

Another way to line pockets is to challenge various opponents in the pit, (including Andore and Street Fighter babe Cammy).

Extra techniques can be learned at Tiger's Gym and when found, you can spar with and buy moves from Haggar and Guy.

Ignoring remixes of original tunes, music from the likes of Soldiers, Gizmachi, Sacrifice, Dub Pistols and Nappy Roots can be purchased at Boomer's Electronics & Music.

We learn that while working for Father Bella, The Stiff supplied Cody with glycolauric octano (Glow), to cure arthritic knees.

Insane priest forced female scientist Dr. Chang to create addictive steroid to bring Armageddon and destroy well known crime capital.

Pumped with immense dosage of Glow, War (Weasel), Famine (Blades), Pestilence and Death (The Stiff) become the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Chang refers to original creation Pestilence as 'sweetie'.

Declaring himself to be 'Belger', Father Bella is still pissed at Cody for killing younger brother.

Those familiar with Die Hard with a Vengeance may say this is the same principle.

Bella = Simon Gruber
Cody = John McClane

Hmmm...

After dealing with Cody Death twice, Belger faces off against Kyle.

Defeating Belger sees brother coming to his senses and Kyle extinguishes villain's deranged light with a head shot.

Later in hospital, Cody's knees are better than ever.

Awful graphics, broken camera angles, ridiculous story, disjointed soundtrack and a charmless potty-mouthed script (complemented by hilariously bad voice acting), means iconic franchise ends on a low.

Kyle interrupts Weasel getting head in a porn theatre.

"I'm looking for someone known as The Stiff."

Whore replies:

"Oo, you're not the only one baby."

Did a kid fucking write this?

Arcade mode serves a hefty helping of bullshit and although Ultracade's unlockable World arcade looks nice, gameplay and music are more disgusting than toilet bowl caked in last night's curry.

This is definitely not the version from Capcom Classics Collection (PS2/Xbox) and PSP equivalent Remixed.