Haggar | RVGFanatic

Final Fight 3 (SNES)

**Pub & Dev: Capcom | January 1996 | 24 MEGS**

The original Final Fight was ported over to the Super Famicom on December 21, 1990. It came out exactly one month after the Super Famicom launched in Japan. Final Fight 3 came out five whopping years later, landing in Japan on December 22, 1995. This time however, instead of being a revolutionary console on the upswing, the SNES was a grizzled vet practically on its last leg. Capcom cranked up the voltage as Final Fight 3 clocked in at an impressive 24 MEGS, making it the largest beat ‘em up on the SNES in terms of megabits. It featured branching paths, special moves, SUPER special moves and even a 2-player mode where the second player can be controlled by the computer if you didn’t have a buddy nearby. Capcom definitely redeemed themselves for the disappointment that was Final Fight 2. Let’s head back to Metro City one final time…

THE FINAL FIGHT — REALLY THIS TIME

I remember seeing previews for Final Fight 3 and Mega Man X³ in the back pages of GameFan in late 1995. Capcom was back at it milking more sequels than Friday the 13th. But that’s fine by me. Final Fight 2 was a sore disappointment and I had pretty decent hopes that they might get it right with Final Fight 3. Mega Man X³ looked like a welcomed addition to the series and it was just nice to see the Big C still supporting the Super Nintendo.

My brother and I hadn’t ‘upgraded’ to the PlayStation or Sega Saturn yet. We clung on to our Super Nintendo during its twilight years, although we certainly didn’t play it as much as we had done during the system’s peak. Still, I remember feeling like Final Fight 3 and Mega Man X³ was something of a last bastion of hope. A beacon of light in the darkness for the remaining loyal SNES fans who stuck by the system’s side even in its dying days.

Final Fight 3 is something of a special game to me in many ways. My family moved in late January of 1996. My childhood home. The place where I carved out countless memories with my parents, brother, uncle and friends for 10 years. The place that meant so much to me and was more than a town, more than a suburb. It was, in many ways, the wonder years.

And Final Fight 3, of the hundreds and hundreds of SNES games I rented from 1991-1996, proved to be the final (har har) Super Nintendo game I ever rented while living in my childhood home. In fact, it was just the weekend before we moved. I remember playing it with moving boxes all around the living room, cleaning up the streets of Metro City one last time alongside my older brother. Made for some good times and memories. As such, Final Fight 3 will always hold a special place in my heart.

THE FINAL FIGHTERS

Guy returns! As does good old standby, Mike Haggar, complete with a brand new ponytail. Some fans are split on the look but I always dug it. Dean and Lucia are the two newcomers. Bye bye Carlos and Maki from Final Fight 2. Honestly, I never liked them much.

Height: 5'10" Weight: 159 lbs Hobby: Ninjitsu — Height: 5’10”
Weight: 159 lbs
Hobby: Ninjitsu

After completing a martial arts training trip, Guy returns to Metro City only to find himself caught up in a riot. He is happy to once again team up with his old comrade, Mayor Mike Haggar, and bring justice to Metro City once and for all.

Height: 6'6" Weight: 214 lbs Hobby: Driving (fast) — Height: 6’6″
Weight: 214 lbs
Hobby: Driving (fast)

A former street fighter with a thorough knowledge of Skull Cross gang operations. He always carries a small picture of his family wherever he goes. The Skull Cross maniacs slaughtered his family when he refused to join up. Now Dean seeks swift retribution and some good old fashioned cold blooded vengeance!

Height: 5'8" Weight: 115 lbs Hobby: Cooking (not a good cook) — Height: 5’8″
Weight: 115 lbs
Hobby: Cooking (not a good cook)

A detective in Metro City’s Special Crimes unit, Lucia became Haggar’s ally after he helped clear her of a corruption charge. Now she’s returning him the favor.

Height: 6'7" Weight: 269 lbs Hobby: Politics — Height: 6’7″
Weight: 269 lbs
Hobby: Politics

The most popular mayor Metro City has ever known, Mike Haggar seems to become more powerful with age. And who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Haggar has a few new moves up his sleeve… well, if he wore sleeves. Ah, you get the expression.

THE STORY GOES…

Well, that’s Super Play’s interpretation, anyhow. Classic SPLAY. No, here’s the real plot…

Classic Metro City map from the first Final Fight returns.

“GODDAMN look at you, Guy! Looking good as ever. How did your training go?”

“I picked up a few new tricks…”

“Metro City is under attack! If we don’t intervene quick, the Skull Cross gang is going to rip the city apart!”

“HOLD UP — WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!”

“Does it really matter? All you need to know is I know where those scumbags are headed.”

“I guess I don’t have much of a choice. But if you’re lying, I’m gonna kick the shit out of you!”

“GONNA BE JUST LIKE OLD TIMES… FOR THE FINAL TIME.”

Questions abound — will the Skull Cross gang succeed where the Mad Gear gang failed? Will Dean get his revenge? Will Haggar’s ponytail choke a bitch? Let’s find out!

Japanese version on the right. Notice that it’s much fancier and was known as Final Fight Tough over in Japan.

ROUND 1: POLICE STATION

Running attacks are new to Final Fight 3. Each character also has a special move which is executed in Street Fighter fashion. These new tricks really add to the gameplay and helps to keep things fresh.

Another brilliant addition by Capcom, SUPER special moves can be performed when you fill up a small meter at the bottom of the screen. SUPER specials inflict a ton of damage, not to mention they just look frigging cool.

Barrels contain goodies to recharge your health or boost your point total. Making your way through Metro City Police Station, incarcerated members of the Skull Cross gang can be seen from behind their prison cells. Nice touch, along with the dim flickering lights.

Capcom delivers a nice tip of the hat to its roots. This scene is reminiscent of the car bonus stage from the first Final Fight. “OH! MY CAR” remains one of the most memorable lines in gaming history.

Known for its big beefy bosses, Final Fight 3 continues that tradition well. Meet Dave, a corrupt massive cop gone rogue. Gorilla slam his ass into oblivion, Ultimate Warrior style.

Unfortunately, our heroes were duped. The Skull Cross gang staged the riot to keep the police busy as they freed one of their leaders from prison. Meanwhile, Dean apologizes for before. He didn’t have time to explain then. He tells them he was a former street fighter on the circuit, and when he refused to join the Skull Cross gang, they slaughtered his family. Now it’s payback time!

ROUND 2: MAIN STREET

Haggar loves to show off his sinewy tight muscles as he sprints ahead. Now that Costco is infamously no longer selling their $1.50 polish dogs, everyone is flocking to Metro City for their hot dog needs.

Although perhaps not quite mutant, I like how Final Fight 3 introduces some gray area into some of their bad guys. I’ve always preferred my beat ‘em ups to stray a bit from the beaten path. Some of the fat enemies don’t look quite human. It’s almost like some of them are failed experiments gone wrong, or right, depending on your perspective.

Speaking of paths, one of the best things about Final Fight 3 is that there are multiple routes to take. Bust that door open and you’ll enter the Club. And speaking of best, what’s better than finding a big piece of BBQ chicken (that will fully recover your health) when you’re just one hit away from dying?

Callman, another big beefy (bald) badass, will kick the ever living shit out of you if you aren’t careful. The furniture goes flying!

Haggar’s mighty axe swing helps even up the odds.

Callman would be a hell of a linebacker in the NFL. I love how he’s so damn big that Haggar’s spinning piledriver on him looks a bit ridiculous!

Destroy the fence instead however and you’ll find yourself in a rundown park. Notice on the bench (zoom in if you’re on a mobile device) the word FUK. How that slipped by Nintendo of America… I’ll never know! You still fight Callman at the end here if you take this route.

ROUND 3: BUS STOP

Shattering glass windows is quite satisfying. This stage allows you to take a shortcut and skip directly to the next level by breaking the bus stop sign. But if you don’t, a bus will come by to pick you up.

Daaaamn! That’s the first thing I thought when I first boarded this bus. Look at the size of that ham hock! It’s almost big enough to fit a T-Rex.

Electrocute the competition with Dean’s mighty fist. There was a rumor that Dean is really a robot but that’s never been confirmed. Also, because the game refers to his family, that’s reason to believe the robot theory is off. Andore makes his first appearance here. Get too close and he’ll choke the hell out of you.

Showing off his strength, Dean lifts Andore high over his head before sending him crashing down across his knee. Ouch! Talk about a mean back breaker.

Eventually the bus stops at a scrap yard. Next stop: ELECTRIC AVENUE!

Soaring high into the air, Dean’s SUPER special is a throw from the heavens.

Jumping on top of the bus now, Dean faces off with Caine and his cronies. Caine is a lot tougher than Dave and Callman.

Caine’s odd design left me feeling a little unsettled as a kid. The hunchback, the abnormally long arms and incredibly shrunken head made him exactly the kind of creep you wouldn’t want to run into down a dark alley…

ROUND 4: THE SHIP

Destroying the bus sign allows you to skip the bus and fighting Caine. It takes you straight to the docks. Haggar loves a beautiful sunset.

Andore continues his progressive transformation toward becoming a full time Frankenstein. Watch out for those killer abs!

Running attacks brought a sense of speed to the game. It never gets old hitting a running clothesline on some sucker.

Finally, we get female enemies in a Fight Fight game on the SNES! The previous two games in the series altered the female enemies to be guys. ProTip: Avoid being in the middle of an Andore sandwich.

There’s an age old debate among some folks pertaining the question, is a hot dog really a sandwich? Fear no more, Final Fight 3 puts a definitive end to that debate.

Survey says… NOT A SANDWICH! Thank you, Capcom, for putting that silly notion to bed. You have a choice to go up the stairs or through.

Careful there Mike, those tiny masked guys are fragile. Most beat ‘em ups on the SNES features three enemies on screen at the most, but Final Fight 3 has a few sections where there’s four (as seen above).

Carrying a huge anchor, Drake (nope doesn’t look like Dave whatsoever…) will swing it around and try to crush you with it. If that fails, he’ll rely on his heavy bottom to take you out.

Another cool aspect about Final Fight 3 is that the shoulder buttons allow you to lock in on a direction. Double tap back when doing this and your character will do a quick hop backward. It just adds another layer of depth and nuance to the game and is the only SNES beat ‘em up to feature this.

BONUS ROUND 1: THIS IS SOME BULL

Bulldozer comes steaming after you, trying to knock you off the pier. Only jumping attacks work, and there’s barely any room (literally) for error.

Should you fail, one of your teammates will fly in for the assist. But if you can beat it, you’ll earn extra points.

ROUND 4B: CHINA TOWN

Boarding the bus and defeating Caine takes you straight to China Town. It’s a beautiful depiction of China Town at night with all the fancy lights shining.

Detective Lucia reporting for duty!

Andore likes it rough but not THAT rough.

Haggar takes over as we enter the kitchen. Wong comes busting out!

Similar to Caine, there’s something that’s just OFF about Wong. It’s definitely his creepy looking eyes, which left me a little unsettled as a kid. Watch out for his Blanka-like rolling ball attack.

~~Sleeping~~ burning on the job there, are we, Wong? The way he convulses at the end is also a little disturbing. Quit staring at me with those alien eyes!

ROUND 5: FACTORY

Haggar finds himself trudging through a sewer to begin this stage. Capcom’s classic Yashichi icon can be picked up for temporary invincibility. Look between Haggar’s legs… damn that sounds like a sordid piece of fan fiction right there.

Another cool thing about Final Fight 3 is that certain weapons are better used by certain characters. For example, Haggar really knows how to swing the lead pipe whereas Guy is not nearly as competent with it. Again, this is another feature that you won’t find in any other SNES beat ‘em up.

Haggar in a shady back alley? Nope, nothing wrong with that. A new enemy called Hunter appears on this stage. Armed with a baseball bat and a mask, he’s pretty cool looking but is painfully slow. Still, a unique enemy especially in the Final Fight universe.

Hunter reminds me a lot of an enemy from Undercover Cops, who also wields a baseball bat.

Always fun to see stuff like this.

Destroy the second door to unlock a secret area.

Decimate all the computers here and you’ll be taken to the final round without having to face the boss of this stage!

However, if not, you’ll have to work your way to the boss.

Obviously, doing so is going to make your life harder but it also extends the game and lets you face arguably the toughest boss from the Skull Cross gang, Stray.

BONUS ROUND 2: RUNNING OF THE BARRELS

ProTip: Avoid barrels. Break computer.

ROUND 6: SKULL CROSS HEADQUARTERS

Finally, we come to Skull Cross HQ. Guy takes over, tossing bad guys around like sacks of potatoes.

“HADOKEN!” Not quite, but it’s still pretty cool. As is his spinning kick.

Capcom messed up on Guy’s SUPER special move. The bad guy always falls down before Guy can hit his little fireball, making this move look a bit silly.

Uncover more bonus rooms by breaking them open.

Peculiar to see BBQ chicken hiding inside a water dispenser, but alright then!

Andore’s no match for Guy’s fireball. And here’s another section of the game where four enemies crowd the screen at once.

Special moves really add to the quality of gameplay, requiring some level of skill to execute rather than just mashing away at the buttons. Toward the end, a chopper reveals itself to set up the final battle.

Details are on point here. Shock waves can be seen on the ground complete with a perfectly matching sound effect to punctuate the arrival of Black, the big bad of Final Fight 3 and leader of the Skull Cross gang.

Bursting out of his jacket, Black uses a spinning attack even more effectively than Haggar’s. That’s because Black’s spin attack actually sees him zipping around the screen like a mad man!

Beware of all the knives he’ll throw as well. When his health is depleted to the last bar, the screen will shift to the right slightly, revealing an electric generator.

Satisfying way to kill him! But you won’t have long to celebrate — the generator goes bonkers and the whole place is about to blow. RUN!

Haggar: “We saved Metro City! Thanks, Guy!”

Lucia: “AHEM!”

Haggar: “Er, I meant thanks, guys.”

Guy: “No problem. But look at the city — it’s nearly in ruins.”

Lucia: “Well, that’s a problem for Mayor Haggar to deal with, isn’t it now?”

Haggar: “Don’t remind me…”

Drifters, by nature, come and go. Dean’s work is done. For now at least.

Kansas’ Carry On Wayward Son can suddenly be heard playing in the background…

“Carry on my wayward son.
There’ll be peace when you are done.
Lay your weary head to rest.
Don’t you cry no mooooore.”

Haggar and friends go out in style.

UH EXCUSE ME — PRESS START ANY SECOND NOW!

Capcom always had the greatest continue screens with their Final Fight games. Final Fight 3 is no exception.

GLITCHES R US

Although the production values for this game is solid enough, there are a few instances where you can see ever so briefly (less than a split second) some funky not-so-fluid glitches. It really doesn’t kill the game in any way (especially since it’s really not that bad) but it’s interesting to note regardless.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Lucia graces a gorgeous cover of Super Play

Final Fight 3 pretty much got brutalized by the critics when it was initially released back in January of 1996. The game was criticized for being outdated, out of touch with the times and not offering anything new. Which is crazy, considering Final Fight 3 not only added special moves but SUPER special moves (among other standout features). But I get it. It was simply a victim of its time. Back in 1996, most people were not looking to play an “archaic” 2D side scrolling beat ‘em up, and the game’s review scores reflect that sentiment. EGM gave it scores of 6.5, 5.5, 5.5 and 5. GameFan gave it ratings of 77, 67 and 55%. Super Play minced no words, slapping it with an embarrassingly low rating of 49%.

I love Super Play. That fact is well documented around these parts. But I vehemently disagree with their assessment of Final Fight 3. First of all, to me it’s just ludicrous that you can rate a game’s gameplay as 70% but rate the game an overall score of 49%. I believe the gameplay and overall score should be similar. Yes, graphics, sound and longevity all play a factor in deciding the overall score but gameplay has to be where the emphasis lies. Come on Super Play, that wasn’t cool.

Eat this, Super Play :P — Eat this, Super Play

And don't forget this — And don’t forget about this

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Final Fight 3 is one of those games that got killed in the press when it initially came out but is now acknowledged as a (really) good game. In fact, I can’t think of an SNES game that was more criticized at the time of its release yet is now so beloved as Final Fight 3. Again, it was a matter of timing and circumstances. Back in 1996, with all eyes toward the (32-bit) future, a game like this looked like a couple years too late. Capcom was accused of once again releasing a lazy sequel. But now however, Final Fight 3 has been received with welcome arms and is often considered as a top 5 beat ‘em up on the SNES. It added some great new features to the fold, including special and SUPER special moves, running attacks, throws from behind, the ability to lock your direction and even retreat with a quick dash backwards.

Haggar AND Guy at long last! — Haggar ***AND*** Guy at long last!

Lest we forget the branching (and secret) paths which help add to the game’s longevity. Hey remember those old “CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURES!” books? Yeah, Final Fight 3 kind of has that vibe thanks to its multiple routes one can take. Of course, perhaps best of all, two players can FINALLY use Mike Haggar AND Guy simultaneously. The two new characters, Dean and Lucia, aren’t too shabby themselves and are much more interesting and fun to use than Carlos and Maki from Final Fight 2. Oh and you can’t forget the brand new Auto 2-Player mode. This option allows the computer to control the second player. It’s handy for those nights where it’s just you and your Super Nintendo [Isn’t that you every night? -Ed.] Shush! *looks into imaginary camera* This is a cry for help!

The graphics are pretty good. Sprites are big and beefy. There’s a good amount of color on screen, although a few areas are rather drab and lacking in intricate detail. Animation is a little on the wonky side though. Some animations could have benefited from more frames, but it’s certainly not wooden by any means. It’s just not as silky smooth as you would expect coming from Capcom. Sometimes Final Fight 3 looks great, and other times it looks only average. The same could be said for the music and sound effects. Some sound effects are a little muted while others, like the chopper landing sending out shock waves, are spot on. The music is pretty good in certain areas while forgettable in others. Thankfully, it’s the gameplay that matters most, and this is where Final Fight 3 delivers its biggest punch. It’s simply a blast to play, and thanks to all its nuances, it doesn’t grow nearly as repetitive as many other beat ‘em ups I could name.

Don't be an Andore sandwich — Don’t be an Andore sammie!

But the game’s biggest flaw is that it suffers from some slowdown in the 2-player mode. Not to the point where it’s unplayable, but enough where it’s definitely a bit annoying. Still, that doesn’t stop Final Fight 3 from being the best Final Fight game on the SNES by a comfortable margin. It’s funny how so many people came to appreciate this game more only years and years following its initial release. There are a few other SNES games I can think of that fit this bill, such as Mega Man 7 and Street Fighter Alpha 2, but none wears it finer than Final Fight 3. While it has its share of flaws, Final Fight 3 is easily one of the top 5 beat ‘em ups on the SNES and a damn fine example of a beat ‘em up done (mostly) right.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 7.5
Gameplay: 8.5
Longevity: 8

Overall: 8.5

Zoom in if mobile. Click if desktop. BTW how in the hell is 68% considered good?! — Zoom in if on mobile. Click if using desktop.
How in the ***HELL*** is **68%** considered good?!

Long Live Super NES indeed! — **LONG LIVE SNES** indeed!

Final Fight 2 (SNES)

Pub Dev: Capcom | August 1993 | 10 MEGS — ***Pub & Dev: Capcom | August 1993 | 10 MEGS***

Final Fight, originally released in 1989 in the arcade, was a huge success for Capcom. It was ported to the Super Famicom in Japan just in time for the Christmas season of 1990, and it came out stateside for the SNES in September 1991. Although an impressive early SNES game in many ways, the port was somewhat butchered. Namely, it lacked a 2-player co-op mode, Guy was M.I.A., an entire stage was cut out and of course, censorship because Nintendo early ’90s. In the late summer of 1993, Capcom attempted to rectify matters (and cash in) when they released a sequel, Final Fight 2, exclusively for Nintendo’s 16-bit system. It might very well be the first SNES game to have an exclusive sequel with the first game being an arcade port. (I certainly can’t think of an earlier example of such off the top of my head. If you can, then comment below). Unfortunately, Guy and Cody are sadly nowhere to be found, but on the bright side there’s now a 2-player co-op mode. Was Capcom able to strike gold, or were they simply looking to make a quick buck based on the brand that was Final Fight? Let’s head over to Metro City and find out…

OK heres the real box art. The first one was a fan box — Here’s the real box art. The first one is a fan box

The North American box is a little shady. Damnd, an old boss from the first Final Fight, can be seen on the box but he never appears in Final Fight 2. Also, there’s a green mutant peeking from underneath the sewers. There was no enemy close to this in the actual game. Ah, the ’90s. Bless your heart.

"Still got my royalty checks!" — *“Still got my royalty checks!”*

STROLLING DOWN MEMORY LANE

The above was originally written on RVGFanatic (the first version) on November 21, 2012. That date marked the 22 year anniversary of the Super Famicom. As I write this now, the Super Famicom is now nearly 28 years old and counting. Wow, if that doesn’t make me feel old! Well, as the picture above states, I suppose I owe you a story…

It was a trip that haunted me and has never left... — It was a trip that haunted me and has never left…

December 1991. I was 8 years old on vacation with my family and friends in Lake Tahoe. Back in the day my family formed a strong friendship with four families. Together, between 10 parents and 16 kids, we had some of the most legendary sleepovers in the history of mankind. 11 boys and 5 girls, ranging from birth dates of 1978 to 1986, staying up late doing whatever it is that boys and girls do. We rented out a HUGE cabin where all 26 of us stayed. It was INSANITY. One of the guys, Tommy, brought along his newly acquired Super Nintendo with copies of Super Mario World, F-Zero and Final Fight.

I couldn't believe it. Home alone in the cabin from hell — I couldn’t believe it. *Home alone in the cabin from hell*

A very bizarre and peculiar thing happened on that trip. Something so strange that it haunted me throughout my childhood. That Sunday morning, my mom decided to let me sleep in while everyone else filed out for breakfast. I woke up to an empty cabin with weird odd noises coming from every which direction. If only those cabin walls could talk, who knows what ghastly and terrible secrets might be shed? I tip-toed downstairs, calling out the names of my family and friends. All the while knowing deep down that no one would answer my cries. No one living, anyhow.

Indeed, all I heard back in response was the loud hissing and groaning of the creepy cabin. Suddenly a cold chill swept up and down my spine as I knew something wasn’t right…

After braving my way to the kitchen at long last, I found a note taped to the fridge.

Steve,
Everyone woke up early except for you and we went out to get breakfast. You stayed up so late last night and you need the rest. Make yourself some Honey Nut Cheerios, and don’t watch too much TV. We’ll be back soon.Love,
Mom

I couldn’t believe it. My mom actually left me home alone in the middle of nowhere — OK not quite, but still! Did she not watch Home Alone?! I remember opening the fridge and seeing an ice cold can of 7 Up, my favorite soda back then. Oh how I wanted to grab that bad boy and chug it. But alas, I was not about to use the bathroom. There was no way in hell I would risk having to saunter down that demonic looking hallway that stood between me and the bathroom…

I felt a grim presence that dreary December morning... — I felt a **grim** presence that dreary December morning…

Ever feel a presence in the room with you? That someone, or something, is watching you? That’s how I felt on that cold dreary December morning of 1991. But being a resourceful kid, I believed that spirits would never mess with you if you had the TV or radio playing. Any kind of noise would ward off evil spirits. They would only attack those who were alone in silence. So I promptly turned on the TV to watch WWF Wrestling Challenge for the hour. It wasn’t long before I spotted Tommy’s Super Nintendo lying on the floor. This was my chance! The older kids hogged the system the night before, leaving me out in the cold. I fired up F-Zero first and then played Final Fight until everyone came back from breakfast. Part of me was ecstatic to see them again as I was no longer alone in this cabin from hell. But something funny happened during my first SNES experience. It made me forget about all my fears and worries. Instead it transported me to the future of video gaming, where you could snap a guy’s neck in two and soar 200 feet across a race track suspended high above a futuristic city — all in stunning graphics and sound. And ever since that fateful December morning nearly 30 years ago, I’ve been a Super Nintendo fan for life.

Family, friends and SNES made Christmas '91 special — Family, friends and SNES made Christmas 1991 rock

THE STORY GOES…

THE FIGHTERS

Sadly, Cody and Guy are nowhere to be found

Usually billed as 6'7"... Haggar's gained 3 inches — Usually billed as 6’7″… Haggar gained 3 inches

Honestly, did anyone really like Maki? A bit forgettable — Honestly, did anyone really like Maki? Meh…

Tenant at Haggar's home? Hey, I ain't judging — Tenant at Haggar’s home? Hey, I ain’t judging

ROUND 1: HONG KONG

Guile also makes a background cameo later on

Oddly (and regrettably), weapons in Final Fight 2 are more detrimental to you than they are to the bad guys. That should never be the case. There seems to be a split second delay when trying to use weapons, and I definitely do better when fighting with just my bare hands. The sound effect for the weapons are also incredibly weak. Nowhere near Capcom’s usual quality. Shocking and disappointing, which is sort of the theme throughout this game.

Haggar’s piledriver now rotates in mid-air and looks a lot more fluid and impactful than it did in the first game. At least Capcom got something right here.

Capcom milking a franchise? Never.... — Capcom **milk**ing a franchise? Never…

Censorship strikes again. Won Won looked even nastier in the Japanese version — he wields a deadly meat cleaver there.

ROUND 2: FRANCE

"OUI THIS, BITCHES!" — ***“OUI THIS, BITCHES!”***

And he looks GREAT in his second 16-bit outing — And he looks *GREAT* in his second 16-bit outing

Andore and Abobo were my two favorite goons to beat up as a kid. There’s just something satisfying about destroying the snot out of a towering titan with a jacked up physique.

Oh yeah, ALL DAY, son! — Oh yeah, ***ALL DAY***, Abobo!

This technique carries over from the first Final Fight — This technique carries over from the first game

Punch, punch, press up and punch. It’s an instant 3-hit combo ending in a throw that protects you and dishes out extra damage to any surrounding bad guys. In a pinch? You can do this after one punch instead of two. A staple of the Final Fight franchise, I wish all beat ‘em ups featured this handy technique. No need for grapples, although you can still do that if you want.

You’re on a midnight stroll looking for some thugs to trash and you spot some lackeys loitering around. Sometimes you can even sneak in a hit or two before they come to their senses. Truly a beloved staple of the genre!

"MIKE HAGGAR DON'T PLAY THAT, PUNK!" — ***“MIKE HAGGAR DON’T PLAY THAT, PUNK!”***

You have to show them that you’re really not scared
You’re playing with your life, this ain’t no truth or dare
They’ll kick you then they beat you then they’ll tell you it’s fair
So beat it, but you wanna be bad

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, BEAT IT!
No one wants to be defeated
Showing how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right

JUST BEAT IT, BEAT IT, BEAT IT!

The Street Fighter games and the original Final Fight did this a thousand times better. From the weapons sounding weak and lacking impact to the way the car is animated as it’s being destroyed, this car bonus stage comes off as a very weak homage. Shame, Capcom. SHAME!

ROUND 3: HOLLAND

Mines are scattered throughout this stage. Holland is my favorite level in the game because of that and the boss, Bratken.

Sorry, I cant help it — Sorry, I can’t help it

They told him don’t you ever come around here
Don’t wanna see your face, you better disappear
The fire’s in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat it!

You better run
You better do what you can
Don’t wanna see no blood
Don’t be a macho man!

Standing 6’7″ and weighing in at 434 pounds of muscle, Bratken is a psychotic overgrown boy who loves toys. He was bribed to join the gang by being locked in a room filled with toys. But now he’s bored and wants to get out. Looks like he just spotted you, his next teddy bear victim. It’s too bad the rest of the game isn’t as interesting as this.

Love his, ahem, smashing entrance. Not the best animation though as dude is a bit stiff. But hey, that’s probably from being cooped up in his little cell there more than it is lazy programming on the part of Capcom, yeah? Right…

DarkStalkers was the shit! — *Darkstalkers* was so freaking badass

ROUND 4: ENGLAND

[Gotta love women who can -Ed.] — *[Gotta love a woman who can -Ed.]*

No one ever accused Final Fight 2 of being original. I love how Andore looks when he’s being thrown. Seeing his big old carcass flying around the screen like that is real sweet and satisfying.

I'm a sucker for these sort of backdrops — I’m a sucker for these sort of backdrops

Most of Final Fight 2 possesses a desolated and bleak look but this stage is the lone exception.

I never liked this clown. The look, the aesthetic, even his name Philippe. It just came off as very generic and forgettable to me. Give me Clown from Fighter’s History any day!

Fighters History Dynamite — *Fighter’s History Dynamite*

Round and round he goes Where he stops... Nobody knows — Round and round he goes
Where he stops…
Nobody knows

This bonus round is damn hard. Props if you can complete it.

ROUND 5: ITALY

But did you ever say that to Haggar, hmm, Carlos? — But Carlos, did you ever say that to Haggar?

This is particularly hazardous as you don’t have a whole lot of wiggle room and as I stated earlier, the weapons in this game suck. A beat ‘em up where weapons are useless is a crime. That’s a plain simple fact.

Who knows why Capcom dropped the "o" — Who knows why Capcom dropped the “o”

Capcom made a few glaring omissions with the SNES port of the first Final Fight. One of which was taking out a stage that featured Rolento at the end. I guess in their quest to fix past errors, Rolent came back for Final Fight 2. Love the shadows that trail him. Still shots does this no justice. You have to see it in motion to truly appreciate it.

Can't deny this was a nice little nod to Final Fight fans — Can’t deny this is a nice little nod to *Final Fight* fans

Welcome back, Rolento — Welcome back to the ~~fold~~ fire, Rolent(o)

ROUND 6: JAPAN

We come to our final stop, Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun. And, apparently, the Land of the Rising Haggar. Hmm. I’ll leave it at that.

Andore’s design was inspired by Andre the Giant. The 7’4″ 500 pound giant was a major attraction in the world of professional wrestling. Rest in Peace, big guy.

WrestleMania III (1987) — *WrestleMania III* (March 29, 1987)

OK not really obviously, but these guys are annoying

He blocks a lot and is a pain to put away.

Carlos is so tough that his sword is mostly for show. He’ll whip it out though in a tight spot. The sword, of course.

Sick entrance for an otherwise forgettable final boss

But ah, if only it were that simple. With Belger rotting away in some ditch, the new head honcho is a weird looking dude that goes by the name of Retu.

"HEY BARBIE -- THAT CAN BE ARRANGED!" — ***“HEY BARBIE — THAT CAN BE ARRANGED!”***

As the boys are busy trash talking, ~~Tung Fu Rue~~ Genryusai hangs precariously in the air.

Classic bad guy from Fatal Fury — Classic bad guy from *Fatal Fury*

More decent fan service on Capcom's part — More decent fan service on Capcom’s part

A dramatic ending to a rather dull, pardon the pun, final fight.

The text above was inspired from the final two lines of John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN. Speaking of which, I had a chance to see the original Halloween in theaters back in 2012 when it had a special one night only showing. I can’t wait for the definitive sequel this coming October!

Fear not, Belger fans. He would later return to the series as Cyborg Belger in Mighty Final Fight, and then once more in Final Fight Revenge.

Final Fight 3? Naaah, Capcom would NEVER milk a franchise… oh who am I kidding? Let’s face it, they’ve produced more sequels than most horror movie franchises!

And Guy did return... in Final Fight 3 — And Guy did return in *Final Fight 3*

Good stuff here from Super Play Magazine

SAVE ME MAYBE?!

Obscure video game fact: Mike Haggar has a twin. The Haggar we know and love died in Final Fight 2 (as you can see here). That explains the ponytail Haggar sports in Final Fight 3…

Hmm. No, of course Im just joking — Hmmm. No, of course I’m just joking

Dont be cruel and let them die! — Don’t be cruel and let them die!

"SERIOUSLY, MAN?!?!" — *“SERIOUSLY, MAN?!?!”*

"WHEW! I owe you one, bro..." — *“WHEW! I owe you one, bro…”*

TRICKS AND SHENANIGANS

Interesting note about the 2-player mode: you can hit your buddy but the damage inflicted is minimal. A fun little trick is hitting both your partner and a boss character simultaneously. You can hit your friend repeatedly without them falling over, and bosses can get caught in this endless loop. Your friend takes very little damage per hit while the boss will take normal damage. You can easily abuse this system. There’s also a code to play as the same character. Press Down, Down, Up, Up, Right, Left, Right, Left, L, R at the title screen.

Final Fight 2 offers four difficulty levels. The easier ones are a joke but Expert is downright brutal, with enemies requiring a hundred hits before perishing. You can only unlock the full ending if you can beat it on Expert (which features a nice Guy cameo). On a final note, there is some text in-between stages but no pictures to go along with them. It reeks of lazy programming and a lack of attention to detail, something very uncharacteristic of Capcom back in the ’90s.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Final Fight 2 received mixed reactions. Oddly enough, despite being previewed twice by EGM, it was never reviewed. However, in EGM’s bi-monthly affiliated sister publication, Super NES Buyer’s Guide, Final Fight 2 received ratings of 85, 85 and 92%. GameFan, notorious for handing out high scores like free condiments, was split with their thoughts on this sequel. They gave it ratings of 70, 78, 84 and 93%. The 23% differential in the 70% and 93% ratings makes it one of the biggest scoring discrepancies in GameFan’s history. Super Play rated it 75%, which by their standards is a fairly respectable score especially for a beat ‘em up (a genre they often rated on the lower side). Most gamers seem to agree that Final Fight 2 is slightly above average at best, and at worse, kind of dull and not too good.

One of the largest scoring gaps in GameFan history

Not bad, considering its coming from Super Play — Not bad, considering it’s coming from Super Play

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Final Fight 2 was one of those sequels that my brother and I highly anticipated back in 1993. We loved the first Final Fight but hated that we couldn’t play it together. Final Fight 2 promised to fix that glaring omission. While the 2-player mode is nice, there’s a bit of occasional slowdown. But that’s not the worst offender. The game, for some reason, is missing the magic of the first Final Fight. Even if you forget about comparing it to the original and judge it strictly on its own, it’s honestly kind of drab. There’s nothing particularly lousy about Final Fight 2, but it just lacks the magical ingredients that made the original so fun and endearing. Final Fight 2, in a lot of ways, really feels like a “direct-to-video” (or direct-to-SNES) sequel. And maybe that’s because it literally is. But Final Fight 3 proved you can be direct-to-video and still be good. Frankly, Capcom kind of went through the motions here and it shows.

That’s not to say Final Fight 2 is a bad game. But being decent yet disappointing sums it up best, and shows you the high benchmark standard that Capcom set with the first Final Fight. On the bright side, the visuals are pretty strong by late ’93 SNES standards, aside from some stiff animation and some backgrounds border on being a bit lifeless at times. On the down side, the music and sound effects are below Capcom par. Weapons are essentially ineffective. Carlos and Maki are generic enough to be forgettable as is the final boss. But although it lacks the polish you expect from a firm like Capcom, there’s no denying that beat ‘em up fanatics will still find some level of enjoyment; it’s not incompetent or unplayable by any means. There are just so many better choices available on the SNES, such as Return of Double Dragon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time. I’m glad Final Fight 2 came out, but I’m disappointed with how it turned out. Oh well, at least Capcom got it right on their third try. After all, they say third time’s a charm…

Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 5.5
Gameplay: 6.5
Longevity: 5.5

Overall: 6.5

BONUS: MEGABITS AND ANNIVERSARIES

August 1993 was a big month for Capcom. They released two major sequels: Final Fight 2 (10 MEGS) and Street Fighter II Turbo (20 MEGS).

20 WHOPPIN MEGS! — **20 WHOPPIN’ MEGS!**

I remember thinking how cool 10 MEGS was because at the time SNES games were either 4, 8 or 16 megabits. A few were even 12. But 10? That was unheard of, and I think Final Fight 2 is the first 10 MEG game on the SNES. Games boasting 10 megabits were even harder to find than ones with 12.

In the same month Capcom blew our minds when they released the first ever 20 MEG game, Street Fighter II Turbo. What a time to be alive. Can’t believe it’s been 25 years. Happy 25th anniversary to Final Fight 2 and the SNES port of Street Fighter II Turbo!

Saturday Night Slam Masters (SNES)

**Pub & Dev: Capcom | June 1994 | 24 MEGS**

Capcom could almost do no wrong back in the early-mid ’90s. They were like King Midas; almost anything they touched turned to gold. Their Street Fighter II franchise caught lightning in a bottle. In 1993 Capcom released an arcade wrestling game by the name of Saturday Night Slam Masters. Can we pause here to acknowledge that Saturday Night Slam Masters has to be one of the greatest titles for a video game ever? Who doesn’t love Saturday nights, and who doesn’t want to take control of a Slam Master? The title completely captures the carny and zany nature of the professional wrestling underworld. I loved playing the arcade game back in the day and was psyched when a Super Nintendo port was announced. Boosting 10 crazy comic book-like grapplers, the best thing about Slam Masters was its frenetic 4 player tag team bedlam mode. Yup, Saturday nights at home with the SNES and three friends was never going to be the same again.

30 YEARS BEING A WRASSLIN’ FAN

On an innocent Saturday night in early October of 1987, my uncle introduced me and my brother to the wacky world of professional wrestling. That night we saw Saturday Night’s Main Event. In particular, I’ll never forget that moment when Intercontinental Champion Honky Tonk Man smashed Macho Man Randy Savage over the head with his guitar. Coincidentally, one of the men holding Savage hostage there, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, was recently featured here on RVGFanatic.

The Handshake Heard 'Round The World — The Handshake Heard ‘Round The World

Hulk Hogan made the save and the two joined forces to create The Mega Powers. And on that night I became cemented as a wrestling fan for life. My fandom has been going strong nearly 30 years now, and I’ll always be a sucker for a good wrestling product. Speaking of which…

I’ll never forget the summer of 1994. It was such an epic summer that I wrote all about it here: The Summer of Imports. Saturday Night Slam Masters played a big role in that memorable summer over 20 years ago.

Who didn't want to use Haggar in a wrestling game? — Who didn’t want to use Haggar in a wrestling game?

Known as Muscle Bomber: The Body Explosion in Japan, Slam Masters isn’t the most technically proficient wrestling game around but what it lacks in proper technique it more than makes up for with tons of character, charm and chaos.

SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING

Accompanied by a rockin’ guitar riff, the intro is short and sweet. It also sets the mood perfectly for the pandemonium to come.

THE SLAM MASTERS

Jumbo and Scorp are considered “boss characters” and are only selectable in the tag team mode. Scorp is an absolute badass. I like all of them but as a kid I took an immediate liking to Titanic Tim. He was my man! My brother gravitated to El Stringray, the Rey Mysterio Jr. wannabe. Of course, you can’t go wrong with Haggar, either. But Titanic Tim was my favorite. As a kid I had two phrases I would always shout whenever I hit someone with Tim’s big boot or his running shoulder tackle. Hey, I was 10 . It went like such…

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" — ***“GET OUT OF THE WAY!”***

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Weapons are occasionally strewn about outside the ring in the one on one mode. Nothing satisfies like cracking someone’s cranium with a sturdy table.

Gunloc is rumored to be the brother of Guile. One can definitely see the similarities…

Turnabout is fair play! Gunloc finishes off the remains of the table and quite possibly Biff as well.

Nothing gets a better laugh though than smashing someone over the head with a beer bottle!

Perhaps you want something more traditional, though. In that case grab a chair which takes two hits to completely destroy. Love the way Haggar sells!

SINGLES WARFARE

Modern day David vs. Goliath — not looking good for the little guy at the moment…

Titanic Tim LAUNCHES El Stingray high into the stratosphere. Love his reaction there. Reminds me of Randy Orton cringing when he threw Samir Singh too hard…

TAG TEAM WARFARE

Stingray’s Atomic Diver looks painful as hell, to BOTH guys.

Haggar is pissed off and delivers his classic spinning clothesline. Stingray’s Jalapeno Comet is probably the coolest looking special move in the game.

Alexander the Grater’s Tornado Toss is arguably the most gruesome and wince-inducing move. He tosses you high into the air, even going above the screen, before you come crashing down to the hard canvas with no give. OUCH!

HAGGAR’S REVENGE

Haggar is pissed off at Stingray for the lack of help and takes out the little guy.

STINGRAY’S REVENGE

Secret to beating a big bully? Recruit an even bigger one! Besides, Titanic Tim feels guilty for launching Stingray into the far reaches of outer space that one time, and is paying back the favor he owes to El Stingray. Not to mention, he’s kind of taken a liking to the little guy, if truth be told.

Capcom absolutely NAILED the entrances. It completely captures the over the top nature of the wrestling business.

Titanic Tim starts out by targeting Haggar, choking the life out of him. Later on, Jumbo uses his girth to put the big squeeze on the big man.

Massive suplex! Thing of beauty.

Haggar submits to Tim’s Torture Rack. At the end you get a classic Capcom Street Fighter-esque post fight quote. By the way, my favorite thing about the tag team bedlam mode is that it’s elimination style. Meaning you can enjoy a nice little 2-on-1 handicap match after defeating one of your opponents. It’s a total blast with 4 players!

Taking a page out of Bret Hart’s playbook, Tim delivers a picture perfect Reverse Russian Legsweep. I love catching them from behind while they’re dealing with my tag partner. These sneak attacks are the best. Also love the impact of the mat. It sounds painful as hell.

Getting a double 3-count pin in stereo is almost the coolest thing in this game. Check out how Grater there turns a shade of red after being defeated!

Speaking of coolest, nothing beats this. Seeing your tag partner thwart the opponent’s attempt to save their partner in the nick of time is a fist pumping moment for sure! Close saves (both ways) create the most compelling moments in this game by far.

Haggar is back for revenge and this time he has a new partner: Scorp. Judging by that second pic there, it’s a good call…

Haggar’s Spinning Piledriver is absolutely devastating.

Scorp’s Spiral Slam is just as lethal.

Destruction personified!

Defeat all comers and Capcom lets you do it again, Ghosts ‘N Goblins style.

Falling face first at the game over screen always made me chuckle.

Quotes from each wrestler appear pre and post match. It was a sign of the times.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Gorgeous artwork from AngusBurgers! — Gorgeous artwork from artist *AngusBurgers*

Saturday Night Slam Masters fared well with the critics as an arcade port. EGM gave it ratings of 7, 7, 7 and 8. Super Play rated it 78%. It’s obvious it’s best when played with 4. It takes a huge hit when playing solo, moreso than other 4 player games I feel. EGM said it best when one of their reviewers cited, “This is awesome for parties and gatherings, but not one I’d want to sit down and play all day.” I had a blast with this game back in the summer of 1994. My brother, our friends and I would all rotate having a go. It’s aged well but I’m reminded of how limited this game is, having played it recently. Yeah, it is an arcade port but you wish Capcom threw in some extra modes. It’s a straight port of an arcade game that didn’t have many bells and whistles. What you see is what you get. This worked fine with Street Fighter II, but Saturday Night Slam Masters is the CLASSIC arcade game. By that I mean it’s a lot of fun to play for a short go each time you see it in the arcade hall, but its flaws are exposed with longer sessions.

"A little help here?" — *“A little help here?”*

Super Play perhaps put it best:

“It’s totally atmospheric and, along with the over-the-top glitziness of each of the 10 fighters, it makes for an entertaining game to watch, if never totally satisfying to play. The problem is it’s very much an arcade experience. It’s fine to stick a couple of quid in for a laugh when you happen to come across it at the Trocadéro, for example, but it doesn’t have the gameplay or depth backing it. It’s just a matter of exchanging punches and kicks for a while, moving in for a spot of grappling, and hoping you get in there first. Sure, it may take a while to learn the special moves, and when to best apply them, but there aren’t many, and that’s as far as any strategy goes.”

CLOSING THOUGHTS

SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING — ***SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING***

Don’t get me wrong, for all the flaws that Saturday Night Slam Masters has, I still like the game a whole bloody lot. You can’t talk about the best 4 player SNES games without mentioning this one. And if you take it for what it strictly is, you should be satisfied. It’s a crazy arcade wrestling game that places more emphasis on an arcade style than it does a pure technical wrestling style. You may come away feeling a bit cheated if you’re looking for anything beyond that. Computer AI can be very cheap, pulling off miracle comebacks and knowing your next move before you even attempt it. But it all goes back to the true nature of this game: it’s meant to be experienced playing alongside 3 pals.

"I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!" — *“I’M THE KING OF THE WORLD!”*

Yes, it’s a bit shallow but as far as straight arcade ports go Capcom did a great job. Extras would have been appreciated but the graphics and sound are on par with what you’d expect from Capcom in this era. In other words, they do a good job bringing home an arcade-like quality experience. It’s by no means a deep game, so I knocked it down a point or two. It’s just a matter of hanging in there and hoping for the best, as Super Play perfectly encapsulated a bit earlier.

Get 'im, T-Hawk! Er, Titanic Tim — Get him, T. Hawk! Er, Titanic Tim

Overall, it’s a great arcade translation but it was best played in spurts with friends in the arcade, and the same applies here.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 7
Longevity: 7

Overall: 7.5
Bronze Award

Final Fight (SNES)

**Pub and Dev: Capcom | September 1991 | 8 MEGS**

Are you a sadistic and bloodthirsty game player? Do you enjoy partaking in the odd boisterous barbaric brutality? If you answered yes, then you sir probably enjoy the classic beat ‘em up genre. The SNES is loaded with them. Take control of the Lee brothers, the Battletoads, ninjas, knights, hell, even Batman! Final Fight was the very first to hit the SNES and helped pave the way for others to come. It’s hard to believe it’s now been over 25 years since it came out. It’s amazing how so many of our childhood favorites have been celebrating 20, 25 and even 30 year anniversaries in the past year or so. These games keep getting older, but our memories remain!

By the way, talk about a funky box art. I imagine their dialogue like this:

“Are those skull earrings?”
“Why yes, Mommy got me them.”
“Cool, I have a pair just like that at home.”
“Yeah ain’t they great. They accentuate my scar!”

THE FIGHT BEGINS

Final Fight originated as an arcade in Japan (December 1989) and shortly made its way to the US at the turn of the 1990s. No, it wasn’t the first beat ‘em up ever, but it was one of the earliest and the first to hit the Super Nintendo. It will forever hold that distinction as #1… but is it truly number one, as in the best?

Let us take a closer look then…

FINAL FRIGHT: A HAUNTING TO REMEMBER

Not only was Final Fight the first beat ‘em up to hit the Super Nintendo, it also happened to be the second SNES game I had ever played. Way back in December 1991 on a cold and dreary morning while vacationing in beautiful Lake Tahoe. As documented in F-Zero, the first SNES game I ever played, I found myself home alone on a Sunday morning in a huge cabin that my family rented out. My family and friends left for breakfast while I was still asleep. My mom didn’t want to wake me up after a long night of hanging out with the guys so she decided to let me sleep in. The moment I woke up, I felt a chill and knew something wasn’t right. The cabin was right out of a horror movie, with demonic looking hallways and weird noises hissing everywhere as though it were a real breathing entity. The cabin was freezing too! I crept downstairs and found a note from my mom explaining why she let me sleep in, and telling me to make some Honey Nut Cheerios. But food was the last thing on my mind!

Ever feel a presence in the room with you? That someone, or something, is watching you? That’s how I felt on that cold, dreary December morning of 1991. But being 8 years old and resourceful, I believed spirits would not mess with me if I had the radio or TV turned on — any kind of noise. I believed they only attacked those who were alone. So I turned on the TV and watched a WWF show for a while. Then I spotted Tommy’s Super Nintendo lying on the floor. It suddenly dawned on me that this was my chance! With all the “cool” older kids gone, little ole me could finally have a turn. I started with F-Zero and then played Final Fight until my family and friends came back. Sure, part of me was ecstatic to see them again — I was no longer the lone prisoner trapped inside this cabin from hell — but something funny happened during my inaugural playthrough with the SNES. It made me forget about evil spirits and instead transported me to the future of video gaming, where you could snap a guy’s neck in two and soar 200 feet across a race track suspended high above a futuristic city — all in stunning graphics and sound. And it was nothing short of magic.

Damn, can’t believe it’s now been 25 years since that fateful December morning. For more details, check out My Super Nintendo Genesis.

THE STORY GOES…

"Forget GUY, it's just you and me, old-timer!" — *“Forget GUY, it’s just you and me, old-timer!”*

Shhh! How dare you accuse Capcom of milking a series! — How dare you accuse Capcom of milking a series!

OK you might have have a point there... — OK you might have a point there…

Yes, there is an option mode but you had to do this code to activate it first. With Extra Joy on, your special move is just “A” instead of “Y” + “B” — hey, every little bit of help counts, right?

Nope, but damn can they fight... observe! — Nope, but damn can they fight… observe!

MIKE HAGGAR

Haggar has perfected his German Suplex to a tee, ramming his victim head first into the canvas. That’ll give them something to remember you by! Er, that is, if they are still conscious…

Pick their sorry carcass up, give them a few headbutts and send them packing with a smooth piledriver. Simple but effective combo.

Sometimes you just need a little space. In such instances, employ the devastating spinning clothesline. It’ll teach the bastards a thing or two about personal space!

Did you know you can punch twice then immediately throw them? Just hold up or down on the control pad while you’re delivering your punches. I never knew about this back in the day! It completely makes the game a much easier (and more enjoyable) experience. It turns you into a lethal, efficient killing machine.

CODY

Cody’s knuckle sandwich combo. Want fries with that?

For major damage and a sick looking combo, jump in with a downward strike, punch them three times and polish it off with a shoulder throw. +10 for style, +100 if you knock out some other baddies on the opposite side too!

Cody's Spiral Kick makes the Lee brothers proud — Cody’s Spiral Kick makes the Lee brothers proud

MAP QUEST

Starting out in the classic slum, march your way through crime-ridden Metro City in five different war zones. Yes, the arcade had six. But more on that a bit later…

PUTS THE “FINAL” IN FINAL FIGHT…

Who could ever forget Final Fight‘s perilous continue screen?

It's OK... you certainly weren't alone... *evil grin* — It’s OK… you certainly weren’t alone… *evil grin*

Ah quit yer bitching, I like to cut it close "BUDDY" — Ah quit yer bitching. I like to cut it close, *“BUDDY”*

STAGE ONE — THE SLUM

So, what's one to do? — So, what’s one to do?

Maybe Haggar’s got some candy there, or money. You know, the homeless epidemic has really hit Metro City hard as of late…

[Or maybe Haggar is offering him a black eye -Ed.]

There’s that, too…

"That's the last time I buy deodorant at Dollar Tree..." — *“That’s the last time I buy deodorant at Dollar Tree…”*

What's inside is enTIREly a mystery. Sorry — What’s inside is enTIREly a mystery

Sorry, that was pretty bad. Knock over tires or drum cans to reveal items for extra points, weapons or food to replenish your health. I wonder who puts it there? I guess every major crime lord has a little bit of heart in them after all…

Whoa, that's harsh. Come on, it's almost 2017! — Whoa, that’s harsh. Come on, it’s almost 2017!

"If you want some, come get some!" — *“YOU WANT SOME? COME GET SOME!”*

"I'm warning you -- step back, bitches!" — *“I’m warning you — step back, bitches!”*

OH CRAP! Surrounded by a group of petty thugs, what’s a guy to do in this ruthless day and age?!

Connecting on your special move takes away a small portion of your health, but it’s the right call when surrounded. Otherwise, you’ll most likely be on the receiving end of a gang attack and lose significantly more energy than you would had you used your special move at the first sign of trouble.

Haggar can only toss the knife while Cody can actually hang onto it for a bit and go MICHAEL MYERS up in this mutha! Cool little touch to further differentiate the two. If you’re playing as Cody and wish to launch the knife, then simply hold down. Sweet.

"Here, fatty fatty..." — *“Here, fatty fatty…”*

Much love and respect to baseball pitchers. It’s such an unnatural throwing position and why so many pitchers have jacked up shoulders. By the way, it’s a little known fact that Mike Haggar was the MVP of the Metro City Maniacs* — a softball recreational league that plays ball every other summer. *Complete and utter BS.

Talk about the wrong side of town... — Talk about the wrong side of town…

*whistles* "Damn you look fine today, Mike!" — *whistles* “Damn you look fine today, Mike!”

Say hello to the first boss, Damnd! Er I mean, Trasher. Damn that censorship, pun intended.

At any rate, Damnd is a bit of a puss who prefers calling on his lame lackeys to do the fighting for him. His trademark sit and whistle makes the seamless leap over to the SNES port. At opportune times, Damnd will try to blindside you, the gutless git!

"Come at me, bro!" — *“Come at me, bro!”*

“UGH!”

“That’s right! Shouldn’t have messed with me, pal!”

Hey, he minored in acting — Hey, he did minor in acting

“How could I lose to a guy in the middle of a mid-life crisis!?”

“HEY! SHHHH! Keep that on the down low, will ya!”

“Damnd bastard! Throwing shade at me huh? This serves you right!”

"Trump woulda killed me anyway" — *“Trump woulda killed me anyway!”*

“Jeez would you go on and die already!?”

STAGE TWO — THE SUBWAY / PARK

Nice rumbling sound effect; this IS the SUPER Nintendo — I’ve always loved the rumbling sound effect here

El Gado with the ol’ reliable KIDNEY PUNCH.

… and Hags with the even more reliable sword slash!

Check out how deceptively deep this game is. Yup, when timed right, you can deflect the enemy’s projectiles. Sure, you could just sidestep it, but we all know one universal truth: REAL MEN DROPKICK!

Cue that audience "ooooh" soundtrack — Cue that audience *“ooooh”* soundtrack

Public transportation makes the world a better place — *Public transportation: making the world a better place*

I guess he never knew up in a big family... — I guess he never grew up in a big family…

Sodom, er, Katana is a very lethal and agile boss

Andore in the front row. I'll deal with him later... — Andore in the front row. I’ll deal with him later…

BONUS ROUND

WHOAAA OHHHHH!

We’re not gonna take it! No! We ain’t gonna take it! We’re not gonna take it anymooooooore!

NO WAY!

"WE'RE FREE, WE'LL FIGHT, YOU'LL SEEEE!!" — *“WE’RE FREE, WE’LL FIGHT, YOU’LL SEEEEE!!”*

Ah, you gotta love Twisted Sister. Their cult song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” became something of a rebellious cry for teenagers and young adults in the mid ’80s with its never-say-die, take-no-BS mantra. In some circles it became the anthem of a generation more than 30 years ago.

STAGE THREE — WESTSIDE

Haggar, you don't like very many things do you? — Haggar, you don’t like very many things do you?

Forgot to RSVP? As long as you didn’t forget how to pull off a dropkick, you’re good to go.

Gado isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer *rimshot* — Gado isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer *rimshot*

Cody pops in for a special cameo like only he can

They told him don't you ever come around here — *They told him don’t you ever come around here*

SO BEAT IT! No one wants to be defeated... — **SO BEAT IT! But you want to be bad…**

These two Andores are the sub-bosses of Westside

Speaking of Andore, the big beefy goons in beat ‘em ups were always my favorite kind of enemies to fight. Abobo was an actual boss while Andore is a top-tier regular enemy. I have a soft spot for bad guys who aren’t quite boss-worthy, but are much tougher than all the other regular bad guys. Whenever I think “beat ‘em up baddies,” Andore and Abobo are the first two I always think of.

J moonlights as a Streets of Rage baddie... it's true — J moonlights as a *Streets of Rage* baddie… it’s true

There you go Haggar! Now you got the rhythm down! — There ya go Haggar! Now you got the rhythm down!

Meet Metro City's corrupt police force! — Meet Metro City’s corrupt police force!

Beware his Billy Club... — Beware his Billy Club…

STAGE FOUR — BAY AREA

“WOOF!”

“Cute dog.”

“Hey Haggar!”

“What? Have I taken one too many blows to the head? Doggie, YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?”

“You’re lucky! Capcom took out a WHOLE stage to make life easier for ya, and for them as well! You know, less programming on their part.”

"Sorry pal, I don't swing that way..." — *“Don’t let the mustache fool you. I don’t play that…”*

Nobody did bathroom scenes better than Capcom. Remember Birdie’s stage from Street Fighter Alpha 2? It’s always a riot to beat up bad guys against a grimy and dodgy looking backdrop! This is FINAL FIGHT after all, not friggin’ ballet!

Capcom certainly knew how to work their restrooms

Yeah let's not piss off the angry maniac, no? — Yeah let’s not piss off the angry maniac, no?

BONUS ROUND

Smash several glass windows in succession. It’s a lot tougher than breaking the car. Who knew glass could be harder to demolish than a car? Oh those silly Capcom hipsters.

STAGE FIVE — UPTOWN

"Curse my bloody mid-life crisis!" — *“Curse my bloody mid-life crisis!”*

Neither of them are too smart... — Neither of them are too smart…

They don't really hide in the hedges. Just a flunky glitch — They don’t really hide in the hedges. Just a glitch

Shouldn't have dropped out of Metro City High... — Shouldn’t have dropped out of Metro City High…

*[Gee, thanks for the helpful tip, Einstein! -Ed.]*

Watch out for the shattered glass. See what happens? OH CRAP, HAGGAR’S LEGS! It proves that broken glass isn’t safe at all. [Maybe you shouldn’t have dropped out of Metro City Community College -Ed.]

As they say, this ain't his first barbeque! Quite literally — This ain’t his first barbeque — quite literally

Or even better, you get to pick your own path! Not — Or even better, if you could pick your own path

Say hello to the final boss, Belger. He must be real happy to see Haggar, because he’s got a second arrow gun hiding in his pocket there…

Jessica has no eyes. Damn, Haggar with them freaky genes. Belger is a handful, but you can actually grab and throw him consecutively if timed and positioned correctly.

A neat touch. Belger really only cares about himself

[Hmm, where have I heard and seen this before? -Ed.] — *[Hmmm, where have I heard and seen this before? -Ed.]*

'TIL THEN I WAAALK ALONE — ***‘TIL THEN I WAAALK ALONE***

It doesn't take much for a lady to be, ahem, persuasive — It doesn’t take much for a lady to be… persuasive

ARCADE VS. SNES COMPARISON

Fans of Guy were bummed out to find he was nowhere to be found in the SNES port. Capcom then released Final Fight Guy on the SNES in July 1994. This version allowed you to play as Guy but Cody was taken out and there’s still no simultaneous 2 player mode. What the hell, Capcom? Shame on you.

We hardly knew ya, two player mode *sniff*

More disappointing than losing Guy was losing the 2 player mode. Early beat ‘em ups like Rival Turf proved it was possible. Even with one player, Final Fight occasionally slows down to a crawl at certain points. Capcom didn’t quite yet master the ins and outs of the SNES in 1991, but as we all know, they soon would in the years to come.

Elevators were modified. You don’t actually see your character ride through the elevator in the SNES port.

Metro City ought to look decayed and decrepit

Obviously the SNES could only replicate so much of the arcade. Of all the little details I personally missed the rundown jagged wooden set piece there. Baddies remain the same for the most part though, sans one major change. But more on that later.

"Excuse me sir, do you by chance have any Mentos?" — *“Excuse me sir, do you by chance have any Mentos?”*

SNES couldn’t have the word “SEXY” sprawled across their bathroom doors, could they? Instead, they have the word “kiss.” Come on, Capcom! At least change it up completely. How about something like “Mad Gear rules!” Sure, it’s super generic, but it’s still a lot better than just “kiss.”

The SNES port sees a maximum of three baddies onscreen at any one time. The arcade had as many as eight! Obviously, you can’t expect much on this end. There were many 16-bit beat ‘em ups that maxed out at three bad guys.

Here’s the missing fourth stage: the Industrial Zone. It’s very tough and I’m fine without it, but it does lose points for pure authenticity. Oh, see the scantily clad broad there?

"Ch-ch-ch-changes!" — *“Ch-ch-ch-changes!”*

Roxy and Poison were way too controversial for Nintendo of America, so Capcom altered it to be this lame looking bloke instead. Sid and Billy, sorry to say this but y’all just weren’t the same.

Rolento did show up in Final Fight 2, though — Rolento did show up in *Final Fight 2*, though

Rolento, being the boss of the scrapped Industrial Zone, is also MIA.

Belger returned as a zombie in Final Fight Revenge

Belger didn’t change much in the SNES port. Though in the arcade he actually had a wheelchair while in the SNES port it looked more like a mobile love seat, which would suit Jessica just fine I’m sure [OH LORD! The images… AHHH! -Ed.]

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Being one of the earliest SNES releases, some critics were kind enough to overlook its deficiencies. Many fans, however, were not as forgiving.

EGM: 8, 7, 7, 7

Super Play: 86%

"Yeah, don't be so damnd hard!" — *“Yeah, don’t be so Damnd harsh!”*

CLOSING THOUGHTS

"UMM... any one of you happen to be BIGDICK69?" — *“UHH… any one of you boys happen to be BIGDICK69?”*

The Super Nintendo port of Final Fight is undoubtedly flawed. No 2 player mode, no Guy, an entire missing stage and only up to three enemies on the screen at any one time. It sounds like a lot is missing but when you actually play it, it still comes off a quality beat ‘em up. The gameplay is still there and when you consider this was one of the earliest SNES releases, the whole thing somehow manages to come off as impressive. Those visuals were mind blowing back in 1991. You had to see it 25 years ago to truly appreciate it. I mean, the characters were HUGE for the time, and I remember thinking to myself, “Where the hell is the coin slot?” As kids obviously we didn’t know any better. Nowadays it’s easy to see what the shortcomings are, but for an early launch game Final Fight impressed. The sound effects had a nice crunch to them and it did bring a lovely arcade feel home to our living rooms.

For all of its shortcomings, Final Fight still plays remarkably well. Compared to other SNES beat ‘em ups that came out later, Final Fight plays as well if not better than a good handful of them. It’s one of those weird games that you kind of have to grade on a bit of a curve. Viewed strictly in a bubble of its release date — September 1991 — this was a quality product, despite the missing elements. It’s not the first SNES beat ‘em up I reach for when I’m in the mood to kick some 16-bit ass, but I have to admit I do enjoy playing it still to this day because the gameplay has held up 25 years later. If it had a 2 player mode it would earn an even better score but as is, it’s still pretty good. Hardcore anal fans need not apply, however. This one ain’t for you. For the rest of us, you could play far worse beat ‘em ups on the Super Nintendo than Final Fight.

Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 7.5
Longevity: 6

Overall: 7.5
Bronze Award