Summary

• Release Year: 1989
• Genres: Adventure, Arcade, Fighting, Hack and slash/Beat ’em up
• Platforms: Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Arcade, Atari ST/STE, Commodore C64/128/MAX, iOS, ZX Spectrum
• Developers: Capcom, U.S. Gold
• Publishers: Capcom, U.S. Gold

Final Fight (1989): A Side-Scrolling Beat-‘Em-Up Classic

Final Fight is a side-scrolling beat-’em-up produced by Capcom and released in arcades in 1989. It was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1990 and has since been ported to numerous other platforms. The game is set in Metro City, a crime-ridden metropolis, and follows the story of three vigilantes who set out to rescue the kidnapped mayor’s daughter from the clutches of the Mad Gear gang.

Final Fight can be played by up to two players simultaneously. Before the game begins, the player chooses between the three main characters: Haggar, Cody, and Guy. Each character has his own unique fighting style and attributes. Haggar is a powerful wrestler, Cody is a nimble boxer, and Guy is a skilled martial artist.

The controls for Final Fight consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping respectively. Pressing the attack button repeatedly when attacking an enemy or multiple enemies will cause the player character to perform a combo. The final blow of the combo can be changed to a throw if the player moves the joystick in the opposite direction just before landing it. The player can also perform a jump attack. Pressing the attack and jump buttons simultaneously allows the player to perform a special attack that strikes all surrounding enemies, but will drain a small portion of the player’s health.

Enemies can be grabbed simply by walking into one of them. When an enemy is grabbed, the player can perform a grab attack by pressing the attack button or perform a throw by tilting the joystick left or right. A thrown enemy can be tossed at another for additional damage. Items such as weapons, health recovery items, and items awarding extra points can be picked up by standing over one and pressing the attack button. Weapons have limited uses and will disappear if the player is disarmed by an enemy too much or when the player moves to a new area.

Final Fight consists of six stages or “rounds”, as well as two bonus rounds. Each round takes place in a different section of Metro City such as the Slums and the Subway, with most rounds featuring more than one level. At the end of each round the player will face a boss character unique to that round.

Final Fight was a critical and commercial success upon its release. It was praised for its innovative gameplay, detailed graphics, and catchy music. The game has been ported to numerous platforms over the years and remains popular today.

Gameplay

Final Fight is a side-scrolling beat-’em-up in which the player characters fight their way through waves of enemies. The game can be played by up to two players simultaneously. Before the game begins, the player chooses between the three main characters: Haggar, Cody, and Guy. Each character has his own unique fighting style and attributes.

The controls for Final Fight consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping respectively. Pressing the attack button repeatedly when attacking an enemy or multiple enemies will cause the player character to perform a combo. The final blow of the combo can be changed to a throw if the player moves the joystick in the opposite direction just before landing it. The player can also perform a jump attack. Pressing the attack and jump buttons simultaneously allows the player to perform a special attack that strikes all surrounding enemies, but will drain a small portion of the player’s health.

Enemies can be grabbed simply by walking into one of them. When an enemy is grabbed, the player can perform a grab attack by pressing the attack button or perform a throw by tilting the joystick left or right. A thrown enemy can be tossed at another for additional damage. Items such as weapons, health recovery items, and items awarding extra points can be picked up by standing over one and pressing the attack button. Weapons have limited uses and will disappear if the player is disarmed by an enemy too much or when the player moves to a new area.

Final Fight consists of six stages or “rounds”, as well as two bonus rounds. Each round takes place in a different section of Metro City such as the Slums and the Subway, with most rounds featuring more than one level. At the end of each round the player will face a boss character unique to that round.

Characters

There are three playable characters in Final Fight: Haggar, Cody, and Guy. Each character has his own unique fighting style and attributes.

• Haggar is a powerful wrestler who is the mayor of Metro City. He is the strongest character in the game, but he is also the slowest. Haggar’s special attack is the “Spinning Piledriver”, which can hit multiple enemies at once.
• Cody is a nimble boxer who is the son of the kidnapped mayor. He is the fastest character in the game, but he is also the weakest. Cody’s special attack is the “Knuckle Bomb”, which can stun enemies.
• Guy is a skilled martial artist who is the leader of the Mad Gear gang’s rival gang, the Ninjas. He is a well-rounded character who is neither too strong nor too weak. Guy’s special attack is the “Bushin Senpu-kyaku”, which can hit multiple enemies at once.

Enemies

There are a variety of enemies in Final Fight, including street thugs, bikers, and members of the Mad Gear gang. Each enemy type has its own unique attacks and abilities. Some enemies can grab the player characters, while others can throw projectiles. Some enemies are even armed with weapons.

Bosses

There are six boss characters in Final Fight, one for each round of the game. Each boss character is unique and has its own special attacks. Some of the bosses are more difficult to defeat than others.

Legacy

Final Fight was a critical and commercial success upon its release. It was praised for its innovative gameplay

Review Score

9/10

Art

Cover Art

Screenshots