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Final Fight is a franchise to which  many-a-hardcore
gamer will require no introduction. Being a true old-school
side-scrolling beat-‘em-up the series’ fame often precedes it.
With many of the original characters having appeared in numerous
other Capcom titles since the last Final Fight, Final
Fight CD for SEGA’s ill-fated Mega-CD console, there will be
many new fans that will recognise Cody and Guy without realising
their origins.
The build playable at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)
showed much promise. With five playable levels and a rather Fight
Club-esque cut scene preceding the first bout, the graphics are
nothing less than stunning for the PlayStation2. The idea of the
game is rather simple; beat your way through a level until everyone
cowers at the sight of your trembling fists. Brutality is a basis
– not an option. The two attack buttons, Cross and Square,
feature instinctive combos that can be varied with combinations of
the two. An inventive Instinct Mode (which is limited by a meter
below your health bar) is accessed by pressing L2 and creates a
slow-down effect highlighted by a blue glow around your character.
Of the missions available, all of which offered reliable
play experiences, none felt like Final Fight more than a
street-brawling escapade against hordes of zombie-type beasts
titled Warehouse Ambush. A gun could be purchased from a
bystander as well as all manner of close-combat weapons obtainable
from grounded enemies and general scenery as you battled through
the seemingly never-ending swarm and tried to help to trapped
civilians. Unfortunately, this level also succumbed to the common
element – too many enemies on screen resulted in the dreaded
slow-down.
While Final Fight: Streetwise is often dictated to by
the common flaws of sloppy development, it’s by no means a poorly
though-through title. Being what I would consider one of the first true
follow-ups to the original 2D side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups of
gamings' so-called golden age, the title rectifies the mistakes
evident in titles such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and
Underworld by staying true to the genre’s original basic
formula. Just the E3 build was playable enough, and I have
high-hopes for the rest of the title that remained under-wraps.
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