I don't care how complicated games get; I will always love the simple fun of side-scrolling beat ‘em ups. If you were a brawler fan who grew up in the 1990s, then you most likely remember the rivalry between Capcom's Final Fight and Sega's Streets of Rage. Which is better? Obviously, we all have an answer to that question, but I wanted to see what Electronic Gaming Monthly's review crew said about all of these different games back in the day.
Now, in case you're wondering, Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewed six Final Fight games and three Streets of Rage games between 1989 and 2009. This includes most of the sequels, a couple ports, some portable versions and even a spin-off or two. Unfortunately, what it does not include is either Final Fight 2 or Streets of Rage 2. I don't know if EGM was too busy reviewing one-on-one fighting games or simply didn't have time, but they missed both of these sequels. Thankfully, there are more than enough great games to create a fun and controversial list. What we're going to do today is countdown the best and worst Final Fight and Streets of Rage games using Electronic Gaming Monthly's own words and scores. There's no editorializing here, we're going to focus on what the critics said back when these games first came out. So grab your favorite blunt object and pull that fully-cooked turkey out of the garbage can, because this is Electronic Gaming Monthly's Top 9 Final Fight & Streets of Rage Games.
Final Fight 3 (Super NES)
#9
"The Final Fight series is getting old quickly. There are a lot of good qualities about Final Fight 3 that should be noted. The graphics are above average, the sound is okay and the new super moves are a nice addition to the game. Also, the ability to have the computer join in as a second player is a very unique idea for a side-scrolling fighting game. The only problem is that the whole Final Fight series is getting a little too old to pump my adrenaline anymore. Please, don't tell me we might be in for a Final Fight 3: Turbo Edition." (5.6 out of 10)
Final Fight: Streetwise (PS2 & Xbox)
#8
"You might not be able to tell from its humdrum grittiness and blatant Fight Club plagiarism, but Streetwise keeps things weird and whimsical. I thought I was in for another boring urban-underbelly odyssey when, 10 minutes in, I was asked to (literally) stomp out a cockroach infestation in the local diner. The game swings manically between reality and absurdity, from brutally stabbing some punk with a knife to picking up goofy hot-dog power-ups. I was constantly reminded of the lovable old-school brawler River City Ransom. Which is not to say that Streetwise is a great game. It's just that the technical issues and unambitious design come with a chaser of charming silliness." (6.8 out of 10)
Final Fight CD (Sega CD)
#7
"The best conversion of Final Fight so far. The graphics are very good and the system handles the action very well, even in the two-player mode. There is a little bit of flicker at times, though. The game follows the arcade and all of the action is there. Good control and solid fighting action will help the Sega CD look more inviting." (7 out of 10)
Mighty Final Fight (NES)
#6
"This is a neat parody of Final Fight. The graphics are good for the NES and all the moves from the other versions are here. They managed to keep all the characters, but it's only a one-player game. For 8-bit, it's an excellent job and a good spoof. Even if you're not a fan of Final Fight, you will enjoy the cartoon-like look and feel." (7 out of 10)
Final Fight One (GBA)
#5
"When I crammed this cart into my Game Boy Advance, I thought to myself, “Well, this should be fun for about two minutes.” (Ya see, I've played Final Fight to death years back, and I was sure I've outgrown it and moved on to more sophisticated forms of entertainment.) Two hours later, I'm still playing the damn thing. It feels good knowing something so basic and mindless can still be fun today. I wish this were a better upgrade or a new sequel, but what's in the cart is pretty cool as is. Final Fight One is repetitive, primitive and even a bit tedious ... and I dug every minute of it." (7.2 out of 10)
Streets of Rage 3 (Genesis)
#4
"It's back again. Streets of Rage 3 offers new fighters, more moves, and better levels than the previous episodes. Does this make it a better game? Sure, but not without some compromises. The music, although done by Yuzo Koshiro, is really bad. What happened, Yuzo? The levels are really huge and offer tons of thugs to beat up over and over again. It's good, but in the end, it's strickly another walk-and-fight game. The concept is starting get overused and repetitive." (7.25 out of 10)
Final Fight (Super NES)
#3
"I'm disappointed! When I first turned Final Fight on, I thought, cool, it's the best!! Then I found out that Guy, my favorite character in the arcade, was missing. The final nail in the casket was the lack of two-player simultaneous play. Bad move. Otherwise, gameplay and graphics are excellent." (7.25 out of 10)
Streets of Rage 2 (GameGear)
#2
"This will change your perception of fighting games made for the portable systems. Streets of Rage 2 has everything – great sound, easily-executed moves, all the while staying fairly close to the 16-bit version. The absence of Max is unfortunate, but the brawling skills of Axel, Sammy and Blaze make up for it with a bang!" (8 out of 10)
Streets of Rage (Genesis)
#1
"Final Fight, move over!! This is the type of fighting game I've been waiting for since Fighting Street! Two players, 40 attacks, 8 levels, large bosses and music that rivals Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage is the best fighting game around. Let's see how Street Fighter 2 turns out." (9 out of 10)
