Final Fight (Super NES)
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Before Street Fighter II changed everything, Final Fight was the biggest brawler in the arcades. So when Capcom announced that the beat-em-up was headed to the Super NES, fighting fans were understandably excited. But then they realized that this 16-bit launch game wasn't all it was cracked up to be. With missing stages, characters and no two-player mode in sight, gamers were disappointed. But did the game critics agree? We dig through old issues of GamePro, Computer + Video Games, Electronic Gaming Monthly and Super Play for the answer.
(NOTE: Although we occasionally cut for length, no other edits are made to the review. Defunct Games does not change any of the wording, grammar or punctuation use. Also keep in mind that our score is the average of all critics at the time, not just the sample that is reprinted on this page. If you still have more questions, I recommend you check out the
Review Crew FAQ, where we address the review guidelines, converting scores, magazine covers and more.)
GAMEPRO (December 1991)
"A few of the missing arcade qualities, such as women warriors, two person gameplay, and, yes, even the nasty blood spills are sorely missed in the SNES version of Final Fight, and there is the occasional intrusion of sprite-flickering. A few more levels would have been nice, too, but, hey, we can't have everything. Flaws aside, if you're up for a generous dose of amazing animation, rip roarin' music and just plain adrenalin-pumping fun gameplay, seriously consider getting a grip on Final Fight!" -Slasher Quan
(5 out of 5)
COMPUTER + VIDEO GAMES #112
"Oh wow! I like my beat 'em ups and even though one of the levels and the simultaneous two-player options is missing, Super Famicom Final Fight is just as good as its arcade parent! The graphics, sound and playability are almost identical to the coin-op and really show what the Famicom can do. Final Fight is simply the greatest beat 'em up available on any console or computer and it's simply an essential purchase, and bodes very well for the future of Famicom games." -Richard Leadbetter
(92% out of 100%)
NINTENDO MAGAZINE SYSTEM #1
"So how does the SNES version compare to the original? Well, it's missing the two-player mode and one entire level, but apart from that it's pretty much exactly the same. There is a real compulsion to see what's next and it's real "just one more go" material, keeping you glued to your screen for ages. Final Fight is a definite classic and a game which should be in every SNES owners [sic] collection." -Rad
(92% out of 100%)
SUPER PLAY #1
"All that's missing -- and it's something that might have elevated the game from the status of a 'good buy' to that of a 'must' -- is a two-player mode. Rival Turf's got one, to its credit, but Final Fight trounces it in every other department. A star beat-'em-up, though that two-player option would help a lot."
(86% out of 100%)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #25
"Final Fight looks and feels like the arcade version on which it's based, but without the two-player cooperative it just loses something in the translation. The game play is too easy, but if you're in for a good fight with some great graphics, Final Fight should fit the bill!" -Steve
(8 out of 10)
NINTENDO POWER (September 1991)
"The ultimate street fighting arcade smash hits the Super NES. Muscle your way through the crime-ridden streets of Metro City with the size and power of super fighters Haggar and Cody. They're big, they're fast and they're on the Super NES!"
(3.5 out of 5)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #25
"I'm disappointed! When I first turned Final Fight on I thought, cool, it's the best!! Then I found out that Guy, My [sic] favorite character in the arcade, was missing! The final nail in the casket was the lack of two-player simultaneous play. Bad move!! Otherwise, game play and graphics are excel- [sic]" -Sushi X
(7 out of 10)
REVIEW CREW AVERAGE: 80% -
While many critics were understandably disappointed by the edits made to Final Fight, most agreed it was still a good beat-em-up. Electronic Gaming Monthly's Sushi-X proclaimed that he is disappointed, yet still managed to give the game a 7 out of 10. He spent so much time complaining about the shortcomings that he didn't even have a chance to finish his review.
Some critics didn't seem to mind the edits. Nintendo Magazine System said Final Fight had that "just one more go" appeal, and Computer + Video Games called the Capcom brawler, "simply the greatest beat 'em up available on any console or computer and it's simply an essential purchase."
And then there's an entirely different group of critics who chose to complain about Final Fight's shortcomings and then still give it a high score. GamePro gave it a perfect 5 out of 5, even though they noted many of the game's flaws. The same is true of Super Play, who eventually decided to give Final Fight an 86%. Based on the written reviews, the average should be a lot lower. However, thanks to some questionably high scores, Final Fight averages out to an even 80%.
ON WEDNESDAY'S EPISODE:
Get ready for more Final Fight action on Wednesday. Haggar is back and ready to fight thugs and eat food out of garbage cans. Join us on Wednesday to see what critics thought of Final Fight 2 for the Super NES.
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