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Final Fight... Yeahh!
Along with Street Fighter 2 (also from CAPCOM and also converted by U.S.GOLD - check in this site), this must be one of the most played arcade games at the local bar. I remember some school guys playing this game for hours. They sure did a lot class skipping that days... Well I did as well!
The game is double dragon style beat’em up – horizontal scrolling for 1 or 2 players beating hordes of thugs along the way using your fists/kicks or some weaponry picked up from the enemy or lying on the floor.
The story is again in the same mold as the double dragon series – rescue the kidnapped girl which is the mayors daughter... blah blah – No originality here either!
What made the arcade version appealing was pretty much the graphics, where it portrayed nice sprites and very good animated backgrounds. You could select from 3 questionable dressed up guys (considering that one of them is the town mayor - WTF). Some parts could actually be used or bashed, and...
Who am I lying to!? – In the end it was the sheer violence portrayed that appealed to the teenagers and young adults with high doses of testosterone!
Although never read anything, it was clear that it would be converted to micro. A few years later (probably more than one) the Amiga version poped up in the store, I was eager to get it... Oh boy. Was I gonna get disappointed...
Nice!
Upon loading I was greeted by the intro and the music, and said to myself:
- “Nice, It seems just like the arcade version! No! Actually Better! It didn’t have any music as I recall!..”.
After a few minutes in the game...
- “Hmmm... I must be missing something here...”
An hour later:
- “What a complete rubbish!... What the f**k was I thinking?!...”
What!?...
The game plays in a very strange way, seems to have few frames of animation, the screen update ranges from medium to ultra-slow (when a lot is on screen). The animated backgrounds are replaced by still ones, and although recognizable, they look ugly on most levels. And sound is kept to a minimum, with no music during gameplay (which it doesn’t hurt). I remember hearing the infernal screams and moves from the arcade, and I have to say that the Amiga version does not seem to have that THUMP...
To be fair, it’s not the technical aspects that make the game not so appealing, but the satisfaction you get from beating a guy up, it’s more of a relief than rather an enjoyment.
And while it seems easier than the arcade, it also sometimes feels rather unfair, much more than the arcade version. It’s not uncommon becoming trapped in a brawl from both sides and not having a chance to do anything, not even performing a special maneuver.
The top guy seems to be hoovering above the floor...
A lot is missing from the arcade (such as some breaking scenario part...), but a lot got there as well, the bonus rounds are almost identical (Ok I’m nitpicking here!), and the bosses are all there... And we have to admit that gameplay wise, the arcade also becomes tad repetitive sooner than later... All the nice graphics and sound cannot hide that aspect.
So it’s not one of the worst arcade conversions, but it has to said that it could be a lot better both technically and most important in gameplay. The intro is good (the music added was magnificent bonus), from there on you get a very boring and repetitive performance.
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Yep, the sprite graphics are big and stand out, but they are poorly animated for some fighters and use 8 colors out of an 16 color ST palette the game (No ranting here). The backgrounds suffer from this, and they look like cardboard paints in some levels - stills and no parallax scrolling either. Display wise it’s not the best thing, specially compared with arcade original.
At least you get the full 320x256 pixel pal version (if you have pal machine), instead of the 320x200 one of the ST one. So not a direct ST Port, but a close one on this department.
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Great intro music, average sound effects through out the game.
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At first seems to be all there, but soon enough you’ll find that punch kick and special move just isn’t enough, and that there’s very little variety in the attack waves or how the enemy behave. Also tends to become even more unfair than the arcade version, for no particular reason.
The two player option doesn't really rescue this game although it gives some increasing on the life expectancy of the gaming.
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Technically could be better - the Amiga was not used to it’s max.
Gameplay is tad shallow and repetitive.
Just an average Amiga game is how I can sum it up.
I could only advise to play the Amiga version of Final Fight out of curiosity... Can’t remember much more. |
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