Final Fight 2
Reviewed by Gruinard
Released in 1993, the second in Capcom's famed series of
side-scrolling beat-em-ups, is a positive step forward in most
regards from the first Final Fight (FF). Finally, we are allowed to
choose from three characters AND two-player simultaneous combat!
However, the programmers made sure to retain what made the original
so fun: great graphics, tight play control, and bone-crunching mayhem.
The Story: The game's intro sequence sets the scene well. Two of the
original characters are absent from the sequel. Cody is on vacation
with his recently rescued girlfriend, Jessica, and Guy is in training.
However, the defeated Mad Gear gang are coming back to exact revenge
by kidnapping Guy's fiance and future father-in-law. Oddly enough, Guy
doesn't lift a finger to help, but his future sister-in-law, Maki, calls up
Mayor Haggar (from original FF) for assistance. Haggar gladly joins in,
along with another pal called Carlos. So there you have it, three characters
to choose from: Maki, Carlos, and good old Haggar are out to settle the
score once again with the Mad Gears.
Graphics: 9 out of 10
I seriously doubt that the lovable, yet now quite old Super NES could produce
better graphics. In this cartridge, the system's 16-bit capabilities truly
shine. The graphics are noticeably more crisp and from the original FF.
The characters seem a little smaller, but I'd sacrifice size for detail any
day of the year. There also seem to be more variations in the type of Mad
Gear gang members; they aren't just 2-3 character types with different
colored shirts. The backgrounds are also well-detailed: as the FF2 posse
hunts down the Mad Gear Gang across the globe, you can readily tell
whether you are in England, Italy, etc. Such graphics excellence and
rich color have come to expected from Capcom. Keep an eye out for a
familiar face dining in the background of Hong Kong.
Music and Sound: 8 out of 10
MUSIC: fast beat and tempo perfect to listen to while stomping the bad
guys. I noticed that the music tended to be a little more complex from
FF, which only added to its enjoyability. At no point did it become
offensively repetitive or overwhelming, which is very important by
allowing the gamer to concentrate on the action at hand.
SOUND EFFECTS: no complaints here. Good and easily on par with FF. Not
much of an improvement, because hey, it sounds like you are playing an
old-school kung-fu movie. The crashes, punches, and kicks sound just as
good as the moans and groans of the defeated.
Game Challenge: 8 out of 10
Completely up to you. From the options menu, the player is able to adjust
the difficulty according to his tastes: EASY, NORMAL, HARD, or EXPERT.
Therefore, you can make this cart as challenging as you want. The
gradations between the settings are discernible. At the easy settings, the
enemy will lumber forward like so many brain-dead zombies, but as the
difficulty is upped, they will tend to hang back and wait to draw you to
them or trap you. Additionally, as the game progresses, it gets much
harder. But this is to be expected...
Game Play-Fun: 8.5 out of 10
Game play is excellent. The programmers at Capcom probably used their
knowledge and experience gained from the Street Fighter series to create
controls which are so responsive. The second a move is entered, it is
immediately executed on screen with no lag or hang time. Additionally,
the moves for each character are easy to learn and limited to a special,
life draining "joy" attack, close-quarters grab assault (head butt, knee,
etc.), one or two throws, a mid-air attack and the usual combination of
punches and kicks. Thankfully, there does not seem to be any slowdown
or flickering as enemy characters fill the screen, a definite plus
considering such slowdown plagued the Super NES' "shoot-em-up" games.
Such good game play creates for loads of skull-cracking fun.
Frustration
WHERE THE *BEEP* IS GUY?!?! I'm not particularly fond of the character.
Yet am I the only one to find it odd that a martial artist doesn't show up
to save his own fiance from a gang he previously defeated? Oh well,
side-scrolling fighters aren't known for their plot and mind-bending intrigue.
Replayability: 7 out of 10
This is a good cart to pull out and play every now and then. It serves as a
great, mindless exercise in violence. Have a bad day? Pop this cart in and
exact vigilante justice on the streets of Metro City! A couple of Haggar's
pile drivers or Carlos' sword slashes will pick up your spirits. Sure, it's a
no-brainer, but it's good to just run amok sometimes. Once you get a hang
of the controls and beat the game it does tend to lose some of its pull on
you. Unfortunately, unless I am really missing Cody's spin kicks, this cart
has caused my original FF cart to start collecting dust.
Game Value: 10 out of 10
Excellent value depending on the price. I grabbed my copy off eBay for
less than $12. A steal considering the quality of this game. I personally
wouldn't pay more than $20-25 for it. Hopefully, prices on Super NES titles
will continue to go down as the years pass and more next generation
machines role out. Check online or head down to you local used video game store.
Overall: 8.5 out of 10
In conclusion, FF2 is a great sequel to FF with more characters, better
graphics, and the long-awaited simultaneous 2-player action. You'll
enjoy the responsive control and will be quick to learn the moves. If you
liked the first FF, you'll love the second. If you are a fan of side-scrollers,
you'll recognize this cart as being fun and of high quality. A welcome
addition to the Final Fight series and any Super NES library.