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This 1989 smash hit might not be the defining beat 'em up of the era (that honor goes to Double Dragon) but it refined the essential elements of the genre, combining them with rich graphics and memorable characters to create a classic. Final Fight deserves its fame, even though it's repetitive and a relentless quarter muncher at heart.
The theming of Final Fight isn't anything original: crime runs rampant in Metro City and gang members have kidnapped the righteous mayor's daughter Jessica. It's up to mayor Haggar himself, as well as Guy and Cody, to rescue her by traversing the town and beating all those miserable goons to a pulp. The premise and especially the visual style are clearly inspired by 1979 cult film The Warriors (which I strongly dislike, but I can't deny its gargantuan influence on the action genre and the Eighties as a whole): Metro City features graffiti, junk and all-around neglect in each of its colorful district, and all the different hooligans you'll face have unique, flamboyant styles, both visually and mechanically. It's Capcom's graphical's craftsmanship that makes it all shine: there is a reason why Final Fight is iconic and its characters instantly recognizable. Not only are the protagonists distinct (especially Mike Haggar, the mayor with a pro-wrestling past who goes around bare chested piledriving and suplexing every fool in his way), but the standard enemies too have managed to carve themselves firm spots in Capcom's legacy, with some of them becoming regular Street Fighter characters (Hugo, called Andre here, and Poison especially). This is quite heartwarming considering that Final Fight was supposed to be the sequel to Streer Fighter 1 originally. Anyway, designs are iconic and the graphics really pop out, making this a visual treat.
The gameplay is early beat 'em up at it's finest. Final Fight spices Double Dragon' s formula up while still being pretty simple. You can jump and attack, with simple but dynamic combos when you pummel an enemy, but you can also grab foes in close proximity and hit them or grapple them in various ways based on the directions you press. It's still incredibly basic for modern standards, but it's a lot of fun and the hits look and feel so satisfying. In addition, you can pick up various items and weapons to smash your enemies' faces in, which make you much more formidable. Finally, you can perform a Giga Crush attack at the cost of some vitality, useful to damage and down all surrounding enemies. Quite handy, because these punks are EVERYWHERE. Enemies come in hordes and some of them can knock you down fast and even stunlock you. The game's arcade bullshit difficulty becomes apparent quickly, though you can credit feed, so you always make some progress. I do believe there is some strategy to get really good at the game but I sure as hell don't know it.
I have a blast anyway because the game has so much attitude and character. You do not simply walk through a door, you smash it into pieces with a kick. You do not simply game over, you get tied to a chair with a bomb strapped on your character and when you continue, a dagger comes crashing down severing the fuse. That's the magic of Final Fight!