Final Fight 2 (SFC) Review

Received: December 10th, 2012 / Written: November 22nd-26th, 2016

Year: 1993 | Developed and Published by: Capcom | [|O|]

Hello everyone, StarBoy91 here, passionate about video games, big retrophile, and fan of all things 16-bit, and it's about damn time I got to today's game.

Image from Wikipedia

On December 1989 Capcom released onto arcades the sidescrolling beat'em up Final Fight which at one point was to be called Street Fighter '89 until the title got changed following the arrival of a little Technōs Japan-developed coin-op named Double Dragon (originally serving as a direct sequel to Street Fighter only to not actually play like the 1987 game at all, which might also attribute to the title change).  It was a huge success as it was one of the most highly played arcade games at the time thanks to the colorfully detailed backgrounds, huge character and enemy sprites, challenge value, holding as many as eight or nine enemies per screen, as well as its biggest selling point: two-player co-op.

So successful it was that Capcom started to shift their focus on brawlers when it came to arcades (for the most part)--basically if it weren't for this game there would be no The King of Dragons, no Captain Commando, no Knights of the Round, no Cadillacs and Dinosaurs adaptation, and Street Fighter would not have become a franchise starting with the highly revered Street Fighter II: The World Warrior.  Really stop and think about that for a second; not everyone is a fan of beat'em ups but pretty much everyone loves Street Fighter II, so whether you like these kinds of games or not you have to appreciate Final Fight for that at least.  =)

Image from Wikipedia; Happy 25th Anniversary, Bare Knuckle/Streets of Rage

Final Fight also ended up sparking some competition, the most notable example of this being Ancient's Bare Knuckle: Furious Iron Fist on the Sega MegaDrive in August 1991 with a PAL MegaDrive release following suit that month as Streets of Rage culminating in the American Genesis release come that September.  This beat'em up was the closest Sega gamers got to playing Final Fight on their console (before its Mega CD/Sega CD port in 1993), as Capcom ported Final Fight to the Super Famicom in 1990 (to initially mixed results), and at the time it got good praise from many as it stood the test of time well.

Image from Wikipedia

.........at least it would have if not for the direct sequel Streets of Rage 2 on December 1992 in America, arriving in Japan and Europe on March 1993 as Bare Knuckle II: The Requiem of the Deadly Battle and Streets of Rage II respectively, which upon release proved to be a real game-changer in the genre with improved and expanded controls plus good sense of polish which easily managed to blow even its own predecessor out of the water (though a mere handful of gamers feel otherwise).  Even to this day gamers all over have clamored Ancient's follow-up to be one of the best (if not the best) beat'em ups during the course of the early '90s.

When Nintendo saw how greatly Streets of Rage 2 was doing they asked Capcom to create a follow-up to Final Fight on the Super Famiconsole to rival Ancient's title, even though it wasn't in their main interest to make a continuation of the 1989 coin-op, especially not after its 1990 port didn't go over smoothly with Final Fight fans; with it being one of the very earliest Nintendo 16-bit games ever made it was restricted by the console's limitations resulting in fighting three baddies per screen, an entire stage being excised, and the two-player option completely absent (and the less said of the changes contrived for the localized SNES versions, the better), but over time the port has been viewed a tad bit kindly by some.

Reluctantly Capcom agreed to craft the console-exclusive sequel Final Fight 2 which saw release in Japan on May 1993, seeing a release in American and European soil on August and December 1993 respectively.  Did it pay off in the end?  The answer: no, it didn't.  Why?  Let's find out!  =<

Well, this sepia-toned clip from the original Final Fight doesn't ring shades of The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue and Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil, given the two opened the exact same way  =P

In the years following the death of the Mad Gear gang's crime lord Belger and the rescue of Mayor Mike Haggear's daughter, Metro City has long prospered in its peaceful lifestyle thanks to Haggar, Cody, and Guy.

However, amidst all this, the remaining Mad Gear members have formed together in secret exacting a revenge plot under their new crime lord, Retu.

It starts with the kidnapping of Guy's girlfriend Rena and her father Genryusai, Guy's former sensei--just like how Haggar's daughter Jessica was kidnapped in the first game.

Former street fighter turned mayor of Metro City Mike Haggar finds out about the kidnapping by phone while in his office (just like the first game), only here he's informed by Rena's concerned younger sister Maki Genryusai as Guy's currently traveling overseas.

With Guy gone and Cody off vacationing with his daughter Jessica, Haggar once again leaves his office to fly all the way to Eurasia to confront the Mad Gear gang and save Rena and Genryusai, accompanied this time by Maki and this random guy whoever the hell he is, South American swordsman Carlos Miyamoto.

As you can tell the plot shares the same beats as the first Final Fight (only with some details changed except for Haggar who's the only constant in the two games), but that won't matter if the gameplay is different, right?  ......heheheheh, would you rather I tell a lie?  <=(

"Time to give you a piece of my mi--- oh, hi Chun-Li!"
And, um... Zangief?  o_O

In Final Fight 2 you can choose to play as Haggar who's a bit on the slow side but makes up for that with his bulk and strength, Maki who's the weakest member of the trio but makes up for that with her agility and speed, and then there's Carlos who's the median member of the group (i.e. shares equal power and agility); either by yourself if you play it on your own or two-player co-op if you've got a partner beside you.  Well, Capcom managed to incorporate that feature back in this sequel, but what of the actual gameplay?

Wall-kick jumping back at you

In this beat'em up you can roam in any part you wish as you can move in all eight directions (but only at a walking speed), but the major way you'll be heading throughout is to the right; once you scroll to the right you cannot backtrack to the left where you came from.  Frequently you'll be facing countless members of the Mad Gear gang who also can move in all eight directions but have differing attack tactics they'll attempt to use against you.  With the B button you can jump and with the Y button you can do normal punch attacks, press it consecutively to perform a combo against them (if you press up as you're doing it instead of finishing the combo you'll throw the enemy in question, ahead or below you, which you can also do if you simply grabbed them), attack airborne (with either a widespread or downward attack), pick up and use a weapon (unless it's a knife which you can throw you can't disarm yourself, however, you'll only let go of it after taking damage from an enemy and if you made it to the end of a section with it in hand).

Knifeout

You can also perform a desperation move in the event that you're outnumbered and cornered, but at the expense of a tiny fraction of health, by pressing both the Y and B buttons at the same time; but in the options screen you can relegate it to a single button (preferably X) as when you first turn the game on the Extra Joy has been disabled (likely due the fact that the original arcade predecessor required both buttons being pressed at the same time).  Concealed inside boxes and oil drums (or in some cases, seemingly inconspicuous foregrounds) are varying foods to replenish some or all of your health (because the floor sounds like a logical place to get edible items from), items like spanners and watches for points, a Guy doll that gives you a life, and weapons (knife, tonfa, plank of wood).  If Final Fight 2 sounds like it's Final Fight all over again in this aspect, that's because it is (the gameplay is literally the same); but that won't matter none if the experience is fun and does something new, right?  Uhhh......  >_>

Twister

Composing the music this time around are Yasuaki Fujita (who also worked on the original Final Fight soundtrack as well as its Nintendo 16-bit port, Mega Man III, Mega Man IV, and did music for the original Breath of Fire), accompanied here by Mari Yamaguchi (Super Ghouls'n Ghosts, The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse, Mega Man V, Breath of Fire), Yuki Iwai also known as Yuki Satomura (Gargoyle's Quest II, Goof Troop/Gūfii to Makkusu - Kaizoku Shima no Daibōken), Setsuo Yamamoto (Mighty Final Fight, Mega Man X), Yuko Kadota (Mighty Final Fight, Mega Man X, Mega Man VI), and finally there's the uncredited Breath of Fire sound provider Tatsuya Nishimura (Super Bases Loaded, The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse, and Nintendo 16-bit Disney's Aladdin); and honestly it's not a very memorable or standout Capcom soundtrack which is a real shame given all the talent involved.  =(

Well, if it isn't a beguiling cameo back there

The theme for the intro sequence is a slower and remixed take on the first stage's theme from the first Final Fight; all else that follows is serviceable but not really that catchy or energetic or bound to stick in your head (except for the London theme but for the very wrong reasons), although the Venice theme is actually okay to a point.  Many of the songs get reused occasionally, including the theme for China (which is also actually used for the fight against Retu in the end; talk about uneventful); my favorite song is actually the credits theme which is different from everything else as it sounds calmer which is befitting for the end (another reason it's my favorite is because it's the end).  Not terrible by any means, but Final Fight 2's music doesn't hold a candle to the unforgettable themes introduced to us by Manami Matsumae, Yoshihiro Sakaguchi (the only one credited at the time), Yasuaki Fujita, Hiromitsu Takaoka, Yoko Shimomura, Junko Tamiya, and Harumi Fujita in the first game.  Perhaps if they had more time......

London kicks

The best thing this game has got to offer are the visuals which as you'd expect from Capcom during the Nintendo 16-bit days are crisp and beautiful and pretty to look at, with a good sense of detail here and there plus the vibrant color selection.  The trio's animation is solid, especially when it comes to their combo attacks; Haggar's sprites are exactly the same as they were for the first Final Fight with the bulky arms spread out with only his legs doing the moving as he's walking (and he's still sprite-flipped any time he changes directions on account of the single strap around him) except this time he's got boots, knee pads, and workout gloves to protect his hands (and now he rotates as he does his jumping enemy dumping attack).  Carlos and Maki's animations are solid too, especially with the latter's hair as she moves.

Time to break some backs

Each country in Eurasia looks very good and differentiates themselves from the other places; an example of this is the Paris stage with the cafes and Eiffel Tower as well as its skyline which subtly yet progressively gets darker and darker as you press on (kind of like the first stage in Super Earth Defense Force) and there's a desolate look and feel to the stage that takes place in Holland what with the dead trees, ravens, and brownish yellow.  There are a couple of cameos made by two Street Fighter II characters Chun-Li and Guile (each on a separate occasion) which are quaint, and there's some occasional thunder on the way to face Retu in Japan.  The enemy roster animates solidly too, from the normal gang members to the Mohawk gang members to the musclebound ones to the female gang members to even the round enemies with those damn electric tuning forks (seriously, I hate the Elicks so much) including returning baddies André the Giant-based Andore from the first Final Fight with their towering stature; some of them being palette-swapped.

Walking in the streets of Paris

The end of each stage culminates in a fight against a boss before heading to the next country: some examples of this are Won Won who's huge, hops along, and occasionally will try to swipe at you with his butcher knife (any time you or an enemy is attacked by a sharp object there's a tiny burst of blood which I'm sure was removed in the localized editions); and there's Bratken who has a good entrance as he smashes the door that imprisoned him as he's revealed to be a hulking prisoner equivalent to Frankenstein's monster.  The cinematic visuals during the intro and ending are well-done (even the player select screen even though Maki's armlets are the same color as her skin tone outside of the main game), and before the title pops up there's fire raging from Haggar's eyes which become bigger as he and everything else fades to black to form up the number 2 until the fire turns into chrome as "Final Fight" appears beside it.  It's so pretty to look at that it's very unfair and unearned because the game as a whole doesn't live up to the quality of its visuals.  =(

Big Trouble in Little China

Final Fight 2 has got four difficulty settings--Easy, Normal, Hard, and Expert--and depending on the difficulty there'll either be a differing amount of enemies or they'll each have a differing amount of health (but regardless of what difficulty you choose to play, there'll always be six continues which starts you back at the segment you lost your last life).  Be forewarned that the hardest difficulty settings will be time-consuming (more so if you play as Maki and you could argue Carlos, but less so as Haggar) because there is a timer you have to keep track of because while you'll reach the next segment before it reaches zero (thereby restarting the timer at 99) the segment before you enter the tower where you face Retu will really test that on account of the annoying amounts of Elicks and Haggars you have to fight (be thankful you only have to fight up to three enemies per screen).

Just like its predecessor there are two bonus games that give you a breather from the main experience.  In the first one that takes place after you're done with Paris you have to destroy a car in the allotted time that you're given.

Ah, that was fun once,...

...twice...  =/

What do you mean it's a spoiler?  It's only been four years!

Honestly I had more satisfaction watching Wreck-It Ralph, Vanellope von Schweetz, and Ryu take the car down than actually doing it myself in Final Fight 2 because here specifically it lacks the freshness of the previous games that let you do it.  Although now that I think about it, Capcom must really hate cars.  o_O

The second and final bonus game that you'll be accessing after beating the London stage is different.  In just thirty seconds you must knock down as many oil drums as you can (I suppose it's an adequate replacement for glass pane smashing), but don't attack when the fire is sprouting big otherwise you'll be knocked back and lose a second or two of your time limit (unlike the glass pane smashing bonus from the first game, though, this one doesn't seem to want to be completed).

Widespread kicks

I first got to play the original Final Fight in 2006 when I got the PlayStation Portable compilation Capcom Classics Collection Remixed and I thought it was fun for what it was, and while to this day I don't think the 1989 game is great I do think it's solid entertainment--so much so that I was curious to try the two Nintendo 16-bit exclusive sequels when I found out about them but it wouldn't be until years later that I would get to experience them.  On May 2012 I began to import Super Famicarts after I bought a Retro Duo (now I use a Super Famiconsole) starting with Alcahest, and because I could now play Nintendo 16-bit games from Japan I opted for the original uncensored version of Final Fight 2 as the eighth Super Famicart I imported.  When I played today's game it was okay at first, but it didn't take long for my enthusiasm to fade (several replays of it on any difficulty setting attributed to that); even if I had played the localized edition, God forbid, I don't think my opinion on it would be all that different.  =|

I don't remember Venice's waters being so green  o_O

You'd think it would be odd that Rena's boyfriend Guy is absent during all this, but there is a reason for this: one of the causes for complaint over the Nintendo 16-bit port of the first Final Fight was the absence of Guy who had become a fan favorite, so Capcom tried to rectify that issue by making Final Fight Guy in 1992 (available for a cheaper price on SFC format than on the SNES format because in America and Europe it was a rent-only title while in Japan renting games is illegal--you either buy the game or you don't) with him being made available to play as; but aside from Cody being swapped for Guy and the intro and ending being slightly altered it was just Final Fight once more.  As for why he's not playable in the sequel that's because it would have been inconvenient to have two Guys in the same game, as Maki is the essentially female Guy equivalent (right down to the warm colors and wall-kick jumping ability) while Carlos despite having a sword is essentially the Cody equivalent (right down to the cold colors and ability to hold onto the knife as opposed to immediately throwing it).

Damn all you fat Elick bastards to hell!!!  >O<

Despite the fact that you're globetrotting to different parts of Eurasia as opposed to traveling in each subsequent segment of Metro City its gameplay has been liberally copied and pasted from the first game, which wouldn't be a problem in of itself if Capcom had done at least one thing new or different to warrant it or at the very least still made it fun, but they haven't.  What was once fresh gameplay in Final Fight now feels stale and repetitive in Final Fight 2 because it's going through the motions of the first game (Retu gets offed in the same way Belger did); the weapons are not worth using in this sequel on account that they take so much time to use and don't seem to be as effective as your normal punching and kicking attacks.  Regardless of the difficulty many enemies are manageable including the Haggars, although you'll have to be careful for the Eliza and Mary enemies on account that they sometimes leap at you (especially since you get a life after every 200,000 points after you hit 100,000 which seems to happen every what, seven to ten minutes?); but my least favorite enemies of the bunch are those damn Elicks.  Oh my God, these have got to be some of the most annoying enemies in a beat'em up ever as you have to consistently be on guard as occasionally they'll try to ram towards you with their tuning forks (sometimes fully charged with electricity); made all the worse if you're caught off-guard which you cannot let happen because it is just time-consuming to take these fat assholes down and they're just an overbearing presence as you end up fighting a lot of them.  I can't stand them!  >=(

Heads down

But the biggest problem with Final Fight 2 isn't that it's unplayable, it's definitely playable; the biggest problem with Final Fight 2 is that it is a slog to play through (I'm sure it's better if you're playing it with a partner, but other than that it is just too longwinded for me).  The fact that you fight up to three enemies per screen doesn't help (if there's a crate or oil drum there will be two enemies, one if there are two of the former), but the lack of a dash ability really puts a damper on things and occasionally if you've knocked people offscreen you have to wait until they reemerge again from offscreen (you could stand to the edge and punch offscreen if they're near you, but when it comes to enemies that are Elick or Andore or the two female gang members I wouldn't risk it).  Streets of Rage 2 didn't simply recycle the gameplay of its predecessor, it improved and expanded upon it; there are people who accuse Golden Axe II of being Golden Axe all over again (and okay, it is) but at least that game was more fun thanks to the controls which were more responsive than its predecessor's plus you could dash in both slash'em ups.

Those tourists sure are enjoying watching this
cat fight going on onboard, mrrrrow

I don't know the specifics exactly, but I'm pretty sure the Final Fight coin-op's development process had to have lasted longer than five months, because Final Fight 2 arrived in Japan five months after the American debut of Streets of Rage 2.  I don't blame Nintendo for Final Fight 2's existence, they just wanted something to compete with Ancient's beat'em up classic, but I do find it rather disappointing that Capcom did little to nothing new for the sequel and took the lazy route as they rushed it so that they would be done with it.  Yeah, it's pretty to look at, but if the gameplay isn't fun what difference does it make?  I played through this game several times, on all four difficulty settings with all three characters (the harder the difficulty the more complete the ending will be), and frankly I'll be a lot happier if I never play this game again--I don't say that out of bitterness, I am not bitter, but rather I say that for my own protection: I've developed a system that I find helps prolong my journey without using many continues as Maki and Carlos where I can do most of the combo but not actually finish it (have to do it fast), attack backwards, then start the process again until they're done for the count (namely for the sturdiest of enemies)... but unfortunately it's something that threatens to give my hand arthritis, something other beat'em ups I played have never done, and arthritis is something I don't want to have when I get older.  =(

After Final Fight 2 came out in Japan (but before it came out in America and Europe) the Famicom and NES received Mighty Final Fight which was a goofy and lighthearted take on the original game as a chibi'em up in the vein of SD The Great Battle II: Last Fighter Twin, afterwards Haggar would appear as a playable character in Muscle Bomber: The Body Explosion/Saturday Night Slam Masters as well as its sequel.  But it wasn't until 1995 that Final Fight got the true sequel it deserved in Final Fight 3 (Final Fight Tough in Japan) on the Nintendo 16-bit which did what today's game should've done and improved upon and expanded the controls (you could dash now and Guy was a selectable character) plus had replay value thanks to the alternate paths and possible endings; it costs a lot on eBay but is available for only $8 on the Nintendo Wii U Virtual Console (I downloaded it days after I got a Nintendo Wii U for Christmas in 2013, which was a hugely enjoyable step in the right direction).  That's the beat'em up you should play instead of Final Fight 2.

Or better yet, play Rushing Beat Ran — Fukusei Toshi; hugely underrated Jaleco beat'em up and tons of fun.  =)  Admittedly it too is long at an hour like Final Fight 2, but it's more bearable to play thanks to the ability to dash and perform dash attacks as well as its Ikari mode enlivened by its energetic soundtrack, plus there was no timer (hooray!), not to mention it's got replay value in terms of difficulty and which three bosses you would fight based on who you did not select and also instead of starting over from a section if you lost a continue you could resume right from the spot which I'm glad about.  Hell, even the lesser Western version Brawl Brothers (shut up) is better than Capcom's rushed and lazy Final Fight follow up; take your pick, it's less of a shameless rehash of the first game either way.

"If you're Rolento then why is your name one
letter short, huh?"

I know there are people out there who enjoy Final Fight 2 in spite of its recycled formula and creative bankruptcy, and I don't begrudge them if they do, but to me today's game just felt tired and familiar.  Although to be fair this game might work best if you never played its predecessor though it may still pale in comparison to other games in the genre (especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time).  Unless you want to play a game with co-op action I can't really think of a reason to recommend this beat'em up; honestly you're better off playing Goof Troop/Gūfii to Makkusu - Kaizoku Shima no Daibōken which is a much more satisfying and enjoyable hour to play through, and that game's an action-adventure.  Capcom may have recycled Final Fight for its first sequel, but at least they would make it up to fans of the series with the new and improved Final Fight 3 in a couple years.

My Personal Score: 5.5/10

<( -_-)>TO EACH THEIR OWN<(-_- )>

P.S. Screengrab of Wreck-It Ralph taken from my Region 1 Widescreen DVD of it, property of Disney.  I'm really looking forward to its sequel on March 2018, but I'm not sure how I feel about the voice of Fix-It Felix Jr., Wander, and Irving, Jack McBrayer, voicing a Smurf in the upcoming Summer's newest movie of theirs.   I like him as a voice actor, but I'm not sure if I'll watch it (maybe if it gets middling to positive reviews?).  This one's all CG and looks closer in style to Peyo's design, at least.

 

P.S. 2 I saw Disney's Moana on the 23rd and I loved it.  The songs were great and catchy (especially "How Far I'll Go" and "You're Welcome"), the characters were likable (Moana especially), the in-jokes were spot-on, the story was good, and it was so beautiful to look at (the colors, the water, the realistic hair texture, the CGI, wow).  =D  Ron Clements and John Musker has done their big fan proud once again, because I absolutely love their movies (as I was watching it there were a few times that it brought me back to the days I watched Disney's Aladdin and The Little Mermaid and Hercules as a kid which I appreciated very much).  Go see it and stick past the end credits, it's worth every minute!  ^~^

P.S. 3 Chun-Li's cameo here was nice,

but I much preferred the one she made in Breath of Fire.  Much more wholesome and engrossingly fun than this game.

Thank you for reading my review, please leave me a comment (spam will not be tolerated) and let me know what you think.  Hope you have a great day, take care!
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Guy will return