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PS2 | Action | Final Fight: Streetwise

Boxart for Final Fight: Streetwise
Final Fight: Streetwise 42 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 3.5
  • SOUND: 3.5
  • CONTROL: 4.0
  • FUN FACTOR 3.5
  • AVG USER SCORE 1.5
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 1.8

Review: Final Fight: Streetwise

Review by Rice Burner | 03/01/2006 | 16:36:26 PM PST

Final Fight: Streetwise is technically a sequel to the old school arcade franchise. However, the game also brings an entirely new gaming sensibility to its progenitor series with the jump from 2D side-scrolling 2 button action to the current gen 3D realm.

Sequels have been rather popular in the videogame industry these days. Most of the big videogame producers have been churning out sequel after prequel trying to recycle good ideas with added gameplay spin and features. While Final Fight: Streetwise is technically a sequel to the old school arcade franchise, the game also brings an entirely new gaming sensibility to its progenitor series with the jump from 2D side-scrolling 2 button action to the current gen 3D realm.

Final Fight: Streetwise picks up several years after the arcade series ended. The original heroes, Cody Travers, Guy (AKA Genryusai), and Mike Haggar, have gone their separate ways, and Metro City has subsequently fallen on hard times. Cody spent sometime in prison for a crime he didn't commit, Mike retired from his mayoral civic position and opened up a wrestling gym, and Guy fell into a life of organized crime and has risen to become a powerful underworld figure --this is not your big brothers Final Fight.

Whatever Happened to Jessica?
In Streetwise, you'll assume the role of novice street fighter Kyle Travers, Cody's little brother. Cody has taken his younger brother, Kyle, under his wing and has been coaching him on the particularities of the street fighter lifestyle. After one of Kyle's fights, Cody is abducted by the mafia, and it's up to Kyle to track down his brother and figure out what trouble his older sibling has gotten into.

In addition to Cody, Streetwise also has a mixed bag of cameo appearances from old school characters. You'll be able to train with and fight along side Guy and Mike Haggar, and enter in street fights with Andore and Street Fighter II character Cammy! One of the mini-games even let's you demolish a SUV just like the bonus level in the original Final Fight game.

That's Kyle with a K, Yo
Streetwise's game engine is a mix bag of different gaming influences, such as Fight Club and Shenmue. The first thing you'll notice is the free roaming game engine which gives a sense of sandbox gameplay. There're a ton of mini-games, side missions, and street fights at your disposal to earn money in the game. You'll be able to buy training sessions to acquire new moves, hire bodyguards, purchase music, health items, and weapons.

Streetwise also includes a Respect ranking system for each of Metro City's four neighborhoods. You'll be able to build your respect by defeating hoodlums and successfully completing side missions. Once you've gained the respect of the perspective neighborhoods inhabitants, more mini-games and bonuses will unlock in the game. However, if you start beating up innocent bystanders, and fail in side missions, your respect will diminish and many of the average citizens will actually attack you on the street.

Pizza is Yummier When It Comes From a Trash Can
Additionally, Streetwise adds a handful of unlockables including the original Final Fight game, a few music videos from the games soundtrack artists, and an arcade mode which allows you to play as Cody, Kyle, Guy, or Mike in single or two player survival mode.

The fighting engine has a semi-intuitive feel. You have a light attack, strong attack, and throw button, however, early on in the game you won't really have that many moves to chain together and you'll undoubtedly have to rely on weapons. Nevertheless as the game progresses, you'll build up your resume of moves and be able to unleash a multitude of chained attacks. The biggest special feature in Streetwise's fighting engine is the Instinct Meter, which allows you to initiate instant counterattacks, or add a little pizzazz to your combo attacks. You can build up instinct by landing successive blows on your foes, or by using instinct buffing items.

Beware the Glow
While Streetwise's story progression is well thought out, the presentation and implementation of the game engine is sorely lacking. You'll notice weird item and character clipping, bizarre AI glitches, bad camera issues and the latter boss battles are insanely time intensive. The overall flow of the game is very fast and instinctual in the beginning, but the game becomes very tiresome and overtly prolonged for the sake of manufactured suspense and drama. Furthermore, the arcade mode seems more like an afterthought than a fully fleshed out mode. Kyle is the only character with a full range of attacks. The other playable characters only have a handful of moves and generally get their butts wiped pretty fast.

Final Fight: Streetwise is a decent game, but the list of inadequacies detracts from the gaming experience. It's a shame that Capcom didn't delay Streetwise's release a month to address some of these shortcomings because the game had the potential to really shine.