Yes, by now there are better beat-em-ups, most coming from Capcom themselves. However, there's something about Final Fight that keeps drawing people back to it, something about it keeps people referencing it even today, and something about keeps it in the limelight. It spawned two home console sequels, characters make appearances in other Capcom titles, there was a super-deformed rendition, and there was even a 3-D one-on-one fighter produced. If any game deserves this much attention, rest assured it's Final Fight.

Final Fight tells the story of Cody, Guy, Haggar, the Mad Gear Gang, and Jessica. Jessica (who just happens to be the mayor Haggar's daughter) has been kidnapped by the Mad Gears. Cody, Jessica's boyfriend, gets enraged and joins Haggar in the fight. Guy, Cody's sparring type-partner, also joins the struggle. Confusing? Who cares? This is a mindless beat-em-up.

Even to this day, the sprites remain impressive. They're massive, beautifully detailed, and there's enough variety to keep players interested. Animation is generally limited on most of the enemies, but the main characters make up for this slight problem. The hardware can hold quite a few sprites on screen without any noticeable trouble unless you're playing with a friend which causes some slowdown. There's even a hint of blood once in a while, something none of the home versions ever reproduced.

If you've ever played the outstanding Sega CD rendition of this game, there's no way you can listen to the music in this game. It's certainly the stuff classic soundtracks are made of, but it sounds so "tinny" now that it's downright disappointing. The sound effects are still top-notch with some great "screams-o-agony," but nothing can compete with the Sega CD's soundtrack.

There really is nothing wrong with Final Fight. The only thing that hinders this one is time. Literally hundreds of games have come and gone to challenge it's supremacy and a few have conquered. In fact, it can be argued that the Sega CD port was better. Minus some color and some extra slowdown, it's the same game with a blazing soundtrack. It must be noted that this original version is the only way to get everything uncensored (women, blood) in the states so purists may scoff at the home versions. Regardless of which you choose, rest assured the game is still one of the best.