The Mad Gear gang have run Metro city into the ground. Not only is the city thrashed, but Mayor Mike Haggars daughter Jessica is missing, obviously kidnapped by the Mad Gears. Mike ain't havin' it and enlisted the help of some friends, Cody (Jessica's boyfriend) and Guy to take 'em out. 1 or 2 players can take out the gang members one-by-one. All of the stages are included from the arcade game and this seems to the only complete version ever made for the home.

Comparing the CD version and the arcade proves that little, if anything, is lost. The characters are brilliantly detailed, well animated, and at times look better than the arcade version. It may sound strange, but I swear the Sega CD flickers at the exact same time the arcade does. It slows down at times also, but again, so did the original. The only change to the game is the longer shirts on the female characters, censoring their, uh, finer points.

Popping the game onto a CD allowed the programmers to completely re-mix the soundtrack and it sounds outstanding. This is by far the greatest remixing I've ever heard in a video game. All of the cabinets sound effects are here including the famous "Oh, my car!" in the bonus stage. Capcom went all out to make sure this area of the game was done to perfection.

While the game may lack replay value, Final Fight is a timeless game. It's one of those that you'll always go back to a few times a year simply for great memories. When the time comes, make sure the Sega CD is powering the game. It's the only logical substitute for the arcade upright. Of course, if you happen to actually own the original, then that may be even more nostalgic. For the 99% of the rest of us, this is as good as it gets.