My review of Final Fight 3.
Final Fight 3 was released in the middle of 1994 by Capcom, many wondered if the game would live up to the Final Fight name and reputation for excellence in the beat-em-up genre. I’m happy to say it does.; by adding features such as new characters (2 of them, Dean and Lucia), new modes, mainly the auto 2-Player mode (this allowed for someone to have a CPU-controlled partner in the 1 Player game, an excellent idea and it comes off perfectly), Capcom also added the ability to execute Super moves (these are sort of bittersweet, they’re a good idea in theory, but the execution comes off horribly, they just don’t work well for this type of game), Capcom also added hidden paths you can take through the levels, this is a good idea and it comes off well.
Graphics-8/10- The characters are rather large and animate rather well, to my surprise there is no serious slowdown in the game. The bosses are original and are very large, most are at least twice the size of Haggar. There are also some nice damage effects to the surroundings, the best ones in my opinion are the way the glass breaks and the way tables are smashed. Overall, the graphics are great, the good character animation, the huge, original bosses, and the lack of slowdown combine to make the graphics stand out.
Sound-6/10- The music is bland and uninspired. The songs are very generic and don’t add a thing to the atmosphere. The sound effects are great though, the punches and kicks are very clear as are the voice effects. Overall, the sound is good, the music is too bland for my tastes, but the sound effects are great.
Story-3/10- The same basic story that appears in all beat-em-ups; a gang appears, destroys the city, and the good guys have to save the city. Yawn.
Control-10/10- The control is excellent. All moves except the Supers are easy to execute, even the running moves and jumping grapples. Overall, the controls are perfect, everything can be done without a problem except for the Supers.
Gameplay- 8/10- The new characters are fun to use (especially Dean, his lightning attacks are hilarious), and the new mode adds to the enjoyment of the game. I’ve always been a fan of this genre. There’s not much to explain, it’s a beat-em-up, you go along a path and beat up the bad guys, it’s been done tons of times and is done well here. If you’re a fan of this genre, you’ll love this game.
Presentation-8/10- Everything is, for the most part, simple, but effective, most notably the simple, user-friendly menus. Everything fits the genre perfectly and that’s what counts. Overall, the presentation is great.
Replay Value-6/10- Like other games in the genre, there’s not much to do after you beat the game, you could always try to beat your top-score or beat the game with all the characters, but that’s about it.
Overall-8/10- The great graphics and control combine to make a great beat-em-up. If you’re a fan of the genre, buy the game.
Holy crap, it's amazing how my reviewing has evolved, yet stayed the same. Compare this review to my WWE WM X8 one. Sheesh.
