Final Fight: Double Impact Review for Xbox 360

System: X360, PS3	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Capcom	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Capcom	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Apr. 14, 2010	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

This is especially problematic for Magic Sword, which lacks both the nostalgic value and the gleeful button-mashing of Final Fight. With a challenging but reasonable life system, Magic Sword could be a marvelous experience on consoles, but without one, it gets a little boring and repetitive. The whole point of platforming is to learn how to navigate the jumps and defeat the enemies without taking damage, but when the only consequence of dying is that you have to use one of your unlimited continues, there's really no reward for learning the levels in detail. In both games, the developers should have given players the option of limiting their continues to a few per level.

Final Fight: Double Impact screenshot

Also, while Final Fight is (again) an undeniable classic that everyone should at least try, it's not clear that it's worth spending $10 on. It's fun, but it really can't compare to the beat-'em-ups that followed, most notably Streets of Rage 2. The enemies have some cheap attacks; they once served the purpose of sucking quarters out of gullible teenagers, but now are just annoying. There's also just a general lack of gameplay nuance; the enemies are an interesting cast of characters with some funny names, but few of them require specific strategies rather than basic timing and button-mashing. Final Fight certainly pales in comparison to newer takes on the genre, such as Castle Crashers.

A quick note to owners of both next-generation consoles: the PSN, but not the XBLA, version of this game has a DRM feature that requires players to be signed in to the PlayStation Network to play the game. Since there are no other significant differences, we recommend the XBLA version to those who have a choice.

In the end, Final Fight: Double Impact is one of the better ports of the classic game. It faithfully recreates the arcade classic, gives players the option of updating the sound, aspect ratio, and visuals, and includes a great second game that most modern gamers aren't familiar with. We can't say it will bowl over modern gamers who've seen better entries in the genre, but it represents an important moment in video game history, and for that reason it's worth a download, at least of the demo.

By Robert VerBruggen
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.2

Graphics
The new graphics are filtered rather than re-made, so this can't compete with new games, but the nostalgia factor shouldn't be underestimated.

5.0

Control
Move, jump, attack, push two buttons at the same time for a special move. No complaints here.

4.1

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Well-done remixed music coupled with the typical sounds of fists hitting flesh. Excellent.

3.6

Play Value
This game is still fun, and the multiplayer component is great, but we wish the developers had done more to make these games challenging with unlimited continues.

3.8

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Online multiplayer: Relive these classics all over again with your friends. GGPO network technology creates a frame-accurate arcade experience across the Internet, and with online voice chat and the ability to join games in progress, it's just like playing in the arcade. Thanks to a toggle-able open invite system, other fighters can jump right in and donate their fist or sword to the cause.

Remixed music: The soundtrack has been adapted by the highly acclaimed composers responsible for Bionic Commando: Rearmed. Or if originals are your thing, hit the switch and take a blast back into the audio past.

High quality visual enhancement: Final Fight and Magic Sword have never looked so good! By utilizing a proprietary graphic algorithm, both games now shine in crisp and clear HD glory. For the purist pixel junkies, toggle it back to play through in its classic original format.

Vault and achievements: Collect a plethora of unlockables! Earn original game art, full-motion video (including a long-forgotten epic Final Fight cartoon), manga chapters from Udon, and fan-art for completing in-game feats! Play through in different ways to unlock everything.

Leaderboards: Bring your A-game, as Final Fight and Magic Sword track your scores to compete and compare for bragging rights.