Final Fight: Streetwise

Cover art (PlayStation 2)
Developer(s)	Capcom Production Studio 8 (PS2) Secret Level (Xbox)
Publisher(s)	Capcom Entertainment
Designer(s)	Dave Ralston Joe Willis (uncredited) Joe Spataro Michael Alexander Cecil Carthen Eric Luther
Series	Final Fight
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release date(s)	‹See Tfd› NA: February 28, 2006 EU: April 7, 2006
Genre(s)	Beat 'em up, Action-adventure, Sandbox
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Final Fight: Streetwise is a 3D beat-'em-up produced by Capcom, released in North America and the PAL region for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2006. It is a spin-off of the original Final Fight developed by the American team of Capcom Production Studio 8 (the developers of Final Fight Revenge and the Maximo series).

The game returned the series to its beat'em up roots, casting players as Kyle Travers, brother of Cody from the first game. Series regulars Haggar and Guy also make appearances in the game's story mode, which has Kyle battling a maniacal priest named Father Bella and the illegal drug "glow."

Gameplay

Final Fight: Streetwise is a 3D beat 'em up running at 30 frames per second.^[1] The story mode, which is exclusively single player, has ten minigames, including cockroach stomping, arm-wrestling, slide puzzles, shooting contests and the classic car bash. Players earn money through pit fights and side missions, upgrading Kyle's moveset by training in various gyms in Metro City while progressing through the game. An 'instinct' system allows you to counter opponents' attacks, as well as make your attacks more powerful.

The arcade mode is a no-frills 3D brawler for 1 or 2 players. It does not have upgradable movesets, counters or instinct abilities. Kyle, Cody, Guy and Haggar are all playable characters in arcade mode. However, the game is over when the life bar is empty.

The game's save system can only be used once the player decides to quit the game. Progress will resume at the last checkpoint rather than the character's last position.

Plot

The games's story is non-canon to the main games. Streetwise is set several years after the original Final Fight, and focuses on Kyle Travers, Cody's younger brother. In Streetwise, Kyle roams the streets of his hometown, doing detective work, on the search for his captured brother. Kyle will run into familiar faces, as well as new ones.

Story

Kyle and Cody Travers are brothers who take part in the sport of underground fighting. As Cody Travers' younger brother, Kyle is the star of the underground Metro City fight club, spending nights fighting various other fighters in order to earn enough quick cash to make ends meet. After the end of a fight one evening, Kyle and Cody decide to meet at the local bar to celebrate with some beers and a round of pool; however, Cody has some unspoken business that delays his arrival for an hour. After Kyle arrives at the bar, he plays a game with his girlfriend and bar owner Vanessa Sims (whose brother is a member of the police department), while waiting for Cody. Kyle later finds out that Cody is using a powerful strength-enhancing drug called "glow", which helps the arthritis in his knees. Kyle later discovers that glow is being made by a psychotic priest named Father Bella, who hopes to use the drug to bring about the apocalypse. When Kyle finds Bella on the roof of his church, Cody is with him, mutated by a concentrated dose of glow. It is later revealed that Bella is actually the younger brother of Belger, the antagonist of the original game, just before he and Kyle begin to fight.

During the battle, Cody regains his senses, and throws himself and Bella off the roof. In the courtyard of the church where both Bella and Cody have landed from the fall and survived, Bella reaches for his handgun but is stopped by Kyle. He says to Kyle "I am your savior," but Kyle picks up the gun, telling Bella, "You're nothing." Kyle then shoots Bella in the head. Afterward he finds Cody unconscious from the fall.

Some time later, Kyle and Cody wake up in the hospital, where they meet with Vanessa whose brother was killed during the final battles; she holds onto her late brother's badge in his memory. Cody's arthritis is now gone and he seems eager to resume fighting. Kyle notices Dr. Chang, the creator of "glow", leaving the police station on the local news and mentions he has a feeling this might not be over quite yet.

Characters

The game’s protagonist is Kyle Travers, brother of Cody Travers from the original Final Fight. He is a 27-year-old former Marine who has lived on the streets of Metro City, along with Cody, since childhood. Coming from a broken family, Kyle was brought up by his brother, who taught him how to survive life on the streets and earn respect. Haggar reveals that Kyle was a troublemaker and hoodlum prior to joining the military, calling him a "skinny legged punk". Later, as a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, Kyle uses his talent to support himself in the local pit fighting club. He goes in search of Cody after he is abducted from Kyle’s girlfriend’s bar. His girlfriend, Vanessa Sims, and her brother, Sergeant Sims, aid Kyle in his search by providing him with information as they get it.

Enemies included Andore and Cammy. The game’s antagonist is Father Bella. He has been distributing a new drug called GLOW throughout Metro City. It is later revealed that he is the younger brother of Belger, the antagonist of the original Final Fight.

Development

Before Streetwise entered development, Capcom Studio 8 worked on a separate game for the PlayStation 2, titled Final Fight: Seven Sons, which had different characters, a different gameplay system, a simulated "railcam" and cel-shaded graphics, the latter two of which served to mimic the aesthetics of Final Fight and its SNES sequels.^[2]

A promotional comic that contained concept art, illustrated by artist and lead voice actor Trent Kaniuga, was included with preorders of the game.

As seen in the promotional comic, Sodom and Poison, both of whom were from the original Final Fight as well as Final Fight Revenge, were initially planned to be in Streetwise. It is unknown what their intended roles in the game were, or why they were cut from the final version. Additionally, Mike Haggar and Guy were supposed to have more screen-time, but several cutscenes featuring them were eventually removed.^[3]

Soundtrack

As well as remixes of the original game's themes, the soundtrack was provided by RZA, Mos Def, Fear Factory, Slipknot, Soulfly, Dub Pistols, Shadows Fall, Opeth, Lil' Flip, Nappy Roots, Dujeous and Gizmachi.

Reception

Upon release, the game received largely negative reviews worldwide, with an average score of 47% at GameRankings,^[6] and failed to achieve mainstream success. Many video game review websites and magazines, including IGN,^[7] GameSpot^[8] GameSpy^[9] and Game Informer,^[10] have made several complaints about flaws in the game, usually ending with a negative review. Many reviewers claimed that, while the game offers a simple and functional gameplay in the same vein of the original arcade game, it is easily overshadowed by the flaws in other departments. ScrewAttack named Final Fight: Streetwise as 6th on their list of "Top 10 Worst 2D to 3D Games" and also placed the game in the number five spot on their "Top 10 Worst Reboots or Remakes" list.

References

External links

• Official website
• Hardcore Gaming 101 Final Fight series review, including a different view on Final Fight: Streetwise