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Classic Games

Final Fight

Capcom's beat-em-up benchmark

Final Fight refined the beat-em-up formula with three playable characters, memorable enemies, and polished combat that established Capcom's dominance in the genre.

arcadeSNESsega-mega-cdAmiga beat-em-upactioncapcom 1989

Overview

Metro City’s mayor doesn’t negotiate with gangs—he punches them. Final Fight took Double Dragon’s template and refined every element: smoother combat, distinctive characters, memorable enemies, and superior production values. Originally planned as a Street Fighter sequel, it instead defined what arcade beat-em-ups could achieve.

Fast facts

  • Developer: Capcom.
  • Producer: Yoshiki Okamoto.
  • Players: Two simultaneous (arcade).
  • Stages: Six areas through Metro City.

Playable characters

CharacterStyleSpeedPower
HaggarWrestlerSlowHigh
CodyStreet fighterMediumMedium
GuyNinjaFastLow

Enemy design

EnemyRole
Bred/DugBasic thugs
AndoreGiant wrestler
Poison/RoxyControversial characters
Edi. ECorrupt cop boss
BelgerFinal boss

Combat mechanics

MoveInput
ComboRepeated attack
ThrowGrab and direction
SpecialAttack + jump (drains health)
Weapon pickupKnives, pipes, swords

Home conversions

PlatformLimitations
SNESOne player, Guy missing
Final Fight GuyCody missing instead
Mega CDFull game, loading times

Street Fighter connections

ElementLink
CodyStreet Fighter Alpha
GuyStreet Fighter Alpha
HaggarReferenced throughout
Metro CityShared universe

Legacy

ImpactSignificance
Genre standardBeat-em-up template
SequelsFinal Fight 2, 3
Character crossoversStreet Fighter series

See also