Final Fight: Double Impact
PS3 via Playstation Network and Xbox
360 via Xbox Live Arcade
Capcom
$14
Most longstanding game publishers are savvy enough nowadays to tap into players' nostalgic nerves.
But nobody has as much fun doing it as Capcom does, and if the PSP compilations, Mega Man revival and brilliant Dark Void Zero weren't proof enough, Final Fight: Double Impact should do it.
Impact's main attraction is, naturally, the arcade-perfect translation of 1989's Final Fight, which endures remarkably well as one of the best 2D brawlers ever made.
The port is spotless, and Capcom does it modern justice with online leaderboards and two-player local/online co-op support.
That alone would comprise a job well done for most publishers, but Capcom showers its source material with additional love by way of a superbly remixed soundtrack, an awesome optional visual presentation that filters the graphics through a mock arcade cabinet screen, and a large assortment of in-game achievements that unlock various Final Fight multimedia and give long-time fans of the game entirely new challenges to overcome.
Additionally, and because Capcom can, Impact also includes an arcade-perfect port of another game, Magic Sword, that is too obscure to sell on its own, but a fantastically fun sidescroller in its own right.
The same care that goes into Fight - co-op support and achievements included - graces Sword as well, giving fans of arcade gaming's most golden years something to discover as well as something to treasure.
- McClatchy-Tribune
