This is one of my favorite beat em ups of all time. I have fond memories of this game as I played this arcade game at the "Auburn Family Fun Center" when I was a kid along with an invited friend or two; it was so much fun then and as an adult still is today. This game was another in a long string of games in the 90's when the beat em up genre was in full swing. The game of course is the sequel to "Crime Fighters" and personally I think this game is a lot better. Don't get me wrong I do like "Crime Fighters" (written a review on the game) but this game I like a lot more because I feel it has a lot more too it, improves upon itself and even corrects all of the short comings of the first game.
The plotline is basic as you must both save a damsel in distress but also the city from this crime organization that have now overtaken the city. That's it in a nutshell, yeah plot pretty basic and cliché like one you'd see in a lot of 80's and 90's action films. But it doesn't really matter as by its nature it just a clothesline for the action which is what were all here for.
I really like the graphical presentation which is a huge step up from the first game, as the sprites are actually a little bigger kind of the standard size in any fighting game which is personally how I like it. I really like the background animation just the amount of detail that really show the nit and grit of the streets and the city. The grimness of the city just shows how far the corruption as affected the city, which really gives the game it's dangerous atmosphere as no place you walk feels safe as there is danger wherever you go and you only salvation is to fight you way out.
I also like how the game doesn't take itself too seriously as it has a bit of a sense of humor. Mainly in the expressions of the characters like when you kick one of your opponents in the balls. Or even when you smash you opponents toward a wall and how they just slide down after that as if they were an insect that just got smashed. This humor helps in reassuring the gamers that this is just a game not to be taken seriously but to have fun.
Gameplay is also really good; I like that you get to play four players this time which I thought was cool because it always meant more access for anyone else that wants to play the game but also just having more people join in on the fun. Let alone makes sense as in the fighting games you always up against a staggering amount of odds so you need all the help you can get.
Really like the detail on all four characters where the guy in the red shirt looks like Wesley Snipes, blue shirt Hulk Hogan, green shirt Mr. T or Zangiff from "Street Fighter 2", and the yellow shirt Dolph Lundgren or Duke from "G. I. Joe". Makes sense they'd look like them as they were all prominent action figures at the time.
Each of these characters have strengths and weaknesses, I personally like playing as the yellow shirted guy and even the red as both have a better balance for me anyway. I like how each of them have different styles of fighting from the red shirt it's more boxing and the yellow shirt martial arts, with these styles it means different sets of combos and moves. Like for example, with the first game you still can beat your opponent's when they're on the ground but you can also do some other take down with them depending on which character you have like the Hulk Hogan guy his is jumping and driving his elbow down in midair which is a common take down move for wrestlers.
You have a great variety of weapons which are always your best friends in the fighting games. Each of them have good uses like a giant sandbag when thrown at an enemy stuns them as they cough out the dust giving you the opportunity for attack. Another which is a second favorite if no surprise is the nail bat which is just cool as it not just delivers damage but is what knocks opponents toward the walls. My favorite weapon of all is the shotgun, it's just always cool having to use guns in beat em ups which doesn't happen often but most importantly it's the most powerful weapon as it's discharges the most damage. But like with all guns there's limited ammo so make your shots count.
I even like the character animation on your opponents which you have a good variety of enemies that are the typical street punks from the 80s and 90s films, female opponents that are always dressed up as domenatrixs for some reason and I find strangely erotic (I don't know why honestly), and others that are Jason Vorhees wanabees. There are even bosses whom are all unique and each of the scuffles with them are solid as their all a different challenge. Like one of them is a giant punk rocker armed with a power saw which as a kid made me nervous which is understandable as we all have that fear of getting hurt by power tools. Another is two guys in a purple suits when one is a giant muscle bound guy and another is a midget that's super-fast.
And of course, the sound is great as each of impactful blows even environmental blows are just music to my ears as they really sound and feel like damage is being done. The music, which is just superb in my book, Konami always did pull of some memorable tracks for the video games. The tracks in this game are ones that I love to play when working out as each of them just sing out knuckle busting action, my favorite is the track for the first level which just always gets me going.
This vintage beat em up classic packs plenty of punches.
Rating: 3 and a half stars.
