3 Games to Bid Farewell to March

You can practically play this on any device these days.

Right now, my mission is simple: bring justice to the streets.

Recently, I’ve been diving back into Capcom’s classic beat ’em ups from the late ’80s to mid-’90s. Some of these I’ve revisited, while others are entirely new experiences for me. Just last week, a friend and I tackled Capcom’s fantastic licensed Dungeons & Dragons brawlers—Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara—using the Chronicles of Mystara collection. I was blown away by their engaging combat, the plethora of secrets and alternate routes, and the way they weave in inventory management and magical items. Now, as another weekend rolls around, I’m eager to return to the game that kickstarted Capcom’s iconic beat ’em up streak: 1989’s Final Fight.

For me, Final Fight epitomizes what a beat ’em up should be. I can still vividly recall how remarkable it was to stumble upon this game back in the day, whether it was tucked away in an arcade or a small corner of a nearby laundromat or convenience store. Those enormous characters, the gritty voice samples, and the adrenaline-pumping combat—it was unmistakably a game that would redefine a genre. Final Fight took the foundation set by predecessors like Double Dragon and Renegade and elevated it into something infinitely more engaging, attractive, and unforgettable. It’s been years since I’ve played it, and my gaming buddy has never experienced it at all. This weekend feels like the perfect time for Metro City Mayor Mike Haggar to dust off his gloves, take on the Mad Gear gang, and face the ultimate antagonist: a wealthy, powerful figure ruling his crime syndicate from a gleaming skyscraper, above the gritty, crumbling streets and subway cars that make Final Fight’s depiction of a city teetering on chaos so compelling. — Carolyn Petit