Remember the days of pumping quarters into massive arcade cabinets, the air thick with the sounds of digitized punches and synthesized tunes? If you were around in the early 90s, especially with a Neo Geo Games AES or MVS setup nearby, you might recall a beat 'em up Games trying to carve out its territory: Burning Fight Neo Geo.
Released by SNK in 1991, Burning Fight landed smack in the middle of the genre's golden age. It had big shoes to fill, not least because Capcom's Final Fight had already set a sky-high bar just a couple of years prior. SNK, known for legendary fighters and shooters, decided to throw their hat into the urban brawling ring.
But how does Burning Fight hold up today? Was it a worthy contender on the "king of games" hardware, or just another face in the crowd? Let's take a nostalgic stroll through the streets of Osaka and see.
The Neo Geo and the Beat 'em Up Craze
The Neo Geo platform was a beast in the early 90s, bringing arcade-perfect graphics and sound home (if you had deep pockets!). While SNK would later dominate the fighting game scene with Fatal Fury and King of Fighters, they also dabbled in other popular genres.
Beat 'em ups were huge. Games like Final Fight, Double Dragon, and Streets of Rage were arcade and console staples, offering players the simple, cathartic joy of walking right and punching everything that moved. SNK wanted a piece of that pie on their powerful hardware.
Enter Burning Fight
Burning Fight casts you as one of three NYPD detectives – Ryu, Duke, or Billy – who somehow find themselves tackling a Yakuza crime syndicate in Osaka, Japan. It's a classic setup: bad guys have taken someone important (a professor and his daughter), and it's up to our heroes to punch, kick, and throw their way through hordes of thugs to save the day.
The story is... well, it's a beat 'em up story. It serves its purpose as a flimsy excuse to get you moving from left to right, cracking skulls. Don't expect deep narrative here; the focus is purely on the action.
Punching and Kicking Through Osaka
At its core, Burning Fight plays like many beat 'em ups of the era. You've got your standard attack buttons, jumps, and special moves that drain a bit of health (the classic "oh snap, I'm surrounded!" move). You can pick up weapons like pipes, knives, and even firearms, though the ammo is usually limited.
There are destructible environments – smashing phone booths or pianos can reveal hidden items or weapons, a nice touch. The character roster offers slight variations, but honestly, they feel pretty similar in practice compared to the distinct styles of Haggar, Cody, and Guy in Final Fight.
One common criticism back then, and still today, is the difficulty often stemming from "cheap hits" – enemies can sometimes corner you or attack from off-screen in ways that feel a bit unfair. It requires careful positioning and sometimes just brute-forcing your way through with continues.
Looks and Sounds: Early Neo Geo Vibes
Graphically, Burning Fight is... okay for an early Neo Geo title, but perhaps not as stunning as you might expect from the hardware, even for 1991. The character sprites are decent-sized, but the enemy variety is limited, leading to a lot of palette swaps.
The environments, while set in interesting locations like Osaka's Dotonbori district, can feel a bit drab and repetitive. It lacks some of the vibrant detail and animation polish seen in other beat 'em ups of the time.
The audio is typical early Neo Geo. The music is catchy in places but can also be forgettable. Sound effects are functional – punches land with a satisfying thud, and breaking objects sound decent. The digitized voice clips are charmingly dated.
The Inevitable Final Fight Comparison
It's impossible to talk about Burning Fight without mentioning Final Fight. SNK's game clearly took inspiration, perhaps a little too much, from Capcom's hit. From the character archetypes (the balanced guy, the strong guy, the fast guy) to the urban setting and gameplay loop, the parallels are obvious.
Unfortunately for Burning Fight, Final Fight generally wins in most comparisons – graphics, animation, enemy variety, and character distinctiveness. This made it tough for Burning Fight to stand out, even on the powerful Neo Geo.
Is Burning Fight Worth Revisiting Today?
If you're a die-hard Neo Geo fan or a completist for the beat 'em up genre, Burning Fight is certainly worth checking out for historical context. It's a snapshot of SNK trying their hand at a popular genre before focusing on their strengths.
It's not a masterpiece, and it doesn't quite hit the highs of its contemporaries or SNK's later hits. However, there's a certain charm to its straightforward, old-school brawling. It's available on various modern platforms through SNK's ACA Neo Geo series, making it easily accessible if you want to experience it without tracking down original hardware.
It might not be the first beat 'em up you recommend, but for a nostalgic trip back to the early days of the Neo Geo and a look at SNK's genre experiments, Burning Fight offers a decent, if flawed, arcade experience.
Quick Burning Fight FAQ
- What platform was Burning Fight originally released on? Burning Fight was originally released in arcades on the Neo Geo MVS system and simultaneously for the Neo Geo AES home console in 1991.
- How many playable characters are in Burning Fight? There are three playable characters: Ryu, Duke, and Billy.
- Is Burning Fight similar to Final Fight? Yes, Burning Fight is widely considered SNK's response to Capcom's Final Fight and shares many structural and gameplay similarities, though Final Fight is generally regarded as the superior game.
- Can I play Burning Fight on modern consoles? Yes, Burning Fight is available digitally on modern platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC as part of the ACA Neo Geo series by Hamster Corporation.
