ST Format


Superfighter

Author: Rob Mead
Publisher: Ocean
Machine: Atari ST

 
Published in ST Format #43

Superfighter

With a title like Superfighter you could be forgiven for thinking that all your beat-'em-up fantasies were going to come true - and, well, you'd be wrong. Ocean have merely taken three of their old games - Final Fight, Pit-Fighter and WWF Wrestlemania - and given them a new lease of life by sticking them in the same box.

Final Fight

You play Haggar, or one of his pals, as he fights his way through the mean streets of Metro City. You're attacked by so many people you sometimes feel someone's put a "Kick Me" sticker on your back. Unfortunately for the baddies, you're an expert at the Back Drop and the Pile Drive and soon show them who's boss.

All this action takes place against a backdrop of urban decay in warehouses, underground stations and back alleys. Of the three games included in Superfighter, this is by far the best. The graphics are good and the control mechanism is a cinch. The sprites aren't particularly well-animated, but then that's not your main consideration in a beat-'em-up, is it?

Pit-Fighter

When you're tired of fighting in tube trains, how about some motorcycle throwing? Pit-Fighter is apparently one of the world's favourite illegal sports and you get to play Ty, Kato or Buzz in a one or two-player game.

There are no pretensions to plot in this one, you just bash away at eight different opponents in a series of no-holds barred contests, with the ultimate aim of becoming the pit-fighting champion. If you're victorious at the end of the bout you're awarded a series of bonuses - you get more money in your fight purse, a knockout bonus and a brutality bonus. This game really is the pits. The graphics and sprites are crap and the whole setup is so tacky that you just can't wait to switch your ST off. A total bummer.

WWF WrestleMania

You've bought the T-shirt, eaten the cereal, played the pop record and watched them on "The Word". Hulk Hogan and his pals are simply the Osmonds for people who drag their knuckles on the floor when they walk.

Ocean are obviously trying to get as much mileage out of this game as they can before the whole WWF bubble bursts because it also appears in their Dream Team compilation.

You play Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior or the British Bulldog in a series of tussles against Sgt Slaughter and the Warlord, among others. The game has a reasonably good control mechanism and some neat touches - you have to waggle the joystick like mad if you're going to stand a chance of beating your opponent during, say, a grappling session. Despite this, WWF WrestleMania is still a shoddy exploitative exercise.

Verdict

This is a sadly average compilation - none of the games is anything remotely special and Pit-Fighter is definitely past its sell-by date. For beat-'em-up addicts who can't wait for Street Fighter II only.

Highs

Good for a quick bash before breakfast. Final Fight is the best.

Lows

None of these is going to be able to hold its head up when Street Fighter II comes out.

Rob Mead

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