Fighting Force Collection Switch Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch
I remember renting Fighting Force from my local Blockbuster and playing it to death over a single weekend. It was a huge step up in graphics from the beat ‘em ups I’d played before, like Double Dragon 2. My friend and I would rotate through all the characters, trying our best to beat the game before picking a new character and starting all over again. When Limited Run Games announced the Fighting Force Collection for Nintendo Switch, I couldn’t wait to jump back into the brawl, revisiting the original classic and finally experiencing the sequel all in one collection. What’s it like? Pick your character, crack your knuckles, and get ready to fight as we dive into the Fighting Force Collection for Nintendo Switch.
The Fighting Force series is not known for deep narratives, although Fighting Force 2 does make an effort to flesh out its world. In the original game, you pick one of four characters to take down a criminal syndicate led by Dr Dex Zeng, starting in the heart of the city and moving through subway stations, airbases, and secret boss hideouts on an island. Fighting Force 2 expands the story but focuses solely on Manson, one of the original four characters from the first game. You follow him as he tries to dismantle an evil organisation through a series of Metal Gear-style missions.
Much like the narrative, the gameplay in the two games differs wildly.
The original Fighting Force lets you run around stages, beating up bad guys, destroying environmental objects, and choosing different paths at the end of levels. Combat is basic but engaging, with punches, kicks, grabs, a super move that costs health, and the ability to combine running with attacks for some variety. I played through the game and found it started to wear thin about three-quarters of the way through, repeatedly facing the same types of enemies until the final mission, which provided a bit more variety and challenge. The environments are varied enough to keep things interesting, with moments like dodging motorcycle-riding hooligans, military personnel on hover bikes, and thugs lurking in a dimly lit park, with each level ending with a boss fight to mix things up. The game is definitely showing its age, and unfortunately, it has not aged particularly well.
The sequel takes a massive step backwards in both gameplay and variety, turning the experience into a frustrating slog. Gone is the two-player co-op, replaced by a single-player campaign focused on Hawk Manson. Manson may as well be called “Generic McBadass” with the personality of a plank of wood. Combat is hampered by the baffling decision to use Tomb Raider-style tank controls, leaving movement and attacks imprecise. The game tries to add platforming, clunky ladder climbing, and thin platforms that will have you falling to your death in frustration because the camera cannot decide where to look. Gone are the satisfying brawls of the first game, replaced with gadgets and guns that never feel fun to use. It is such a shame to see this sequel strip away almost everything that made the original enjoyable, attempting to become a Metal Gear Solid alternative but failing miserably. The gameplay is so frustrating and so far removed from the first game that I found it difficult to enjoy.
Scoring a collection like this on graphics is tricky because Limited Run Games focuses on game preservation, so the visuals have been largely unchanged from the original releases. There is the option to add or remove CRT filters, and Limited Run Games has added upscaling, which smooths out much of the pixelation while keeping the game looking how you remember it in your memory. There is also a rewind function and save states, giving some quality of life improvements that make the collection easier to enjoy on modern hardware. Limited Run Games has also included a concept art gallery, which is a rather nice touch.
Fighting Force has a surprising amount of variety and brighter environments, which keep your attention more than the bland metal factories of the sequel. The original game’s levels feel lively, with a range of urban streets, parks, and industrial areas. The characters and enemies are classic PS1-style polygons, which sometimes flicker or pop into place, but it adds to the charm rather than taking away from it. Enemy designs are simple, but each area has enough visual distinction to feel different. Fighting Force 2 makes the move into dull, grey factory and military environments, and the lack of variety makes the game feel bland and lacking personality.
Both games run smoothly on Switch and Switch 2, with no framerate issues, though the jank and quirks from the original releases remain intact. It should be noted that Fighting Force 1 features a lot of loading screens when entering new areas. On modern hardware, these are minor interruptions, usually lasting less than five seconds, but they can sometimes impede the flow of gameplay.
For my fighters looking into accessibility, there are no options to speak of in either game. As always, I recommend doing further research to find out if Fighting Force suits your needs. At just under $30 AUD, the Fighting Force Collection can be a tough sell. On one hand, the first game is a decent beat ‘em up that will take just over an hour to complete. The sequel will take around eight hours if you can stick with it, but in my opinion, only the first game is truly worth playing. Paying $30 for just over an hour of enjoyable gameplay feels like a tall order.
I was really looking forward to the Fighting Force Collection, but after playing, a part of me wishes I had left this one in my memory. Fans of the series will know exactly what they are getting here, nothing more, nothing less. Unfortunately, as a fan of the original game, I cannot help but feel disappointed. The first game feels much shorter than I remembered, and the sequel drags on for far too long.
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