Brutal: Paws of Fury

"A trip down memory lane."

Before getting to the review, I am going to take you on a trip down memory lane. Back in the day, when Genesis and SNES ruled, my brother and I owned the greatest gaming console know to man, the Sega Genesis. We had timeless classics like Sonic, Kid Chameleon, Streets of Rage, Toe Jam and Earl, Shining Force, and Phantasy Star. We always played these games, and they never got old. Then, one fateful day, my brother invited a few of his friends over, and one of them brought a hidden gem. A gem named “Brutal: Paws of Fury”. Everything about it was amazing. The graphics, the music, the unique blend of characters. It was the perfect game. We stayed up all night playing, setting up tournaments, yelling and screaming, turning the system off. It was a grand time, and a much simpler time. Now, I must worry about the issues of College, exams, money, and having a successful life. If I could stay in that cool, dark basement, playing this game for eternity, I think I would do that. I really do, I'm not just saying that either.

With that being said, let us finally get to the review.

Graphics--9/10
The graphics on this game were simply amazing. The characters looked realistic, the foregrounds and backgrounds were also visually stunning. When I played the game, I felt like I was in a cave, or in a waterfall. That is how good the graphics really were. The worlds are very colorful and bright, there is no time during this game where there is any lacking of visual effects. Graphics easily deserves a 9 out of 10.

Sound/Music--9/10
The Sound effects and musical score in this game are also top-notch. The sound effects vary for each character. Each character sounds different when they are attacking or getting attacked, unlike Mortal Kombat, in which all characters have the same voice. The music is also fitting to the game. The music is a variation of different Kung-Fu sounding songs, which fits perfectly with this game. The soundtracks don't get old, and give you the feeling that you are fighting in a high-stakes martial arts battle. Sound/Music is awarded a 9 out of 10.

Controls--9/10
The controls for this game are almost identical to those of Mortal Kombat. Which is not in any way a bad thing. The format is set up very well. You have kick, punch, and block buttons. There is also variations of these moves. Such as a high punch, or high kick. You can also perform flying kicks and punches. Each character has their own unique move sets, which also keeps the game fresh. Controls receives a 9 out of 10.

Gameplay--9/10
The gameplay is like the stereotypical early fighting game. There is no real story. This game revolves around a tournament based mission mode. You pick your character, and you then fight the rest of the characters, learning new combos and moves along the way. While the single-player is good, the multi-player is where it's really at. This game, like so many others, is just better with humans. It's just the truth. Playing with humans is so much better. With the variety of characters and stages, this game has a sweet multi-player mode. However, staying up all night, drinking soda, and eating massive amounts of tootsie rolls, may also help in having a fun time. Gameplay is like any other classic fighting game, straight forward and to the point. It gets a 9 out of 10.

Replayability--9/10
Games like this never get old. It's more than 10 years since this game came out, and I am still playing it. Not on the same level, because the people I once played it with are now nowhere to be found. If you have people to play it with, and they enjoy this type of game, I could see you not getting bored with this for many years to come. This is truly great game, that has stood the test of time. Replayability, is also awarded a 9 out of 10.

So, I hope in reading this review, you gained some new insight about this commonly overlooked game. If you ever see it in stores, I suggest picking it up. Maybe, just maybe, it will provide you with the many hours of fun it has provided me.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/16/06