"Now this is how a beat-em-up should be done!"

Fighting Force 64 is one of the best beat-em-up's on the N64. There aren't many, but this game single handedly more than makes up for what the system lacks in this genre. There's something so old school about playing this, that when you begin the game it will fell reminiscent of Streets of Rage and Double Dragon. I think FF 64 is the spiritual successor to those games. It just puts off that vibe.

When you start the game, you can choose from 4 characters; 2 girls and 2 guys. I like to play as Smasher, the huge guy you see on the front cover of the game. His punches are legendary; They can be heard from miles away. When you begin the first stage, it really lets you know what you are in for. A couple of random guys come out of nowhere at you, and you don't know why you are killing them, but you know it must be done. You punch and kick your way through endless waves of baddies until you reach the end of each level.

One thing I like about this game is you can never get lost, it always makes sure to let you know what you are doing. Just beat everyone up, and either more will come, or you will move on to the next area of the stage. The environments are highly destructible; For example you can go up to a random Coke machine and punch it until it explodes. Or you can pummel a car until its tires fall off. You can then pick those tires up and throw them at enemies. A shotgun conveniently pops out of the trunk of the car, which you can also pick up and blast the life out of your opponents.

I like the way the game recognizes how damage is dealt. For example, I picked up a knife I found on the ground. I sliced a guy with a shirt on, and he fell back but didn't die. After I did that, a shirtless man charged me from behind. Well I quickly turned around and shanked him right in the chest, and you know what? It killed him, right then and there. The game realizes that not wearing a shirt would obviously hurt a lot more than if you had one on, strangely enough.

The game has 3 bosses, and the first two are simple. The last guy, however, is hard as hell. This is mainly because that by the time you get to him, your lives and health will be drained severely, so it will be a very big challenge for you. There are multiple paths you can take in the game, something I found interested for a game of its time. You choose your fate.

One flaw I would say is the game loses its momentum as you progress further. When you begin the game, its so awesome and great and you just love it. But as you make it to the final few stages, the enemies get harder and start blocking a lot more, and they keep on coming and coming. It can get aggravating. But nothing will top those first few levels. The 3rd stage, the elevator, is epic. You walk over to the glass box and punch it open to get the axe out, which you then use to chop your enemies up. Its very violent and bloody, but yet only escaped with a Teen rating. Well deserved, I say.

Sadly, the N64 never got the sequel to the game, but its still a blessing to have received the first one. It's a great beat-em-up, and will be looked at as a classic in years to come. This is the kind of game they don't make anymore. And it's a shame, because this game is great.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/09

Game Release: Fighting Force 64 (US, 04/30/99)