Fighting Force

Players control one of four characters as they move through urban and science fiction environments, battling waves of oncoming enemies with weapons including soda cans, knives, cars, and guns.{{cite magazine |author=EGM staff |title=Fighting Force: A 3-D Final Fight Done Right |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=94|date=May 1997 |page=107}} The player can make some choices as to which territory to travel through.

The four characters have various reasons for taking on Dr. Dex Zeng, a criminal mastermind with an army at his command who predicted that the world would end in the year 2000. After New Year's Eve 1999, Dr. Zeng believed that there was an error preventing the apocalypse, so decides to correct it by destroying the world himself.{{cite magazine |last=Yeo |first=Matt |url=https://archive.org/details/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_021/page/n15/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force (Preview) |magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine |publisher=EMAP |issue=21 |date=July 1997 |pages=16–19 |access-date=22 November 2020}} The action starts with a police cordon around Zeng's office skyscraper, moving to such locales as a shopping mall, subway and Coast Guard base before finally ending at the top of Zeng's island headquarters.

File:Smasher Tire.jpg

Players choose from a selection of four characters: Hawk Manson, Mace Daniels, Alana McKendricks and Ben "Smasher" Jackson.{{cite magazine |author=EGM staff |title=A Force to Be Reckoned With |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=96 |date=July 1997 |pages=87–88}} Hawk Manson and Mace Daniels are two all-around characters. Hawk is somewhat stronger than Mace who is in turn faster than Hawk. Ben "Smasher" Jackson is a large and slow bruiser capable of lifting and throwing the engines of cars at enemies. Alana McKendricks is a fast but soft-hitting teenager with an effective jump-kick. All four characters have a special move that can be performed with the loss of a portion of health.

Core Design originally pitched the game to Sega as a potential fourth entry in Sega's Streets of Rage series. Sega declined; according to Core, Sega explained that it had its own plans for continuing the series. Core opted to go ahead with the game as a standalone, multi-platform title, and started work on it. Core Design collaborated with ten coders from EA Japan in making the game.{{cite magazine |last1=Rider |first1=David |last2=Semrad |first2=Ed |title=Core |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=93 |date=April 1997 |page=75}}

The story line and character designs were done by Marc Silvestri. The character of Dr. Zeng was inspired by Heaven's Gate.

A "Battle Arena" mode was added to the game during development, but it was cut from the final version.{{cite magazine |title=Fighting Farce|magazine=GamePro|issue=114|publisher=IDG|date=March 1998|page=22}}

In addition to the PlayStation, Windows, and Nintendo 64 versions, a Sega Saturn version was developed and eventually completed. After Eidos decided against publishing this version, Sega Europe secured the publishing rights and announced a European release date of November 1997,{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/Official_Sega_Saturn_Magazine_025/page/n25/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force (Preview 2) |magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine |publisher=EMAP |issue=25 |date=November 1997 |pages=26–27 |access-date=22 November 2020}} but ultimately cancelled the release.{{cite magazine |title=Virtua Writer|magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine|issue=28|publisher=Emap International Limited|date=February 1998|page=31}} An early prototype, with older character designs, was leaked in November 2008.{{cite web |url=https://www.satakore.com/news125,,Fighting-Force-Unreleased--Not-really-D.html |title=Fighting Force Unreleased? Not really |website=Satakore.com |access-date=25 October 2009 |archive-date=19 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519052910/http://www.satakore.com/news125,,Fighting-Force-Unreleased--Not-really-D.html |url-status=live }} In February 2024, the released Core running demo disc (which provided a real-time demo of multiple Core Design Saturn titles), which post-dates the leaked beta, was hacked to be playable.https://twitter.com/memory_fallen/status/1758477590606537202 {{bare URL inline|date=February 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://32bits.substack.com/p/fighting-force-unbound | title=Fighting Force, unbound | date=16 February 2024 | access-date=16 February 2024 | archive-date=16 February 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216142716/https://32bits.substack.com/p/fighting-force-unbound | url-status=live }}

Eidos demonstrated a playable Nintendo 64 version at the 1998 E3.{{cite web |author=IGN staff |date=29 April 1999 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/30/eidos-gives-up-on-n64 |title=Eidos Gives Up on N64 |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=22 November 2020}} Eidos later cancelled this version of the game, but in February 1999 publisher Crave Entertainment purchased the rights from Eidos and put the game into its release schedule.{{cite web |author=IGN staff |date=9 February 1999 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/10/crave-nabs-fighting-force |title=Crave Nabs Fighting Force |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=22 November 2020}} The Nintendo 64 version was released in North America and Europe in 1999, under the title Fighting Force 64. Differences include partially improved graphics and changes in the available number of player lives.

In June 2024, Limited Run Games announced that they are working with copyright owner Square Enix to release the game and its sequel in Fighting Force Collection for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Windows (via Steam) platforms with an estimated release for 2025.{{cite web | url=https://www.gematsu.com/2024/06/fighting-force-collection-announced-for-ps5-ps4-switch-and-pc | title=Fighting Force Collection announced for PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC | date=20 June 2024 | access-date=1 July 2024 | archive-date=21 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240621071737/https://www.gematsu.com/2024/06/fighting-force-collection-announced-for-ps5-ps4-switch-and-pc | url-status=live }}

{{Video game reviews

| N64 = true

| PS = true

| na = true

| GR_N64 = 55%{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/197332-fighting-force-64/index.html |title=Fighting Force 64 for Nintendo 64 |website=GameRankings |publisher=CBS Interactive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206064623/https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/197332-fighting-force-64/index.html |archive-date=6 December 2019 |url-status=dead |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| GR_PS = 64%{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197329-fighting-force/index.html |title=Fighting Force for PlayStation |website=GameRankings |publisher=CBS Interactive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206064623/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197329-fighting-force/index.html |archive-date=6 December 2019 |url-status=dead |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| Edge_PS = 6/10{{cite magazine |author=Edge staff |url=https://archive.org/details/edgeuk052/page/n63/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force |magazine=Edge |publisher=Future Publishing |issue=52 |date=December 1997 |page=85 |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| EGM_N64 = 3.25/10{{cite magazine |author=EGM staff |title=Fighting Force 64 |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=118 |date=May 1999}}

| EGM_PS = 7.625/10{{cite magazine |author=EGM staff |title=Fighting Force |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=101 |date=December 1997 |page=203}}

| Fam_PS = 25/40{{cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=16924&redirect=no |title=メタルフィスト [PS] |language=ja |magazine=Famitsu |publisher=Enterbrain |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| GI_N64 = 6.75/10{{cite magazine |url=https://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=3394 |title=Fighting Force 64 |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=FuncoLand |issue=73 |date=May 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000521091407/http://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=3394 |archive-date=21 May 2000 |url-status=dead |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| GI_PS = 6.5/10{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=psx&path=dec97&doc=fforce |title=Fighting Force |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=FuncoLand |issue=56 |date=December 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990914210139/http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=psx&path=dec97&doc=fforce |archive-date=14 September 1999 |url-status=dead |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| GameFan_N64 = 58%{{cite magazine |last1=Mylonas |first1=Eric "ECM" |last2=Ngo |first2=George "Eggo" |last3=Weitzner |first3=Jason "Fury" |url=https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_05/page/n27/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force 64 |magazine=GameFan |publisher=Shinno Media |volume=7 |issue=5 |date=May 1999 |page=26 |access-date=22 November 2020}}{{efn|In GameFan{{'}}s reviews of the Nintendo 64 version, one critic gave it 60, one 49, and another 65.}}

| GameFan_PS = 71%{{cite magazine |last1=Mylonas |first1=Eric "ECM" |last2=Jevons |first2=Dan "Knightmare" |last3=Griffin |first3=Mike "Glitch" |url=https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_5_Issue_12/page/n27/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force |magazine=GameFan |publisher=Metropolis Media |volume=5 |issue=12 |date=December 1997 |page=22 |access-date=22 November 2020}}{{efn|In GameFan{{'}}s reviews of the original PlayStation version, one critic gave it 65, one 70, and another 77.}}

| GameRev_N64 = D{{cite web |author=Ryu |date=September 1999 |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32589-fighting-force-64-review |title=Fighting Force 64 - N64 Review |website=GameRevolution |publisher=CraveOnline |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040218233114/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/n64/action/fighting_force.htm |archive-date=18 February 2004 |url-status=live |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| GSpot_N64 = 4/10{{cite web |last=MacDonald |first=Ryan |date=22 April 1999 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fighting-force-64-review/1900-2543656/ |title=Fighting Force 64 Review |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050223094430/http://www.gamespot.com/n64/action/fightingforce64/review.html |archive-date=23 February 2005 |url-status=live |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| GSpot_PS = 5.3/10{{cite web |last=Gerstmann |first=Jeff |author-link=Jeff Gerstmann |date=1 December 1997 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fighting-force-review/1900-2547543/ |title=Fighting Force Review |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=23 April 2020 |archive-date=7 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807131445/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fighting-force-review/1900-2547543/ |url-status=live }}

| Hyper_N64 = 65%{{cite magazine |last=Toose |first=Dan |url=http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-700-79.jpg |title=Fighting Force 64 |magazine=Hyper |publisher=Next Media Pty Ltd |issue=70 |date=August 1999 |page=79 |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| Hyper_PS = 65%{{cite magazine |last=Toose |first=Dan |url=https://archive.org/details/hyper-051/page/52/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force |magazine=Hyper |publisher=Next Media Pty Ltd |issue=51 |date=January 1998 |pages=52–53 |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| IGN_N64 = 6.4/10{{cite web |last=Boulding |first=Aaron |date=2 June 1999 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/03/fighting-force-64 |title=Fighting Force 64 |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| IGN_PS = 5.5/10{{cite web |author=IGN staff |date=3 November 1997 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/11/04/fighting-force |title=Fighting Force |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=23 April 2020 |archive-date=29 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429084222/https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/11/04/fighting-force |url-status=live }}

| N64_N64 = 26%{{cite magazine |last=Bickham |first=Jes |url=http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-512-83.jpg |title=Fighting Force [64] |magazine=N64 Magazine |publisher=Future Publishing |issue=31 |date=August 1999 |page=83 |access-date=22 November 2020 |archive-date=29 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129163242/http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-512-83.jpg |url-status=live }}

| NGen_PS = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_37/page/n151/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force |magazine=Next Generation |publisher=Imagine Media |issue=37 |date=January 1998 |page=101 |access-date=22 November 2020}}

| NP_N64 = 6.7/10{{cite magazine |url=http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-356-127.jpg |title=Fighting Force 64 |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo of America |volume=114 |date=November 1998 |page=127 |access-date=22 November 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728071527/http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-356-127.jpg |url-status=live }}

| OPM_PS = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Fighting Force |magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |volume=1 |issue=3 |date=December 1997}}

}}

The original PlayStation release received mostly mixed reviews. Critics overwhelmingly commented that the game has a satisfyingly large amount of interactive scenery to destroy or collect weapons from, but agreed that despite the transition to 3D, the gameplay was not meaningfully different from the 2D beat 'em ups of earlier console generations. GameSpot summed it up as "basically a 3D version of Capcom's classic, Final Fight, except the characters and enemies lack the personality that made Final Fight exciting." Some, however, looked on the game's lack of innovation as a virtue rather than a liability; Shawn Smith commented in Electronic Gaming Monthly, "What's cool about Fighting Force is that it plays like the old side-scrolling games of the same nature. Then you might ask, why not just make a 2-D one. Well, when the 3-D works, why not go with it?" Next Generation took more of a middle ground, stating that "despite its derivative nature, Fighting Force is a very fun game. Yet, it's just not the same huge leap forward for the Final Fight genre that we might have expected from the creators of Tomb Raider."

Besides a lack of originality, some critics criticized it for repetitiveness and took issue with how the control configuration assigns multiple actions to the same button while leaving other buttons on the controller unused, saying this often results in the character performing a different action than intended and leaving them open to enemy attacks. GamePro nonetheless opined, "Despite its few flaws, Fighting Force delivers the fierce fun and beat-fools-silly action that PlayStation gamers are looking for."{{cite magazine |author=Johnny Ballgame |url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_102_January_1998/page/n87/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG |issue=112 |date=January 1998 |page=88 |access-date=22 November 2020}}{{efn|GamePro gave the PlayStation version 4.0 out of 5 in all four categories (graphics, sound, control, and fun factor).}} IGN, while contradicting GamePro by actually praising the game's controls, offered a somewhat more pessimistic overall take: "With solid graphics, impeccable control, yet almost zero innovation or variety, Fighting Force is a mixed bag. If in doubt, rent before you buy." AllGame gave the game three stars out of five, saying, "All in all, Fighting Force isn't a bad game. Just some problems that lie in the gameplay department and some graphical glitches that keep this title from achieving the status of the games it was modeled after."{{cite web |last=Romero |first=Joshua |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2115&tab=review |title=Fighting Force - Review |website=AllGame |publisher=All Media Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115072858/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2115&tab=review |archive-date=15 November 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=22 November 2020}} In Japan, where the game was ported and published by Electronic Arts Victor under the name {{nihongo|Metal Fist|メタルフィスト|Metaru Fisuto}} on 15 January 1998, Famitsu gave it a score of 25 out of 40.

PC Zone gave the PC version 88%, calling it "a computer game in which a lot of people get hurt in a variety of entertaining ways, with excellent 3D visuals and a surprising amount of detail."{{cite magazine |last=Brooker |first=Charlie |url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_56_November_1997/page/n81/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force |magazine=PC Zone |publisher=Dennis Publishing |issue=56 |date=November 1997 |pages=82–85 |access-date=22 November 2020}} However, PC Gamer UK gave it 62%, calling it "A middle class game without fire in its belly that refuses to strive for better things."{{cite magazine |last=Bickham |first=Jes |url=https://archive.org/details/pc-gamer-uk-055/page/n85/mode/2up |title=Fighting Force |magazine=PC Gamer UK |publisher=Future publishing |issue=55 |date=April 1998 |pages=86–87 |access-date=19 December 2020}}

GamePro and Nintendo Power gave the Nintendo 64 average reviews while the game was still in development under Eidos, months before the company handed its development rights over to Crave.{{efn|GamePro gave the Nintendo 64 version 4/5 for graphics, 3.5/5 for sound, and two 3/5 scores for control and fun factor.}}{{cite magazine |author=Scary Larry |url=http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-786-112.jpg |title=Fighting Force [64] |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG Entertainment |issue=125 |date=February 1999 |page=112 |access-date=22 November 2020 |archive-date=21 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921034909/http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-786-112.jpg |url-status=live }}

The game was a commercial success, selling {{nowrap|1 million}} units worldwide and satisfying a demand for a Streets of Rage like 3D beat 'em up experience in the industry at the time.{{cite book |last1=Hickey |first1=Patrick |chapter=Sarah Jane Avory, Fighting Force: From Streets of Rage 3D to Core Classic |title=The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews with Cult and Classic Video Game Developers |date=9 April 2018 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-1-4766-7110-9 |page=45 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K5hUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA45}} In the United States, the game sold 596,404 units.{{cite web |title=PS1 US Sales from 1995-2003 |url=http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/Ps1ussales.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050520021742/http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/Ps1ussales.htm |url-status=live |archive-date=May 20, 2005 |website=Game Pilgrimage |publisher=NPD Group |access-date=18 October 2020}}

{{clear}}

A sequel, Fighting Force 2, was released on December 13, 1999 for the PlayStation and Dreamcast. Unlike the first title, Fighting Force 2 focuses on the character of Hawk Manson exclusively, and rewards a more stealthy approach.

A second sequel, Fighting Force 3 was also in development for the Xbox and PlayStation 2, but was cancelled during development.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{moby game|id=/fighting-force}}

{{Core Design}}

{{Square Enix franchises}}

{{Marc Silvestri}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1997 video games

Category:3D beat 'em ups

Category:Beat 'em ups

Category:Cancelled Sega Saturn games

Category:Cooperative video games

Category:Core Design games

Category:Crave Entertainment games

Category:Eidos Interactive games

Category:Fiction featuring the turn of the third millennium

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:Nintendo 64 games

Category:Organized crime video games

Category:PlayStation (console) games

Category:PlayStation Network games

Category:Square Enix franchises

Category:Video games about cults

Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom

Category:Video games featuring female protagonists

Category:Video games set in New York City

Category:Windows games