Final Fight: Metro City

Final Fight: Metro City (ウルトラストリートファイター) is a 2.5D fighting game produced by Mad Man Ninja Studios and published by Capcom. It is the first Final Fight game in the main Street Fighter series released by Capcom, and the first Final Fight game since the arcade release of Final Fight Revenge in 1999. The game follows the Street Fighter shared universe and progrides chronologically after Rival Schools 3: Graduation Year.

The arcade version was released in Japan on July 18, 2023 and was given a limited release in North American arcades in August. Home versions were released for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox One on February 12, February 16, and February 20 in Japan, North America, and Europe respectively. The Windows version of the game was released on July 2, July 3, and July 7, 2024 in Japan, Europe, and North America respectively. This title update also features brand new modes.

Gameplay
Coming closer to the shared universe, Final Fight: Metro City is a essencially a fighting game, not a beat-em-up. While it features fighters and backgrounds rendered in 3D, the gameplay remains on a traditional 2D plane. Producer Yoshinori Ono has stated that he wanted to keep the game closer to Street Fighter IV than its sequels, and as such the combat system from Final Fight Revenge has been dropped. A new system has been introduced, including Ultra Combos. The traditional six-button control scheme debuts for the series, with new features and special moves integrated into the input system, mixing classic gameplay with additional innovations.

Pressing both light attack buttons is for throwing, and both heavy attack buttons are for the personal action or taunts. Super Combos, the powered-up special moves that have been many fighting games series' mainstay are present. Similar to Super Turbo, each character has one set super move. Ultra Combos are long and cinematic moves usually featuring a lengthy combination of punches, kicks and other moves. Just as there is a Super Combo Gauge, there is also an Ultra Combo gauge, but whereas the Super Combo meter fills as the player hits an opponent, the Ultra Combo Gauge fills when one takes damage from the opponent.

During the Arcade Mode, there are bonus modes in wich the character crosses a location in Metro City in a beat-em-up style, facing previously defeated opponents. Mad Man Ninja, the developer of the game, later stated that the bonus stages would not be in the arcade game, citing the reason to be that the time players spend on bonus stages takes money from arcade operators. This may also explain the option to turn off the bonus stages in the arcade mode on the home console versions of Final Fight: Metro City.

Plot
"Desk work just isn't my thing, ya know... looks like I can have a little fun now!

(デスクワークは性に合わなくてねぇ. 少しは楽しめそうだな)"

The Mayor of Metro City, Cody Travers, learns that a new power is rising in the city's underworld, united in the figure of King Cobra. In order to investigate it without deflagrating a new war, he decides to create the Metro City Tournment, a martial arts fighting tournment that will concede a huge prize money and the simbolic City Hall Key to the winner.

In order to prepare the city for any troubled outcame, he gathers strong allies and old foes to help him deal with this new threat, from the inside and out.

Characters

 * Cody Travers: Now no longer a prisoner, the actual Mayor of Metro City finds the job tedious and boring, but he secretly finds an opportunity in his new position as mayor to finally clean Metro City of its criminal activities in person, just like how his immediate predecessor Mike Haggar and himself did way back.
 * King Cobra: An African-American male who used a mix of Kung Fu and breakdancing under the moniker, “Breaking-Fu” as his fighting style. He recently rose to proeminence in the underground as the new face of shady business and plans to expand his markets despite the Metro City Hall's actions.
 * Zeku: As the noteworthy 38th successor of Bushinryu, Zeku is a very proficient and adept ninja master whose career has been considered to have revived Bushinryu back to its former glory since the languishing days of the Meiji Restoration. Contemplating his evolved art's possible contributions to modern society, he helps Cody run the city trough the shadows with his Strider Clan. Now managing the local government in the underground, he is the connection between official and unofficial ways.
 * Maki: A member of the Bushin-clan along with Guy and disciple of Zeku, assembled in Metro City to the tournment. Maki is best described as a hot-blooded tomboy who loves to get into street fights, staying true to her past as a delinquent. She also acts very cocky and confident towards her opponents, as shown with her taunting them after winning. She dislikes the fact that Guy will become the 39th master of Bushin-ryu, thinking she deserved it more than he did and wanting to take the title herself.
 * Guy: He returned to Metro City after training with Zeku and being proclamed the next grandmaster of Bushinryu. Guy deeply respects his master, and swears to fullfill his role as successor to the Bushin style, and chase the evil that is Shadaloo.
 * Poison: Even during the times when they were still enemies, Poison has a liking to Cody, and this feeling still persists. Cody flatly rejects her, especially when he and Jessica were still together. However, after being a convict and breaking up with Jessica, Cody still is standoffish against her. By this time, Cody, who has since reformed and became the new Mayor of Metro City acknowledges her for her own reformed reputation, and has also shown interest in having her in the government as a counselor.
 * Hugo Andore: Ever since his defeat and humiliation at the hands of Mike Haggar during the events of Final Fight, Hugo has been determined to assert himself as the number one wrestler in the world. Teaming up with Poison after the fall of Mad Gear in order to prove himself in the art of international fighting, he enters the Metro City tournament.
 * Lucia: She is an enthusiastic, determined, and upright police officer who rather lets her fist do the talking than read by the book as most traditional officers do, she does every benevolent duty with a smile. She is supportive of those in her company, especially with Cody and Haggar.
 * Dean: A towering, muscular fellow with tall, spiky, blond hair. He travelled around the world to try to forget the death of his family by the hands of Skull Gear Gang and believes the New Metro City Tournment may help him change his focus from hate to discipline.
 * Carlos Miyamoto: Carlos grew up in Brazil studying different types of martial arts. He moved to Metro City to finish his studies and stayed with Mike Haggar for a period of time. Although Carlos had mastered many styles of fighting, he prefers to use his katana to slice and dice his enemies.
 * Crimson Viper: C. Viper is a secret agent under the employ of a U.S. government agency, later shown to be the CIA. She is deployed in Metro City to investigate macabre events in the underground gangs, possibly related to the rising of a new terrorist association with political branches.
 * Mike Haggar: The former Mayor of Metro City, he was the one to indicate Cody to the office. While Haggar knew he wouldn't like the job at first, he completely believed Cody was the right man for the job, as he knew his sense of justice was much greater than his internal demons. He'll do whatever he can to make Cody's job a lot less troubling, especially if it involves something about Mad Gear trying to take over from the shadows.
 * Gunloc: Nicknamed the "Florida Wild Horse", Gunloc grew as a street fighter in the slums. He trained under Mike Haggar along with his friend/rival and fellow wrestler Biff Slamkovich, and they became famous CWA wrestlers together. Gunloc had once tried to put the moves on Haggar's daughter Jessica, but after she had ignored him, Cody had gotten into a serious fight against him because of it. He later did the same thing again, to which Haggar himself was not personally amused by any of this and that the entire situation had soon led to both Haggar and Gunloc getting involved against each other in a serious fight of their own. He is the younger rother of Guile.
 * Meteorito Jr.: He is a famous Mexican luchador that is the master of El Stingray and El Fuerte. His name comes from the shooting star on the forehead of his mask. He is an excellent trainer, having a dojo in Mexico where he raised many great luchadores. He comes to Metro City to divulge his wrestling school.
 * Skullomania: As his regular self, his meek, simplistic outlook makes him nondescript. Once he dons his Skullomania persona, he becomes a heroic figure, despite the macabre motif, with a powerful sense of justice. One thing that survives both persona phasing is his somewhat campy sense of humor and showboating. He relocates to Metro City and acts as the city's vigilante.
 * Rufus: He is a loudmouthed, vituperative, and temperamental master of Kung-Fu, hailing from the U.S. Believing himself to be the strongest in America, he develops a personal hatred for Ken Masters. He enters the tournment to prove himself as a worthy opponent.
 * Byron Taylor: He is an USAF captain general, thus Guile's superior. He is a hard worker, possesses a small private plane, and is a dog lover that keeps five bulldogs. He comes to Metro City as a request from Lucia.
 * Captain Sawada; He is a former soldier of the Allied Nations, ascended to Captain while serving with Guile to thwart Shadaloo's attempt at world domination. He now acts as a japanese agent in the ocident as a counter-terrorist counselor. He comes to Metro City as a request from Lucia.
 * Rolento: He is a former member of the Mad Gear Gang who is quite very resolved and determined in having to create and establish his own military utopian nation. Having fought in countless wars, particularly the Vietnam War, Rolento is an expert in guerrilla tactics, psychological warfare and combat weaponry.
 * Sodom: He is an American Japanophile who was once a member and ringleader of the Mad Gear Gang. Sodom is well-versed in many elements of Japan's culture; however, a source of humor is that his usage of the Japanese language is questionable, as shown with the kanji on his costume and several of his win quotes. He enters the tournmnet to receive the money prize and establish himself as a dojo sensei in Japan.
 * Atlas: He was a promising athlete in his youth, who spiraled into a degenerate lifestyle of alcoholism and violence. After being involved with gang crimes, he tries to distance himself and rebuild a martial arts based life.
 * Ace: He is a secret government agent capable of analyzing and copying skills of other fighters. He does not show much emotion. It can be assumed that he is a very focused man, and that he takes his missions seriously. He has a device implanted in his spine which can analyze cards, which hold data on fighting skills, and by loading them, he can learn every type of mixed martial art.
 * Philippe: After being arrested for acting as the leader of a criminal group that smuggles drugs and weapons, Philippe tried to rebuild his life with dignity and honesty. Now, he works again as a ringmaster for the famed traveling R&B Circus, excelling at animal acts and juggling, travelling the world. He gets to know about the Metro City Tournment while touring in the U.S. and decides to take part in it.
 * Axl: He has a bit of a wild personality, often enjoying tearing through the streets of Metro City with his friends at night. Axl has a love for motorcycles and vehicles, his newest prize being a made-in-Japan motorbike. He enters the tournment to get the prize and invest in a heavy metal band.
 * Abigail: He supposedly renounced his life of crime and started a mechanic's garage in the Metro City Bay Area called "Abigail's Scrap Metal," hiring fellow former Mad Gear goons J, Axl and Roxy who also assumedly live at the garage with him.
 * Bull: A kind hearted man that has a wife and daughter. He grew in the wilderness and loves animals and plants, and adopted a white dog. He went to Metro City in hopes of making fortune. He injured his back while working, so he is considering changing his job.
 * Callman: The owner and lead bouncer of an upscale pub known as Club Sims in the backstreets of Metro City, where he gathers information from the city. A thorough professional, Callman rigorously keeps the place in line as both its hard working boss and head of security, being called "Mr. Callman" by his subordinates.
 * Gerald Golby: Gerald is an elite wrestler with a tough body that began training when he was 4 years old. He is a newcomer in the mixed martial arts world, but there are great expectations for his future.
 * Damnd: He is a large dark-skinned Caribbean man (from the Dominican Republic) with blond dreadlocks, each ending in a number of beads. He wears a white vest, white and blue shutter sunglasses, faux fur-lined boots and various jewelry. He is always seen with a large grin on his face. Damnd still works for different organizations as a henchmen.
 * Sharon: She is an agent for a secret intelligence group, currently living a double life as a nun for the orphanage she was raised in. Sharon investigates the recent roumours of a new organization rising in Metro City.
 * Caine: Since childhood, Caine had a compulsive hobby of disassembling machines and mechanisms, to where he would often sneak into the local car factory with his father's tools to dismantle and then reassemble the various parts and cars he got. To satiate his fixation, he ran away from home and stayed at a scrapyard, where he can dedicate his time for his hobby of destroying and restoring appliances and gadgets. Caine is also said to be antisocial and doesn't like to hang out with people. He enters the tournment to beat his rival mechanic Abigail, proving whose car shop is better.
 * Edi. E: He uses his connections within the underworld to gain information on rival gangs and uses his position as a police officer to arrest them, simultaneously furthering his own career and the goals of the underground gangs in one fell swoop. He now responds to Cody and is disgusted about it.
 * Kyle Travers: A young man with military experience and the younger brother of Mayor Cody, Kyle is constantly in and out of Metro City's underground fighting circuit. A rookie with the potential to become much stronger, Kyle spends most of his time training at the gym and uses his quick punches to take down his opponents and earn fight money.
 * Stray: Originally a professional serial killer whose work eventually got the attention of the Skull Cross Gang. Intrigued and valued for his expertise in wetwork and covering tracks, Stray eventually rose to become a high figure in the gang through hit jobs and assassinations. One of these assignments included the murder of Dean's family. Now he fights under a new leadership, with new motivations.
 * Wong: After retreating from his previous criminal activities, Wong returned to live as a master chef and the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Metro City's Chinatown. He enters the tournment to bring back prestige to his restaurant.