Fun for the fans.
When you start up the game you'll see two classic arcade machines. You can easily switch between the machines here and it's very simple to select a new game, load game, or extras. When clicking "new game" your screen will zoom into which ever machine you picked and you'll immediately start your game. Both machines look very authentic and are a nice touch to the classic arcade experience.
We'll start off with Final Fight. Final Fight plays exactly how you'd expect it to play. You can pick between three different characters that vary in skill, speed, and power. In the end however, it doesn't really matter who you pick because they all end up being balanced. Final Fight is a 2D side scrolling button masher, and that's exactly what it sticks to. You'll find yourself just mashing the "square" button and simply just walking through each level fighting different variety of enemies who ultimately feel the same. A nice feature however is the ability to pick up enemy weapons and food. The weapons can add a nice touch in a fight, but not a major advantage. Most of the time you'll find yourself just passing over them during a fight and picking them up when you don't want to. The food is a sort of health pack. You'll find food in such items like tires, barrels, and other things. Smashing objects is highly recommended because it usually ends up popping out food. Depending on the character you choose, the controls could feel slow and picking up objects can be hard to do time to time. Overall though, a decent side scrolling beat 'em up game.
Magic Sword is the other 2D side scrolling game included in the Final Fight: Double Impact package. By far the easier of the two games. You play as a warrior who goes around slaying skeletons, other minions, bears, and other creatures. As you progress through each level you'll find yourself mashing the "square" button just like how you do in Final Fight. On the way you'll find treasure chests and locked doors that contain prisoners. If you free the prisoners, they will join you and help you fight off the enemies. A nice touch when trying to kill a boss at the end of a level. The treasure chests usually contain upgrades that allow you to shoot what appear to be lasers out of your sword to be able to reach enemies from a slightly farther distance. Magic Sword is the more fun of the two games and definitely plays smoother.
A nice feature added to the game is the Online capability. At any time you can jump into a friends game, or they can jump into yours. This definitely is a cool feature because it gives you the option to play classic arcade games with your friends from the comfort of your couch. The feature definitely sticks out in Final Fight because it is easier to play with a friend than Magic Sword. Also, it is encouraged to play with a friend in Final Fight because of the different characters playable.
All in all, Final Fight: Double Impact is a solid deal for the fans. You get two entertaining games for the price of one and it's always nice to travel back in time to play those old time arcade games. Sadly, the games can get repetitive very quickly. The game is more aimed toward the fans, and less towards the newer players. If you enjoyed the games when there were on the original arcades, its recommended that you buy it. If not, you might not enjoy it very much.
Positives:
+ Two good games for the price of one.
+ Cool classic feel.
+ Online mode is a nice touch.
Negatives:
- Only really fun for the fans.
- Very repetitive.
- Nothing really new.