First thing: I don´t agree with the Gamespot review abou Final Fight Streetwise. Why? - Discover now!
FFSW is a solid beat-them-up in my opinion, it plays very well, has good graphics (not wonderfull, just good), good controls (its pretty esasy to fight the bad guys), and lots of charm, featuring Mike Haggar, Guy and Cody, from the original FF.
You play as Cody´s brother, Kyle, a pit-fighter that discovers that his brother is in somekind of trouble. Cody cant fight like he used too, bad knees, and he get in a mess because someone can "fix" him, of course that it means trouble for you. Cody´s is kinaped, find him, help people on your hood, beat up some bad guys and see old friends!
The gameplay is pretty solid. There are 2 buttons for punching, a weak and a strong one, that allow you to perform a lot of combo combinations, a grab button, another one that you use to pick up objects (that you can save to use in a tough situation) and avoid punchs too, a guard and a lock-on button, pretty usefull to on-on-one fights.
If you press rapid the left analog button you perform smekind of dash attack, there´s alson a super meter, when you use it Kyle can perform a super effective combo, that remebers me the Custom Combo of StreetFighter Apkha series.
There´s also lot´s of weapowns to use, like Knives, Baseball Bats and more. Food ,medikits, wristwacthes and money, are like the same way in the original game, but now they glow when they are on the ground a weird effect, a big glowing hamburguer on the street!), but at least you can use the money to buy things on the stores.
You will be able to learn new moves, at the Gym and with your friends too.
The camera it´s just good, it will not bother you.
There are a lot of place to visit, your hood, Lillte Italy, the Harbor, the Subway, Chinatown and more where the game will take you in your quest to find your Bro.
And you will have some pit-fighs too, like the first one Vs. "Handsome Bob", they really look a part of the movie "Fight Club".
There are some extras too!
An 3d arcade mode, its a mix beetween streetwise and the original FF concept, you and a friend can choose among some fighters (playing with the old ones is the best part!) and kick some ass in Metro City streets.
The original FF is avaible too, but I wish that it wasn´t! It´s a choppy version of the arcade, slow and painfull! Very different from Capcom Arcade Classics, an wort than the Snes one!!! Why Capcom, Why?!
My opinion: It´s a good and solid game, and if you are a FF fan itps a must-buy! The Arcade ,´s good to play with your younger brother if you have one of course, or a friend. It´s a gameplay that you dont see very much nowadays, and very much diffent than "The Warrions" (a very good game, but the fights feels very different!).
If you don´t want to spend all the money, at least it´s deserves a rent ok?
Also Try: The Warriors; Capom Arcade Classics.; MK Shaolin Monks.