Does anybody remember those tireless days we used to spend in the arcade? Sometimes playing through until the place closed, spending whatever we could scrap together for that extra 5 minutes? What an era for gaming! Looking back, most of those games weren’t even that great. Between the pinball machines, racing rigs, shooting adventures, and fighting games was the occasional brawler. Not a typical fighting game in the same vain as say Marvel vs. Capcom, but rather those action-adventure brawlers where you clear the game from section to section.

Well, lucky for all you 360 owners—especially those with Live—Streets of Fury has come by to make us reminisce and recount the older, cheesier (maybe better) times. In fact, for only $3 (240 Microsoft points), this piece of nostalgia can be yours!

Gameplay

• The bulk of the game is nothing more than a side-scrolling action game where you punch, kick, and perform “Fury” moves. There are three planes in which your characters may reside and all three are utilized by enemies so you should get used to the controls and the idea of moving from one plane to another to handle baddies. There are not that many, if any, standout elements in gameplay but the game’s longevity and bonus rounds bear mentioning. Extras such as difficulty levels or new fighters are welcome additions to the mix, while the two scenarios and multiplayer mode are what the game…well…is.

Style

• Streets of Fury also strongly lacks in the style department by using the same poorly done—yet somehow humorous and satisfying—animations repeatedly with little changes made to character models. In a way, the cheesy appeal outwears itself by the end of the first section of either scenario. The graffiti-stricken streets of Paris eventually start pissing you off the more you play and if you’re my type of gamer, repetition isn’t fun if there aren’t any Achievements or Trophies around!

Story

• The story stars a group of American street fighters enlisted by the French government to restore order in the country. As it stands, gangs have overtaken cities and you are hired to take down the leaders, effectively crushing the opposition with your group of skilled brawlers. You can already anticipate the repetition the game will consist of: take down a few low-key enemies, battle a boss, and move on to the next stage; you’d be right because that is exactly how the game plays out.

Everything Else

• For most of Streets of Fury, you’ll find yourself mashing the same buttons over and over again and hoping to finish the campaign as soon as possible. As far as sound goes, it’s a double-edged sword. Although some songs on the soundtrack provide an interesting and oft French-influenced techno/electronic blend of music, others use the same elements to piss you off (unintentionally, I would hope). So between the style and sound being so mediocre, does the gameplay save Streets of Fury?

• To put it bluntly: no. There are no redeeming qualities to the mediocrity of the game other than its longevity and extra content, but that would require gamers to actually care and take it from me: eventually you just won’t. However, the game is priced at $3 and shouldn’t necessarily hurt that depression-stricken wallet of yours! The real question is whether nostalgia is enough to make you want to purchase Streets of Fury and play for a couple hours with a few friends. I am sure that many of us will come up with the answer that it is. Sometimes the cheesiness works and other times the entire concept is horribly awry. But the truth is that a good bad game is still alright!

For some more information, check out the Live Marketplace page for the game.