It's a strange feeling to be reviewing Final Fight: Double Impact, since using the phrase "Final Fight" has become almost a generic and understood reference to any side-scrolling title. It isn't like Final Fight invented side-scrolling games, but it left an indelible mark on us because of its unique vision. Beat-em-up games since have drawn heavily from its influence, and the second game packed in with Final Fight is also a classic example of a side-scrolling arcade smash-up done right. This game, Magic Sword, takes a different tack by setting its action in a fantasy setting, almost like a side-scrolling version of Gauntlet. What you see when you boot up Final Fight: Double Impact is a set of classic arcade cabinets, complete with realistic decorations on the walls to make you feel like you just walked into some awesome retro game-room. This attention to detail carries through the entire game, as you play through a realistic recreation of the original arcade experience.

Beyond just the faithful port of these two games, you'll find lots of content that can be unlocked like Xbox Live achievements. It's a bit confusing at first, because you may think you are actually unlocking real achievements, but once you back out of the action to the main screen, you'll see a section where you can view art created for the game, both to support the development and to promote Final Fight. The full picture emerges as you play, with lots of great content you can earn if you play smarter and harder. The music in Final Fight shows an attempt to inject '80s synth-pop into a videogame setting, which we of a certain age can appreciate. It obviously seems dated, but made us think about how many games haven't kept pace with popular musical trends. We're finally seeing some interesting things done, as developers move away from derivative styles, but Final Fight: Double Impact sounds distinct and solidly planted in the sounds of '80s pop.

Final Fight and Magic Sword are classics from two decades ago that show us two things. The first is how far we've come in 20 years. Playing these games is a button-masher's dream, with simple controls and simple A.I. The A.I. is unforgiving, but endless continues means you can keep coming back for more until the credits roll. Those in-game achievements we mentioned earlier attempt to offset this by rewarding you for using less than a certain number of continues on any one stage. The option to play solo or with a friend offers a great experience, especially considering you can strike up games through Xbox Live at the wink of an eye. Final Fight: Double Impact does as good a job as any game we've seen in making the multiplayer an integral part of the action. If you are set up for it, a player on the network can pop in and start playing alongside you, or you can host a local beat-down. The stakes are a bit higher in Magic Sword because the default party includes your character and a second companion. When a second player joins, you get a party of four that can include characters with very different fighting profiles.

The fighters in Final Fight don't vary in the least, in terms of how you control them, but each one offers a unique move-set that may fit your particular playing style. The parties you control in Magic Sword have more potential for varied gameplay, since you can enlist the help of characters with ranged attacks, magical attacks, and powerful melee attacks. There's more of a sense that you create your experience in Magic Sword, versus the very linear and structured Final Fight. You can grab special weapons in both games that will have some bearing on how easily you can navigate a level, defeat enemies, and conquer bosses. The huge number of levels feels a bit strange against a comparison with modern games, but there just wasn't all that much that could be loaded into a single level back in those days. There's no real storyline to speak of, but both games feature a kind of backdrop for the action that can be amusing at times. In the final analysis, Final Fight: Double Impact plays exactly as it should, and will be a treat for both the people that remember playing these two titles in the arcade, and those gamers new to the world of Final Fight, interested in playing something more retro flavor.

Like most retro games, Final Fight: Double Impact can be excruciatingly difficult to play. Against today's standards, it would seem impossible, but that's because we're accustomed to dynamic A.I. and games that are built around a goal of helping you enjoy yourself. Final Fight: Double Impact shows that older games weren't about any goal other than perfection of technique. If you could memorize each level, including the sequence of enemies and items and obstacles, you had the best chance of success. If you paired that ability with quick reflexes and improvisational skill when things didn't go quite the way you expected, you were golden. Gamers already steeped in the retro experience will shrug off the challenges in Final Fight: Double Impact as falling into two main buckets. You have to memorize enemy patterns and anticipate them, otherwise you'll be stuck in a crowd and ganged up on until you expire. There are ideal places to be on the screen, and what works well for one enemy is a pitiful failure against another enemy. Larger enemies have to be worn down from a healthy distance, while smaller ones can be taken on at closer range. The second key skill is use of items and avoiding those that may be used against you. One of the early bosses packing a sword is a perfect example of how you'll quickly learn to respect a well-coordinated attack using items. When you learn to use these skills against your enemies is when you'll really begin to master Final Fight. Magic Sword uses similar mechanics, but mixes in some challenging platforming that just isn't present at all in Final Fight. Over time, you'll become familiar with the unique challenges in each game, but only after frequent replays and long practice sessions. The best thing is you won't go broke doing it...

The Xbox 360 controller doesn't lend itself well to these kinds of games, in the sense that it has stodgy controls. The Analog Stick is a decent resource, but there aren't special moves that take advantage of the full range of control, as you find in something like Street Fighter. The basics of playing are tied to three button presses. One button each is devoted to attacking and jumping, and as you would imagine, there is a combination move along with a jumping move. The combo is a powerful attack that drains a bit of your health. You can recover health and pick up items along the way, making it possible to rejuvenate before a tricky boss section. Many of the bosses have special requirements for defeat, but ironically it will be the crowds that do you in most frequently. Enemies fall into three basic categories. Some will move slowly but pack a strong attack, others will fight from a distance, and some can move fast and do damage with weapons or fists. Being knocked down is a huge drag, and when there are lots of enemies on the screen, it's almost certain you'll lose a life. Knowing in advance which enemies are coming, and from where, will allow you to adjust your placement on the screen and deal with the new threat. It sounds like a chore, but fans of these games love the intellectual challenge that comes with mastering a game's patterns.

Getting this package of classic, side-scrolling fighting games is a treat. The main critiques are that there should be a few more games thrown in. As much as we like the selections made for Final Fight: Double Impact, we'd love to get our hands on a few of the others from this same period. We spent most of our formative years plugging quarters in side- and vertical-scrolling arcade games just like these, so it's more than a curiosity for us to have the chance now to download and play them. The market for emulators being what it is, you'll no doubt find both games in the Final Fight: Double Impact package out there on the WWW. The difference is that you won't find all the loving touches paid to make Final Fight and Magic Sword feel as authentic as they do in this package, which is the way we like our retro served up.