Fighting Force

From Sega Retro

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Fighting Force
System(s): Sega Saturn
Publisher: Sega, Electronic Arts Victor (JP)?
Developer: Core Design
Planned release date(s): 1997-09-17[1][2], 1997-10, 1998-01[3]
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1

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Fighting Force, called Metal Fist (メタルフィスト) in Japan, is a 3D beat-'em-up game developed by Core Design. Once due for release exclusively on the Sega Saturn, various issues saw the game released for every major video game system on the market except the Saturn.

Core Design had originally intended Fighting Force to be titled Streets of Rage 4, being pitched to Sega as a sequel to Streets of Rage 3. However, during development there was a change of plan, and the group decided it would be more worthwhile to create a multi-platform game. Predictably, this caused Sega to demand the Steets of Rage trademark be removed, and so the game was renamed Judgement Force, later Fighting Force.

Development resumed for Fighting Force, with Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Windows ports (along with the Saturn version), being estimated for release around Q4 1997. The PlayStation and Windows versions hit their target, however despite being reportedly completed, no Saturn version was released. It is said this occurred due to publishing disagreements - Core originally approached Eidos Interactive for publishing, but later contacted and secured a deal with Sega of Europe for the Saturn version, who claimed the game would be released in November 1997. For whatever reason, this did not happen, though Eidos were able to publish the other ports, including an enhanced Nintendo 64 edition sublicensed to Crave Entertainment which was released in 1999.

The December 1997 issue of Sega Video Magazine also shows the Fighting Force/Metal Fist version of the game, indicating an also-cancelled Japanese release by Electronic Arts Victor with a December 4 release date and a price tag of ¥5,800.

An early prototype of the Sega Saturn version was leaked in November 2008 by drx.

Fighting Force 2, a sequel to this game, saw a release on the Sega Dreamcast, though is a radical departure from the gameplay seen here. It was panned by most critics.

Magazine articles

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
(UK)
50
[4]
(FR) PAL
90
[5]
Sega Saturn
70
Based on
2 reviews

Fighting Force

Main article: Fighting Force/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in (ES) #74: "Noviembre 1997" (1997-xx-xx)
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References



SoR 1UP sprite Games in the Streets of Rage Series
Streets of Rage (3D) (1991) | Streets of Rage 2 (3D) (1992) | Streets of Rage 3 (1994) | Streets of Rage 4 (2020)
Streets of Rage (LCD) (1993) | Bare Knuckle Mobile (2010) | Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage (2012)
Related Games
Streets Of Kamurocho (2020) | Fighting Force (unreleased) | Streets of Rage 4 (Dreamcast) (unreleased) | Streets of Rage Online (unreleased)
Related Media
Music
(1991) | (1993) | (1994) | (2012) | (2015) | (2016) | (2017) | (2020) | (2017) | (2020) | (2022)
Book
(1994) | (2016)
Other List of Streets of Rage merchandise