Another one of SNK’s pre-Neo-Geo arcade classics is hitting the streets…literally! Street Smart is an early brawler that is a mix of a one-on-one fighter and a sidescrolling beat ‘em up. Like a lot of other SNK arcade classics, Street Smart is available on PS3 and PSP as a PS Mini.

Play as a karate man (player 1) or wrestler (player 2) and beat up eight different opponents. At first glance, the game looks like a sidescrolling brawler a la Final Fight. But the arena is only a couple of screens long, and you only fight one dude at a time. It was pretty early, being 1989 and all. So it’s really more like fighting a string of 2-D brawler bosses. They even flash red whenever you’re about to beat them. After you defeat one, a little ambulance comes out and takes them to the SNK Hospital (the ambulance is smaller than some of the fighters, though, how do they fit in there?). Then a woman comes out and says “Congratulations!” and you move onto the next round.

Your fighter can punch, kick, and jump. And that’s it. Seems a little unfair when your opponents can pull off all these fancy moves. You have an energy bar and when it’s depleted, you lose a life. Lose all your lives and it’s Game Over, but you can continue limitlessly right where you left off. Only other big problem is this version doesn’t support two players, which seems ideal for this type of game. PlayStation Plus members can get this game for free, which isn’t a bad deal. Otherwise it’ll cost you a couple of bucks. So for the price, I guess it isn’t too bad, but I can think of better SNK arcade classics out there. At least we know SNK got better at making fighting games later!

Kid Factor:

Street Smart is rated E-10 with ESRB descriptors of Suggestive Themes and Fantasy Violence. You do punch and kick other fighters, and the women who congratulate you wear slightly suggestive clothes, but that’s it. The rudimentary graphics keep things from being too vivid. It’s a tough game, as a quarter muncher, but unlimited continues will keep any kid from getting frustrated. Reading skill isn’t necessary either, so honestly I’d be OK with any kid playing this.

Tags: Game Reviews