Street Smart (Genesis) review "Avoiding this game would be the smart thing to do."

Street Smart is the console adaptation of the 1989 SNK fighting game of the same title for Genesis. That is pretty much all the similarity between the two for the fact the Genesis port is quite arguably the very worst thing you could ever play at home. Not since playing Deadly Moves have I ever seen red on trying to knock the very first guy in the game without losing at least one of the two lives you are allowed to have during a playthrough and the chore of even trying to land a single punch or kick is quite unforgivable. Simply put, this game really doesn't show anything that SEGA would ever state on the Genesis being revolutionary in the least and could possibly had been better off on never attempting to bring said title into a home system.

Taking a long deep breath after my initial rant, I will begin with just how ugly this game looks. As soon as you press start and cycle through the options you are left with an uninspiring title card announcing the first stage, followed by a screen with the most horrible color schemes you've ever seen in any Genesis title. That alone would drown you into depression without any aspirations to start the match, but then you would just go on and begin fighting against your opponents, which on this game they all move like lighting and hit about five times harder than you ever can whenever you manage to hit them. The AI controlled character dances around you hitting you left and right and you watch helplessly as your very small health meter vanishes before your eyes. The only way I could beat the first opponent was by losing a life and take advantage of a replenished health bar and mercy invisibility to get a chance and win the match. Great, I got my first win and the crowd cheers. I get treated with a graphic of my champion besides a model smiling for the camera. On to the next match.

But before you get to fight the next opponent you are treated to add points to health, defense and offense power, which don't go up by much. You also get some money earnings after the match whom you can bet on your next match either in your favor or against you, which seems very dubious as to why you would bet against yourself in a street fighting match. This game sure doesn't pull punches on lowering your self-esteem. I will add that any money earnings you may get play no role whatsoever in gaining more points for your character stats.

You get two lives and a total of 2 continues to beat the game. If you are lucky enough you'd manage to get to the third character by the time you had exhausted everything with the chances of getting beat up to a pulp by a guy four times your size. If there is a trick to defeat every opponent with what little you got here I would sure love to hear it. Otherwise prepare to see red every time you even attempt to play this game.

There is nothing smart on playing this game. Not even button mashing can help save the day. Street Smart is a lame interpretation of the arcade original and even worse when you try on to battle such incredibly broken AI. The fun factor simply isn't there.

Community review by CptRetroBlue (January 08, 2019) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.