Brutal: Paws of Fury (Sega CD) review "When a game is released on three different systems and you own all three systems it can be a small chore deciding what system to get which game on. With Brutal, a 2-D fighting game from the 16-bit days, I had a choice of three versions, the Genesis, the SNES and the Sega CD. If Brutal were a movie then the Sega CD would be the DVD version, the Genesis would be the cheap VHS version and the SNES would be the camcorder in the back seat of the cinema version. While the SNES reformed the game entire..."

When a game is released on three different systems and you own all three systems it can be a small chore deciding what system to get which game on. With Brutal, a 2-D fighting game from the 16-bit days, I had a choice of three versions, the Genesis, the SNES and the Sega CD. If Brutal were a movie then the Sega CD would be the DVD version, the Genesis would be the cheap VHS version and the SNES would be the camcorder in the back seat of the cinema version. While the SNES reformed the game entirely, the Sega CD was an upgraded version of the Genesis game, loaded with better quality sound, a new character and various extra features.

Brutal was an unusual fighter for various reasons, it used animal characters instead of humans and had a fighting style which was quite unique. It was almost like a parody of those really cheesy martial arts films, mainly Enter the Dragon. The story is quite uninspired, following a martial arts tournament being held on a remote island, it attracted a menagerie of fighters who came to battle for the prize money, each for his or her own reasons.

One of the most important difference in Brutal is the odd fighting style which differs distinctly from other fighting games. The basic control layout is no different from any other Genesis fighter, A for weak attack, B for middle , C for strong and the start button to swap between kicks and punches. The real difference is how the damage of these attacks is executed. If you perform a heavy attack on an opponent who is standing still then the chances are that the damage done will be quite insignificant. However, if you time your attacks well you can do a great deal of damage and even score a one hit k.o.
If you dodge an attack and follow up with a swift and strong attack then you can really send them packing. Brutal’s odd scheme may seem a little unusual to most gamers but when you get used to the system it actually makes a lot more sense than normal.

At the end of the fight, you’ll treated to a quick analysis of the battle. This is packed with information like the number of kicks in the fight etc. You also get a summary of the fight which usually goes like “Player one humiliated Player Two with strong and accurate kicks.” It’s a neat feature and on top of that you can watch a replay of the fight while you glance over the stats.

Brutal uses an unusual password feature which allows you to come back to a game if you have to stop for some reason. You have to enter your name at the start of every new game, which is really annoying but you can just call yourself AAA or something because it doesn’t matter. Before you start the fight, you’ll be given a password which you can write down for later use. So, if you get stuck fighting a character then all you have to do is note the password and take a break.

We also have a move learning system which you go through during the normal one player mode. If you defeat the two opponents you will be allowed to learn a special move, courtesy of the Dali Llama. The first one that every character learns is the taunt, it sounds a little pointless but not only foes it looks good it actually allows you to recover lost health during the fight. It can help a lot if you manage to do it right but it can just leave you open for attack. Fortunately, the next two moves that you learn will be more damaging and surprisingly some of the moves have very unusual combinations. For example, in most fighting games you’ll have to do a combination on the D-pad and then press an attack button. In Brutal, some moves only require the combination for the move so they flow into the attack instantly.

When I made the comparison to the DVD’s and suck earlier, it was because the Sega CD version is packed of extra features that the other two version didn’t have at all. Some of these extras are of majority importance while some of them are something that you’d only watch when you are bored. We have a brand new character added here who was removed from the other versions, the Pantha. The cloaked demonic cat is a little rusty to play but he can be great for veterans but having an extra character to experiment with does extend the gameplay a bit.

The other main inclusions are the FMV sequences which are well animated and quite amusing and an outtakes gallery. This is full of unused concepts, old character designs and new animation, it also has an outtake from the opening FMV sequence which is pretty funny. There is also an aftermath story which explains what happened to the fighter after you defeat him, a nice feature. Finally, we have the Brutal band which is sound test option that has a band of animals playing along to the tune, this is crap but the other bits and pieces are highly entertaining.

Brutal’s cartoon style looks great, all of the characters are well animated, each have their own taunts and victory poses which are quite appealing and the Sega CD version offers some close up shots of the characters as well. There is a huge amount of new animation added, like the improved movement of Kung Fu bunny on the title screen, the Genesis version was really jumpy and they didn’t give him any pants but here, he is in his prime. There are two FMV sequences, one of them is about Ivan the bear leaving work to join the tournament and the other introduces all of the characters. The animation here is fluid and has all of the qualities needed for a Saturday morning cartoon., it’s a welcome addition to the game. Brutal has some great backgrounds as well, the beach level is bright and cheery while the detail on the sky platform is great, with mountains in the background, although the best thing about the level is pushing your opponent off the edge.

Brutal’s sound is completely different from any of the other versions. Since it’s on the Sega CD everything has been completely remixed and regenerated so everything sounds a lot better. The slow martial arts theme as been replaced by dance music, not the like the crappy music on the sequel but really fast toe-tapping stuff. We also have a really sweet Kung Fu track that could be in any old Kung Fu movie, this usually fills in the post-battle sequences, it sounds very authentic and is a massive improvement over the crusty Genesis. There were two cries in the last game, every time a fighter kicks or punches he or she goes Kia, in the Genesis version there were only two cries, the girl character had the same voice as all the guys but there is a lot of variety here so she doesn’t sound like a guy anymore.

Only play Brutal on the Sega CD, the other versions are pretty pathetic in comparison with this package. You get the same game with a few more extra features, cool FMV and an extra character. It’s quite rare nowadays so the chances are that you’ll only be able to play the Genesis or the SNES version. If you can’t find the Sega CD game then get the Genesis version, it’s a little choppy in comparison but it’s the next best thing. Brutal is something that you may want to check out if you’re fed up of playing more popular fighters on the system or the Mega Drive. It’s ideal for collectors and most fighting game fanatics will be pleased to find something that does things a little bit differently.

Community review by goldenvortex (February 26, 2005) 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.