underappreciated game from the "sf2 clone" days, not especially well-balanced as you might expect but good enough that it still has a decent scene in japan! this game has that oldschool flavor of neutral i like with some really crunchy buttons and high damage. the combos, while very tricky compared to something like SF2HF, are incredibly satisfying once you figure them out. lane system is pretty silly and ultimately vestigial, but it's still surprising how well-thought out it is. saying this both for FFS and its earlier iteration in FF2, but i feel like the roster goes underappreciated, tons of strange and interesting guys as well as beloved SNK mainstays. i personally love big bear and axel hawk a lot, and for kim and mai's first appearances it's a little crazy how they basically appeared from thin air, playstyle fully-formed.

if south town was real i would go there every summer it seems like the coolest place in america