With Poison joining Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, fans are looking back at their favorite iteration of the fighting game character. However, we here at CBR are going to go back to the beginning and her origins in the original Final Fight. Thanks to the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle, the original arcade version of the game is readily available. So let's see how Poison is portrayed in the original game, and how it holds up after nearly 30 years.
Poison's First Appearance
Poison doesn't show up until the second level of the game, which has players enter a subway. They're soon ambushed by thugs. Within the crowd of thugs is Poison and Roxy, the only two women in the game. They look almost exactly the same, as they're just palette swaps of each other. The only real difference is that Poison's hair is pink while Roxy's is red.
Typically, Poison will flip into frame and try to hit you with a divekick. She also has a standing kick that reaches far. Both of these attacks are in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, serving as her jumping roundhouse kick and her standing forward kick, respectively. Another aspect that has stayed the same these years later is her defense. Poison can't take a hit, and she is easily defeated if you catch her in an attack string. Her outfit in the game also looks nearly exactly like the nostalgia costume in Street Fighter V.
Really the only difference from her original appearance to now besides the much expanded move set is that neither Poison nor Roxy have a weapon of any kind. No riding crop and no whip. Also, there appears to be no reference to Poison being transgender, a big difference between now and then. Poison's role in Final Fight seems to be the nimble enemy that can be annoying to deal with in a crowd.
Final Fight After 30 Years
Although relatively old, Final Fight is still enjoyable. The stages are memorable and the locales flow well together. In fact, the second to last stage was remade for Street Fighter V. Enemies are varied, aside from the lack of female characters, and they're well designed, as you can tell what type of fighter they are by their appearance.
However, the game does show some age. There's not a lot you can do to attack your enemies. You have a standing attack string, a jump attack, a throw, a secondary jump attack, a special move that clears surrounding enemies and that's it. There are no real defensive options, and your character often moves slowly. This also brings up the other issue. This is an arcade game made in the late 1980s. Parts of the game, such as the boss fights, are blatantly unfair and you are put into situations you are unequipped to handle.
Overall, this game is still a fun time, if a bit short. Final Fight can be finished in less than an hour, especially with a friend. If you want to have a Poison legacy night, Final Fight holds up and it's interesting how much of the character is still intact to this day.