Today, Final Fight is regarded as the arcade game that revitalized the Beat 'em Up genre started by Double Dragon. It's colorful characters, secret super-moves, and incredible gameplay made it an instant classic. And, Capcom wasted no time in porting the smash hit to the Super Nintendo, where it went on to spawn a legendary trilogy of brawlers. However, what most people don't know is that there was a fourth game in the series, one that changed everything you thought you knew about Final Fight.

What happened to that one Guy?

In the original arcade version of Final Fight, the Mad Gear gang has taken the mayor's daughter, Jessica, hostage in an ongoing attempt to seize total control of the city. Players could choose from three characters: Haggar: The Mayor / Jessica's dad / Ex-Pro-Wrestler, Cody: Jessica's boyfriend, and Guy: Cody's BFF, who just happened to be a ninja. However, in the original SNES port that most everyone played, only Cody and Haggar were present.

Back by Popular Demand!

There were some who were disappointed that their favorite Ninja was missing, but the game was met with universal acclaim. Most developers would have been happy to take these amazing results, and move onto the next project. But, not Capcom. In 1994, they did something that was unheard of at the time: they re-released Final Fight for the SNES, and this time it was all about Guy!

Go Ninja! Go Ninja! Go!

Final Fight: Guy only saw a very limited release in North America, and that's a real shame. This wasn't a mere re-skin of the original game. It was a genuine remake! Cut-scenes were completely altered to re-contextualize the game's narrative. Where Cody and Haggar fought to save a woman they both loved, Guy and Haggar were bonded by their mutual love of dispensing vigilante justice with their fists. It's a minor tweak, but it actually does a lot to give the game an entirely different feel, and effectively rewrote the opening chapter of the Final Fight trilogy.

Buy Final Fight: Guy - For the Super Nintendo

How many of you even knew that there was a re-release of Final Fight for the SNES? Were you outraged that Guy wasn't in the original game? As always, tell me in the comments.