Rival Turf! (1992). Play Free Online

Summary

Rival Turf! (known as Rushing Beat in Japan) lands on the SNES as a neon‑drenched beat‑‘em‑up that feels ripped straight from a cyber‑punk comic. You choose Jack Flak, a punch‑first hero chasing his girlfriend Heather, or former cop “Oozie” Nelson, whose wrestling‑style moves set him apart. The game tosses you into an alley‑swinging grind through a version of Los Angeles (originally the fictional Neo Cisco), peppered with weapons you snatch on the fly and an “angry” meter that turns the character briefly invincible after taking enough hits. Two‑player co‑op works fine, even though the Japanese source let you tweak lives and continues while the North American print stripped the intro story and replaced the death icon with a plain X. Critics were harsh: Nintendo Life and IGN called it uninspired and forgettable, scoring it around the low‑mid 40‑50 % range, and even the box art attracted jokes from Nintendo Power.

Storyline

Rival Turf! follows two parallel rescue missions in a crime‑ridden city. In the first thread, street‑wise Jack Flak discovers that his girlfriend Heather has been snatched by the ruthless gang leader Big Al and his crew, the Street Kings. Jack teams up with his buddy, police officer Oswald “Oozie” Nelson, and the duo heads to the downtown sports stadium to gather clues and locate Al’s hideout, intent on ending the gang’s reign. The second storyline centers on rookie cop Rick Norton, who is ambushed one night and learns that his sister Maria is being held hostage because she possesses a crucial videotape. With the city flooded by a new illegal stimulant, Rick joins forces with his friend Douglas Bild and also storms the stadium to free Maria and expose the drug ring.

Edited by Maya Carter