It needs to be stressed that fighting games were still in their infancy at the time Urban Champion came out, and Nintendo would release a much improved fighting game on the Famicom in Japan with Joy Mech Fight. But even still, Urban Champion is much better than it is given credit for. The combat for instance, while incredibly basic by today’s standards, has a good of weight to it and if this were a beat em up, would probably feel much more appreciated.
In addition, some of the concepts were rather interesting, such as breaks in the fights to avoid attention from the police, and outside interference such as items dropping from windows. The latter even feels almost like a forebearer to items and trophies in the Super Smash Bros series, and having to throw enemies down a hole to end the match also calls to mind how fights are typically won in a Super Smash Bros. game. Moving the fights through multiple screens for each round is also something that was innovative for the time and attacks costing stamina was an interesting take on fighting games.
Is Urban Champion a good game? Well, it is not a masterpiece by any means, but definitely feels more innovative and forward thinking than it is given credit for. If Nintendo were to ever revisit the concept with more than a reimagining for the 3D Classics line , there is actually a lot that could be done, such as shifting to a beat em up, or making it a somewhat lower stakes fighting game. A fighting game where fights have to be paused to hide from the police may not be the best mechanic now, but the concept could be explored in different ways that players might enjoy more.
More importantly, Nintendo is all about innovation and new gameplay concepts and not just making a game for the sake of a game, and a fighting game that took advantage of the different aspects Urban Champion tried to introduce, along with its weighty combat, would be a sight to see. Nintendo could even test it out as a mode in a bigger game for instance, or release a smaller budget game just to get feedback from players, but the ideas are good and should not be abandoned. 1984 was forty years ago and given how technology has evolved and Nintendo has mastered different gameplay innovations, there is so much that could be done with Urban Champion. It should not be left in the past, but given a new chance.
