Fatal Fury 2

Fatal Fury 2, known as Garō Densetsu 2: Aratanaru Tatakai (餓狼伝説２ ～新たなる闘い～, Hungry Wolf Legend 2: The New Battle) in Japan, is a 1992 fighting video game released by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms, and later ported to several other home systems. It is the sequel to Fatal Fury: King of Fighters (1991) and the second game in the Fatal Fury franchise. Its updated version, Fatal Fury Special, was released in 1993.

Fatal Fury 2
Developer(s)
  • System Prisma (X68000)
    Gaibrain, Aspect (Genesis)
    Sun L (Game Boy)
Publisher(s)
SNK
Producer(s)Eikichi Kawasaki
Designer(s)Takashi Tsukamoto
Artist(s)Ayumi Tsuzaki
Higashi Pon
Ryouji Sei
Composer(s)Masahiko Hataya
Toshio Shimizu
Yoshihiko Kitamura
SeriesFatal Fury
Platform(s)
Release
  • Arcade
    • WW: 10 December 1992
    Neo Geo AES
    • WW: 5 March 1993
    Super NES
    • JP: 26 November 1993
    • NA: April 1994
    • EU: 1994
    X68000
    • JP: 23 December 1993
    PC Engine Arcade CD-ROM²
    • JP: 12 March 1994
    Genesis
    • JP: 24 June 1994
    • NA: 1994
    • AU: 1994
    Game Boy
    • JP: 29 July 1994
    Neo Geo CD
    • JP: 9 September 1994
    • NA: October 1996
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

The game introduced Kim Kaphwan, the first Taekwondo and the first Korean character in fighting games, and Mai Shiranui, one of SNK's mascots, their primary sex symbol, and one of the most well-known female video game characters. Both of them went on to become mainstays in both Fatal Fury games as well as The King of Fighters series.

Gameplay
Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Mai Shiranui and Big Bear in Australia.

Fatal Fury 2 was the second game in SNK's 100-Mega Shock series, offering improved graphics and gameplay over the original Fatal Fury: King of Fighters. The play controls were modified, this time making full use of the Neo-Geo's four button configuration, by including four attack buttons (Light Punch, Light Kick, Strong Punch, and Strong Kick). The player can also dash back from the opponent to retreat by quickly tapping the lever backwards twice.[1]

The two-plane battle system from the first Fatal Fury has been retained. This time, the player can move freely to the adjacent plane by pressing the Light Punch and Light Kick buttons simultaneously for the "Plane Move". The player can also perform a "Power Attack" that will knock the opponent to the other plane. When the opponent is on the other plane, the player can press either a punch button to jump towards the opponent with a "Low Plane Move Attack" or either a kick button for a "High Plane Move Attack". Certain stages have hazards in the background plane, such as electrified wires or a stampede of bulls, and thus the player cannot change planes but can knock the opponent to the other plane to cause extra damage.

Other specialized techniques have been added as well. After the player guards an opponent's attack, they can follow it up with a special counterattack technique known as an "Evasion Attack". The player can also taunt the opponent by pressing the Strong Punch button from a distance. Fatal Fury 2 also introduces the "Desperation Move" (or "Fury"), a powerful type of Special Move which causes massive damage that can only be used when the player's life gauge is at 25% and flashing red.

The single-player mode has the player facing against all eight characters (including a clone of the player's character), followed by four non-playable boss characters. After every fourth match, the player will participate in a bonus round for more points.

Plot

One year after the events of Fatal Fury: King of Fighters and the death of Geese Howard, a mysterious nobleman becomes the sponsor of a new "King of Fighters" tournament. This time, the tournament takes place around the world with both veterans and newcomers competing and battling against each other. As the single-player mode progresses, the mysterious nobleman begins defeating the participants from the first Fatal Fury game, searching for the man responsible for defeating Geese.

Fighters

The character roster consists of eight selectable warriors: Terry, Andy and Joe from the original Fatal Fury, plus five newcomers. After defeating all eight playable characters in the single player tournament (including a clone of the player's character), the player faces four non-playable bosses.

Playable fighters:

Bosses:

  • Billy Kane - a bojutsu master from the United Kingdom who is seeking revenge on both the Bogard brothers and Joe for the death of Geese.
  • Axel Hawk - a retired heavyweight boxing champion seeking to make his comeback.
  • Laurence Blood - a former matador who uses a fighting style based on his bullfighting methods.
  • Wolfgang Krauser - a German nobleman seeking to defeat the man who was responsible for Geese's downfall.

Release

Home versions

In addition to the Neo-Geo AES and Neo-Geo CD home versions, a port of Fatal Fury 2 was released for the Sharp X68000 in Japan in 1993, followed by versions for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive, PC Engine CD, SNES and Game Boy in early 1994. The SNES and Genesis versions were published by Takara, while the X68000 version, released only in Japan, was published by Mahou Kabushikigaisha (Magical Company). All three versions allow the player to control the four boss characters via their own respective codes. The PC Engine version was published by Hudson Soft only in Japan and was one of the first games to require the Arcade Card add-on. To coincide with the Japanese release of the SNES version, Hori Electric released a special controller called the Fatal Fury 2 Commander which has the power and super power moves of all the game's playable characters programmed in so that they can be triggered with a single button.[2]

The original Neo Geo version of the game was later included in 2006's Fatal Fury: Battle Archive Volume 1 for the PlayStation 2 (with a choice between the original AES and CD soundtrack). It was also made available on the Wii's Virtual Console service[3] in 2008.[4]

Several licensed tie-ins were released for the game in Japan, including:[5]

  • Garou Densetsu 2 (餓狼伝説2) (PCCB-00111), a soundtrack CD from Pony Canyon;
  • Garou Densetsu 2 (餓狼伝説2) (Gamest Extra No.91), a magazine-book from Shinseisha;
  • Garou Densetsu 2 (餓狼伝説2 (Gamest Video Vol.2)) (ISBN 4-88199-091-8), a VHS guide from Shinseisha;
  • Garou Densetsu 2 (1) Mondo Kei (餓狼伝説2 (1) MONDO.恵) (ISBN 4-88199-135-3) and Garou Densetsu 2 (2) Mondo Kei (餓狼伝説2 (2) MONDO.恵) (ISBN 4-88199-148-5), two-part official manga adaptation by Mondo Kei from Shinseisha;
  • Garou Densetsu 2 4-Koma Ketteiban (餓狼伝説2 4コマ決定版) (Games Comics 4) (ISBN 4-88199-099-3), a 4-koma manga compilation by various authors from Shinseisha;
  • Garou Densetsu 2 Fan Book (餓狼伝説2 ファンブック) (ISBN 4-7966-0768-4), a tribute book from Hippon Super;
  • Garou Densetsu 2 Hisshō Kōryaku Hō (餓狼伝説2 必勝攻略法) (ISBN 4-575-28231-6), a guide book from Futabasha;
  • Garou Densetsu 2 Hisshō Kōryaku Hon (餓狼伝説2 必勝攻略本) (Haoh Game Special 1) (ISBN 4-06-329201-0), a SNES guide book from Kodansha;
  • Garou Densetsu 2 Oku Waza Densho Hen (餓狼伝説2 奥技伝承編) (PCVP-11177), a VHS tape from Pony Canyon.

Nettou Garou Densetsu 2

The Game Boy version is titled Nettou Garou Densetsu 2 (熱闘餓狼伝説２, "Dead Heat Fighters Legend of the Hungry Wolf 2") and was released exclusively in Japan in 1994. This port features "super deformed" style graphics and, like the SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, and Sharp X68000 ports, allows the player to use the four boss characters. However, due to the Game Boy's limited hardware, all voices have been removed, but in their place the characters have speech bubbles when performing a special attack or Desperation Move. This port also features support for the Super Game Boy peripheral for the SNES. In the Game Boy version, the text in the intro, post match dialogue, and character endings are in Japanese, while the character names, game credits, and menus are in English.

Fatal Fury Special
Main article: Fatal Fury Special

Fatal Fury Special (餓狼伝説SPECIAL, Garou Densetsu Special) was developed and published by SNK and originally released for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms in 1993. It is an updated version of Fatal Fury 2, introducing several changes to the gameplay system while expanding the available character roster.

Reception

Commercial performance

In Japan, Game Machine listed Fatal Fury 2 on their 1 February 1993 issue as being the most-successful table arcade unit of the month.[18] It went on to be Japan's second highest-grossing arcade game of 1993, just below Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting.[19] In North America, RePlay reported Fatal Fury 2 to be the fourth most-popular arcade game in February 1993,[20] and Play Meter listed Fatal Fury 2 as the thirteenth most-popular arcade game in March 1993.[21]

The Super Famicom (Super NES) version topped the Japanese Famitsu sales chart in December 1993.[22]

Contemporary reviews

Fatal Fury 2 was generally very well-received by Western game critics upon its release. GamePro review of the Neo Geo version praised the "action-packed" gameplay, "Street Fighter-tough" challenge, "great" character graphics and animation, "slick scrolling" backgrounds, and "fantastic" sound, concluding it to be an "awesome sequel" that "ranks up there with the Numero Uno fighting game."[23]

GamePro also praised the Genesis version for its six-button controller support and character graphics. They regarded the music as dull but assessed that the game "faithfully mimics the Neo Geo version and knocks Fatal Fury Genesis out of the ring."[24] Reviewing the Genesis version, Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) criticized the sound effects but gave the overall assessment that "all the fighters, all the stages, and extra options not in the arcade (like a speed setting) make this another fine conversion of a Neo Geo title."[11]

Reviewing the SNES version of the game, EGM called it "one of the better fighting games ported to the SNES" and awarded it Game of the Month.[10] GamePro gave the SNES version a more mixed review, comparing it favorably with its predecessor, but stating that the graphics are inferior to the Neo Geo version, the audio is terrible, the controls are unreliable, and the gameplay is unbalanced. The magazine recommended that Fatal Fury fans instead hold out for the upcoming SNES port of Fatal Fury Special, which they felt to be far superior judging by the pre-release version they had seen.[25]

Retrospective reviews

In a retrospective review, Maximum assessed that while still not as strong as Street Fighter II, Fatal Fury 2 was a dramatic improvement over the first game: "The number of characters selectable had been extended to eight, and all of them received a full complement of moves and fought with a much greater fluidity than in Fatal Fury." They also noted better background graphics and greater interaction with the scenery.[27]

Accolades

In 2011, Complex ranked Fatal Fury 2 as the 35th best fighting game of all time, largely for introducing Mai Shiranui.[28] Mega magazine ranked the game at #46 on their "Top 50 Mega Drive Games of All Time" in 1994.[29] In 1995, Total! ranked the game 82nd on their Top 100 SNES Games.[30] IGN listed Fatal Fury 2 63rd in it’s "Top 100 SNES Games of All Time."[31]

References
  1. Fatal Fury 2 user's manual (Neo Geo AES, US)
  2. "International News". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 54. Sendai Publishing. January 1994. p. 90.
  3. "FATAL FURY 2 for Wii - Nintendo Game Details". Nintendo.com. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  4. "Fatal Fury 2 for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. 30 June 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  5. "Garou Densetsu 2". Arcade Gear. 10 December 1992. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  6. "Fatal Fury 2 for NeoGeo". GameRankings. 5 March 1993. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  7. Consoles +, issue 36, page 158.
  8. Computer & Video Games, issue 154, page 74.
  9. Electronic Gaming Monthly, issue 45, April 1993, page 32.
  10. Electronic Gaming Monthly, issue 58, May 1994, page 28
  11. "Review Crew: Fatal Fury 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 61. Ziff Davis. August 1994. p. 34.
  12. Famitsu, issue 274.
  13. Famitsu, issue 289.
  14. GameFan, volume 1, issue 6 (May 1993), pages 21 & 96-99.
  15. "Fatal Fury 2 Reviews and Articles for Super Nintendo". GameRankings.com. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  16. "Fatal Fury 2 arcade game review". Solvalou.com. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  17. Sega Power, issue 57, pages 56-57.
  18. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 442. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 February 1993. p. 25.
  19. "第７回 ゲーメスト大賞 〜 ヒットゲーム BEST 10 〜 インカム中心" [7th Gamest Awards – Hit Games: Best 10 – Income Center]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 107 (February 1994). 27 December 1993. pp. 20–43 (39). alternate url
  20. "The Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Video Software". RePlay. Vol. 18, no. 5. RePlay Publishing, Inc. February 1993. p. 4.
  21. "Equipment Poll - Video & Pinball Combined". Play Meter. Vol. 19, no. 4. Skybird Publishing. March 1993. pp. 8–9.
  22. "Weekly Top 30 (12月13日〜12月19日)". Famicom Tsūshin (in Japanese). No. 266. 21 January 1994. pp. 14 to 15.
  23. GamePro, issue 54, March 1993, page 164.
  24. "ProReview: Fatal Fury 2". GamePro. No. 70. IDG. July 1994. p. 52.
  25. "ProReview: Fatal Fury 2". GamePro. No. 71. IDG. August 1994. pp. 52–53.
  26. Knight, Kyle (11 December 2014). "Fatal Fury 2 - Review - allgame". Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  27. "Fatal Fury 2: Second in the Fatal Series". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 4. Emap International Limited. March 1996. p. 43.
  28. Peter Rubin, The 50 Best Fighting Games of All Time, Complex.com, 30 April 2014.
  29. "Top 50 Mega Drive Games of All Time". Mega Magazine. United Kingdom: Maverick Magazines (26): 78. November 1994. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  30. "Top 100 SNES Games". Total! (43): 47. July 1995. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  31. Top 100 SNES Games of All Time - IGN.com, retrieved 1 July 2022
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