UNLEASH FURY: The Top Fatal Fury Games You Never Knew Existed

Summary

The Fatal Fury franchise returns after twenty-six years with “City of the Wolves” on April 24th, reviving Terry Bogard’s original series.
The best games in the Fatal Fury series to try: Fatal Fury 2, Fatal Fury 3, and Fatal Fury Special.
“Mark of the Wolves” crowned Rock Howard as the new hero, introducing new gameplay mechanics and a fresh cast of characters.

At long last, the moment has arrived! After a 26-year hiatus, SNK’s classic fighting game franchise is making its comeback on April 24th with “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves”. Many believed that the series had been left in the past, outshone by its multi-IP brawler “King of Fighters”. However, it seems that after repeatedly featuring Terry Bogard in other fighting games, SNK has decided to revive his home franchise.

The game appears quite promising, even taking into account the contentious guest characters. However, it may raise questions among players regarding its comparison with the older “Fatal Fury” series or the relative quality of those classics. For newcomers eager for more Bogard, which games offer the best value? If they’re seeking the finest “Fatal Fury” experiences, then these are the top games to explore.

8. Fatal Fury 2

Catching Up To Their Rivals

If “Fatal Fury” had been released in the year 1990, it might have created a more significant impact. Its three-character roster and gameplay centered around links and switching lanes would have outshone games like “Pit Fighter”. However, it was launched in 1991, following the release of “Street Fighter 2”, which featured eight playable characters (including a female character) and its innovative combo-based gameplay.

In 1992, Fatal Fury 2 appeared more contemporary, featuring eight playable characters including the notorious Mai Shiranui, as well as four non-playable bosses. It advanced the lane-switching gameplay by equipping each character with special attacks to push opponents into other arenas or even strategic obstacles for an edge. While similar in some aspects to SF2, FF2 was eventually surpassed by its own subsequent upgrade.

7. Fatal Fury 3: Road To The Final Victory

Sequel Offers Some Great Ideas And Some Not-So-Great Ideas

In the game Fatal Fury 3, the number wasn’t just symbolic of it being the third FF title. It introduced an innovative feature, allowing characters to move between three lanes as opposed to the traditional two. However, unlike in FF2, characters couldn’t evade into these lanes by sidestepping; instead, they would “oversway,” moving forward or backward to dodge attacks and counterattack. This game also allowed players to block mid-air and link combos similar to Street Fighter Alpha.

In contrast to SFA, FF3 brought in a dual lifebar system where every character had an additional yellow lifebar that drained into a red one. When a player’s health is depleted to the red bar, they can perform their super moves. Occasionally, with odds of 1-in-1,024, they could execute a Hidden Super Move, causing more damage than regular ones. Although this random number generation (RNG) method wasn’t widely adopted, it introduced characters like Blue Mary and Yamazaki as mid-bosses, who have since become recurring figures in both the FF series and King of Fighters.

6. Real Bout Garou Densetsu: Dominated Mind

A Neat Curio That Didn’t Last In Players’ Minds

Developer: SNK
Platform: PlayStation
Release: June 1998

As a devoted fan, I find it intriguing to share this peculiarity: Real Bout Garou Densetsu: Dominated Mind isn’t just a sequel, but also a port of Real Bout Fatal Fury Special on the PS1. The majority of its characters and assets are derived from RBFFS, yet it introduces two fresh faces – Alfred, a carefree pilot, and our new overlord, White. White, in turn, is an embodiment of SNK’s infamous boss syndrome, drawing inspiration from the timeless novel and film “A Clockwork Orange.

If players could successfully defeat him, a challenging task indeed, they would need to leap over his final offensive move or face immediate defeat. This would be their sole means of escape, as the game had eliminated the lane-switching feature altogether, turning it into a standard 2D fighting game. It was an interesting addition, especially for those with the bonus disc. However, since it was exclusively released in Japan, players who didn’t understand Japanese wouldn’t gain much from it.

5. Fatal Fury Special

Fatal Fury 2 Gets Revamped And Makes Fighting Game History

The sequel to Fatal Fury 2, titled “Fatal Fury Special,” made significant enhancements where the former game fell short. In this version, characters can execute more fluid combos, seamlessly transition from basic attacks into special moves, and perform other advanced techniques. This allows them to set up opponents for their ultimate moves, albeit requiring players to be close to depleting their health bar, as was the case in Fatal Fury 2. However, with a wider selection of characters at hand, including all the bosses from Fatal Fury 2 and returning favorites such as Duck King and Geese, players now have ample opportunities to master various characters.

The most unexpected moment was during its “dream battle,” where a player could challenge Ryo Sakazaki from Art of Fighting if they won every match within two rounds. Back in 1993, this encounter made Terry one of the earliest guest characters in a fighting game and sparked SNK’s idea to create an authentic crossover experience. If it weren’t for

4. Real Bout Fatal Fury

Fixing What Fatal Fury 3 Brought To The Table

Developer: SNK
Platforms: Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, PS1, Sega Saturn
Release: December 1995

Fatal Fury Special is highly recommended for those seeking a classic, traditional gaming experience, as it doesn’t require monitoring of super meters, guard meters, burst meters, and the like. However, more contemporary gamers might prefer the advanced versions such as Real Bout Fatal Fury. Essentially, it’s an upgraded version of FF3, excluding the RNG-based Hidden supers and the story mode. Instead, it reenacts the events of FF1 with updated controls.

Players can still sway the game by using the dedicated button, but they now have the option to knock out opponents beyond the boundaries for a ring-out win. Characters like Kim, Billy Kane, and Duck King were added to the roster, along with bosses from Final Fantasy 3, Yamazaki and the Jin Brothers. The super moves were made simpler, requiring a full super meter and varying levels of health to execute. As the player gets closer to defeat, their super moves become more potent.

3. Real Bout Fatal Fury Special

Fatal Fury’s Dream Match Introduces Players To A Nightmare

It might seem like Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, following the success of Fatal Fury Special, was another revision of its precursor RBFF, which itself had been based on FF3. However, that’s not the case. Instead, it’s a completely new game designed from scratch, featuring vibrant, updated graphics, redesigned character sprites, and overhauled gameplay mechanics. This time around, players found themselves switching between two lanes and could no longer win or lose by forcing their opponents out of the ring. Instead, if players managed to corner their opponents, they could shatter objects nearby, revealing hazards that would deal additional damage.

The cast boasts an illustrious ensemble from FF legends, with exceptional EX variations of characters such as Blue Mary and Andy Bogard included. If players excel (defeat every opponent in two rounds, score more than 750,000 points, etc.), they’ll encounter a unique version of Geese Howard called “Nightmare Geese.” This character truly lives up to his name. Players receive only one opportunity to defeat him, and if they fail, the game is over – no second chances or continues are allowed.

2. Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers

Old School Fatal Fury’s Last Hurrah

Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers

Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers stands out among the classic Terry FF games with a lane-switching mechanic, as it refined existing features rather than introducing new ones. This game returns to the original RBFF’s over-swing style, enabling players to dodge into the backdrop and counterattack instead of switching lanes. Additionally, it eliminated the EX characters from Real Bout Fatal Fury Special (RBFFS), with some of their moves being reassigned to their standard counterparts.

Besides them, all members from RBFFS returned, while Geese departed the horrific realm to assume the role of a recurring final boss. The fresh faces were entertaining as well; Rick Strowd, the Native American boxer, gained cult status despite making just a single appearance. Additionally, RBGD: DM’s Alfred made a surprise appearance as a hidden boss, foreshadowing his potential as the new series protagonist following Terry’s resolution with Geese for good.

1. Garou: Mark Of The Wolves

How The Best Game In The Series Became An Underrated Title

If Alfred had admirers, they might have felt let down by the shift in Garou: Mark of the Wolves, as it introduced a new protagonist in Rock Howard, Geese’s son, raised by Terry. However, this wasn’t an isolated feeling, as the game largely swapped out old characters like Terry Bogard for a fresh set. Fortunately, tough martial arts master Gato, lively pirate Bonne Jenet, and Kim’s sons Dong Hwan and Jae Hoon soon won over many fans.

The game eliminated lane switching, however, its stunning animations, strategic TOP gauge, and Just Defense abilities compensated greatly for this. Additionally, it debuted Terry’s famous Buster Wolf super move. Despite not being a financial hit as 2D games were popular in 1999, the game stood out due to its exceptional graphics and gameplay, making it one of the finest fighting games ever created, if not the best in the FF series, similar to Capcom’s Street Fighter 3: Third Strike.

2025-04-20 18:06