The Lone Wolves are back and the fury is here!
Many of you would shout, "What about Mortal Kombat?" Well, as fun as that game was, with the controversy that surrounded that title, you could hardly say that it was overlooked. Of course, that was not by choice, but I digress.
For those long time fans of SNK's games (such as myself) and for 2D fighting game fans who were looking for an alternative to Street Fighter, Fatal Fury was a welcome and refreshing addition to the genre! At first glance, Fatal Fury is very reminiscent of SNK's first fighting effort; the 1989 title: Street Smart. However, it is was alot more advanced with the help of the Neo Geo's hardware. The Neo Geo's first fighter exhibited great graphics and the audio was definitely high quality for the time. The addition of the ability to fight on two planes was also unique for this title. Although many gamers found the small fighter selection of: Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi a bit limiting, the diversity of the three characters and engaging story more than made up for the lack of choices. The unforgiving difficulty made the game a great challenge for those who already mastered Street Figher II. As the series progressed, the subsequent releases Fatal Fury 2, Fatal Fury Special, and Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory, the Real Bout titles and Garou: Mark of the Wolves improved upon each of it's predecessors. However, by the time the later titles in the series were released, many people moved onto 3D Fighting games and (unfortunately) decided to abandon 2D fighters.
What's refreshing about the Fatal Fury Battle Archives: Volume 1, is that gamers who either missed out on the first four titles in this series or those who would like to take a stroll down memory lane can enjoy them in their original splendor. Being fortunate enough to own the original Neo Geo AES carts and CDs, I can say that this compilation incorporates the best features of both cartridge and CD versions. Virtually no load time like the carts and the ability to play with the Arranged tracks featured on the CD versions. As with the Art of Fighting compilation released a few months ago, Fatal Fury Battle Archives also has the price point of $19.99. With a price that affordable, there is no reason for any fan of this series to not pick up this compilation! Enjoy!