"Whelkman stole my tagline"

After the Capcom employees left and set up SNK, they decided to create their own fighter and to introduce new features in the genre at the same time. Hence, Fatal Fury was created although at the time it was also referred to as The King of Fighters. However, since SNK then decided to call another series The King of Fighters, the name Fatal Fury only was kept and it suited the game really well.

For a start, SNK seems to be more intent on trying out its ideas rather than trying to make a good-looking title. Heck, I'm not saying they're that bad but it's pretty obvious SNK had other things in mind for their first beat-em-up. The graphics are good for their time but could have been better.

Besides, you'll know that upon playing the game yourself because there is a real difference between the characters and the backgrounds. While the characters aren't that great and sport rather ugly outfits, I was pleasantly surprised with the backgrounds. And if that isn't enough, you can still check out the sequences before each fight where Geese talks to himself, they're absolutely top-notch.

The characters have a rather lame animation and some of them, like Max, are scary ! Still, they're quite decent and some of the outfits are nice. Moreover, they're a change from the usual types since for once, the fighters are wearing real clothes instead of their training outfits. The moves are good-looking too, I really like the original animation of the Power Wave. Sure, it's cheap but it's great !!

But one thing that still amazes me concerns the backgrounds. Fatal Fury may have somewhat decent characters but the backgrounds present in it are awesome. The structures in Tung Fu Rue's stage are excellent and very realistic. And the funniest thing in this game remains SNK's ego : you'll spot the words ''SNK'' and ''Neo Geo'' in every stage - whether it's on a car or even on a tree !

Some decent voice-acting for the first Fatal Fury. Of course, it cannot compare to nowaday's voices but I don't know why, I like the original Power Wave effect. It has nice effects about it, SNK should have conserved it in my opinion. Otherwise, the voices are decent and accompany the different characters quite well.

Tung Fu Rue's theme is extraordinary. It has that Once upon a time in China-feel and is truthfully marvellous. It's a pity I can't say the same for the rest of the themes though. They're not really entertaining and I even had trouble concentrating against some opponents because I was too annoyed with that particular music. But put me in a game where I'll continuously fight Rue and I'll be as happy as an oyster.

Not bad controls but there seems to be some problems with the response from time to time though. The controls are tight and most moves are easy to pull. However, there is some lag in certain cases and this can prove fatal to you (hence the name Fatal Fury ?). And the Rising Tackle is not that tough to make it connect, after all…

As you'll see, Fatal Fury doesn't have excellent graphics or sound effects nor does it bring an exceptional control. Yet, the title was very popular and I'll tell you why. Although you could only play with 3 characters, the true fact remains that none of them played alike and it was evident each had his own story to back him up.

You'll end up fighting against Geese all the time but the dialogues between Geese and M. Big changes according to the character you chose and the plots are really interesting. OK, it's no big secret now but remember, things were not so obvious when the game came out. I still remember how excited I was when I finally made it up to Geese after inserting a couple more coins against Billy Kane.

Like I said, the only 3 selectable characters are Terry, Andy and Joe who would eventually be referred to as the Fatal Fury team. This kinda affects the replay value but the first times you play the game, you will keep playing it until you finish it with all 3 of them.

Moreover, the bonus games are really challenging. And for those who don't know all the moves, you'll learn them through those and they're worth it. The game also benefits from an excellent presentation with the map and with a figure of Terry moving along to fight new characters.

The plane system is probably the best feature in the game. Basically, there are now 2 planes instead of the single one present in Street Fighter. You can switch from one to the other by pressing the appropriate combinations of buttons and this makes the battles more complex. The thrill of changing planes while hitting the opponent is totally cool and is one heartbreaking moment for newbies !!

However, this can be a little confusing too for newbies as they find themselves changing planes all the time but the system is easy to understand. And you'll make full use of it once you know how it works. This makes the fights more interesting and prevent them from rapidly becoming annoying as you realize that you could just have beaten the opponent with a particular strategy.

This first Fatal Fury is a very good attempt at what will soon become one of the best 2D series. SNK have just set the marks for its main title and the new features are so interesting all your money will go on it. For newbies, it will be a good occasion to know how Terry came to dislike Geese so much other than from reading guides. And for veterans, the feeling of nostalgia is enough to make you play it for hours on end ! Worth a try !

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/01, Updated 11/09/02