Garou: Mark of the Wolves

"SNK has finally surpassed Capcom..."

Garou Densetsu, known in the United States as Fatal Fury, has always been seen as an inferior fighter compared to Capcom's Street Fighter series. Many people thought Fatal Fury would fade into oblivion. When real bout was released, a few heads turned, but Capcom still had the edge. Garou is released, and has done the impossible. SNK has finally beaten capcom for the 2D crown.

Presentation: (10) Right away, you are treated to two introductions. The first one shows the historic battle between Terry Bogard and Gesse Howard. With Gesse falling to his death, Tery raises his son, Rock Howard. The second introduction is much longer, showcasing all the characters in the game, with the ending close up of Rock being exceptional.

Story (8) Most fighting games have little or no plot at all. Garou takes place about 20 years after Fatal Fury. Rock Howard, having no father, is raised by Terry Bogard, who felt guilty about Gesse. Kim Dong Hwan and Kim Jae Hoon are the sons of Legendary Kim Kap Hwan. Hokutomaru is the son of Mai Shiranui and Andy Bogard. The only returning character is Terry Bogard, and he looks very different. Unlike other fighting games, the endings for each character are incredible, and actually tells why the characters have been fighting. (Rock's ending is especially good, kinda shocking too)

Graphics (10) The graphics and animation of Garou is the best SNK has ever done, being bettered (only very slightly) by Street Fighter 3. Unless you're really looking at them, both games have the same amount of animation, but Garou does so much more. For example, after pulling off a special atack, Rock Howard smoothes his hair back. There are a multitude of win poses for every character, whether it was a normal win, a win with a super move. Garou even has a win pose of a super move killed the opponent with block damage!! Stages vary from a clock tower to a waterfall. The stages are dynamic, changing time of day after every round. Gato's stage starts in the afternoon for round one, round two, it is night time, and if there is a round three, you fight in the early sunrise. SNK has thought of everything that a fighting game should have.

Gameplay/Control (10) The control of Garou is flawless, with each character responding the instant you input the controls. There is no lag between button presses and the response on the screen. Special moves are easy to remember and to execute, with many motions being the same for most of the characters. This was a wise move by SNK, so instead of trying to remember a bunch of controls for each person, you can jump into the game and play with almost everyone. Super Moves have changed dramatically. Gone from the previous games are the insane joystick motions for the Super moves. All super moves are executed by two fireball motions and a button. The gameplay of Garou is flawless as well. Garou has accomplished what many recent Capcom agmes are lacking: balance. Combos take a good amount of skill to execute and none of the characters are too overpowered. The TOP (Tactical Offense Position) brings a new strategy to the fighting game genre. A portion of your life bar is chosen, (the first, second or last third of your life) and when your life reaches that area, the TOP is activated. In TOP mode, power is increased, and some of your life gradually increases. The TOP adds a new degree of strategy.

Artificial Intelligence (10) Usually AI is not a big factor in a fighting game, but in the case of Garou, i had to include it. The Ai in Garou is not a ''too easy'' or ''too cheap'' issue. every character in garou is played to perfection. The AI plays every character in sync with the personality of the character. Kim Dong Hwan is a very egotistical, playful person. In the match, he will knock you down, then taunt you, leaving himself wide open. Rock is a compete brawler (expect nothing else from the son of Gesse!)

Sound/Music (9) The sound is Garou's only weakness. The sound effects when an enemy is being struck by a super move or by certain projectiles can sometimes sound unnatural. The music is very good for a fighting game, and every trak fits the stage and character they are associated with. Rock's theme, Hotaru's and the second to last boss are especially notable selections. Character voices are crisp and clear, and the physical impact of punches and kicks sound excellent.

Replayability (9) Garou's second (very minor) flaw. There are only 12 people to select from, 14 if the bosses are included (the bosses are selectable). With games like Marvel vs Capcom 2 sporting 50 something characters, Garou's selection seems a bit sparse. Then again, unlike Marvel vs Capcom 2 every single character in Garou is enjoyable to play with and are completely different from each other. Matches based on skill, rather than flashy combos make Garou highly enjoyable for a very long time.

Overall (10) Garou has done just about everything right. Graphics, gameplay, storyline, Garou is one of, if not the finest 2D fighter ever created. SNK has created a masterpiece, and set a new standard for what a fighting game should be. Capcom, for once should take an example and learn from Garou.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/14/00, Updated 05/14/00