"Unleash your Fatal Fury"

Been looking for a stellar fighting game title to spruce up your SNES library? Well look no further than Fatal Fury 2. It may be an oldie but it's a goodie that delivers a lot of quality.

The original Fatal Fury although a decent effort on SNK's part was never well received by the public. The game did introduce some interesting concepts and characters (Terry, Andy, Joe, etc) but could never really amount to much especially with Capcom's Street Fighter series beginning to take off. Luckily the sequel succeeded where the original failed and was one of the first games to establish SNK as a serious fighting game developer.

Fatal Fury 2 is like the Fatal Fury experience multiplied ten fold. The game retains the 1 on 1; 2D style of it's predecessor but expands on it greatly.

For one thing the roaster of selectable characters has been greatly expanded. You can now choose from eight different characters (there were only three in Fatal Fury). The selectable characters are Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, Joe Hayashi, Mai Shiranui, Jubei Yamada, Cheng Sin Zan, Kim Kaphwan, and Big Bear). You'll also have to contend with the game's four bosses (Billy Kane, B. Lawrence, Axel Hawk, and Wolfgang Krauser). Yes I know it's the same as Street Fighter II's system but hey it works. Of the eight characters five are new and three are returning. This adds a lot more variety to the game. Many of the characters are among SNK's all time fan favorites (ex: Terry, Andy, Joe, Mai, Kim) so if you are one of those newer SNK fans (like yours truly) and are anxious to see what SNK was like in the old days you'll be happy to see some of the best loved characters here in action.

The graphics and sound have been boosted quite a bit too. An improved number of animation frames and improved stage music is a definite plus. They also increased the clarity of the character's voices (although they're still a bit muffled in the SNES version of the game). The special moves are also a pleasure to watch and many are quite elaborate for their time.

The controls are also very good. They're very tight (standard for most SNK games), and that's just the way I like em. Another cool game play feature is the 3D perspective battlefield. This allows players to jump between the fore ground and background of the stage and if timed properly catch the opponent off guard. A nice little feature, too bad it wasn't used much beyond this game.

Overall Fatal Fury 2 is an excellent game that is worth picking up if you can find it. If you've got lots of money to spend you could try investing in the NEO GEO version of this game but for most the SNES version is the best home release you'll be able to get. Despite being overshadowed by games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, Fatal Fury 2 still holds high honors in the league of retro fighters and I would highly recommend it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10 | Originally Posted: 06/22/02, Updated 06/22/02

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