Written: 4.20.14
Acquired: 2.12.06
Status: Cart only
Price: $4

20 years ago, Takara ported and released their SNES conversion of the popular 1992 Neo Geo brawler, FATAL FURY 2. Clocking in at 20 megs (though by comparison only a measly one fifth of the 106 MEG original), it arrived right at the peak of both the Super NES and the fighting game boom. Fatal Fury 2 was a prime example of how one does a sequel correctly, as it featured more playable fighters, more special moves and refined the spirit of its predecessor
Takara had been the butt of jokes until they had this 20 meg gem

                                                                                                    FATAL FURY ORIGINS

In March 1991, a 2D one on one fighting game revolutionized the gaming world. STREET FIGHTER II became nothing SHORT of a phenomenon and household name. At the time I was only 7 years old, but I remember it so vividly. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing the Street Fighter II arcade cab. Whether it was at a 7-11, your video rental stores, Pizza Huts, or trading card stores (yeah, remember when they were around? My how times have changed), people couldn't get enough of it. And the long lines were proof of that. About 9 months later, Fatal Fury came out. I too remember this one very well. It was hosted via a Neo Geo MVS cab. These powerhouse machines could hold up to four games at a time, and players had the choice to select which of the four they wanted to play. The cab itself stood out in a crowd, what with its bright red exterior. It immediately caught your eye and it was always a blast to look up and see which four games were featured, and whether there was a new gem waiting to be unearthed. If you were in the arcade scene back in the early '90s, then I know you know damn FULL well what I mean. Gamers growing up today have access to certain things we could only dream of having back then, but man, they sure don't get the magical arcade experience like how we did. In retrospect, there are few things I'd trade in the world for that time period. There was a certain magic to it. Just standing in front of an MVS cab, gazing up at the four titles, and watching the demos switching on the screen before you, each game making a convincing bid for your quarter, was great. Maybe part of it had to do with being young too, but I think the games were just epic  ^_^  THANK YOU NEO GEO  ^_^

Fatal Fury was often wrongly accused of being a Street Fighter II clone, as it came out 9 months later. Back then, it was easy to claim that. But years later, I discovered something. It's one of those shocking facts that debunks the gaming theories of one's youth. The creator of Fatal Fury, Takashi Nishiyama, was also the creator of the first Street Fighter. After gaining recognition for his talents following his brainchild Street Fighter, he was headhunted by SNK. He and many members of the development crew for the first Street Fighter made the move over, and Fatal Fury was the follow-up title in December 1991. In fact, in an interview conducted with 1UP, Nishiyama was quoted as stating, "Fatal Fury was my Street Fighter II." Wow. The things you only find out about as you get older. As it turns out, Fatal Fury was never a Street Fighter II wannabe. In Nishiyama's mind, Fatal Fury WAS Street Fighter II. My bad, Mr. Nishiyama. Forgive me for the errors of my youth

So much for being a Street Fighter II clone, eh?  Hard to argue that when you know the creator of the first Street Fighter went on to then develop FATAL FURY, which was in development at the same time as Street Fighter II (Capcom used a new crew to develop that quarter crunching monster). Fatal Fury has a special place in my gaming heart. The most unique feature about it was its two player co-op mode, where you and a pal could double team one goon at a time. It created such a fun atmosphere, and really came off as an old kung fu flick. I have many fond memories of me and my brother battling South Town's most corrupt and dangerous: from the ageless Tung Fu Rue who could morph into a muscular monster, to the enigmatic and funky dancing party animal, Duck King. With incredibly lush and vibrant visuals, it made for a damn fine alternative whenever the Street Fighter II line went past the entrance. In some ways I liked Fatal Fury more than SF II

Another aspect that I recall fondly was how the level you fought on would change from round to round. At first, it would be sunny. Next round, evening would befall the battle tested competitors. Tung Fu Rue's stage haunts me to this day, even nearly 25 (!) years later. The second my brother and I saw those heavy raindrops falling from the sky, complete with ominous thunder and lightning, we didn't know whether to wind our watches or crap our pants. I remember standing there at Safeway, literally being completely frozen. It was the damndest thing I had ever seen from a video game yet. To this day, it remains one of my fondest gaming memories. I also remember another night fondly. It was either late '91 or early '92. Fatal Fury had just come out, and my uncle took me and my brother to a mom 'n pop rental shop. We rented WWF Survivor Series 1991, with the mega attraction championship match pitting the Immortal Hulk Hogan vs. the impervious Undertaker. As hyped as my bro and I were to watch that match, we found ourselves caught up on flanking Tung Fu Rue as it rained cats and dogs. Our uncle, being the awesome uncle he was, stood by the arcade cab cheering me and Kevin on. Not many games could halt my Hulkamania, but there was something about Fatal Fury that resonated with me. Those stages haunt me to this very day!

While flawed, Fatal Fury was a fun game in its own right. I enjoyed it separate from all the Street Fighter II hype. While the latter featured smoother gameplay and placed an emphasis on combos, Fatal Fury, from Mr. Nishiyama's own mouth, focused more on storytelling and special moves. While Fatal Fury lacked a combo system, it did feature some amazing special moves. Since there were no combos, you had to rely on pulling off your special moves at just the right time in order to gain the upper hand. They were, essentially, your life line. It was a different method of how to approach a fighting video game, trying to scout and find your opponent's weaknesses before launching one of your special moves to capitalize, but it gave the game a really cool aura about it. Fatal Fury also presented a rather involved storyline. You play as one of these 3: Terry or Andy Bogard, or Joe Higashi. Your goal: avenge your father's death. The man responsible: South Town's crimelord, Geese Howard!

As was the case back in those days, one could only dream of owning the mega expensive Neo Geo system. Therefore, you had to rely on a sized down conversion. Often times, they were either hit or miss. Fatal Fury was sadly a large miss. My brother and I were very excited to see the preview of it in EGM, but when we finally played it in 1993, a small part of our childhood died. I hate it SO MUCH that I refuse to review it. In fact, this is all it deserves

SNES port of Fatal Fury was like finding out Santa Claus was fake

At first glance, things look promising. Although obviously scaled down, visually, it looks decent for a 1993 Super Nintendo game. It sort of captures the lush and vibrant colors of the arcade. Andy's massive energy wave, f'rinstance, looks nice. But, they eliminated the game's high selling point: 2 on 1 melee. Next, the gameplay was just horrid, with terrible control. The sound was as bad as two cats fighting in a tin can. It's "2 out of 10" level bad

ROUND TWO... FIGHT!

Following the "death" of Geese Howard at the end of the first tournament, a new leader stepped in. And not just any Average Joe [Higashi -Ed.]... it was actually Geese's half-bro, the vile Wolfgang Krauser!






By far one of the most memorable quotes in fighting game history

                                       This time, truly, Takara is proud of their effort, as they should be

It marked the first solid Takara endorsed Super Nintendo product

                                                                      HIDING IN PLANE SIGHT

The first Fatal Fury had
a two plane system. It's back in the sequel and
it's implemented much better than ever before








                                       Two planes meant you could escape the action for a strategic bit

Indeed, in the original you couldn't. But here, you can, at will. It added in
a wrinkle to the fighting game formula, and was one I certainly didn't mind







This helps Fatal Fury 2 to feel a bit different from Street Fighter II

With six buttons on the SNES controller, Takara took full advantage of that. Instead of pressing two buttons together to switch planes like you had to in the arcade, here all you had to do was push R





                                           Just another reason why I love the SNES controller so much

Strategy was increased, while value of projectiles were decreased

                                         Hell, press L and you can even smack them into the next plane

You can also attack from one plane over. It's pretty awesome stuff

It sure did. Lest I forget to mention how a few of the stages had its own unique gimmicks. On one stage for example, you could shatter shoji screens, or "hide" behind them, well, sorta. It didn't really affect the game much, but the visual of it was just cool. You felt like you were in a Bruce Lee film, and that's part of the magic of video games when done right. There are stages where you can even smack them into various hazards in the background, causing extra harm. More on this later...

                                         Jump kicking through these shoji screens was oddly satisfying

You know the development team had a BLAST making this game

                                       No, it doesn't cause any extra damage. But it was just DAMN cool

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Another cool feature of this game is every fighter can jump back to avoid attacks. Everybody can also crouch while moving forward at the same time. Not just for the little agile guys, but everyone, even Big Bear. There are also counterattacks. All of this made Fatal Fury 2 sweet





All of these elements combined to make for a fun fighting game

                                         As an exclusive home bonus, we even got a group battle mode

LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN

Hey, if you're gonna borrow some ideas, then take from the best...

                                       Andy was MY GUY. Terry for my brother. Art imitates real life eh

THE KING OF FIGHTERS

Having avenged the death of his adoptive dad, he's back to be #1

Battling on a roaring railroad train, the passing scenery is majestic, but the action is brutal and barbaric. Few landmarks scream Americana more than Mount Rushmore, which you can catch a glimpse of in all its sweet glory as the train rolls on





                                          It may not be as iconic as Ryu's dojo rooftop, but it's a classic

Terry's relentless work ethic and a natural God-given overload of talent has blessed him with some killer moves, like the Power Wave. By striking the ground with his iron fist, a blazing energy wave screams along the ground. His Burning Knuckle and Crack Shoot can catch opponents off guard, showcasing his lethal combination of speed and power. Finally, for jump happy rivals, the Rising Tackle can quickly put a damper on their days

Can Andy step out of his brother's long shadow?  Time will tell...

Overlooking the exquisite sights of Italy, combatants wage war on a boat that's anything but the Love Boat









                                        Andy Bogard has some of the coolest moves in all of Fatal Fury

Andy's special moves are classics. They consist of a BADASS energy wave, a leaping
kick that can sail over projectiles, a rushing elbow and a Dragon Punch-esque attack

Loyal friend of the Bogards, Mr. Higashi sure is no 'Ordinary Joe'

Set in a quaint Thailand village, the hardworking women look on as they cheer their local champ








                                       I'd always like Joe. Solid supporting character with cool specials

An expert with both his fists and feet, Joe can inflict pain in a variety of ways. He's able to string together a series of quick blows, and then he finishes it up with a stiff left uppercut. Spectators marvel at the hurricane projectile he hurls. But his two greatest moves are the Slash Kick and the Tiger Kick. Joe has defeated many a foe with these spectacular moves

There's just something majorly cool about Kim Kaphwan, y'kno?

Proud of his Korean roots, Kim shows off his skills in a busy part of town that showcases Korea's rich sense of culture/tradition, alongside the new/modern








                                            If timed precisely, you can knock old timers off their bikes!

Kim is one of the few without a projectile. He makes up for this with his educated feet. From his Half Moon Kick to his Flash Kick homage-paying Flying Slash, Kim is no
slouch. And, to keep opponents honest, HE CAN BICYCLE KICK YOUR SHIT IN

Mai gained notoriety in the early-mid '90s for her bouncing boobs

Japan is well known for its bustling night life, but Mai prefers to whup your ass on this private wooden raft









                                       Gorgeous waterfalls and weird exotic statues grace the backdrop

Mai can put the hurt on ya in a hurry. Whether it's heaving her fan, swooping down [she can go down on me ANYTIME -Ed.], or flying across the battlefield, she's one dangerous chick. But her most infamous is the Dragon Fire Dance. Talk about being the girl on fire

Raiden from the first Fatal Fury returns but with a brand new look

The big Aussie, proud of his digs, wrestles with all foolhardy challengers in da Australian outback. Having earned a large following for his in-ring work, a small legion of his most fervent fans cheer on the big man as he rips apart his victim






                                        All about branding, Big Bear even has his own personal big rig

As is the case with most big men in fighting games, Big Bear is without a projectile. Instead, he uses his entire body as a weapon. This includes his Giant Bomb rushing shoulderblock, his Super Dropkick and a cornucopia of devastating rasslin' throws

Eccentric, kooky and strange, he's a fry short of a happy meal

But there's no denying his capability as a legit threat. The geezer may look like a joke, but it's all done by design. There is a method to his madness, and he displays this perfectly by littering his war zone with Japanese shoji screens. This can confuse or baffle his opponents as Jubei switches back and forth





                                       Seeing his wooden clogs kick off like that is such a neat lil detail

Don't let his advanced age and personality quirks fool ya -- Jubei knows what he's doing
at all times. And this includes a couple of painful throws. He'll charge at ya, or catch you mid-air, or even send you up 20 feet in the air before crashing down. Take him seriously!

He's hungry for the American Dream. And pies, pizzas, burgers...

Hong Kong is a beautiful place. And it makes for a gorgeous backdrop. The skyline takes your breath away, but if you don't stay focused on beating Cheng, he'll smash you like a bug







                                       There's a reason they call Cheng the 'King Kong of Hong Kong'...

Many noobs make the fatal mistake of presuming Cheng for a plodder. Nothing could be further from the truth. He has found a way to use his body to his advantage. This includes a couple quick striking moves that can catch the competition off guard. He can roll into a ball and drive the air out of your system, or BELLY FLOP on your unfortunate carcass. He also has a unique curving fireball. Hey, where do you think Johnny Cage learned it from?

DESPERATION SUPER SPECIALS

Desperation moves can be done once your energy bar is flashing

                                      The Power Geyser is simple but classic and satisfying nonetheless

Andy benefits from having the easiest-to-execute super special

                                          Andy adds in a little... ahem... "FLARE" to his Sho(t)gun Kick

Ah, Nintendo Power. NP got plenty of flack for this error, I'm sure

                                        It towers over even the near 7-footer, Big Bear!  Impressive sight

Of all the "rushing combo" super specials, Kim was first to do it

Many fighters have used a rushing multi-hit combo for their desperation move, from Kim Dragon (World Heroes Perfect) to Mikey (TMNT: Tournament Fighters), but Kim Kaphwan was the very first to do it. An innovator, he set the bar for all others to follow. After a fatal barrage of savage strikes, he finishes his foe off with his Flash Kick, I mean, Flying Slash

To all the perverts out there, sorry... no bouncing boobs in 16-bit

                                       Infatuated with Andy Bogard, Mai stole a page from his playbook

You might be expecting a BIG THROW... instead it's a BIG BLOW

                                       TAKE THAT, CAPCOM!  HOW'S THIS FOR A "BREATH OF FIRE"

If you were looking for a big throw from someone, Jubei delivers

One day, as Jubei was slamming the latest whippersnapper in his dojo,
one punk was dumb enough to call him out. "Hey, old timer!  Go home,
your fire's long gone."  It was just the SPARK he needed for his greatest
throw yet. The rest is history. Take a negative and turn it into a positive!

Of all the desperation moves, Cheng has the most SHOCKING one

                                       This electrifying energy orb almost has as much power as the sun

"YOU AIN'T THE BOSS OF ME!"  [OH YES I AM -ED.]

For fighting games in the early 1990s, the inherent thrill, especially of a home port where you hope would contain some extras, was undoubtedly the sure fire winner of the boss code. Street Fighter II started the rumors and sensation. The very idea of playing as the boss characters that kicked your ass, and the ones you never could play as in the arcades. Part of the fun of home translations were, while they never fully replicated the arcade experience, the really good ones could come halfway close, and provide you with some cool easter eggs along the way. Takara took that to heart... as with a simple code you could use any of the four bosses in Fatal Fury 2 in any mode. Good job, Big T!

                                       Ah what a glorious sign of the times that embodied the early '90s

Billy Kane returns from the first Fatal Fury to reprise his goon role

                                       Ominous fog permeates. Watch out for those massive cogwheels!

Billy Kane lives up to his name by being a master of the cane. Nobody whips it around quite like Mr. Kane. Regardless of where you are, you're never safe from his long reach

OK, he's a blatant Balrog (or M. Bison) clone, but who's counting

                                         US flag, wrestling ring, electric ropes, cars. God bless America

Axel hits ya with the expected -- a rushing uppercut -- but he also has a rather unexpected one: a Sonic Boom-esque projectile. I actually like Axel Hawk a lot more than I do Balrog

It's LAURENCE BLOOD, damnit!  Damn you, Nintendo of America

                                        Another breathtaking backdrop. Beware those rampaging bulls!

An unorthodox fighter, the agile Laurence Blood aggravates and punishes from all angles

Wolfgang Krauser, Geese Howard's half-brother, is one BAD MAN

                                       Wolfgang's stage symbolizes well his elegance AND refined taste

A master of the fireball, Wolfgang Krauser also uses his mighty legs to pummel his foes

When you finally dethrone the bastard, he goes out in dramatic fashion... á la Ric Flair

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY

Whack your opponent into the giant gears for additional damage

Exhibit A: ducking in time. Winner                  Exhibit B: d'oh!  Loser

Indeed. And is it just me, or is that KING HIPPO from Punch-Out?!

                                         Ahhh, the sweet, sinister and sadistic memories I have of this...

Laurence Blood's stage is bloody brilliant [I C WAT U DID DERE -Ed.]. Take a look...

                                       Nothing satisfied quite like sending your opponent into the bulls!

[Now you're making ME wince. And that's no BULL -Ed.]

                                       Just a sight gag. It has no real gameplay affect but is a riot to see

Old man: 'It's night time now. Those punks oughta be long gone'

                                       'DAMNIT, I'm taking the bus next time. TOO OLD FOR THIS SHIT'

BONUS QUESTION...

Besides the boss code, what was a guaranteed staple of fighting games from the early 1990s?


If ya guessed the obligatory bonus stage, bingo


Let's see how it stacks up in Fatal Fury 2



One comes after round 4.  #2 follows round 8

                                       Woulda been ho-hum, otherwise. But the gimmick is played well

There's a certain high that only comes by beating a deadline barely

                                       The 2nd bonus stage is much the same, just swapped with bricks

GHOST STORIES, DEBAUCHERY AND MORE

In the wrestling industry, that's known as DAMN GOOD SELLING

                                       OUCH. Wrestling lingo: 'He went to the well one times too many'

I love a good ghost story. Ever since I was a kid and my brother and I would just sit there by his side, mesmerized by our uncle's latest tale of terror and all things that go bump in the night. Well told stories that evokes haunting images in your soul, sending a wave of shivers up and down your spine. Nothing beats sitting by a campfire on a warm summer's night, your senses inundated by the ghastly and the grim

In Korea, there is an infamous legend of a ghost woman and her two young ghost children wandering the streets, searching desperately for their father. Thousands of eye witnesses have claimed to see them passing by on dark cold nights for years now. The mother has walked so much that her feet fell off. One anonymous man was quoted as to say, "One night, I was walking home as usual. Suddenly, I felt a damp cold air devouring me. I gazed up and there she was straight across from me. I tried to ask if she was OK, but then I looked down and saw she had no feet. Frozen in terror, I watched in horror as she proceeded to float right through me. As she passed by, I heard the awful wailing of "WHERE ARE YOU, MY LOVE?"  Her two children skipped around me singing a lullaby with no emotion. When I turned around, they were all gone. Vanished. Without a trace. Since that night, I have never walked that path ever again alone... the Lady With No Feet is still out there somewhere. She's waiting, watching. I fear she might be behind you right now..."

                                        WHOA... maybe... JUST MAYBE... Kim is the missing father!?!?

*GASP*  Missing his foot, too!  Is this how the missing dad died?!

                                       The shoji screens in Jubei's stage offers plenty of random hi-jinx

You know what they say... it's all fun and games, until someone loses a shoji screen

Donnie Yen is in the prequel which was just given the green light

                                       WHAT?!  OK, fine. Alright. And on that note, we shall move on...

[Man, why do I even bother. Jubei makes Pee Wee proud... -Ed.]

                                       Quickly press X, A, R and oops... Ryo was in Fatal Fury SPECIAL

ACTION FIGURE-O-RAMA!

Instead of the usual ad selling their game like most companies used, Takara ran a rather clever promo. They offered free miniature one inch action figures of various Fatal Fury 2 stars. I mean, who did that?  NOBODY else, that's who. It really gave Takara a spirit of giving back to the fans. Imagine if Capcom had offered free Chun Li or Blanka action figures. Or maybe it was just Takara's little way of saying sorry for the first Fatal Fury port. At any rate, as a 10 year old kid at the time, I absolutely ate this up. I was all over it like a flea on a dog. I sent off for my free action figure and waited 2-4 weeks for the prized item to arrive. In the meantime, I got even more hyped for Fatal Fury 2. So it worked. Brilliant strategy by Takara. They had gone from being the punchline of companies to one that suddenly made you sit up and take notice

Takara began delivering its share of solid titles, and it started here

You also didn't know which of the 12 fighters you were gonna get, so that definitely added to the excitement of it all. To this day I wonder how many of these little bastards were produced, and how many are in homes today, relics kept from one's childhood. I'm actually curious to see what the rest of the figures look like. From the four I've seen, the details on these small figures were pretty phenomenal... especially considering they were free

                                          Takara was ahead of its time with this clever marketing plan

I wanted Andy, and my bro said if I got Terry that it would be his to keep. What a punk. It turned out to be a moot point in the end, as a blue Wolfgang Krauser greeted me at my mailbox roughly a month later. I would go on to own the little guy for the next 7 years, until I traded him away in a package deal along with Golden Axe: The Duel (the Japanese import) for the rights to Street Fighter Collection (Sega Saturn) on GameTZ back in December 2001

Heh, stamps were only 29 cents 20 years ago. Fun looking back!

                                       The good times we shared. Bubble baths, long walks, ah [... -Ed.]

GREAT JOB, WIL OVERTON!

Overton designed the amazing Super Play covers way back when

                                         A true master artist, Wil's attention to detail was IMPECCABLE

1994: A GOLDEN ERA

As I sit here and write this, it's hard for me to believe it's been 20 years since '94. In many ways, that was a banner year for me. It came at the peak of SNES, EGM and fighting games. And it coincided with me being 10 and 11 years old that year. Just the right age to be young enough to be in awe of it all still, yet old enough to really appreciate it, in ways your 6 year old self wouldn't be able to. It was truly a golden era. And there were few things better than anticipating the newest EGM issue to hit your mailbox. Each day at the beginning of the month I eagerly skipped to my mailbox like a school girl, anxious to see if the latest issue had come or not. It was always an "AWWW!" when you found only bills for your parents, but then halfway up your driveway you realize tomorrow could be the lucky day. Then, the cycle repeats. Until one day, you open your mailbox and lo and behold! Truly, it was one of the best things about being a gamer 20 years ago

EGM issue number 58. May 1994. My jaw hit the ground when I saw that gorgeous cover. It simply epitomized the height of the fighting game boom as it featured the most iconic fighter on its cover. And, no less than four different fighting game insignias beautifully gracing the left side cover. Even to this day, whenever I look at this cover, I'm swept away by the sheer innocence and the magic that came along with it 20 years ago. It was almost the summer time, the SNES was at its very peak, and there were plenty of fighting games for me and my friends to sample all summer long. I've said it often before... it was the best time to be a robust 10 year old boy growing up in suburban America. It was truly a golden era and one we're likely never to witness again. For those of us who grew up in the thick of that era, we consider ourselves blessed. 1994, I salute ya!
                                       And what was the Game of the Month that month?  Why it was...

Fatal Fury 2 winning Game of the Month was a pleasant surprise!

All in all, Fatal Fury 2 fared quite well with the critics. Although never reviewed by GameFan, strangely enough, they did speak highly of it. It won EGM's coveted Game of the Month in their May '94 issue, sporting scores of 9, 8, 8, 8. Super Play Magazine, who were notorious for being rather difficult graders, liked it enough to give it a fairly respectable solid 79%. In general, the feedback for SNES Fatal Fury 2 was positive. Thanks to EGM, my bro gave me the go ahead to rent it as soon as possible. I remember running home with it and throwing it into our SNES. I think part of us, despite the rave review from EGM, still expected the worst. Yes, the first Fatal Fury port was THAT bad and we were scarred. But, I'm very happy to say Takara redeemed itself truly, and SNES owners finally had
a Fatal Fury worth playing

                                      From that point on, Takara went from being a joke to a mini-jewel

CLOSING THOUGHTS

20 years ago, I thought of SNES Fatal Fury 2 highly. 20 years later, I still think it holds its own quite well, when compared against its peers at the time of its release. Graphically, it captured the essence of its arcade big brother well. Visuals are lush, vibrant and colorful. Some of the desperation moves, such as Joe Higashi's towering tornado, which touches from top to bottom, are a sight to behold. Control wise, while it doesn't have the perfect control of say, Street Fighter II, it's fairly precise. Sure, the music and sound could be better, but it controls well, thus making the game a treat to play. The boss code was only the icing on an already well made cake. Adding four new fighters into the fray made Fatal Fury 2 a serious contender and one that fighting game fans could truly get behind

Some of the screen filling super specials were simply magnificent

With 12 fighters to pick from, some cool special moves, a unique two plane battle system, desperation super specials, and some memorable stages, Fatal Fury 2 has a lot going for it. I liked it a lot back then, and to this day I think it still holds up well. Yes, long gone are the days where you had to rely on your Super Nintendo for your Neo Geo fix, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a competent port at worst, and at best, it took Takara from being the butt of jokes to being a viable quality company. This was big 20 years ago, as Takara was the flag bearer of Neo Geo to SNES conversions. Fatal Fury 2 proved that not all was lost when these arcade monsters got translated to the SNES, and that at its best, they captured the essence and spirit of the arcade original well enough to appease those who only had a Super Nintendo back then. I still throw in Fatal Fury 2 for a few rounds every now and again. The six button layout of the SNES controller allows you to experience the game in a way the arcade could not provide, which is a major plus. There was also a bonus group battle mode, as well as handicaps, and of course, the boss code, which made it seem like Fatal Fury 2.5. Bravo, Takara. You bastards got it right with this one so much that I might even forgive you for the atrocity that was the first Fatal Fury on SNES. Maybe

Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 7
Gameplay: 8.5
Longevity: 8.5

Overall: 8.5

Double Silver Award

FATAL FURY 2 AFTER PARTY: EXTRA TID-BITS

While Art of Fighting was the first fighting game to have desperation moves, FATAL FURY 2 was the second and really the one to really run with the ball. From then on, super special moves would become a staple of the genre. When your health is down to 25%, your bar flashes red, symbolizing your ability to now pull off your mega move. It added even more strategy to the matches and were difficult to pull off; you had to earn it, so it couldn't just be a simple regular ole special move motion. Fatal Fury 2 set the tone for all other fighting games to follow





Fighting games and super specials go together like wrestlers and spandex!

If you've noticed, I like to list the meg count of every SNES game I review. Ever since I was a kid, I have been fascinated with the numbers. The NEO GEO had some ridiculous 100+ meg games, and as a kid
it was always fun to see how big a certain SNES game was. The meg count varied from 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32 and 48. The size of a game does not indicate its fate. Some of the best games are only 4 megs. Some looked great for their lack of size while others you wonder where all the power went. It was just part of the fun back in those days. 20 megs was my favorite. 20 is a nice round number, and there weren't many games that were 20 megs. Less than 10. Speaking of 10, 10 MEG games are a close second favorite. There were really only 3 or 4 of them. I remember when Final Fight 2 and Aladdin first came out, it was like "Oh, how many megs?  8, 16?"  Then you read up on them in EGM or GameFan only to find them to be neither. Instead, they were 10 MEGS. You couldn't help but chuckle as 10 was very uncommon. Well, at least my old best friend Nelson and I did. We used to get a big kick out of SNES meg counts. In homage to those good old days, I make it a point to cite the meg count of each game off the bat!

The Fatal Fury franchise is definitely on Neo Geo's Mt. Rushmore

                                       The Bogard brothers continue to kick ass after all these years ^_^

• Check out 1UP's sweet interview with Fatal Fury creator Takashi Nishiyama here!

Special thanks and big ups to VGMUSEUM.com for supplying the Fatal Fury Neo Geo pictures!