Developer: SNK Publisher: Takara Released: 1993 Genre: Fighting
Anyone gamer who grew up in the 80s and 90s coveted the Neo Geo. A console with perfect arcade conversions was like the Holy Grail. The problem was no one could afford it unless they were rich. If you owned a Neo Geo back then know that I hate you. Those of us that were poor had to settle for the lesser 16-bit ports from Takara. While they eventually hit their stride they did not have a good start. The SNES version of Fatal Fury is an awful game that resembles the arcade game in looks only.
There is an interesting bit of history behind Fatal Fury. Although it released after Street Fighter II it began development around the same time. The series was also from some of the minds behind the original Street Fighter. While its reputation as a clone is undeserved it cannot be denied that its inspiration (literally) came from the same source. It is interesting to think how history might have changed had Fatal Fury come first but let us be honest; Street Fighter 2 is a seminal game and would still have become a sensation regardless.
Fatal Fury limits its playable cast to three characters, at least for its single player mode. Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi all have unique special moves but in practice play very similarly. This was disappointing as fighting games are all about diversity in their cast. The home versions at least fix this flaw somewhat. The computer opponents you face in the solo campaign are playable in the game’s versus mode. The problem is only player two can select the bosses. This is the weirdest restriction I have come across in a fighting game and does hurt its longevity. But the rest of the package does a fine job of that too.
It is kind of hard to begin to describe what went wrong with this version. Let’s start with the controls. In the arcade the game used a simple three button setup. Fatal Fury is sluggish and feels like there is a slight delay between button presses. This was not a game with combos although it did have a rudimentary chain attack system. You will not find that here, reducing this to a brawler essentially. The dual plane system and the depth it provides even though it was frustrating at times has also been removed. The hit detection is also flat out bad. Throws frequently miss (!) and punches and kicks pass through your opponent regularly. But the absolute worst has to be the special moves.
Fatal Fury uses many of the same joystick motions as Street Fighter. That in itself should make this accessible for fighting game vets. Yet this version of the game is absolutely terrible at registering your inputs. The margin for error when completing your motions is incredibly small. Your standard quarter circle is the sole motion that seems to execute correctly. Any charge moves and weird diagonal motions will fail every time. I’ve executed a crack shoot once and it was a happy accident. I have been playing fighting games for thirty years and can safely say I have rarely come across a game this finicky in its systems. Because of this the game loses a lot of its appeal; you might as well be playing Double Dragon at this point. I can’t believe I tried playing this game In spite of its problems. What a waste of time.
It is interesting comparing the SNES game to its Neo Geo big brother. The Neo Geo was a clear step above the SNES and Genesis yet was not pushed as hard in the beginning. The SNES Fatal Fury at least looks the part. The sprites are slightly smaller and there has been a minor reduction in background detail. There have been cuts in animation here and there but for the most part the game flows well. The cutscenes of Geese Howard following your progress are lame still pictures now. And to top it all off the game has load times!
The sound does not fare as well either. The music is atrocious, as if the composers did not know how to use the hardware. Fatal Fury’s soundtrack is pretty good so to see it butchered so badly hurts. The sound effects suffer the SNES muffle and cut out when the music is blaring. There is no reason for this aspect of the game to be so bad outside of using the smallest cartridge possible.
In Closing
The disappointment with Fatal Fury still stings today. This is a bad version of a coin op classic and should be avoided. Everyone has to start somewhere but that does not mean we have to reward them for it.
