View source for Software:Fatal Fury: King of Fighters

{{Infobox video game
| title = Fatal Fury: King of Fighters
| image = Fatal Fury - King of Fighters arcade flyer.jpg
| developer = {{collapsible list|title=[[Company:SNK|SNK]]|titlestyle=font-weight:normal;font-size:inherit;background:transparent;text-align:left|Takara <small>(Super NES)</small><br />Gaibrain, [[Company:Aspect Co.|Aspect]] <small>({{nowrap|Mega Drive}}/Genesis)</small><br />[[Company:Magical Company|Magical Company]] <small>(X68000)</small><br />[[Software:M2 (game developer)|M2]] <small>(PlayStation Network)</small>}}
| publisher = {{collapsible list|title=SNK|titlestyle=font-weight:normal;font-size:inherit;background:transparent;text-align:left|Takara <small>(Super NES)</small><br />'''Mega Drive/Genesis'''{{vgrelease|NA|Takara|{{wipe|Japan}}/[[Earth:Europe|EU]]|[[Company:Sega|Sega]]}} Magical Company <small>(X68000)</small><br />[[Company:D4 Enterprise|D4 Enterprise]]<br /><small>(Virtual Console)</small><br />[[Company:SNK#2003–2016: SNK Playmore|SNK Playmore]]<br /><small>(PlayStation Network)</small><br />[[Company:Hamster Corporation|HAMSTER Corporation]] <small>(PS4/Switch/Xbox One)</small>}}
| director = Takashi Nishiyama
| producer = Eikichi Kawasaki
| designer = Seigo Ito<br />Takashi Tsukamoto
| composer = Hiroshi Matsumoto<br />Kazuhiro Nishida<br />Toshikazu Tanaka
| series = ''[[Software:Fatal Fury|Fatal Fury]]''
| platforms = {{collapsible list|title=[[Software:Arcade game|Arcade]]|titlestyle=font-weight:normal;font-size:inherit;background:transparent;text-align:left|[[Software:Arcade video game|Arcade]], Neo Geo AES, [[Engineering:Neo Geo CD|Neo Geo CD]], Mega Drive/Genesis, [[Engineering:Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], [[Engineering:X68000|X68000]]}}
| released = {{collapsible list|title=25 November 1991|titlestyle=font-weight:normal;font-size:inherit;background:transparent;text-align:left|'''Arcade''' {{vgrelease|WW|25 November 1991}} '''Neo Geo AES''' {{vgrelease|WW|20 December 1991}} '''Super NES'''{{vgrelease|JP|27 November 1992|NA|April 1993|EU|1993}} '''Mega Drive/Genesis'''{{vgrelease|NA|February 1993|JP|23 April 1993|EU|May 1993}} '''X68000'''{{vgrelease|JP|23 July 1993}} '''Neo Geo CD'''{{vgrelease|JP|9 September 1994|NA|October 1996}}
 }}
| genre = [[Software:Fighting game|Fighting]]
| modes = [[Software:Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Software:Cooperative video game|co-op]], [[Software:Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] <small>(up to two players)</small>
| arcade system = Neo Geo MVS
}}

'''''Fatal Fury: King of Fighters''''', known as {{nihongo|'''''Garō Densetsu: Shukumei no Tatakai'''''|餓狼伝説 ～宿命の闘い～|Hungry Wolf Legend: The Battle of Destiny}} in Japan, is a 1991 [[Software:Fighting game|head-to-head fighting game]] released by [[Company:SNK|SNK]] for the [[Engineering:Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo]] arcade and home platforms.<ref name="B!MDOh!NGff:kof">{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3ABeepMD_JP_1993-02.pdf&page=136|title=Oh! Neo Geo Vol. 6 - 餓狼伝説|magazine=Beep! Mega Drive|issue=41|publisher=SoftBank Creative|date=February 1993|page=134|lang=ja}}</ref> ''Fatal Fury'' was SNK's first fighting game for the Neo Geo system and served as the inaugural game in their ''[[Software:Fatal Fury|Fatal Fury]]'' series, as well as the first game to depict the fictional "King of Fighters" tournament, which became the basis for the later ''[[Software:The King of Fighters|The King of Fighters]]'' games.

The game was designed by former [[Company:Capcom|Capcom]] employee Takashi Nishiyama, the creator of the original ''[[Software:Street Fighter (video game)|Street Fighter]]'' (1987). Many of SNK's mainstay characters, including the Bogard brothers Terry and Andy, friend Joe Higashi, and their [[Social:Archenemy|nemesis]] Geese Howard, made their debut in this game.

==Gameplay==
[[File:NEOGEO Fatal Fury - King of Fighters (Garō Densetsu - Shukumei no Tatakai).png|thumb|left|Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match with Terry Bogard performing his signature "Power Wave" move against Richard Myer.]]

The gameplay follows the typical formula of most fighting games: the player competes against their opponent in best two-out-of-three matches. The play controls consist of an eight directional [[Engineering:Joystick|joystick]] and three attack buttons: punch, kick and throw. Each of the playable characters has special techniques that are performed by inputting specific commands in combination with the joystick and buttons. The input methods for special moves are shown to the player during the course of the game (after every bonus round), as opposed to being given in an instruction card in the game's cabinet.

The most novel aspect of ''Fatal Fury'' was the addition of two-lane battles. Many stages featured two rows, a background row, and a foreground row. Players can change between rows at any time other than in the Single Player Mode, where they have to wait for the CPU opponent to change rows before they can in almost every stage. The player is not required, however, to do so. When a second player joins during the middle of a one-player fight, instead of postponing the current battle for a match between the two players, the game will make both players team up against the current CPU opponent in a two-on-one match before their battle takes place. After every other match in the single-player tournament, the player will participate in a bonus round mini-game involving an arm wrestling match against a machine. The player must tap the A button rapidly to win these mini-games.<ref name="FF:KOFAESmanual">''Fatal Fury'' user's manual (Neo Geo AES, US)</ref>

==Development==
The game was designed by Takashi Nishiyama, the creator of the original ''[[Software:Street Fighter (video game)|Street Fighter]]'' (1987) at [[Company:Capcom|Capcom]]. After leaving Capcom for SNK, Nishiyama wanted to create a fighting game with a storyline and characters that were easier to empathize with, something he wasn’t able to achieve with ''Street Fighter''.<ref>{{cite book|publisher=Udon|title=ストリートファイター アートワークス 極|year=2012|pages=436 |language=ja |trans-title=Street Fighter Artworks Extreme |isbn=978-4862333810|quote=西山 SNKで仕事するようになっても、 「ストリートファイター(1)」で実現できなかっ た、より感情移入しやすいストーリー性とキャラクター作りに挑戦したかったんですよ。 そうして作ったのが 『餓狼伝説』 なんですが、 リリースしたときにはすでに『ストリート ファイターII」が大人気でしてね。両者の発売タイミングは5ヵ月しか間が空いておら ず、リリースされてから開発しても時間が足りないし、そもそも僕らが 「ストリートファイ ター(I)」 を作ったのに、 パクリとかずいぶん言われました(笑)。|trans-quote=Nishiyama: Even when I started working at SNK, I wanted to challenge myself to create a storyline and characters that were easier to empathize with, something I couldn't achieve with "Street Fighter (1)". That's how I made "Fatal Fury", but when it was released, "Street Fighter II" was already very popular. There was only a 5-month gap between the release timings for both games, and there would not be enough time to develop it after it was released. Even though we made “Street Fighter (I)” in the first place, it was often called a ripoff (laughs).}}</ref> ''Fatal Fury'', which Nishiyama envisioned as a spiritual successor to ''Street Fighter'', was developed around the same time as ''[[Software:Street Fighter II|Street Fighter II]]'' (1991). While ''Street Fighter II'' placed more emphasis on [[Software:Combo (video gaming)|combos]], ''Fatal Fury'' placed more emphasis on the timing of special moves as well as storytelling, which are two features that he failed on during the original ''Street Fighter''.<ref name=1upleone>{{cite web|last=Leone|first=Matt|title=The Man Who Created Street Fighter|url=http://www.1up.com/features/the-man-who-created-street-fighter|publisher=1UP.com|access-date=19 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122144917/http://www.1up.com/features/the-man-who-created-street-fighter?pager.offset=1 |archive-date=January 22, 2012}}</ref>

==Plot==
Terry and his younger brother Andy were orphans who raised themselves on the streets of South Town. They were soon adopted by Jeff Bogard, a master martial artist. A few years after being adopted by Jeff, both Terry and Andy witnessed the brutal murder of their adoptive father at the hands of Geese Howard: a ruthless businessman and expert martial artist who rules South Town's criminal underworld as a merciless crime boss. Geese, who was once Jeff's rival, had murdered Jeff when the latter had tried to expose Geese's criminal activities to the public. Knowing that they weren't strong enough and needed more training to confront Geese, the brothers made an oath to spend a decade to fine tune their martial arts before trying to avenge their adoptive father. Terry chose to wander in his home country, combining his self-taught street fighting techniques with the Hakkyokuseiken fighting skills he learned from both his adoptive father and his mentor, Tung Fu Rue who is the shih-fu of both the art of Hakkyokuseiken and the art of Bajiquan. Andy decided to perfect his own martial arts style in Japan to differentiate himself from his older brother by being taught the Shiranui-ryū Ninjutsu (Shiranui Style Ninja Technique) and a form of empty-handed combat called Koppōken.

A decade later into the present, Geese Howard has organized a fighting tournament, dubbed "The King of Fighters". Terry reunites with Andy after the latter returns to South Town from Japan. After the Bogard brothers pay respects to Jeff's grave, they encounter and befriend a Japanese Muay Thai champion named Joe Higashi from Thailand and learn about the KOF tournament hosted by Geese. Determined to avenge their adoptive father's death, Terry and Andy enter KOF alongside Joe and fought against many competitors, including Tung Fu Rue who had wanted to test the brothers out in making sure they were ready for their potential battle against Geese. Despite their best effort, both Andy and Joe were badly injured after defeating two of Geese's fighters, Raiden and Hwa Jai respectively, leaving Terry to continue on alone and facing off against Geese's right-hand man Billy Kane within the final match of the tournament. Although Terry succeeds in defeating Billy and winning the tournament, he is suddenly captured by two of Geese's henchmen and sent to Geese's personal tower by force, leading to a one-on-one showdown against the crime boss himself. Geese was a formidable opponent for Terry, but the latter gained the upper hand during their battle and defeated the former with a powerful jump kick, causing Geese to fall from his tower and plummet to his death. As Terry, who had finally avenged his adoptive father's death left the tournament victorious, Andy felt a mixed sense of closure and returned to Japan to continue his martial arts training while Joe, who had said his goodbye to the brothers after the tournament's conclusion, traveled back to Thailand in order to continue his Muay Thai training.

==Characters==
At the beginning of the game, the player is given the option to select one fighter which is either Terry, Andy, or Joe. The player is then given the next option to select from one of four fighters as their first opponent: Duck King, Richard Meyer, Michael Max, and Tung Fu Rue. After defeating their first opponent, the player faces the other three opponents in the following order: Richard, Michael, Duck, Tung. The cycle begins at whichever opponent the player has selected. The three bosses before the final boss Geese Howard are fought in the following order: Hwa Jai, Raiden and Billy Kane.

;Competitors 
* Terry Bogard - an American martial arts expert seeking to avenge his father's death.
* Andy Bogard - Terry's younger brother, who learned Koppōjutsu in {{wipe|Japan}}.
* Joe Higashi - a Japanese Muay Thai master and a friend to the Bogard brothers.

;Challengers
* Duck King - a street dancing talent who uses a "rhythmical" fighting style.
* Richard Meyer - a capoeira master with numerous kick techniques.
* Michael Max - a Catholic boxer who has a projectile attack called the Tornado Upper (similar to Joe's Hurricane Upper). He is based on Mike Tyson.
* Tung Fu Rue - a Bajiquan master who is elderly and meek. Taking enough damage results in him focusing his inner energy in order to transform into a musclebound version of himself, complete with a discus clothesline called the ''Senpuu Gouken'' (旋風剛拳; lit. "Whirlwind Strong Fist") and a projectile-emitting kick called the ''Shou Ha Senpuu Kyaku'' (衝波旋風脚; lit. "Power Wave Whirlwind Kick").

;Bosses
* Hwa Jai - a Muay Thai master from Thailand who gains his strength from drinking an unknown liquor. His special technique is a flying knee kick called the Dragon Kick (มังกรเตะ, Mạngkr Tea), similar to Joe's Tiger Kick.
* Raiden - a professional heel  known for his ruthlessness in the ring. He is very strong and is known to manhandle his opponents. He moved to South Town to get involved with strong fights. He was hired by Geese Howard as one of his henchmen. He has a special technique called Vapor Breath.
* Billy Kane - a Bōjutsu master who serves as the tournament's undefeated champion. His signature move involves him throwing his staff in front of his opponent, then cowers in a defensive position until Geese's bodyguard Ripper tosses Kane a spare.

;Final boss
* Geese Howard - the final boss of the game. An underworld crime boss and the sponsor of the "King of Fighters" tournament. After defeating Billy, the player's character is kidnapped by Geese's men and taken to his building, Geese Tower, for the game's final battle. His fighting style is aikido and has a projectile attack similar to Terry's ''Power Wave'' called the ''Reppuken'' (烈風拳 / れっぷうけん; lit. "Gale Fist"). He can also slam his opponent after blocking a close-range attack, this technique is called the Atemi Nage (当身投 / あて身なげ; lit. "Hit Throw"). When the player loses to Geese, instead of the standard continue screen, they witness their character falling off from Geese Tower. However, if the player wins, their character will knock off Geese from his building, seemingly killing him.

==Console versions==
* The [[Engineering:Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] version of ''Fatal Fury'', published by Takara and developed by Nova, was published in Japan in 1992 and in North America during the following year. This version discards the two-lane system in favor of a more conventional one-lane plane. The two-on-one battles are gone and the arm wrestling bonus rounds are replaced by new bonus rounds involving the main character punching flying tires. In the game's Versus Mode, all of the CPU-controlled characters are playable, albeit only on the second player's side. Players can also pick the same main character (in an alternate color).
* The Mega Drive/Genesis version was released in 1993, published by [[Company:Sega|Sega]] in Japan and by Takara in North America. This version removes the characters of Hwa Jai and Billy Kane from the roster, relegating them to background cameos. Instead, the player faces against the other two main characters during the course of the single-player mode. This version allows both players to play as the CPU-controlled characters in the game's Versus Mode (with Geese Howard available via a cheat code).
* An X68000 version produced by Mahou Kabushikigaisha (Magical Company) was released in Japan only on May 21, 1993.
* An emulation of the original Neo Geo game is included along with its sequels ''[[Software:Fatal Fury 2|Fatal Fury 2]]'', ''[[Software:Fatal Fury Special|Fatal Fury Special]]'' and ''Fatal Fury 3'', in the compilation ''Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Vol. 1'' for the [[Engineering:PlayStation 2|PlayStation 2]]. This version includes an option for the original arcade soundtrack or an arranged soundtrack composed specifically for the compilation.
* The Neo Geo version of ''Fatal Fury'' has been released by [[Company:D4 Enterprise|D4 Enterprise]] as part of the Virtual Console downloadable lineup for the [[Engineering:Wii|Wii]]. Later it became available on the Nintendo Switch's eShop.
* The original ''Fatal Fury'' is also included in ''[[Software:SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1|SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1]]'', released for the PlayStation 2, [[Engineering:PlayStation Portable|PlayStation Portable]], and Wii.
* The Neo Geo version was available on PlayStation Network as part of SNK's Neo Geo Station lineup.

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| CVG = (Neo Geo) 94%<ref name="CVG124">{{cite magazine |last1=Rand |first1=Paul |title=Neo Geo: Fatal Fury |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=15 February 1992 |issue=124 (March 1992) |page=64 |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-124/page/n63/mode/1up}}</ref> <br /> (Mega Drive) 85%<ref>''Computer and Video Games'', issue 138, pages 62-63</ref>
| GameFan = (Genesis) 348/400<ref>''GameFan'', volume 1, issue 5 (April 1993), pages 14 & 24-25</ref>
| GamePro = (Neo Geo) 5/5<ref>''GamePro'', issue 34 (August 1992), page 66</ref>
| rev1 = ''Maximum''
| rev1Score = (Neo Geo) {{rating|2|5}}<ref name=Max4>{{cite magazine|title=Fatal Fury: First in the Fatal Series |magazine=Maximum: The Video Game Magazine|issue=4 |publisher=Emap International Limited|date=March 1996|page=42}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''Mega Guide''
| rev2Score = (Neo Geo) Positive<ref>{{cite news |last1=Myers |first1=Paul |title=Fists of Fury |work=Mega Guide |date=21 May 1993 |pages=2–3 |url=https://archive.org/details/MEGA-guide/The%20Sun%20MEGA%20Guide%20%281993-05-21%29/page/n1/mode/1up}}</ref>
}}

===Commercial===
In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Fatal Fury: King of Fighters'' on their January 1, 1992 issue as being the third most-successful table arcade unit of the month.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=418|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 January 1992|page=37|lang=ja}}</ref> It went on to be Japan's fourth highest-grossing arcade game of 1992, below ''[[Software:Street Fighter II|Street Fighter II]]'' (two versions) and ''[[Software:Captain Commando|Captain Commando]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=第６回ゲーメスト大賞 〜 インカム部門 |trans-title=6th Gamest Awards – Income Category |magazine=Gamest |date=December 28, 1992 |volume=84 (February 1993) |pages=8–28 (27) |language=ja}} [http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~dummy/gamest/magazine/gamest/v084.html alternate url]</ref> In North America, ''RePlay'' reported ''Fatal Fury'' to be the second most-popular arcade game in February 1992.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Video Software|magazine=RePlay|volume=17|issue=5 |publisher=RePlay Publishing, Inc.|date=February 1992|page=4}}</ref>

===Critical===
Paul Rand of ''Computer and Video Games'' called ''Fatal Fury'' one of the best Neo Geo games available in 1992 and compared it favorably with ''Street Fighter II'', stating ''Fatal Fury'' was a "brilliant feast of fighting" with "huge and excellently drawn" character [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]], great animation, and unique special attacks "giving the game more variety."<ref name="CVG124"/>

In a retrospective review, ''Maximum'' commented in 1996 that the game failed to offer any real competition for ''Street Fighter II'' in either playability or character selection. They concluded, "The only main point in this game's favor is that two of the characters may team together to take on a computer opponent in a three-player frenzy, and the game also tries to offer something else new with a two-tier playing arena, but the slow action and the disgracefully difficult fireball motions make special moves something of a rare occurrence."<ref name="Max4"/> In 2018, [[Company:Complex Networks|Complex]] rated the game 74th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time". They praised the combat and the ability to jump in and out of the backgrounds concluding: "One of the best fighters on the SNES, by far."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Knight|first=Rich|date=April 30, 2018|title=The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-100-best-super-nintendo-games/|access-date=2022-01-27|website=Complex|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/arcade/563202-fatal-fury ''Fatal Fury: King of Fighters''] at [[GameFAQs]]
* [https://www.giantbomb.com/fatal-fury/3030-2396/ ''Fatal Fury: King of Fighters''] at Giant Bomb
* [https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7768 ''Fatal Fury: King of Fighters''] at the [[Software:Killer List of Videogames|Killer List of Videogames]]
* [https://www.mobygames.com/game/fatal-fury ''Fatal Fury: King of Fighters''] at [[Social:MobyGames|MobyGames]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Fatal Fury: King of Fighters}}
[[Category:Arcade video games]]
[[Category:Cooperative video games]]
[[Category:Fighting games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Fatal Fury: King of Fighters}}