Garô Densetsu: Shukumei no Tatakai

In the mid-90s there were a lot of games like this on many different console. The most popular of course being the Streetfighter and Mortal Kombat series. But I thought this was the best.

I got it on a sunny Sunday in April 1993 and instantly thought that this game was way cooler. Called Garou Densetsu on the Neo-Geo in Japan the Genesis version was funkier than Streetfighter and hipper than Mortal Kombat. My fave character was the wonderfully named Geese Howard but I didn't mind playing as Joe Higashi or Andy/Terry Bogard either.

I still prefer the Fatal Fury games even now and needless to say I chose Terry Bogard whenever I play Campcom vs SNK in the arcades.

Fatal Fury is the first in the series of SNK's fighting game legacy. It features 3 playable characters, Terry, Andy and Joe, and they have entered the King of Fighters tournament to defeat Geese Howard who killed Terry and Andy's Father 10 years a go.

The music at times is good and even great, especially at Raiden's and Geese's stages. But the sound effects are utterly ridiculous. Terry sounds ridiculous at the pitch his voice reaches when he shouts out "Power Wave" or "Burn Knuckle".

Graphically, the game fares a little better but not by much. The characters are drawn pretty well, but animate poorly. Richard Myer looks especially jerky in his animations. Other graphics aren't that great, either. The Power Wave effect is by far the worst incarnation on the Neo Geo. The backgrounds are pretty decent, though, but some of the animations are recycled frequently in them. At Michael Max's stage, you'll swear you're seeing a multitude of twins cheering the fight.

Looking for a Fatal Fury game to enjoy? Play Fatal Fury Special (Best of the original series), Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers (What I call the Street Fighter Alpha of the series) and Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Sure, SNK evolved Fatal Fury into these games, but Please ignore this one. Start your Fatal Fury experience with Fatal Fury 2!