As the first one-on-one SNK fighter Fatal Fury shines with bright arcade-style graphics. The fighers are huge and the stages are visual smorgasbords. The colors just leap off the screen from the glimmering blue waters of "Sound Beach" to the deep red sunset of the amusement park. And I always love those city skylines in the distance. Stages even change between rounds. In the dojo area storm clouds gather early only to produce a heavy downpour in a later round. The beach is sunny during round one, but has a whole different vibe as day turns to night with buildings lit up on the opposite shore. The three playable characters - Terry Bogard, Andy Borgard, and Joe Higashi - would become the core of the Fatal Fury series. The remaining eight would come and go. Duck King is a dancer with a mohawk and MC Hammer-style baggy pants. Billy Kane wields a staff and Richard Myer kicks while hanging from the ceiling. Riden is a huge wrestler and Tung Fu Rue is an elderly Asian man who occasionally transforms into Hulk Hogan. Michael Max is a Balrog rip-off and Geese Howard is the main villain. The only guy missing is the one on the front cover who looks like Patrick Swayze. The fighting action moves between foreground and background, with fighters exchanging flying punches and knee thrusts while moving between. I've been playing this game for a long time and I'm still not sure how that whole system works. Special moves deal serious damage but they are hard to execute, and of course the CPU always seems to know when they're coming. I couldn't help but notice Michael Max's "tornado uppercut" looks suspiciously like Joe Higashi's "hurricane uppercut". The time limit for each round is 45 seconds - half that of Street Fighter II (SNES, 1992) - which keeps the fights short and sweet. There's also a bonus arm-wrestling stage. The music has an edgy quality and there are even vocals in the cantina stage. Fatal Fury has a wonderful arcade sensibility but its gameplay left plenty of room for improvement. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

"Lone wolves are back!" After treading water for a couple of years the Fatal Fury series finally made the big leap with Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory. Beginning with its cinematic opening, everything about this game is bigger and bolder. The controls are more responsive, the action faster, and intensity higher. Combination moves make it possible to deal multiple blows in one attack and that's very satisfying. For the first time I could feel myself getting into a rhythm playing a Fatal Fury game. A dodge move has replaced the dual-plane mechanic, and the new taunts are highly entertaining. The roster is scaled down to ten characters but it's a case of quality over quantity. New characters include Rastafaria Bob Wilson, Raiden-esque Sokaku Mochizuki, and a tall Italian boxer named Frano Bash. A second female (Blue Mary) joins a sleeker Mai Shiranui. I'm a big fan of Hon Fu because he has a Bruce Lee thing going on with those nunchucks of his. New stage locations include a cathedral, aquarium, airplane factory, and a moody nightclub. Why in the world does the dusty western town have a storefront sign that says "Joy Division"? My favorite stage is the crane which rises to gradually reveal a breathtaking, multi-layered skyline. I love the new witty banter displayed before and after each match - it's actually quite funny. One annoyance is how hard it can be to deliver that final blow to knock your opponent out when he's on the ropes. When Franco is defeated he yells "Oh my God!!!" After each match you're assessed a "fighting level" letter grade. There's even an options screen. Fatal Fury 3 raises the bar for fun and excitement, delivering the richness of a modern fighter while retaining the arcade charm of the original. But before you close the book on the Fatal Fury series, I should tell you that the "Real Bout" trilogy was its immediate successor, so the fight's far from over. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

King of Fighters 94 (KoF94) is a 2D fighting extravaganza that unites fighters from several popular SNK franchises, including Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and Ikari Warriors. SNK knows a thing or two about 2D fighting, and King of Fighters reigns supreme. While it basically copies the Street Fighter 2 formula, KoF94 does introduce a few innovations. First, there's the concept of three-man teams. You select the fighting order, and when one member is defeated, the next one steps in (as your opponent recovers some health). There are eight pre-configured teams including the Fatal Fury team (Joe Higashi, Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard) representing Italy. England features three females including Mai Shiranui who is positively babelicious. The Korean team has a mini Freddy Krueger named Choi and the massive ball and chain-swinging Chang. The American team is stereotypical, featuring an oversized football player and a tall black guy armed with a basketball attack. There's a gay guy (Benimaru), a lesbian (King), and an old Asian guy (Chin) who serves as the comic relief with his drunken boxing antics. You can play one-on-one, but the team battles are far more interesting. The controller's four buttons map to two kicks and two punches, with combinations allowing you to dodge and charge. Each character has three special moves, and those familiar with Street Fighter 2 will pick up on the controller movements needed to execute these right away. The battles are nicely paced and ideal in length, but the character balance is suspect. The bad-ass Brazilian team is led by military guy with an eye patch named Heidern who deals an exorbitant amount of damage. Despite some mild pixelation, the colorful, layered stages are the ultimate in 2D eye candy, and each is introduced with a brief animated sequence. You'll battle in front of a helicopter crash in the Brazilian jungle, clash in a sunny park with London Bridge looming in the background, and witness a gorgeous orange sunset in New York City. Your fighting partners linger in the background, and under certain conditions can be called in for "assist attacks". The game's voice samples are hard to make out, but the background music is a nice blend of guitar and electronic beats. Brazil's edgy soundtrack has a brooding undercurrent, but China's playful melody is a little cheesy. There's a high score screen, but the scores are not saved, and you'll need 188K just to rank in, which is pretty excessive. Overall, King of Fighters 94 is a top-notch fighter that established a franchise that would endure even after the Neo Geo system had faded from the scene. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

As the fourth entry in the popular 2D fighting series, King of Fighters 97 (KoF97) shakes things up by incorporating two modes of play: Advanced and Extra. To say these are poorly explained would be incorrect, because they are never explained at all. From what I can surmise, "Extra" is equivalent to the normal mode, and "Advanced" adds new features like the ability to charge up your power gauge to three levels. Regardless of which you choose, KoF97 features the same enjoyable, rapid-fire 2D fighting action fans would expect. Five moves are listed in the manual for each of the 29 characters, and while most are straightforward, a few are so complex you're more likely to perform them by accident. One interesting new character is Ryuji Yamazaki, a suave gentleman who fights with one hand in his pocket! I've always been intrigued by the background graphics in KoF games, but KoF97 is not spectacular in this regard. The Disney-style theme park, tropical Bali resort, and bright Monaco stages are probably the most eye-catching of the bunch. I do like how the look of certain stage changes between rounds, with day turning to night in some outdoor venues. Each round is now introduced by a slender, attractive babe. If there's one area where KoF97 clearly falters, it's the audio. Apparently the developers were trying to have the music reflect the culture of the stage, but the tunes sound muffled and lack energy. Some stages have no music at all - just crowd noise. When the high-tech club stage has no music, that just sucks. The character select screen doesn't give you nearly enough time (20 seconds), and the victory screens are incredibly lame ("Announcing the victors. Here they are.") When Mai Shiranui appears on these screens she has the shoulders of a linebacker and a head the size of a peanut! I do like how the high score screen appears immediately after you enter your initials. King of Fighters 97 tries to rock the boat, but it's not entirely successful. But even a mediocre King of Fighters game can kick the ass of most other 2D fighters. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Many fighting game aficionados consider King of Fighters 98 (KoF98) to be the best in the series. I'm not one to argue, but let's face it - there's not a whole lot of difference between any of these games. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they shared 95% of the same code! What's notable about KoF98 is how it attempts to return the series to its roots. The roster has jumped from 29 fighters to a whopping 38, mainly due to a bunch of returning characters. Some of these guys have not been seen since KoF94, including my homeboys Lucky Glauber and Heavy D. In terms of backgrounds, the scenery exudes a "back to basics" quality, and there are no longer chicks introducing each round. You'll ride a floating raft in China, brawl in an open-air market, and crack skulls in a train station. There's nothing spectacular really, and the graphics are actually more pixelated than previous KoF games. Even so, they exude a certain old-school charm that harkens back to Street Fighter 2. Likewise, the synthesized music is terrific and adds a layer of tension to the fast-paced fighting mayhem. It's a major improvement over the audio-challenged KoF97. The three-on-three team gameplay is basically the same, but a new "advantage system" gives the second and third fighters an edge to keep things exciting. The character selection screen now gives you more time to assemble you crew (forever, to be exact), and a "roulette" function lets you select random characters (for every match!). A new practice mode is included to hone your skills. The high score screen isn't presented immediately after you enter your initials, but that's a minor inconvenience. King of Fighters 98 got the series back of track, and despite the lack of razzle-dazzle it's hard to find fault with this well-crafted fighter. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

A lot of gamers like to rave about King of Fighters 98, but if given the Pepsi challenge I suspect King of Fighters 99 (KoF99) might come out on top. This remarkable 2D fighter features a unified control scheme and graphics that take the system to the "next level". There's still a power meter that can be charged up to three levels, and this can also be used to initiate new "counter" and "armor" modes. Best of all, the innovative new "Striker system" lets you call upon a fourth member of your squad to deliver a strategic blow in the heat of battle. Yeah, we've seen this kind of thing in previous KoF games, but those "assist attacks" were extremely limited. Here, you get three "strike bombs" per match, and you can employ them at any time. KoF99's character roster has been trimmed to 32, but that includes six new characters. In the tradition of SNK's imaginative naming conventions, there's a woman with a whip by the name of - you guessed it - Whip! The best new character is K' (pronounced "K Prime"). What makes him so cool you ask? Well, duh - check out his name! Not cool enough? How about that silver hair!? Did I mention he can wield fire? Hello! He's wearing black leather for crying out loud!! Not all of the new faces are as appealing. Bao and Xiangfrei act like annoying children, and why are there three Kyo's (Kyo, Kyo-1, Kyo-2)?! Can you say personality disorder? The game screen has been reorganized a bit, with the power meter moved to the top (under the life bar), making room for your striker icons on the bottom. But what really left an impression with me is KoF99's fantastic stages. The dinosaur museum has a looming T-Rex skeleton, and the sewer stage unexpectedly turns into a rollercoaster! The courtyard stage begins as bright and sunny, but clouds roll in as the match progresses, culminating in a massive downpour! This rainstorm is one of the most visually arresting scenes I've ever witnessed in a video game. Even less spectacular stages like the street outside of the Chinese restaurant have a lot of interesting, subtle details (check out the shadows on the wall). KoF99 did throw me for a loop with its new "battle ability point" scoring system. It's actually possible for you to lose points between matches, and I don't get that. Another source of confusion is the intro which refers to this as "episode 5". It's six by my count! But for a series with more iterations than SNK can count, King of Fighters 99 feels surprisingly fresh. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

This game's intro predicts that in 1996 the earth would be ruled by giant marauding monsters. Once again, SNK was way off! Dumb asses! King of the Monsters is a series of one-on-one battles inspired by movies like Godzilla and King Kong. The action takes place in six Japanese cities, and there's some fun scenery including a lighted Ferris wheel and a big red suspension bridge. The night stages are especially attractive with the buildings all lit up. You have six monsters to choose from, including a Godzilla clone (Geon), an ape (Woo), a slime monster (Poison Ghost), a stone creature (Rocky), a giant bug (Beetle Mania), and a cheesy oversized superhero called "Astro Dude". The monsters can roam the screen freely, and when they maul and throw each other they leave devastation in their wake. Three buttons let you punch, kick, and run, but the most effective move is your special attack which must be charged over a few seconds. It's a shame King of the Monsters feels more like a professional wrestling game than a Saturday afternoon creature feature. The monsters often grapple with each other, which leads to body slams, pile drivers, back-breakers, and clotheslines. You even have to "pin" your foe to defeat him - and he'll always kick out of your first two attempts. I'm not a huge wrestling fan, and I wish SNK had put more emphasis on interacting with the urban scenery. Yes, buildings get crushed as monsters get tossed around, but it's not a major part of the strategy. Occasionally you can pick up and toss a plane or tank, but the act of throwing is so sluggish that you usually get nailed in the process. I find it unfair how you can drain your opponent's health completely, yet he can still fight normally and pull out the victory. Winning the grapples seems to be a matter of luck, and the basic kick/punch attacks are weak. The small playing fields are heavily constrained by electric barriers which you're constantly bouncing off of. Two players can team up against another pair of monsters, but it just feels like two battles going on at the same time. The background music is weird, and it's really hard to make out the radio commentator. King of the Monsters has a great premise but fails to live up to its potential. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

It's no classic, but King of the Monsters 2 is a heck of a lot more interesting that the original game. The visuals scream "arcade!" with their vibrant colors, super-sized creatures, and plentiful eye candy. There are only three selectable characters this time: the Godzilla-like "Super Geon", the humanoid "Astro Guy", and the robotic ape "Woo". New moves like jump attacks and "death blows" make the fighting feel less monotonous, and you no longer need to "pin" your foes (thank goodness). But the most dramatic innovation is the stage designs. Instead of fighting in a small confined area, you forge through the city, prodded by annoying "Hurry up!" arrows. Destroying buildings is more satisfying because they crumble to the ground in dramatic fashion and release bonus point icons. Many are actually recognizable landmarks. It's easy and fun to smash ships and planes and then use them as projectiles. I find it amusing how the cities have generic names like "American City" and "French City". The American city features a big white house with the pillars in front. Hmmm, I wonder what city that is? The French City has a really tall tower that looks awfully familiar. Certain areas feature divided elevations (like a harbor and a waterfront) that you can jump between. You'll leave nothing but rubble in your path, and in the desert stage you can literally create your own Grand Canyon! The bosses come in many gruesome varieties, but it takes too long to chip away at their health meters, and that slows the momentum of the game. Bonus battles have been incorporated, but these are just mindless, carpel-tunnel-inducing button mash-a-thons. A level select feature would have been nice, but overall this represents a logical evolution of the series. Instead of feeling like a glorified wrestling title, Kings of the Monsters 2 has the feel of an over the top monster flick, as it should. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

With Last Resort, we're approaching the upper reaches of the Neo Geo shooter food chain. It's one of the better-rated shooters for the system, and certainly one of the more difficult. In fact, the stream of expletives that flew out of my mouth as I continuously died at the hands of this game is nearly unmatched. The box cover states, "Earth is under attack. You're the Last Resort". You know, that isn't exactly the vote of confidence you look for before embarking on a mission to save the world. It sounds like they asked everyone else before finally settling on my sorry ass. Anyway, Last Resort is one of the best looking side-scrolling shooters you'll ever see. The first stage features a gorgeous city skyline effectively rendered in vibrant red hues, and the second stage features torrential rain and a partially submerged city. Enemies are mainly metallic ships, and their pilots actually eject as their ships explode. This visual effect seems quite amazing at first, but is overused during the course of the game. Objects in this game tend to be quite large, and you'll often find yourself running short on screen real estate. Last Resort's gameplay is intense and relentless. Your ship is equipped with a round pod that functions as both a shield and extra gun (much like R-Type). You can "charge up" this unit to inflict major damage, which is critical to your survival after the first stage. One aspect of the game I dislike is how enemies can materialize around you suddenly. Last Resort's high energy, adrenaline-pumping music is absolutely first-rate. This is a quality shooter, but its difficulty will make you grateful for the unlimited continues. It's much easier with two players, although slowdown is an issue and it can be hard to tell what's going on amidst all the mayhem. If you're looking to buy a copy of Last Resort, I'd recommend the CD version over the far more expensive cartridge. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.