SNK in the 1990s produced countless arcade fighting titles, Neo Geo systems, and the odd domestic conversion, but Garou Mark of the Wolves is a glorious full stop for the Osaka company.
A new episode in the prolific Fatal Fury saga, yes, but also a courageous revamp of essential concepts that involved revamping nearly the entire roster of fighters. Achieving, in the process, one of the best fighting games ever made.
Because Garou Mark of the Wolves’ milestone is his way of making the essentials of fighting games shine. From its dazzling presentation, with an exquisite pixelart that reminds us of SNK’s most inspired stage, to its simple but profound experience during games. Fine tuned to increase the intensity of the fights gradually until only one fighter is left standing.
Legacy aspects, lessons learned and brave steps that added to the novelty factor that is transmitted from the selection screen itself, were an exceptional claim for fans of the fighting sagas of SNK, Capcom and anyone passionate about one on one.
In other words: Garou Mark of the Wolves does not follow in the evolutionary wake of the Fatal Fury series by introducing a new set of characters: he radiates his own distinctive sensations to the controls while introducing successful playable elements and, in the process, rescuing some of the best house title ideas. Including The King of Fighters, SNK’s star saga, or The Last Blade.
As a result, Garou Mark of the Wolves welcomes rookies, makes arcade veterans feel at home from the very first match, and is a must-see for all those who fell in love with the Street Fighter phenomenon. II in recreational. And we were not few.
Because, from its beginnings, the Fatal Fury series knew how to differentiate itself from all that legion of substitutes who dared to go behind the Capcom Street Fighters. Not only because of the competitive spirit of each installment, but also because of the way in which the fighters who frequent or have been raised in Southtown radiate a charisma that transcends the screen.
Accumulated successes and specific aspects polished almost annually that converge in a Garou Mark of the Wolves that starts from a simple but daring premise: Terry Bogard, the standard-bearer of the saga, gave the lead to Rock Howard, the son of his greatest enemy . A young man with enormous potential who Terry raised and trained as if he were his own son.
Mark of the Wolves: the return of street fighting to Southtown
Ten years after the fall -literal- of Geese Howard, a new tournament of The King of Fighters is held in the city of Southtown. An event that serves as an excuse for Terry Bogard, the fighting-hungry wolf, to rest his bag on the ground for the umpteenth time before leaving his knuckles stamped on that poor wretch who dares to challenge him.
Terry knows the streets of Southtown very well , and the city remembers him too. He spent his childhood in them together, with his brother Andy. And thanks to the courage of both, and his friend Joe Higashi, Geese Howard’s criminal empire was dismantled.
Since then, the three have made a name for themselves both in street fights and on the big competitive circuits.
However, Kain R. Heinlein , the tournament’s new promoter, does not seem so interested in the return of the legendary Terry to Southtown, but in his partner and sponsored.
The new edition of The King of Fighters will mark the debut of Rock Howard in the ring , a young man who during these ten years has forged his own fighting style combining the techniques of his master with the innate talent inherited from his father: Geese himself. Howard.
Rock Howard takes over from Terry and his battle companions and, despite his youth, goes on to lead the new generation of fighters in the event known as King of Fighters: Maximum Mayhem.
An especially varied cast full of new faces , including specialists in martial arts as varied as kung fu or wrestling, pirates, soldiers, psychopaths and the successors to several of the superstars of previous Fatal Fury installments, such as the sons of Kim Kaphwan or a very young Hokutomaru ninja who, by the way, is a disciple of Andy Bogard.
In this regard, Garou Mark of the Wolves knows how to masterfully bond with the background of the Fatal Fury saga through countless winks and cameos in its scenarios, but also successfully mixing the roles and abilities of the fighters from previous installments in a new generation of characters.
Combining the best of being a restart and retaining what should not be missing in the playable equation.
On the playable side, SNK’s approach to Garou Mark of the Wolves takes the F atal Fury saga halfway between the playable core outlined from Fatal Fury Special and dares to introduce Street’s own mechanics and action commands. Fighters that accentuate and gradually help to forge your playable character and identity. Keeping the best of both worlds.
That does not mean that there is no news. In fact, these do not take long to shine from the first games. Being one of the most celebrated the Just Defense system.
The idea around Just Defense is simple: if we make a block in the same second in which it occurs on impact, we will absorb the damage and we will gain a certain priority of attack. It is a premise very, very similar to the parry (or blocking) of Street Fighter III with its own peculiarities, so that -as in Capcom’s game- risk is rewarded with adjusted advantages that can sentence the combat.
Much more notable is the incorporation of the TOP (Tactical Offensive Position) system: when choosing our fighter, we will choose a section of our health bar, so that when we reach that threshold our character will inflict more damage, will very slowly recover some life and It will even feature a new special attack.
In this way, through the TOP system we can start the game with these advantages, take advantage of them after receiving a first batch of blows or reserve them for when we barely have health left. Adding, in general, a new layer of depth and strategy to the game in a natural way and without adding new complications for those who are starting.
Because Garou Mark of the Wolves is not a clean slate, but a new chapter in the Fatal Fury saga in which SNK assembles its successes and ties them to a very careful selection of elements inspired by other great fighting sagas, both their own. as of Companies that are referents of the genre.
Which means that all the characters on the renewed selectable panel are easy to understand in terms of options and mobility after playing a simple game. Put in common, the Garou MOTW fighters are as contrasted with each other as they are balanced as a whole. A double success.
But like any good fighting game, unleashing their full potential will require weeks and months of play. And the way Garou Mark of the Wolves is designed invites us to do – and improvise – marathon game sessions. Especially two players.
Garou Mark of the Wolves: the last great Fatal Fury
While the playable Garou Mark of the Wolves is simply exceptional , its presentation is a reflection of the excellence that SNK had achieved in fighting games in the late 90’s. Being one of its last great games before its decline past the turn of the millennium.
The Osaka guys were terribly generous when it came to animations and effects . Both in relation to the fighters themselves and in the scenarios, the animations of the interludes and even in some previous to each fight in which not only we were introduced to the next opponent, but we were put in context. Much more than details that, added, made the difference.
For his part, only Terry Bogard returned from the previous installments with a new appearance: the Southtown wolf returned home with his hair trimmed, a jacket with long sleeves and no cap. Unrecognizable? It is enough to see him move a little to realize that not only is he the same Terry who earned a place of honor among the great icons of the fight, but that age had done him wonderfully.
For their part, Kim Jae Hoon and Kim Dong Hwan , Kim Kaphwan’s children inherit their father’s repertoire of blows, creating two characters as different as they are complementary: the oldest is more unpredictable and offensive, like thunder, while that the little one is disciplined and passionate like fire.
SNK knew how to breathe and mix the most characteristic of the Fatal Fury superstars in the new selectable panel. And although there were no more Muay Thai fighters, the Shiranui style, acrobatic dams or military tactics say present.
Exploring, in the process, new styles of combat that go very well with the ensemble like that whirlwind of pirouettes called B. Jenet or Freeman’s fleeting and incisive slashes.
All conveniently wrapped in spectacular effects and a forceful arcade sound that, two decades later, continues to be heard marvelously. As well as his musical hits.
Unsurprisingly, SNK created two final bosses to live up to their legacy. The mammoth Grant is capable of unleashing devastating blows and taking over the stage, overwhelming whoever passes in front of him.
However, the real enemy to be beaten only enters the scene in case of accumulating a good streak of games: Kain R. Heinlein himself intervenes in the tournament imposing himself as the toughest rival in the game.
And what is more interesting: if we defeat Kain with Rock we will be summoned to a sequel that was in development and that, unfortunately, was never published.
Garou MOTW sequel and the end of an era for SNK
While Garou Mark of the Wolves had everything necessary to be considered the fourth installment of Fatal Fury , SNK’s original plans regarding the game and its own ending anticipated the player that it was the beginning of a new saga focused on the new protagonists. . Something, by the way, very similar to Street Fighter III.
The reality is that after the turn of the millennium, SNK’s economic situation forced it to rethink its role in the video game industry. While it continued to publish new games and adaptations continued to arrive ( Garou Mark of the Wolves came to Dreamcast in 2001 and PS2 in 2005) it was very clear that its glory days were in the past.
The reasons are many. From the decline of arcades to a series of business actions, as well as hardware and projects that did not end up performing commercially as expected. Many factors and one above all others: SNK did not adapt to modern times like Capcom and other companies did.
However, as we discussed, the sequel to Garou Mark of the Wolves was in development until 2002 and, according to SNK illustrator Falcoon, it is estimated that its development was 70% complete . Which is not small.
Regarding the plot of the sequel, during the Garou Mark of the Wolves tournament it is established that Kain R. Heinlein is Rock’s biological uncle, his mother’s brother. A revelation that, inevitably, will make Terry’s young apprentice stand by his side to learn the truth about his family. Serving its ending as a sort of cliffhanger that will lead to the sequel.
For its part, in 2015 the 4Gamer.net medium showed the designs of the fighters that would have been part of the sequel. Including the return of all Garou MOTW characters with their respective sprites and the inclusion of new ones. Highlighting, among them, the apprentice of Joe Higashi.
The cancellation of Garou MOTW 2 was inevitable and, for almost two decades, SNK itself has been combining the relaunch of its sagas with more modest projects to move forward.
Which, on the other hand, served so that all of us who ever dreamed of having a Neo Geo or an arcade at home could enjoy its enormous and exceptional legacy at home at prices as reasonable as they were tempting.
Will we see a new installment of Fatal Fury? It can be said that the odds are quite high: SNK is relaunching its key sagas and has expressed an interest in retaking the saga. For now, Samurai Shodown has already made its triumphant return and the next film for the arcade fans of Osaka will be The King of Fighters XV.
