Fatal Fury Special

If you want to understand how SNK built its fighting empire even before the King of Fighters era, Fatal Fury Special is the perfect guide. This enhanced version of the packed roster of fighters from the city of South Town is among the most played fighting games of the golden Neo Geo era and still has its devoted fans.

The game was created by SNK as an expanded and fine-tuned version of the previous installment Fatal Fury 2 within the Garou Densetsu series. It came out on the Neo Geo system and brought an expanded roster of fighters, including the return of popular characters from the first game. Players especially loved the Bogard brothers, Terry and Andy, and the charismatic Joe Higashi, who later became pillars of the whole SNK universe.

Mechanically, Fatal Fury stood out with its two-plane fighting system, where characters could hop between the foreground and background of the arena, which added a tactical layer to the genre that the competition didn't have. Special fine-tuned the balance of the characters, sped up the pace and added special attacks, placing it among the most accomplished installments of the series in terms of gameplay.

The cultural significance is considerable. Terry Bogard became one of SNK's most iconic faces and still appears across other games and crossovers to this day. Fatal Fury Special was also one of the titles that helped establish the Neo Geo as the home of serious, hardcore fighting games at a time when the genre was ruled by Street Fighter II.

Fatal Fury Special remains a great choice for fans of classic fighters who want to get to know the roots of later legends. It's a title with character, distinctive personalities and a depth that even today's players seeking an honest retro battle will appreciate.

Why play: A fine-tuned classic fighter that laid the foundations of the SNK legend and still entertains with distinctive characters and its two-plane fighting system.