Garou Densetsu - Shukumei no Tatakai ~ Fatal Fury - King of Fighters (Japan)
Neo Geo CD
🇬🇧🇯🇵
Reviewed in 1994
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✪ Reviewed on September 8, 2023
68
First entry not as creaky as you'd think, with iconic cast and two plane arenas. The system has aged but the aura is intact. An essential founding step.
Your verdict
Category
Fighting2 players12+
Description
Terry Bogard and his allies face Geese Howard in this first Fatal Fury saga entry with its two-plane system. Published by SNK, released in Japan in September 1994. One-on-one combat with foreground and background plane system, three playable characters, animated South Town settings. Japanese edition.
Garou Densetsu - Shukumei no Tatakai ~ Fatal Fury - King of Fighters review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Hand-drawn high-resolution sprites of exceptional finesse: SNK brings fighting pixel art to a peak of refinement. The silky animation and detailed backgrounds overflow with life and character. This graphic virtuosity, sleek and warm, illustrates the peak of hand-drawn 2D.
A pillar of the fighting game, SNK's music makes South Town pulse with funky themes turned cult, from Terry's "Big Shot!" to Geese's melodies. The CD version reveals all their richness, with real instruments. This groovy, warm sonic identity laid the foundations of a video game legend.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
A pioneer of two-lane fighting, this first Fatal Fury introduces a bold idea: dodging to the background to reinvent positioning. Facing a gallery of charismatic fighters, Terry Bogard at the front, lays the foundations of a legend. The snappy exchanges and the blazing atmosphere hook you at once. A historic landmark of versus, still vibrant to play.
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾0,5 GB📅09/09/1994
Published by SNK
Garou Densetsu - Shukumei no Tatakai ~ Fatal Fury - King of Fighters (Neo Geo CD) price, value & rarity
The first Fatal Fury on the Neo Geo CD, founder of the saga where Terry Bogard takes on Geese Howard, at the origin of the whole world leading to King of Fighters. Its desirability rests on its status as the inaugural episode of a major SNK franchise and the affordable access the disc gave to a classic. SNK collectors seek it for that historical value and its cornerstone place for the house on the format.
Is Garou Densetsu - Shukumei no Tatakai ~ Fatal Fury - King of Fighters still worth playing in 2026?
Garou Densetsu, alias Fatal Fury - King of Fighters, is the first installment of SNK's fighting saga, in which Terry Bogard and his allies challenge Geese Howard, introducing the innovative two-plane combat system. Founder of a major lineage, it lays the foundations of an immense legacy, even if its slightly stiff playability and limited roster show their age against the sequels. For fans of retro SNK versus fighting and genre history, it is an essential historical landmark, especially precious for understanding the evolution of Fatal Fury.
