Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves had some of the best post-launch seasons in recent fighting games, and one that brought not only long-forgotten fighters, but also some well-implemented crossover characters. However, South Town isn’t ready to shut its doors because SNK has already announced the second season for its most recent fighting entry. Once more, I was lucky enough to get a hands-on preview with one of the upcoming fighters of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and this time it’s Kim Jae Hoon’s turn to stand under the spotlight and bring those fiery kicks.
The Power of Taekwondo
Kim Jae Hoon will be the first character of Season 2 in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and in terms of being the fighter who opens the curtain for this year, I must say that he was quite the surprise to use.
Kim Jae Hoon embraces his masterful taekwondo moves with some fiery and fast kicks that can overwhelm almost every opponent. In terms of combos, I found him pretty easy to use, yet a bit hard to master because, despite his long legs made for deadly kicks, his reach falls a bit behind, even compared to the likes of Mr. Big or Chun-Li.
Up close, however, Kim Jae Hoon is a killing machine, and a fast one at that. Most of his moves revolve around a series of speedy footwork with a few punches to keep some fighters at bay. I will say that, if we look at other recently released characters, Kim Jae Hoon doesn’t have an all-rounder kit, but I appreciate how he excels at one thing rather than being a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. He is superb at close-quarters, but will definitely struggle against other fighters with better reach or long-range options.
Still, I liked how pulling off some of his more complicated moves felt easier. One thing I didn’t enjoy about Mr. Big was how difficult his supers were to execute and to time correctly. Kim Jae Hoon’s moves, on the other hand, have this low-floor, high-ceiling feeling, where they all feel extremely approachable, but will require a lot of practice to master the deadly taekwondo fighter.
My only minor complaint is that I didn’t see too many gap-closers, which has been an issue in many fighters as of late. However, it isn’t a deal-breaker. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves keeps following a design style that I appreciate a lot. It makes all new characters extremely easy to get into, which is great for those looking to try a new fighter or see if they can potentially find a new main. However, it also keeps adding a high skill ceiling to all of them, rewarding those who stick around with these new additions. I still think I’ll stick to my Chun-Li, but Kim Jae Hoon is coming up close to becoming my second character if I ever want to swap.
Kicking Off The New Season
Overall, Kim Jae Hoon is yet another strong addition to the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves roster, and an excellent fighter to kickstart Season 2. While it doesn’t have the versatile kit Mr. Big had, it is still a strong contender and excellent for those who prefer to get up close and fire up combos quickly. As someone who enjoyed all the characters from Season 1, I’m beyond excited to see what SNK has in store for 2026.
