While I’ve grown used to seeing all sorts of characters arriving at South Town, I never expected the Toman to arrive. Lo and behold, Mikey and Draken, the iconic fighters from Tokyo Revengers, are joining the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves roster. Usually, I’m pleased with all the season characters that CotW has launched, but both of these gang members made me feel conflicted because, despite the fan service and adapting some of the moves we’ve seen in the anime, both of their kits feel a bit underwhelming at times.
A Weaker Toman Crew
I might not be the biggest Tokyo Revengers fan, but I’ve dabbled in the anime, so seeing Mikey and Draken land on Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was a pleasant surprise, and to some extent, fitting. Also, since I’m used to previewing only one character, two new fighters piqued my curiosity. Yet, the actual hands-on experience wasn’t as exciting as I thought.
First, I’ll go over Mikey’s kit. In terms of how the game adapted its iconic kicks and kept some of his Gears almost the same as the anime and manga, SNK did an amazing job. Even his normal moves had that Toman style behind each kick, punch, and grab.
One thing I appreciated about Mikey is how he felt more like an all-rounder compared to Draken. He has a few mid-range skills to keep opponents at bay, and his kicks are quite fast and easy to pull off.
On the other hand, Draken felt a bit more tactical, with some of his moves relying on charged punches and special grabs. This is a gameplay I really dig, especially since I’m a fan of Blue Mary’s more grappling-oriented playstyle. Also, just like Mikey, I never struggled to perform some of Draken’s new moves.
Then, why did both of them feel a bit underwhelming? So far, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has launched characters that have a low entry barrier, yet a high and extremely rewarding skill ceiling. Take Kaphwan, for example. He is easy to grab and start throwing kicks around, but you need to put in the time to make the most of him.
Unfortunately, both Mikey and Draken felt extremely simple, to the point that learning them doesn’t feel rewarding at all. It is the first time I see a case of “style over substance” in CotW, which was a bit shocking given how the recent new arrivals have been superb, and often eclipsing the one before them. Now, however, Mikey and Draken feel like the weakest of the bunch, so to speak.
Still, I have to admit that SNK did a terrific job at adapting these two iconic characters, and in ways that fans of the Tokyo Revengers franchise will love. And while they certainly are excellent fighters for beginners, there are many more that feel great to learn and master.
This Season’s First Miss
In the end, it is a bit sad to see these two being the season’s first miss, but not in a terrible way. The aspect that shines the most is just how well SNK understood Tokyo Revengers and managed to bring that brutality into the animations and moves. The Gears deserve all the praise in the world, especially Mikey’s, which are straight out of one of my favorite scenes in the show.
Yet, when it comes to taking them out for a few rounds, they lack the engagement other fighters bring, and it is one of the few instances where DLC characters feel a bit underwhelming. Still, I’m hopeful for the remaining characters because I know SNK can do an excellent job with its new additions, and maybe this is just a small bump on an otherwise flawless road.
