Lately, we’ve seen a lot of old-school fighting games getting a revival, and SNK isn’t falling behind when it comes to bringing back some oldies but goodies. While Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves might be the newest kid on the block, that is about to change because Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers is on its way to new platforms with added features, game modes, and the whole roster that many of you grew up with back in the ’90s.
The Legendary Bout is Back
I was fortunate enough to try out a preview build of Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers, and, before I go further, I must admit that I never played its original version or any of its re-releases. However, now that I tried some of it and got to play as my always lovable and fiery Mai Shiranui in a classic setting, I can see why people consider it one of the greatest in the franchise, just behind the recent City of the Wolves and Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
For starters, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers had a lot of innovative things that weren’t common in ’90s fighting games, such as stages with different planes and even the ability to launch opponents to the background. By the way, allow me to brag for a bit and tell you I managed to do that and unlocked an achievement because, yes, achievements are a thing now in this revival.
During this preview, I tried Versus Mode mostly, and only against the CPU, because I wasn’t able to find any multiplayer matches. The controls were smooth, and while I tried the added Training mode to learn some of Mai’s combos, I still feel this re-release could use some more modern inputs, especially when it comes to pulling off some of the most powerful moves. It wasn’t a deal-breaker or anything of the sort, but it would greatly benefit newcomers.
Other than that, I got to dive into the gallery, which boasts a lot of artwork from the game that hardcore fans will appreciate. And even if you aren’t a big fan yet, you can see some of the origins of the series and how some of the beloved fighters were back in that decade.
Even if the fighting genre has been overflowing with bangers lately, I’m glad we’re also getting some retro gaming into the mix. Yes, seeing the newer games with the flashy combos and high-quality textures is nice, but nothing beats the good old days of arcade fighting. There’s much more depth in old fighting titles and a high skill ceiling that feels extremely rewarding to reach, which is precisely what Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers offers.
