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Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

SNK bring the final Fatal Fury trilogy to the PS2

Where the first Battle Archives installment included four historic Fatal Fury games, essentially what you get with Battle Archives Volume 2 is three games in one. For those with a broken-down Neo Geo, this is your chance to go back in time and revisit the classic Fatal Fury series that started the franchise. Or if you were simply too young to have ever owned one, you have the opportunity to relive what fighting games used to be like as Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 includes 1995’s Real Bout Fatal Fury, 1997’s Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, and 1998’s Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 screenshot

The collection in itself is the sequel to Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 1, as the trilogy contained within this disc ends the seven-game series. The story continues with brothers Terry and Andy Bogard, who are joined by their friend Joe Higashi on a fighting adventure to take down a series of criminals and mob bosses led by the criminal mastermind of Geese Howard. Howard is up to his old shenanigans as he tries to gain control of SouthTown by claiming the mysterious Jin scrolls, though not without facing the Bogard brothers, Higashi, and an entire cast of other skilled warriors.

The main menu allows you to choose which game you want to play. This Playstation 2 version also features a practice mode to hone up on your fighting skills, which is a cool thing to play around with – especially when trying to learn a player’s hidden abilities – though it seems kind of like a tacked-on feature considering there isn’t really anything new to the game. After choosing which Real Bout title you want to play, you then choose the level of difficulty and your character. Real Bout Fatal Fury re-introduces all of the popular characters from Fatal Fury 3 including Bob Wilson, Franco Bash, Hon Fu, Sokaku Mochizuki, and of course Blue Mary. Duck King, Billy Kane, and Kim Kaphwan also make a return to the list of fighters. As you play along in a series of fights, a second player can join in at any time – true arcade style. The second player can either help you along in your journey to stop the evil Geese or choose to face against you.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 screenshot

As the story goes on and you complete the game, Geese is killed at the end, and a new enemy by the name of Wolfgang Krauser becomes the head honcho in Real Bout Fatal Fury Special. The second installment features a total of 19 different fighters to choose from, including all of the characters from Real Bout Fatal Fury and new fighters Tung Fu Rue, Cheng Sinzan, and Laurence Blood. The game does not exclude the notorious Geese, however, as he makes a return from the dead as an unlockable character in Nightmare Match wearing a halo around his head.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 screenshot

Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 is probably the best of the series as it features all of the characters from Real Bout Special and brings two new characters into the melee – Chinese waitress Li Xiangfei and boxer Rick Strowd. Geese returns as the seemingly final boss in the series, though a new sinister character named Alfred actually turns out to be the game’s real secret boss. This PS2 version also allows you to use Alfred as a playable character, which wasn’t a feature in the Neo Geo version. What makes all three Real Bout titles different from other Fatal Fury games is the inclusion of the Hidden Abilities function. Basically, it acts as a super move to allow for maximum damage on enemies. What also makes the Real Bout titles unique is its ring-out system where you can throw your opponent out of a playing field to quickly turn the tables of a match.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 screenshot

Though the game series features a weak storyline, the biggest draw to Fatal Fury in 2008 is its classic fighting game nostalgia and hand-drawn animation, backgrounds, and character designs, giving the game a 2D aesthetic and an arcade feel. Its 2-line system brings depth to the 2D playing field, and cheesy punching sound effects and voice work add to the classic feel. For those who want to act as though they are still playing on the Neo Geo system, the fast pace of the gameplay and graphics haven’t changed for this re-release at all. While the poor graphics and framerate may annoy some gamers, this release is definitely intended for fans of the series who know what to expect. One of the other biggest selling points of this PS2 release is its online playability, allowing fighters to team up or go head-to-head with the best in the world. And this collection of games is definitely intended to be played all over the world as it also comes with language options for fans, allowing you to choose between English, Japanese, Spanish or Portuguese.

With a few new functions implemented into its old gameplay style and graphics, the Fatal Fury series is complete for PS2 owners who want the entire Neo Geo collection. For true classic fighting gamers and fans of the series, you now have the option to play online with a number of titles on one disc. For those less appreciative of fighting games of yesteryear, you may not even be interested.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.0 Graphics
By today’s standards, of course, there is no comparison, but this game definitely stays true to the originals. 3.7 Control
Controls act much as you would expect having played the series in the past and translate well to the PS2. 3.9 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Marvelously cheesy sound effects and music, adding to the nostalgia of the game. 3.0 Play Value
Fans of the series will love this re-release, and with three games on one disc, there is a lot to do. Those uninterested in re-living the past may want to look elsewhere. 3.7 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Witness the evolution of 59 characters across 3 titles.
  • All titles feature a “2 Line System” which incorporates depth into a 2D playing field.
  • “Ring Out” your opponent by throwing them over the edge of the battle stage.
  • Polish your skills in the exclusive Training Mode Added to the PlayStation 2 version.
  • Check out the Skills List and learn all of the Special Moves for every character.

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