Real Bout Fatal Fury

About Real Bout Fatal Fury

Real Bout Fatal Fury (1995) is SNK's fourth mainline Fatal Fury, adding a Power Gauge and breakable ring-out barriers, and marking Geese Howard's final fall.

Real Bout Fatal Fury in Depth

Real Bout cuts the attack buttons from four to three: punch, kick and a Strong Attack that is a heavier punch or kick depending on the character. It keeps Fatal Fury 3's three-plane oversway system, with a main fighting lane plus foreground and background planes for dodging attacks or leaping at the opponent, now switched with a dedicated button. Chain combos, including in the air, resemble those of X-Men: Children of the Atom. Stages now allow ring-outs, a feature from 3D fighters such as Virtua Fighter, but the edges are guarded by barriers that must be broken by knocking the opponent into them enough times before a fighter can be sent out of bounds.

A new Power Gauge fills as players attack or defend. Half-full, it allows Guard Cancels, counterattacks after blocking that cost nothing. At maximum with more than half of the life bar left it enters S. Power, slowly draining while allowing one Super Special Move. At maximum with life flashing red it enters P. Power, allowing Guard Cancels and Super Specials freely until it empties, or one even stronger Hidden Ability. The roster carries over from Fatal Fury 3, with its bosses Ryuji Yamazaki and the Jin twins now regular fighters, and Duck King, Billy Kane and Kim Kaphwan return from Fatal Fury Special. Geese Howard is the final boss, and Terry's or Andy's ending shows him fall from the roof of his tower, refusing to be saved.

Making Real Bout Fatal Fury

SNK redesigned the controls and battles for Real Bout, aiming for more exhilaration and ease of use with two health bars and flashy effects, and bringing much of the processing praised in Fatal Fury 3 to the foreground. Game Machine listed it as Japan's fourth most popular arcade game of January 1996. Electronic Gaming Monthly made the Neo Geo version its Game of the Month, praising its pits, characters, graphics and humour. GamePro called it a major improvement over Fatal Fury 3, "one of the best Fatal Fury games ever", though it disliked the lost button and the music, and Next Generation agreed. Maximum found it too similar to its predecessor but "a well-rounded and entertaining fighting title". Neo Geo CD, Saturn and PlayStation ports followed.