Fatal Fury 2 is an arcade classic

Fatal Fury 2 is a fighting game first released for the Neo Geo arcade system in 1991. This game sees the return of the Bogard brothers from the original Fatal Fury and is also notable for introducing SNK’s first female fighting game character, Mai Shiranui. Players choose from eight playable characters and face off head-to-head or battle their way through a tournament mode that ends in a grueling fight against a series of four boss characters.

Simple mechanics with real challenge

Fatal Fury 2 uses a simple control scheme for a fighting game: in addition to the eight-direction joystick, the player also has four attack buttons. Special attacks include Evasion Attacks, which are powerful counterhits to punish blocked attacks. When a character’s health drops below 25%, powerful Fury attacks also become available, making this an early example of a fighting game with a comeback mechanic. Unlike many other fighting games, Fatal Fury 2 matches include some depth: while not truly 3D, the game features 2D stages divided into foreground and background planes.

A classic fighting game

Fatal Fury 2 may lack sophistication and roster size compared to its modern fighting game descendants, but it’s still a classic arcade experience that offers plenty of fun and challenge.