Fatal Fury’s Latest Release Is the Fighting Game 1990s Gamers Have Missed

by

The Fatal Fury series began in 1991 with Fatal Fury: King of Fighters on the SNK Neo Geo, and it quickly became a top fighting game franchise of the 1990s. Each new game refined the formula, helping to define many of the conventions seen in games from that era. Over the years, 11 Fatal Fury games were released on the Neo Geo and other platforms, but the series paused after Garou: Mark of the Wolves in 1999. While Garou is widely considered a highlight of the series, it wasn’t the absolute end.

After a 25-year hiatus, the fighting game series Fatal Fury made a comeback in 2025 with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. This new installment feels like a love letter to classic ‘90s fighting games, standing out from modern titles. While it features updated graphics, great combos, and solid fighting mechanics, it deliberately captures the feel of those older games. It sticks with the 2D movement style of past Fatal Fury games, even including a stage with the two-lane system from earlier versions. A familiar mechanic from Mark of the Wolves returns under a new name – “Selective Potential Gear” – and other features reinforce the game’s old-school roots.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Is a ‘90s Fighting Game on Modern Tech

If you enjoyed fighting games in the 1990s, City of the Wolves will immediately feel familiar. The game doubles down on that retro feel with downloadable content featuring iconic characters Ken and Chun-Li from Street Fighter, bringing classic Capcom fighters into the world of SNK’s popular fighting game series. Adding to the nostalgia is Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. The initial game roster includes 17 characters, most of whom are returning favorites, alongside four brand new additions.

The fighter lineup includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Preecha, Salvatore Ganacci, and Vox Reaper. A new character, Mr. Big from the Art of Fighting series (which takes place before Fatal Fury), has been added as downloadable content, giving players a lot of great choices. What’s particularly interesting about City of the Wolves is how long it was in the making – development actually started around 2005 or even earlier. SNK slowly released hints and artwork over the next twenty years, and finally announced in 2022 that the game was officially being developed. After a few more updates, City of the Wolves was released on April 24, 2025.

Upon its release, City of the Wolves was a huge success, earning excellent reviews and enthusiastic praise from longtime fans of the series. It even won Best Fighting Game at the 2025 Game Awards, a victory many considered deserved. SNK has continued to support the game with updates and downloadable content, announcing a second season of DLC in January 2026. However, this announcement was met with criticism after accusations that it used AI-generated content. While the use of AI is generally frowned upon in the gaming industry, it seems to have been limited to the trailer and doesn’t affect the game itself.

City of the Wolves Lives up to the Hype

Recently, video game developers have been tapping into players’ love for the past. We’re seeing this in indie games that recreate the pixelated look of classic Super Nintendo games. While many modern fighting games, like 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1, are visually stunning and action-packed, they often look very different from their original versions. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves did something unique by intentionally capturing the feel and style of the Fatal Fury games from the 1990s. It successfully blends that nostalgic look with fresh gameplay, and it would be great to see more games take this approach.

Who’s your favorite character in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/fatal-fury-city-of-the-wolves-secret-stages/embed/#

Read More

2026-02-01 17:17