Gaming off the Beaten Path

By the late 90's, the fighting game boom that categoized the decade was nearing its end. And while some series' stood the test of time, many others sort of faded away. While 3D fighters were still relatively new fare, 2D fighters had become so common it would make your head spin. Since the success of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat early in the decade, developers everywhere were out to get a piece of the pie. And no company took as many pieces of that pie as SNK. This is far from the first time I've talked about SNK, or even an SNK fighting game. But it is the first time in many year's I've revisited a title from one of their most famous franchises: Fatal Fury. If the title was a little confusing, don't worry, it was to me too. Garou is the Japanese title of Fatal Fury. You know, kind of like how Resident Evil is called Biohazard, or Mega Man is called Rockman. But the confusion goes even further here, because the game was released under both titles in North Am...

So today, we are going to talk about a fighting game. This game is the second entry in a well known 90s tournament fighter franchise.  It’s sort of a sequel to a sequel, with extra modes and the ability to make the action a little faster.  It features a colorful cast of characters representing various countries, each with their own unique fighting styles and special moves.  You all know which one I mean. Of course, I’m talking about World Heroes 2 Jet!  What? Street Fighter II Turbo?  Never heard of it.  In all seriousness, World Heroes was one of many tournament fighters SNK produced in the 90s. Fighting games were incredibly popular in those days, but most companies stuck to one or two franchises.  Capcom had Street Fighter. Akklaim/Midway had Mortal Kombat.  SNK had World Heroes.  And Fatal Fury.  And King of Fighters.  And Art of Fighting. I think  there are others that I am forgetting, maybe I’ll p...