Garou: Mark of the Wolves

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Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Garou's box art
Developer(s) SNK
Publisher(s) SNK
Platform(s) Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2
Release date November 1999
Genre(s) Versus fighting
Mode(s) Up to 2 players simultaneously
Input methods 8-way Joystick, 4 Buttons
Cabinet Upright
Arcade system Neo-Geo MVS (688 Mbit cartridge)
Display Raster, 320 x 224 pixels (Horizontal), 4096 colors

Garou: Mark of the Wolves (餓狼 MARK OF THE WOLVES Garō Māku obu za Uruvusu?); and sometimes abbreviated Garou, Mark of the Wolves or MOW; is a 1999 fighting game produced by SNK, originally for the Neo Geo system. It is the ninth and final game in the Fatal Fury series, set ten years after the death of Geese Howard in Real Bout Fatal Fury. It is known for pushing the graphical capabilities of the Neo Geo as well as its well-balanced roster of characters and highly technical gameplay.

Contents

[edit] Background

Bonne Jenet vs Tizoc, fighting in Tizoc's stage Universal Arena.
Bonne Jenet vs Tizoc, fighting in Tizoc's stage Universal Arena.

Unlike previous entries, the game bore the Japanese Garou (餓狼 Garō?) label instead of the normal English Fatal Fury for its localized versions (the North American Dreamcast release of the game was, however, titled Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves). There may be several reasons for this. The "Fatal Fury" designation was an analog for "Legend of the Hungry Wolf" (餓狼伝説 Garō Densetsu?), but the Japanese name itself was shortened for this one game. Moreover, many of the gameplay features (such as the button configuration and the use of pseudo-3D sidestepping) and nearly all the characters of previous Fatal Fury titles are non-playable in the game. Therefore, while the game is part of the series both officially and as part of the Fatal Fury universe, it could be said that it is not a complete continuation of the previous games.

The game is known for pushing the capabilities of the Neo-Geo (and particularly those of the graphics) to their limits. While the Neo Geo is completely incapable of rendering 3D graphics and semitransparency, the game uses some of the most advanced strictly 2D graphical techniques to give the illusion that both are taking place.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves more closely resembles SNK's The King Of Fighters series than the Fatal Fury series. Mark of the Wolves features a character art style somewhere between the almost cartoonish Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 and the unique but still anime-like KOF style (both styles, however, manage to display a high amount of detail despite the low resolution of the Neo Geo system, and Garou has quite detailed graphics as well). The fighting system of previous Fatal Fury titles is cast aside for Garou; the general rhythm of the fighting system, the button layout, the more electronic-inspired nature of the music, and the collision detection are all factors that are more styled like the King of Fighters than Fatal Fury.

Just as the Fatal Fury series has many parallels with Capcom's Street Fighter series, Garou: Mark of the Wolves parallels Street Fighter III in many ways. Both games were released around the same time in the late 1990s, just as the fighting game craze of the decade was cooling down. Garou: Mark of the Wolves takes place a full generation after the rest of the Fatal Fury series, discarding nearly all of the recurring characters (except Terry Bogard) in favor of new ones, as well as introducing a system of "just defending" (similar to SFIII "parrying" in that attacks are negated by performing a special block at the last split-second). Moreover, while Garou and SFIII characters have crossed over into other games, both games have not had true sequels produced for nearly a decade.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Initial roster

  • Terry Bogard – Terry is the main character from earlier installments in the Fatal Fury series. In Garou, he has a new look: his long blond ponytail is trimmed, and he has exchanged his trademark red vest, hat, and shoes for a bomber jacket and brown shoes. Terry has a new Desperation Move (the “Buster Wolf”); however, he can no longer perform his original trademark move (the “Rising Tackle”), which is now Rock Howard's technique.
  • Rock Howard – Rock is the son of Geese Howard and protégé of Terry Bogard (as Terry seemingly killed Geese in Real Bout Fatal Fury and adopted the thus orphaned Rock). He is the main hero of Garou. His fighting style combines techniques of both Terry and Geese, giving him an edge on both offense and defense. He wears a red and white jacket with a white star on the back, similar to Terry's classic vest. His motif, as used in the game's logo and in some of his attack and victory animations, is angelic wings.
  • Kevin Rian – Kevin is a high-spirited police officer of Second South. He is also a friend to both Terry and Rock. He fights using Sambo (similar to his distant relative Blue Mary),[1] although much of his fighting style revolves more around direct strikes than grappling. He is cheered on during fights by his friend's son Marky. In Garou, he seeks revenge for the death of his partner, murdered by Freeman.
  • Bonne Jenet – Bonne Jenet is a female pirate who is looking for treasure in Second South. Her fighting style involve wind-like projectiles that hit multiple times, and swooping attacks intended to catch opponents with suddenly-changing directions. She is one of two female fighters in Garou, and is noted for her beauty both inside and outside the game; she often exploits it for her own personal gain.
  • Kim Dong Hwan – Dong Hwan was taught Taekwondo by his father, Kim Kaphwan, and has a friendly rivalry with his brother Kim Jae Hoon. He is more of a show-off and slacker than his brother, relying more on aerial attacks and juggles (i.e. attacks that strike the opponent into the air uncontrollably). He believes he is a "genius" in the story, and doesn't need to study diligently in order to master Taekwondo, but his father and brother see it differently.
  • Kim Jae Hoon – Jae Hoon was taught Taekwondo by his father, Kim Kaphwan, and is a brother of Dong Hwan's. Jae Hoon admires his father, so he fights more like him than Dong Hwan does, with a combination of high and low attacks with plenty of power behind them. Like his father, he has a strong sense of justice and chivalry, but unlike his brother, he establishes his strength through constant practice.
  • Gato Futaba – Gato is a powerful fighter always in search of stronger opponents. He is the older brother of Hotaru Futaba, but hotly denies this. His actual background and motivations aside from these are unknown. He is often portrayed acting callous to opponents, and is notable for a large claw scar on his back visible in one of his win poses.
  • Hotaru Futaba – Hotaru is the younger sister of Gato. She searches for her brother. She is generally very polite and charming, and is accompanied by her pet sable, Itokatsu. Her stage takes is a belfry, where a flock of birds removes her cloak.
  • Hokutomaru – Hokutomaru is a ninja who trained under Andy Bogard. He is extremely fast and crafty (with many moves that are among the fastest in the game), making him a nearly unpredictable opponent to deal with. His stage is a traffic accident that he caused, as he was unfamiliar with urban ways due to his age and training.
  • Khushnood Butt – Butt is a Kyokugen-style karate expert, who trained under Ryo Sakazaki. He is named Marco Rodriguez in Japan but was renamed in America (possibly to avoid confusion with mixed martial artist Ricco Rodriguez). He leads a somewhat austere life in a wooded area on the outskirts of town, and fights using powerful, deliberate attacks. Just like Ryo, he has several famous moves from Art of Fighting with some of his own derivatives. Many of his victory quotes sound insightful and philosophical, just as serious as his training and demeanor.
  • Tizoc – Tizoc is a famous pro wrestler in Second South and is seen as a hero in the eyes of children. Somewhat disillusioned, he enters the tournament in order to rekindle his own interest in fighting. His name in Japanese versions of the game is "The Griffon Mask".
  • Freeman – Freeman, real name unknown, is a mysterious serial killer that fights using slashing movements with his hands as if they were claws. Little is known about him, except that he killed a friend of Kevin Rian, and defeated Kim Kaphwan in a fight.

[edit] Bosses

  • Grant - Grant, real name Abel Cameron, is a master of the dark style known as Ankoku Karate. Being Kain R. Heinlein's closest friend and personal bodyguard, he is the sub-boss of the game.
  • Kain R. Heinlein: Kain is the mysterious host of Southtown's "King of Fighters: Maximum Mayhem" tournament. Being the younger brother of Marie Howard (Geese Howard's deceased wife and thus Rock Howard's mother), he is Rock's uncle. He is the final boss of the game, but the player needs to have at least an AAA-ranking win average throughout the game in order to reach him (and to see each character's full ending).

[edit] Reception

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.
 Reviews
Publication Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly 8 out of 10[2]
GameSpot 8.5 out of 10[3]
IGN 9 out of a 10[4]
Compilations of multiple reviews
Compiler Score
Metacritic 86 out of 100[2]
Game Rankings 84.2%[5]
Awards
Best Fighting Game (GameSpot, 2001)[6]


[edit] References

  1. ^ [餓GAROU狼] 〜MARK OF THE WOLVES〜 キャラクター人気投票
  2. ^ a b Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves (drm: 2001): Reviews
  3. ^ Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves for Dreamcast Review - Dreamcast Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves Review
  4. ^ IGN: Fatal Fury: Mark of The Wolves Review
  5. ^ Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves Reviews
  6. ^ GameSpot:Video Games PC Xbox 360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2 PlayStation 2 GameCube GBA PlayStation 3

[edit] External links

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Fatal Fury series
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