I’d never come across this Fatal Fury game before and that would add up as this game only ever came out on the Neo Geo Pocket Colour in 1999.
When I heard about this I was excited to play a fighting game that I hadn't managed to get to from over 21 years ago.
My expectations were low as I must admit that it takes a great deal of ingenuity to build a good fighting game on a tiny handheld with only two buttons but I shouldn’t have worried as this little SNK gem of a game is an absolute blast and fits nicely onto the Nintendo Switch.
First Contact It is based on Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 and includes a new character called Lao which is unlockable in VS mode.
You can also unlock Alfred who was introduced in Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 as a secret boss.
The full character lineup includes:
Terry BogardAndy Bogard
Joe Higashi
Mai Shiranui
Kim Kaphwan
Ryuji Yamazaki
Rick Strowd
Li Xiangfei
Billy Kane
Wolfgang Krauser
Geese Howard
Lao (vs Mode only)
Alfred (Unlockable)
Gameplay-wise the game is mega beginner-friendly as the action takes place on 2D arenas with only two buttons to worry about. I found myself picking up moves pretty quickly especially with my go-to character Joe.
The fights employ a two life bar mechanic that sees you have to deplete two life bars to win a round in a best of 3 match up. The game also has a comeback mechanic in the form of POTENTIAL POWER MOVES which can get you back into any match should you be getting your pixelated head caved in!
It feels mega responsive to play this simple but complex fighting game on the Switch and I totally enjoyed my time with it. It really comes alive when you dock the switch and play local versus mode as I found out! As it’s only a two-button fighter my kids were able to pick up and play immediately and beat me down on a regular occasion!
The look of the game fits the miniature pixel aesthetic perfectly with those cute versions of the Fatal Fury characters being so well animated that it’s hard to believe that this game came out over 20 years ago on the Neo Geo Pocket Colour!
A special mention must go to the cool addition of changeable NEO GEO Pocket Colour Skins for the Switch on-screen display. It’s a great little touch to add a bit of Neo Geo authenticity to the experience. You also get some opportunity to adjust the display colours too which is nice and adds to the experience nicely.
I also really enjoyed the addition of the original manual within the game that you can virtually flick through to check out special move combinations. It’s those little touches that show some thought and love was put into porting this pocket dynamite gem of a fighter.
Overall this lovely little fighting game is a pleasure to spend time with and I have made it my mission to complete the game with the whole roster of characters.
"Right, I am off to fight Joe with Joe
to see if I can avoid getting my
cute pixel head kicked in!"
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