The Forgotten Fatal Fury Game That Needs a Re-Release

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Enthusiasts of fighting games have been thrilled with SNK’s resurgence, as King of Fighters 14, 15, and Samurai Shodown have received widespread acclaim. The loop is about to close, since Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves will be launched in a few months, available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, and PC on April 21, 2025.

Given the justifiable excitement surrounding SNK, we believe it’s crucial for the company to bring back this overlooked masterpiece from their series: Real Bout Fatal Fury Special: Dominated Mind.

The game titled “Dominated Mind,” which can be a bit lengthy, was exclusively released in Japan for the PlayStation 1. Since this game is only available in Japan, this writer had to emulate it. At the moment of writing, there’s no fan-created English translation for the game, but navigating through the Japanese version isn’t too difficult because all character names are in English. Although the menus are in Japanese, playing the game is still somewhat feasible due to this language discrepancy.

In their latest game, Dominated Mind introduces a fresh hero, Alfred – an ambitious pilot yearning for adventure in the town of South Town. Joining him are beloved characters such as Terry Bogard, Joe Higashi, Andy Bogard, and Mai Shiranui. This ensemble faces off against a new antagonist, White, who seems to be modeled after A Clockwork Orange and proves to be quite the formidable foe to conquer.

In this latest installment, Alfred isn’t the only novelty; the game offers an intriguing twist in the series. Unlike previous Fatal Fury games, it departs from what once set it apart among other fighters. Specifically, it has abandoned SNK’s distinctive lane system in favor of a conventional one-on-one combat format.

From a fan’s perspective, I must admit that getting rid of the lane system in Real Bout Fatal Fury arcade releases on Switch has been quite a relief! As someone who’s spent countless hours playing these games, I never found myself fully embracing the lane system. For me, the simplicity of blocking, jumping, and using special attacks is more than enough to keep me engaged and entertained. This change is definitely worth celebrating!

Fortunately, the main combat is excellent, making it a delight for SNK, Capcom, and any other game franchise enthusiasts. It retains the series’ traditional control scheme – using face buttons for three types of attacks and a taunt, with special moves activated through diagonal inputs – which makes it simple for genre aficionados to grasp this installment.

It wasn’t until Thorgi’s Arcade highlighted the Fatal Fury series in their retrospective that I learned about this game. Upon finding it, I am confident that this underestimated fighter merits more recognition. It’s unfortunate that there hasn’t been an English version released for this game given its numerous strengths.

Given the buzz around Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, a well-timed release could generate significant interest. Simply featuring Mai Shiranui and Blue Mary on the cover might lead to the sale of countless units.

SNK has previously re-released some games, and we’re excited to potentially see an official English version of Fatal Fury: Dominated Mind. We don’t necessarily need a large-scale online multiplayer release like “Global Match,” as many fans would appreciate just being able to read the menus in their native language. While a global multiplayer release would be wonderful too, let’s keep our expectations focused for now.

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2025-02-20 15:13