FATAL FURY: KING OF FIGHTERS CHARACTERS

Fatal Fury: King of Fighters is SNK's 1991 arcade brawler that kicked off one of the most influential fighting game lines on Neo Geo hardware. Three playable fighters, Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi, fight through South Town to topple crime boss Geese Howard, with the signature two-plane system letting you hop between foreground and background lanes to dodge attacks or reset spacing. Punches, kicks, and command specials feel chunky and deliberate, more deliberate than Street Fighter II but with a swagger all its own.

The two-plane mechanic is the hook that made Fatal Fury stand out in 1991, and it carried into sequels and Real Bout entries before SNK eventually dropped it for tighter KOF-style play. Terry's Power Wave and Burning Knuckle, Andy's Zaneiken, and Joe's Hurricane Upper became the foundation for moves you still see in modern SNK rosters. As the seed for Garou, KOF crossovers, and the entire South Town mythos, this one matters.