Fatal Fury: King of Fighters is the very first fighting game developed by video game legends, SNK, for the Neo Geo arcade. The Fatal Fury series is one of SNK’s most popular franchises and has been beloved by fans and critics since its original release on 25 November 1991.
Part of what made Fatal Fury: King of Fighters so popular was that the head designer of the game, Takashi Nishiyama, was also the original creator of Street Fighter. Takashi Nishiyama is responsible for two of the biggest fighting game series to exist. Fatal Fury: King of Fighters is a must-play fighting game if you want to learn about the roots of the genre.
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters Premise
A corrupt and evil businessman named Geese Howard has taken over the streets of South Town with his criminal syndicate. Geese Howard is ruthless and willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. After years of dominance, Geese Howard has decided to host a fighting tournament, named “The King of Fighters”. A group of heroes have stepped up to enter The King of Fighters and defeat Geese Howard once and for all.
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters Characters
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters follows the story of two orphan brothers named Terry and Andy Bogard. After their adoptive father, Jeff Bogard is murdered by Geese Howard, the brothers decide to dedicate their lives to becoming martial art masters so they can avenge their father. The KOF tournament is the perfect opportunity for them to earn their revenge, but there are other opponents they’ll need to beat first.
Competitors
- Terry Bogard – an American martial arts expert seeking to avenge his father’s death.
- Andy Bogard – Terry’s younger brother, who learned Koppōjutsu in Japan.
- Joe Higashi – a Japanese Muay Thai master and a friend to the Bogard brothers.
Challengers
- Duck King – a street dancing talent who uses a “rhythmical” fighting style.
- Richard Meyer – a capoeira master with numerous kick techniques.
- Michael Max – a Catholic boxer who is based on Mike Tyson.
- Tung Fu Rue – a Bajiquan master who is elderly and meek.
Bosses
- Hwa Jai – a Muay Thai master from Thailand who gains his strength from drinking an unknown liquor.
- Raiden – a professional heel known for his ruthlessness in the ring.
- Billy Kane – a Bōjutsu master who serves as the tournament’s undefeated champion.
Final boss
- Geese Howard – the final boss of the game. An underworld crime boss and the sponsor of the “King of Fighters” tournament.
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters Series
The Fatal Fury series has become an iconic franchise with characters internationally recognized. Characters from the series have appeared in a bunch of different popular games like, Dead or Alive, Tekken, and Super Smash Bros.
Over the years, Fatal Fury: King of Fighters has received multiple sequels that have dominated the arcade fighter genre. Although there hasn’t been a new Fatal Fury game since 1999, almost every game has received a port to modern consoles. Here is a list of every Fatal Fury game:
| English title | Original platform | Release date | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal Fury: King of Fighters | Neo Geo | 1991-11-25 | Neo Geo (MVS, AES) Neo Geo CD, Genesis, X68000, SNES, PlayStation 2, Virtual Console, PSN, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One |
| Fatal Fury 2 | Neo Geo | 1992-12-10 | Neo Geo (MVS, AES) Neo Geo CD, PC Engine, Genesis, SNES, Game Boy, Sharp X68000, PlayStation 2, Virtual Console, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One |
| Fatal Fury Special | Neo Geo | 1993-09-16 | Neo Geo (MVS, AES), FM Towns, Game Gear, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, Sega CD, SNES, TurboGrafx-CD, PlayStation 2, Virtual Console, X68000, Xbox Live Arcade, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox One |
| Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory | Neo Geo | 1995-03-27 | Neo Geo (MVS, AES), Neo Geo CD, Saturn, Windows, PlayStation 2, Virtual Console, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One |
| Real Bout Fatal Fury | Neo Geo | 1995-12-21 | Neo Geo (MVS, AES), Neo-Geo CD, Saturn, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PSN, Virtual Console, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One |
| Real Bout Fatal Fury Special | Neo Geo | 1997-01-28 | Neo Geo (MVS, AES), Neo-Geo CD, Saturn, Game Boy, PlayStation 2, PSN, Virtual Console, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One |
| Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers | Neo Geo | 1998-03-20 | Neo Geo (MVS, AES), Neo-Geo CD, PlayStation 2, Virtual Console, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox One |
| Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special: Dominated Mind | PlayStation | 1998-06-25 | PlayStation, PSN |
| Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition | Hyper Neo Geo 64 | 1999-01-28 | Hyper Neo Geo 64, PlayStation, PSN |
| Fatal Fury: First Contact | Neo Geo Pocket Color | 1999-04-30 | Neo Geo Pocket Color, Nintendo Switch |
| Garou: Mark of the Wolves | Neo Geo | 1999-11-26 | Neo Geo (MVS, AES), Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox Live Arcade, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox One |
| Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters Cheat Codes
As one of the premiere games of the 90’s it’s no surprise that Fatal Fury: King of Fighters has cheat codes. Unfortunately, the Neo Geo arcade version of the game doesn’t have cheat codes but the Genesis port does. These cheats allow players to have unlimited continues and unlock secret characters.
| Genesis Cheat Codes | Effect |
| Unlimited Continues | After losing, the Continue screen will come up with the number of credits shown in the left-hand corner. Hold Up and press A + B + C simultaneously. Release A + B + C, then press them again to gain a credit. |
| Unlocking Geese Howard | Hold left on the d-pad while selecting VS Game Start. With the left button still held down, press Start, and choose which mode you want. Geese should now be a selectable character in VS mode. |
| Never Ending Fight | On the Options screen, choose Control, then highlight the Point option. Next, hold B and set Point to 0. Finally, challenge a friend to a two-player “Vs.” battle. Your point globes will be replaced by counters that show how many rounds you’ve won. To end the game, press Reset. |
Achievements
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters has been ported to more current consoles like the PlayStation 4 and XboxOne. There are six different achievements that players can earn in-game.
| Fatal Fury: King of Fighters Achievements | Requirements |
| Record score | The score has been posted to the online rankings. |
| Mark high score | High score has been updated. |
| Score 100,000 points | The score won 100,000 points |
| Score 150,000 points | The score won 150,000 points |
| Score 200,000 points | The score won 200,000 points |
| HI SCORE Player | The score has been posted to the online rankings in the “HI SCORE MODE”. |
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters Cheat Code FAQ
Does Fatal Fury: King of Fighters have any cheat codes?
Yes, the Neo Geo arcade version of the game doesn’t have any cheat codes but the Genesis port does. These cheat codes allow players to have infinite continues, matches without time limits, and unlocking hidden characters.
What are cheat codes for?
Cheat codes are exploits that can change the game’s behavior and give players an advantage. They may move players to the next level, make the player immune to damage, or some other action that wouldn’t take place without them.
They can also make the game more accessible and appealing to casual gamers or those who find its current state inaccessible.