Garou: Brand review of the wolves

Commonly called Fatal Fury 4, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is one of the fighting games that define SNK. This statement was not taken lightly considering the studio is also responsible for The King of Fighters series.

Released in 1999 in arcades before hitting the Dreamcast, Garou: Mark of the Wolves has been ported to countless consoles over the years. The fighter, in fact, is available on all three current generation consoles.

Now, the question that remains is whether this nearly 20-year-old title holds up today. As long as the unsurprisingly dated imagery isn’t too off-putting, Mark of the Wolves should be an easy sell for anyone mildly in love with the genre.

The end of the beginning

Considering that a new Fatal Fury seems unlikely to ever materialize, revisiting SNK’s eight original designs is the only real option for those looking to try one of the most important early licenses of the fighting genre.

While previous games and Real Bout spin-offs are worth looking for, Garou stands out with the introduction of an almost entirely new cast. The story takes place a decade after the closing events of Real Bout Fatal Fury Special. The only returning character is the show’s de facto boy and hero, Terry Bogard.

While some characters are inspired by previous personalities, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is self-contained.

How does the new roster compare to the old ones? To fill the void left by Geese Howard’s departure, Mark of the Wolves adds the villain’s son to the roster. Unlike his father, Rock Howard is actually a heroic character and shares the position of the game’s protagonist with Terry, who essentially adopts the baby after Geese’s death. Blending the fighting styles of Terry and Geese, Rock is a fantastic protagonist and an ideal option for anyone looking for a well-rounded fighter.

The rest of the roster isn’t too shabby either, and SNK clearly had a lot of fun designing these characters. Among others, the roster has a pirate, a wrestler and even a serial killer. Basically, each fighter has their own specific strengths and weaknesses. Overall, SNK balanced the roster well.