Fatal Fury Battle Archives Volume 1

Niche games are always hard to pin down and Fatal Fury Battle Archives Volume 1 (FFBAV1), a name that just spins off the tongue, is no exception. The game is a compilation of the coin-op classics of Fatal Fury 1 through 3 and Fatal Fury Special, the series being noted as the first game to incorporate "two-plane fighting" in a 2D setting. This allows your character to dodge others attacks by jumping foreground or background on the screen rather than just following your opponent. So what you have is a selection of four 2D fighting games.

Graphics, sound, and badly translated dialogue cannot really be commented on as they match the original release perfectly. In fact, the tragic dialogue often adds to the game's entertainment. Gameplay is also much less honed, and controls are often unresponsive, making the complex button pressing to make special moves a game of chance rather than the skill it previously required. This frustration could easily put people off, and it cannot excuse itself on the basis that the original games also had difficult fighting gameplay.  

Difficulty is also an issue with the lowest levels, providing more than a challenge to even hardened fighting game enthusiasts. In fact this may cause the most dedicated to give up as often reverting to silly tactics is the only way to beat some of the characters and this is, in itself, unsatisfying. The sticky controls definitely do not help here as the completion of special moves is one of the necessary factors in defeating the game.  When you're struggling on the easiest level it's daunting to know that there can be up to seven higher levels.

In all, this conversion is a faithful to the classic games, but don't expect much depth of plot or storyline.  All four games are dedicated to the combat, and for fans, having four retro titles in the one package has to be a bonus. Despite the criticism, there's still much to be positive about if you like this sort of thing. Fatal Fury 3 provides the best gameplay and enjoyment. Even though it has fewer characters to play, others can be unlocked.  

FFBAV1 is a game about dedication, dedication, dedication.  Dedication to learn the button presses and moves in such a way that you can pull off the special moves more regularly. Dedication to fight that character again, even though they've piled you into the floor for the tenth or twentieth time. Dedication to the Fatal Fury series of games.  Without at least two of these three elements, you're going to find your enjoyment of the game severely curtailed.

................

Want another opinion?

Check what the rest of the press are saying: