Garou: Mark of the Wolves Review

Commonly referred to as Fatal Fury 4, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is one of SNK’s defining fighting games. This claim is not made lightly considering the studio is also responsible for The King of Fighters series.

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

Now, the question remaining is whether this nearly 20-year-old title holds up in this day and age. As long as the unsurprisingly dated visuals are not too off-putting, Mark of the Wolves should be an easy sell for anyone slightly enamored with the genre.

The End of the Beginning

Considering a new Fatal Fury seems unlikely to ever materialize, revisiting SNK’s original eight projects is the only real option for those seeking to experience one of the fighting genre’s most prominent early licenses.

While the earlier games and the Real Bout spin-offs are worth seeking out, Garou distinguishes itself by introducing an almost entirely new cast. The story takes place a decade after the conclusive events of Real Bout Fatal Fury Special. The only returning character is the series’ de facto poster boy and hero, Terry Bogard.

Even though certain characters are inspired by previous personalities, Garou: Mark of the Wolves stands on its own.

How does the new roster compare with the oldies? In order to fill the void left by Geese Howard’s departure, Mark of the Wolves adds the villain’s own son to the roster. Unlike his father, Rock Howard is actually a heroic character and shares the game’s lead character position with Terry, who basically adopts the kid after Geese’s demise. Blending Terry and Geese’s fighting styles, Rock is a fantastic protagonist and an ideal option for those seeking a well-rounded fighter.

The rest of the roster is not too shabby either, and SNK clearly had a ton of fun designing these characters. Among others, the roster has a pirate, a wrestler, and even a serial killer. Crucially, each and every fighter has their own specific strengths and weaknesses. Overall, SNK balanced the roster well.