As a hardcore gamer with a fondness for the next-generation games as well as the classics of years ago, it’s something of a delightful treat to see many of the arcade classics return so a new generation can play them. Among the classics making a comeback on the PlayStation 2 console is the final three Fatal Fury games of the Real Bout line. Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 not only features the best games in the fight game genre but also does justice to these coin-op classics.

As I mentioned above, the final games in the Fatal Fury games revolved around the Real Bout franchise that attempted to mix up the usual 2D playing field. Real Bout: Fatal Fury, the first game in the collection of three, even introduced the “ring out” concept that had fighters toss their opponents out of the battle area. We also get to see each fighter evolve from cardboard cutout characters to brawlers with their own distinct killer moves and some personality.

Real Bout: Fatal Fury features the selected few recognizable characters such as Terry Bogard to the staff-wielding maniac that is Billy Kane. As I mentioned above, this was the first game that had gamers shift the fight off the usually restricted battle arena and move the fight to a new section of the arena. While it never gets as technical as the “ring outs” in games like Dead or Alive, this was an interesting concept at the time and made gamers feel like there was more to the environment. In the second games, Real Bout: Fatal Fury Special, the game continues the “ring out” tradition as well as the inclusion of the 2 Line System. The 2 Line System basically allows you to shift planes on the map so you can move out of the way of a particularly powerful blow from your opponent by shifting to the background for foreground. 

Special also showed the improvement in returning character’s fighting styles. For instance, Blue Mary’s brawling technique becomes more straightforward than the first Real Bout as is she now relies on her raw strength. The same can be said about the hulking Franco Bash who becomes slower in the second and third game but is able to unleash powerful blows thanks to his size. The game’s best offering, however, has to be Real Bout 2: The Newcomers, a game that just feels more complete in terms of fighting styles and action.

The Newcomers introduces a few new characters to the roster including the swift fighter named Rick and the somewhat acrobatic Xiangfei. The choice of numerous characters is an improvement over the first volume’s offerings and it’s a delight to play through each character with their own unique traits and skills. Thankfully, the gameplay is a lot better in this second volume and the controls just feel right at home on the PS2. Of course, the compilation still lacks extras that go beyond simply changing a character’s color scheme and this one doesn’t offer online multiplayer.

The visuals still hold up rather nicely for both games, although the last two improved the character models, cut scenes and character movements. Oh and Special and The Newcomers also added personality to the characters so the pre-match animations offer a peek into their personalities by way of their opening taunts. Blue Mary’s rough mannerisms shine through more in the last two games and Mai becomes, well, more bouncy. The backgrounds are colorful but don’t expect the details to be astonishing.

There’s a soundtrack for each of the games and, for the most part, the retro tunes range from excellent (some tunes have a distinct Asian flavor that works) to embarrassing (cheesy heavy guitar riffs). There are sound effects but they’re the usual grunts, exaggerated blows and special attacks. There’s even some voice work but it comes out more like gibberish even to most Japanese gamers.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 for the PlayStation 2 delivers three fighting classics at a budget price that makes this the perfect purchase for any fan of the fighting game genre. It’s good to see that SNK Playmore put a lot of effort in making the games play fluidly even though there are no extras included in this fine collection that is sure to please fighting fans new to the franchise. At the budget price, it’s also a tempting offer too good to pass up.

Gameplay: 7.0
The controls are tighter and the action flows wonderfully in this second volume so that’s a major improvement. The three games attempted something new by mixing things up with the “2 Line System” and it works well.

Graphics: 7.0
Visually, the last two games in the compilation look great and even the character models have more personality to them than Real Bout: Fatal Fury. The colorful backdrops and flashy effects were fine back in the day and are just passable today.

Sound: 6.0
Real Bout: Fatal Fury Special and The Newcomers have some decent music that rarely gets annoying or too cheesy. The battle sounds and character gibberish are the same from past Fatal Fury games.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Geese Howard can still put up quite a fight as do some of the other powerhouses such as Franco Bash, Bob Wilson or Yamazaki. The competition can get quite fierce at times so expect to give your thumbs quite a workout just like you did back when they were coin-op arcade favorites.

Concept: 6.9
There is not much here in terms of extras so don’t expect character biographies or even unlockable art. What we do get is three Real Bout games that were the best Fatal Fury games around. While there’s no online multiplayer, you can always challenge a friend.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Fighting games were meant to be shared with friends and this one is no exception. Whether you’re playing against a room filled with friends that remember these games fondly or gamers who are playing them for the first time, this collection handles multiplayer well enough.

Overall: 7.0
Fighting fans will find a lot to like about the second volume of the Fatal Fury: Battle Archives compilation and the final three games are simply the best of the bunch. The budget price is also just right for the three games that are represented well in this collection that is sure to please Fatal Fury fans or those fighting game enthusiasts that enjoy the classics.