Although names like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are the fighting game franchises that spring to mind for fair weather fans, SNK's various properties are among the best for plenty of other genre aficionados. Chief among the company's top franchises is Fatal Fury, with iconic characters like the Bogard brothers originating from the series. The games have seen re-release plenty of times, but handheld spin-off Fatal Fury: First Contact has not seen as much love.
Fatal Fury: First Contact was first released in 1999 for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Taking the Fatal Fury series and condensing it down into a compact, cutesy experience, the game saw the franchise's main characters return to beat each other up in chibi form. It's hardly the most revisited game in the series, but at least now fans of Fatal Fury have a chance to see what it can offer.
SNK has re-released a number of games from the Neo Geo Pocket Color library on the Nintendo Switch, such as The Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny, and Fatal Fury: First Contact is much of the same. What's most striking is exactly how big the gap was between SNK's device and its contemporaries at the time, with Fatal Fury: First Contact playing well for a handheld fighting game from the last century.
This is something of a boon for fighting game veterans. Players won't have much difficulty pulling off special moves or combos here, with the controls feeling crisp and responsive. That's a major positive for a historic handheld game, although in comparison to the core entries in the series or modern games it obviously isn't quite at the same level.
It's a similar story when it comes to the visuals in Fatal Fury: First Contact. The sprites are clear and there's a cohesive feel that always makes it easy to see what's going on - a vital aspect of a fighting game where timing is of utmost importance. It's not comparable in quality to the arcade originals or similar 2D fighters available in 2020, but nonetheless it's commendable that SNK was able to create a handheld experience this palatable in 1999.
Where Fatal Fury: First Contact finds success in its own right is with its spin on the classic look of Fatal Fury's characters. Each of the small, cute versions of the fighting roster works well, akin to Capcom's variations on the Street Fighter lineup in Pocket Fighter and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. A chibi version of Geese Howard isn't something that most gamers would have asked for, but the fact that it exists is very much appreciated.
However, there remains the lingering question of exactly who the re-release of Fatal Fury: First Contact is for. Every positive of the game comes with a caveat; the game looks good and plays well for an old handheld, but not in comparison to other games in the series or other home console fighting options. Given that the mainline Fatal Fury games are readily available, Fatal Fury: First Contact is unlikely to be a must-have purchase for general fighting game fans, in spite of how well this port plays.
As such Fatal Fury: First Contact is a fine enough curio, and something that Fatal Fury fans might want to pick up to have a go. Outside of that, though, it's hard to see who this will appeal to, given its relatively niche place in the mark. Nonetheless, it's nice to see a game that might otherwise be forgotten made available for those who want it.
Fatal Fury: First Contact is out now for the Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a download code for the purposes of this review.