If you loved Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 1, then you will certainly appreciate Volume 2. Like the first game, it's made up of fighters plucked from SNK's Neo-Geo library and restored to near-perfection. What it lacks in options and technical pizzazz it more than makes up for with highly respectable 2-D fighting action.

This compilation contains all three games from the Real Bout Fatal Fury sub-series – the original, Real Bout Fatal Fury Special and Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The New Contenders. All three games feature the same gameplay structure, as your fighter has a number of moves, super moves, throws and other maneuvers to help them win the fight. One key difference between these games and other 2-D fighters is the ability to jump back and forth between "planes" with the press of a button. This adds some depth to the game, giving you the option to jump out of nowhere and slam into your opponent with a thunderous 3-D-ish kick.

Visually, the Real Bout games look ancient. They are more detailed than the games in the previous Battle Archives collection, with better animation and vivid backgrounds. However, it's nothing that stands out from other 2-D offerings in the PlayStation 2 library. (At least the transition from Neo-Geo to Sony's console didn't result in any unnecessary slowdown or glitches.) As for the sound, you'll hear plenty of chintzy rock music mixed in with about-average voice work. Seriously, though, Blue Mary should take a few vocal lessons and work on that high-pitched squeak of hers.

What sets Battle Archives Volume 2 apart from other SNK compilations, such as Art of Fighting Anthology and World Heroes Anthology, are the controls. They are much more precise, giving you the ability to pull off spectacular feats of strength with very little effort. The "plane to plane" jumping effect is also terrific, giving you a better idea of strategy as you move back and forth while chipping away at your foe's energy. The games really don't differ that greatly from one another, but they show refined improvement over the previous Fury games.

For $15, you get your money's worth out of these Battle Archives. Just don't expect a heaping amount of extras. The game offers a versus mode so you can challenge a friend locally. There's also a practice mode to test out your battle moves, as well as a color customization option if you feel like giving Mai a sexier outfit. Past that, though, you won't really find anything. No online mode, no quest mode, nothing fancy.

What really saddens us, though, is how SNK overlooked one of the best Fatal Fury games ever made, the legendary Mark of the Wolves. This game is a classic on the Dreamcast and would've easily doubled the worth of Battle Archives.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 is still a worthy pick-up for fighting fans and Neo-Geo fanatics. All three Real Bout games have something to offer, and it'll keep you busy until SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 drops later this week.

Related Links

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 Game Guide

SNK Playmore

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