Jab’s Builds! (Whomp 'Em! Plumbers Don't Wear Ties! ToeJam & Earl!)

[Jabroniville]

Few know the pain of having a large, muscular Dong assailing you from behind.

KIM JAE HOON
First Appearance: Garou: Mark of the Wolves (1999)
Game Appearances: Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Role: The Serious One, Justice-Seeker
PL 8 (120)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 9 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+13)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+3)
Insight 4 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+5)
Perception 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Crescent Moon Slash), Improved Critical (Flying Swallow Slice), Improved Critical (Hi Sho Kyaku)

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Rising Attacks" Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Features 1: Adds Fire to Unarmed Damage [1]

"Hi Sho Kyaku- Leaping Multi-Kick" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 3) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 3 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (5) -- [7]

• AE: "Flying Swallow Slice- Backflip Kick" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
• AE: "Crescent Moon Slash- Overhead Kick" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Hi Sho Kyaku +13 (+3 Damage & Affliction, DC 18 & 13)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (The Law)- Jae Hoon is much like his father in this regard.
Responsibility (Cute Animals)- Jae Hoon likes the sight of small animals, and is protective towards them.
Relationship (Girlfriend)- She gives him water during one of his win-poses.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 5 + 11 / Powers: 9 / Defenses: 12 (120)

-Since Kim was established early on as having two sons (being one of the ONLY Fighting Game characters I can think of with children- much like Comic Book Characters, they exist in this weird kind of state where years can go on, but very few stories can attain completion, so nobody hooks up and has kids), it was easy to add them to the last Fatal Fury game. Jae Hoon is the serious one, and adds Fire Effects to his Special Moves, and is rather more like his father in play-style, copying the Flying Swallow Kick, Crescent Moon Slash & Hi Sho Kyaku. Like his father, he specializes in ticking away damage at mid-range, so must avoid getting too close or too far away.

[Jabroniville]

KIM DONG HWAN
First Appearance: Garou: Mark of the Wolves (1999)
Game Appearances: Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Role: The Cocky One (heh-heh, cocky Dong...)
PL 8 (108)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 9 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+13)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 5 (+6)
Insight 3 (+4)
Investigation 2 (+3)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Arcing Kick), Improved Critical (Kick Combo)

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Rising Attacks" Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Features 1: Adds Electricity to Unarmed Damage [1]

"Kick Combos" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 3) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 3 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (5) -- [7]

• AE: "Arcing Downward Kick" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Slacking Off)- Dong thinks highly of himself, and is generally unmotivated.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 32--16 / Advantages: 3 + 11 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 13 (108)

-Kim Dong Hwan (heh... "Dong"...) is the less-serious, cocky son of Kim. Using Electricity, he's fights much like his brother (many attacks are basically Headswapped kicks, but they have different stances and a couple moves look different), using a more unorthodox style. The Fighters Generation guy, a 20-year practitioner of TKD, says that he's met a LOT of cocky fighters like Dong, stating that "they're usually the ones who can hit the highest jumping spin kicks".

-Both Kim Brothers are weaker than their father, but still highly-competitive. This guy's attacks have much less arc than his brother's, but come out more quickly and with a lot of air, making him even more mobile as he "pokes" away at damage and runs away to avoid counterattacks.

[Jabroniville]

FRANCO BASH
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 3 (1995)
Game Appearances: Fatal Fury 3, Real Bout FF 1, Special, 2 & Dominated Mind (every mainline game since debut)
Role: Mario On Steroids
PL 8 (112)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 6 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+11)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 3 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Ranged Combat (Blast) 4 (+10)
Technology 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Zapper), Improved Critical (Special Moves), Ranged Attack 3

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Flaming Hands" Features 1: All Unarmed Attacks Can Become Fire Damage [1]

"Zapper" Blast 5 (Reduced Defenses -2, Diminished Range -1) (5) -- [6]

• AE: "Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Special Moves +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Zapper +10 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 25), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Relationship (Junior- Son)- Franco's son is kidnapped to draw him into the tournament.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 6 + 11 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 16 (112)

-Franco Bash is an oddly recurring design in the Fatal Fury games who they simply decided to drop elsewhere- strange because he shows up in every game after his debut, but by the 3D game (Wild Ambition) and Garou he's just gone with no mention, and he never once shows up in the King of Fighters games. His design is pretty odd, though- it combines being plain with being silly (a true SNK hallmark in the early days), in that he looks like Mike Haggar mixed with Super Mario, but with an under-detailed look besides that.

-The distinctively-named Franco is a kickboxer who retired to become an aeronautical engineer, but Yamazaki kidnapped his son to force him to fight in the tournament as the bad guy's Right Hand Man. SNK later turned him into a bit of a gag, making him noisy and goofy. He was a Sub-Boss of sorts at first, but ended up just a regular guy- lasting throughout most of the series. I mainly remember him for his distinctive name, and from the fact that SNK rarely used such large fighters in their games back then.

-Bash is a big, strong fighter, but likely uses Accurate Attack more than any of the other Boxer-type characters in SNK (plus Balrog, too)- he's apparently quite good at combos and cross-ups and stuff. Also, like a great many weird SNK characters, he's a boxer who can throw out energy blasts.

[Jabroniville]

HON-FU
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 3 (1995)
Game Appearances: Fatal Fury 3, Real Bout Fatal Fury 1, Special, 2 & DM (four in a row, then leaves)
Role: Jackie Chan Wannabe, Martial Arts Cop
PL 8 (135)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Cop) 5 (+6)
Insight 5 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Investigation 6 (+7)
Perception 5 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Police Officer), Close Attack, Equipment (Nunchaku +1, Improved Disarm), Improved Critical (Unarmed, Nunchaku) 2, Improved Critical (Fire Stallion), Improved Critical (Nunchaku Specials), Improved Critical (Unarmed Specials), Improved Critical (Uppercut), Ranged Attack 5

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Weapon Fighter" Features 2: Adds Fire to Nunchaku Damage, Adds Nunchaku Damage to Special Moves [2]

"Fire Stallion- Spinning Nunchaku" Strength-Damage +2 (Extras: Multiattack 5) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 5 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Source- Nunchaku) (Inaccurate -1) (6) -- [9]

• AE: "Nunchaku Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
• AE: "Kowloon's Prediction/Black Dragon- Unarmed Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
• AE: "Nunchaku Uppercut" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Nunchaku +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Fire Stallion +11 (+5 Damage & Affliction, DC 20 & 15)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Kim Kaphwan)- The two are friends in the fight for justice, but for some reason Hon Fu is also afraid of him, jumping at the mention of Kim's name.
Accident (Clumsy)- Hon Fu is a bit goofy, and quite clumsy, which can be disastrous on the job.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 14 + 11 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 13 (135)

-One of the first Fighting Game characters inspired by the Jackie Chan-styled Supercop-themed archetype (he pre-dates Lei from Tekken by a ways), Hon-Fu is a Hong Kong-born detective chasing criminals, specifically Ryuji Yamazaki, which leads him to Southtown and a martial arts tournament. He's more Comic Relief than anything quite often, as they gave him various goofy traits (clumsiness, shyness, fear for his close ally, etc.). What's funny is I had COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN about this guy until looking these over again (I have a baaaaaaaaad memory in my old age, I think- if I didn't know them as a kid, I don't remember them much later), even though he was in four Fatal Fury games in a row, only being forgotten by the 3D game and Garou- the problem is, he was one of many, like Franco Bash, who never made KoF, and so they were easy to forget.

-As a recurring character from the series, Hon-Fu is very good, but never got the "bump" up to King of Fighters and is generally a bit of a goof, so PL 8's as high as he gets. Even so, he's one of the few Fighting Game Characters to use Nunchaku. His twirling Nunchaku attack is quite devastating, covering a LOT of ground, but is very punishable (even by "Multiattack Move" standards- he straight-up donks himself in the balls with it at the end of his surge!), especially as FF games allow side-step dodging and attacks from a different plane.

[squirrelly-sama]

For a second I thought it was Mike Haggar and got all excited. Then I read the name.

[Jabroniville]

WOLFGANG KRAUSER (Wolfgang Krauser von Stroheim)
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 2 (1992)
Game Appearances: Fatal Fury 2 & Special, Real Bout FF Special, DM & 2 (50% of games), King of Fighters '96 & '98 (14% of games)
Role: Giant Boss, SNK Boss Character
PL 10 (156)
STRENGTH 5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8)
Athletics 7 (+12)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 4 (+14)
Deception 3 (+6)
Expertise (High Culture) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 4 (+7)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+8)
Investigation 2 (+5)
Perception 2 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Blasts) 6 (+12)

Advantages:
Benefit 5 (The Earl of Stroheim 2, Wealth 3), Chokehold, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Critical (Kaiser Wave) 3, Improved Critical (Blitz Ball) 2, Improved Critical (Leg Tomahawk), Improved Critical (Kaiser Suplex), Ranged Attack 4, Startle

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Kaiser Wave!" Blast 6 (Reduced Defenses -2) (8) -- [12]

• AE: "Blitz Ball!" Blast 4 (Feats: Accurate) (Reduced Defenses -2) (5)
• AE: "Leg Tomahawk!" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
• AE: "Kaiser Suplex!" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit if Opponent Parried Last Turn) (Inaccurate -1) (2)
• AE: "Phoenix Thrust" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Special Moves +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Kaiser Wave +12 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Blitz Ball +14 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +6 (+7 D.Roll), Fortitude +9, Will +7

Complications:
Motivation (Fighting Terry Bogard)- Krauser always wanted to fight and kill Geese Howard, but when he died fighting Terry Bogard, Krauser altered his sights.
Motivation (Self-Improvement)- Losing to Terry caused Krauser great shame- he was thought to have committed suicide, but later fought others in order to improve himself.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 46--23 / Advantages: 20 + 11 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 17 (156)

-Wolfgang Krauser is an attempt to create a new boss after Geese Howard proved so successful in the firstFatal Fury- a bigger, badder dude, his backstory includes fights with Jeff Bogard & Mai Shiranui's father, and a win over Geese himself when they were younger (the two are half-brothers). Krauser gained rulership of his family by killing his own father, whom he hated for preferring his first wife to his second, causing the unfortunate woman (Woflgang's mother) to drink herself to death. Using Billy Kane, Axel Hawk & Laurence Blood as hired guns, he wishes to fight this "Terry Bogard" who defeated his much-hated half-bro- he eliminates many of the forgotten FF original characters (Richard Meyer, Michael Max and others) in the process of setting up this King of Fighters tourney. Beaten by Terry in the finals, he is believed to have committed suicide in shame. However, in the possibly-alternate continuity of King of Fighters, Krauser joins the awesome Boss Team with Geese & Mr. Big. Unfortunately, I think his design is pretty bad- the goofy purple hair wasn't yet a well-known Anime Trope, but it STILL looks silly, and the generic tights don't help. A Giant Boss needs to have a BIT more detail on him, y'know? Nothing TOO showy (big guys can look bad with TOO much on them), but compare him to almost ANY OTHER BIG GUY and he just looks plain.

-Krauser, despite being a big name in the Fatal Fury series (I remember hearing a lot about him even as a kid who didn't play much SNK), never proved to have much longevity. He was in FF2 and its update, but missed two games before being brought back for Real Bout Special, and was dropped for the 3D game & Garou, like most of the others. This isn't THAT damning... but then he only appears in two KoF games, largely as an afterthought with Geese trumping him as the main dude on their squad- the '96 edition and the '98 "Everyone gets in" game. The character has thus not appeared in a game for over twenty years by this point.

-A huge S.O.B., Krauser can throw Fireballs, hit like a freakin' truck, and can unload a BIGGER Fireball as a Super (Power Attack + Extraordinary Effort, if necessary) called the Kaiser Wave, which is an AWESOME name for a finisher. He's still only PL 10 (I mean, he's tough to beat in-game, but Terry beats him one-on-one in the canon), but his high Strength makes him one of the hardest guys to defeat.

[Jabroniville]

Fatal Fury 2:
* Huh- Kim in the "Fei Long" role from SF II- the genial guy who loses to the main hero and "put him over" as a moral fighter.

* I like the cut of Krauser's jib- like he just wants to have rad fights with strong opponents. He lets Terry live to have a better fight later, and even gives him proper ADVICE during their match! They put him over like a titan, too- he no-sells all of Terry's best shit, does the "DBZ Speed Teleport", and mimics his technique just by watching it. His design is also far better than his video game version- dropping the dated 'stache for Anime Hair and a more sinister, friendly facade.

* oh MAN is Mai's appearance some old-school ancient-ass Anime Sexism. Straight-up bouncing around in a thong and her boobies flying all over the place, acting like a lovesick fool over Andy, doing the "Ranma, YOU JERK!" Tsundere thing, and then getting easily knocked back by Andy when he's tired of her. Holy COW.

* Hey, she has the same voice as Chun-Li from the SF II movie, lol. Though imdb lists different people, it sounds JUST like her!

* Blood fights Mai and beats her... by grabbing her ankle as she runs and pointing his sword close? And then Andy beats him without drawing a sweat? Very weird "booking", here.

* Axel Hawk is given no more respect that Michael Max, Meyer and others.

* The Joe fight reminds me of Chun-Li's fight against Vega, but more one-sided, as it leaves the hero's friend badly wounded and in need of avenging. But Krauser fighting Terry is EPIC, complete with the villain's whole "I want to have awesome fights" thing being this incredibly selfish, insane motivation, but coming off as so awesome at the same time. Marking out harder and harder as the battle draws on and Terry keeps surprising him, ultimately congratulating him every time. Though it's a bit funny how he so easily beat Terry before, but now he's throwing out new techniques and Terry keeps taking the damage or one-upping them with his own energy.

[Jabroniville]

Oh SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wECWuXvXNc

Someone has uploaded the entire score to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie to YouTube! FINALLY that opening bit that I was looking for to introduce the Weapon-Masters in my "Game Room" game! That wicked bit as 31:00 hits where they drive Casey's truck to their sewer hideout! Even the CGI Nickelodeon tune used that stinger sometimes!

[Ares]

Fatal Fury 2 was a solid step up over Fatal Fury 1 in a lot of ways. The fight choreography was a lot better, the villain was entertaining and got his hands dirty a bit more, we got a lot of appearances from game characters, and the story was good for what it was.

I compare this one to a Rocky movie, since it follows the sports hero tropes of "Hero who was #1 loses, hits rock bottom, then builds himself back up". With Terry it kind of makes sense. He'd just beaten Geese, marking him as one of the best in the world, and he's someone who enjoys spirited, fun fights. Krauser shows up and just demolished him, even while whipping out his Super Ultra Move. And Krauser is fighting for fun, but only HIS fun, with Terry's death being a real possibility. If I had to guess, that fight made Terry feel helpless in a way he hadn't felt since his father's death, which sent him on his downward spiral.

Krauser himself was interesting, basically being Dr. Doom is Dr. Doom was a martial arts master. Refined, aristocratic, owns his own massive castle, code of honor and nobility, etc. One reviewer compared him to Bane from the Dark Knight Rises, basically crushing the hero while psychologically taking him apart. And yet, despite the wealth and power, Krauser is someone who is clearly bored by his existence as the most powerful man in the world. Like Terry, he's shown to be someone who misses his father, and clearly regrets having killed him during their battle. It's like neither father nor son realized what was going to happen, with the former apparently not understanding that if you raise your child to be the strongest fighter ever and to show no mercy, then eventually he's going to fight YOU and show YOU no mercy. Krauser makes up for the void his father left by looking for someone who might challenge him, and given that defeat equals death, it's likely Krauser has spent his entire life just waiting to die.

Mai is the embodiment of late 80s/early 90s anime shonen female protagonist. She's spunky, defined almost entirely by her love for Andy, is a complete tsundere, gets groped by the local pervert of the franchise and loses the only fight she gets into so that the hero can save her. Like in the games, her proportions are a bit more "realistic" here, and not as exaggerated as she'd become later on. What's especially sad is that she even does the "Don't underestimate me just because I'm a woman" bit, but immediately loses the moment Laurence Blood starts going all out, basically proving that he was completely justified in underestimating her because she was a woman. I mean, it's hard to call that moment anything BUT sexist.

While Tony plays the "tag along kid who motivates the hero", he's pretty inoffensive as far as those things go. I think part of what helps is that he DOES actually learn, grow and mature over the story. Terry being a drunk forces Tony to be more responsible, the thing he emulates from Terry is the admirable quality of Terry's tenaciry, and he becomes disillusioned with fighting as time goes on. Watching Terry and Andy beat each other over the course of hours has him eventually yelling at them to stop, and he can't bear to watch Terry and Krauser's fight after a certain point.

Poor Joe basically exists to get Andy involved in the story and to motivate Terry. His fight with Krauser is a thing to behold tho, and a way to showcase that Terry's loss wasn't just a fluke. Krauser DESTROYS Joe, but was entertained enough by the fight to let him live at the end. I mean, it's a completely onesided beat down, but you've got to give Krauser points for style and Joe points for not giving up.

Andy is treated pretty well in the film, winning two of his three fights and getting a really good showing in the fight that he lost. He basically gets treated as a more proper rival to Terry, and much less of an asshole than he was in the previous film. And they finally got his hair color right.

One thing I oddly like about Terry's second fight with Krauser is that what wins the day for him isn't some secret technique, superior martial arts skill, avenging a loved one or any of the normal stuff you'd see. What wins the fight for Terry is something taken from the games: his tenacity. Terry has been beaten down his entire life, figuring out what works and what doesn't, a lifetime in the school of hard knocks showing him what did and didn't work in a fight. Krauser keeps catching Terry's attacks, beating him down, but Terry just keeps getting back up and coming back for more. You genuinely get the feeling when Krauser gets kicked in the face the first time that it's the first time anyone's actually hit him in years, possibly decades. And eventually, Terry is just able to wear Krauser down and beat him bloody. When the fight devolves into a simple slugfest, Krauser has basically played right into Terry's hands.

Overall, a solid fighting game adaptation and a decent anime overall.

[Jabroniville]

KEVIN RIAN
First Appearance: Garou: Mark of the Wolves (1999)
Game Appearances: Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Role: Hero Cop
PL 8 (124)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+12)
Expertise (Police Officer) 7 (+8)
Insight 3 (+5)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+6)
Perception 4 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Cop), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Hell Arrest), Improved Critical (Hell Rotor), Improved Critical (Hell Snipe), Ranged Attack 4

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Creeper- Crawling Attack"
Enhanced Dodge 1 [1]
Enhanced Advantages 1: Evasion [1]

"Hell Arrest- Grab & Throw" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit if Opponent Parried Last Turn) (Inaccurate -1) (2) -- [4]

• AE: "Hell Rotor- Turning Backhand" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
• AE: "Hell Snipe- Arcing Air Attack" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Special Moves +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Gaining Justice)- Kevin's partner was murdered by a mysterious fighter while investigating the man's other murders- Kevin joins the tournament for revenge.
Relationship (Marky)- Kevin is entrusted with the care of his late partner's son, Marky.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 9 + 11 / Powers: 7 / Defenses: 15 (124)

-Kevin is another average-size/average-speed guy, which you kind of need to fill out the middle ranks of a Fighting Game like Garou. Unfortunately, he kind of ends up with a boring Soldier-type design (though he's actually a cop)- trying to find his partner's murderer is a pretty generic background thing too, but still works I guess. Despite being a S.W.A.T. Officer, he generally does detective work, and uses Sambo, but fights more like a Puncher with explosive techniques and grabs. He's said to be a versatile, well-rounded fighter, given his "Ryu-Like" middle-of-the-road stats and good, mobile moves.

[Jabroniville]

TIZOC (aka Griffin Mask, The King of Dinosaurs)
First Appearance: Garou: Mark of the Wolves (1999)
Game Appearances: Garou: Mark of the Wolves, King of Fighters 2003 & XI & XIV-XV (4 of 15 games)
Role: Fighting Luchadore, Breakout Character (of Garou)
PL 9 (116)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 9 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 5 (+13)
Expertise (Pro Wrestler) 8 (+9)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Perception 1 (+4)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Special Moves), Improved Critical (Dashing Lariat), Improved Critical (Justice Hurricane), Improved Critical (Hercules' Throw), Startle

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Martial Artist" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

"Hercules's Throw" Strength-Damage +0 Linked to Affliction 5 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (Inaccurate -1) (4) -- [7]

• AE: "Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
• AE: "Dashing Lariat" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) & Speed 2 (8 mph) (Flaws: Limited to Short Bursts) (2)
• AE: "Justice Hurricane" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit if Opponent Parried Last Turn) (Inaccurate -1) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Special Moves +11 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +6

Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation (Proving Himself Again)- Tizoc was thought unstoppable until he was beaten by a mystery man (possibly Gato's father). Thinking himself washed-up, he now travels the world to prove himself once again.
Responsibility (Poor Children)
Enemy (Nelson)- Tizoc was beaten by Nelson between the 13th and 14th games, and has adopted the persona of "King of Dinosaurs" in order to get revenge.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 58 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 6 + 11 / Powers: 8 / Defenses: 16 (116)

-Hahah, holy COW now that is one hell of a design for a pro wrestler! SO many of them end up being generic or forgettable designs (your standard "Big Guy in Tights" look- Zangief, Muscle Power, El Fuerte, El Blaze, Tekken's King, Raiden, etc.) that a guy coming out with this giant majestic EAGLE MASK stands out and looks AMAZING by contrast. As part of the forgotten Garou sequel, he could've been easily left behind like the other designs, but instead he went over so well that he was immediately brought into the King of Fighters series as a top-level competitor! He even got the credibility "rub" of being TERRY BOGARD'S partner in KoF 2003 (Andy was out training his successor)! This "Fatal Fury Team" was a big boost for him, though the series faltered a bit afterwards- he made only two games before disappearing, but an obvious version of him is in KoF XIV as The King of Dinosaurs, a "rudo" (heel) werstler hailing from Mexico. This dinosaur-dressed guy has some of Tizoc's moves, and a similar voice, and reveals himself in the "Mexico Team's" ending- he had apparently been defeated by Nelson in the past, and knowing the risk of disappointing his fans, decided to go under a new identity to seek his revenge. He is part of the "Galaxy Wrestling Team" in KoF XV, teaming up with former boss Antonov & Ramon the luchadore.


-Tizoc is a great PL 9 fighter, with a TON of very awesome-looking pro wrestling moves- he basically fights like a combination of Balrog & Zangief, throwing out a Dash Lariat along with a variety of Spinning Grappling Moves and a Frankensteiner. Now generally, ultra-large pro wrestlers don't throw out athletic-type moves, but Tizoc is awesome enough to be the exception.

[Jabroniville]

JIN CHONREI
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 3 (1995)
Game Appearances: Fatal Fury 3, Real Bout Fatal Fury 1, Special, 2 & DM (every mainline game since debut), Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum
Role: Weird Magic Twins, Final Bosses, Secret Boss (Chonrei), Hobbit Vegetas
PL 9 (116)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+14)
Expertise (Street Rat) 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Dragon Beam) 4 (+11)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Special Moves), Improved Critical (Spinning Uppercut), Improved Critical (Dragon Beam), Ranged Attack 4

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Dragon Beam" Blast 6 (Reduced Defenses -1) (10) -- [15]

• AE: "Create Energy" Environment 1 (Light) (2)
• AE: "Energy Vampirism" Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Energy) (10)
• AE: "Emperor Blast" Blast 4 & Healing 4 (Flaws: Source- Blast Causing Damage) (10)
• AE: "Special Moves" Strength-Damage +4 (Inaccurate -2) (2)
• AE: "Spinning Uppercut" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Special Moves +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Dragon Beam +11 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Emperor Blast +11 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Gaining the Scrolls)- The Scrolls are a classic Macguffin that will allow an ancient spirit a foothold into our world, and allow the twins to take over the planet.
Relationship (Each Other)- Chonrei, the older twin, is protective of Chonshu.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 8 + 11 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 20 (116)

---



JIN CHONSHU
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 3 (1995)
Game Appearances: Fatal Fury 3, Real Bout Fatal Fury 1, Special, 2 & DM (every mainline game since debut), Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum
Role: Weird Magic Twins, Final Bosses, Secret Boss (Chonrei), Hobbit Vegetas
PL 9 (116)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+10)
Athletics 8 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+14)
Expertise (Street Rat) 4 (+5)
Ranged Combat (Dragon Beam) 4 (+11)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Special Moves), Improved Critical (Spinning Uppercut), Improved Critical (Dragon Beam), Ranged Attack 4

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Sight of Heaven" Blast 6 (Reduced Defenses -1) (10) -- [15]

• AE: "Create Energy" Environment 1 (Light) (2)
• AE: "Energy Vampirism" Deflect 10 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Energy) (10)
• AE: "Emperor God's Eye" Teleport 4 (Feats: Change Direction) (9)
• AE: "Special Moves" Strength-Damage +4 (Inaccurate -2) (2)
• AE: "Spinning Uppercut" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Special Moves +10 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Dragon Beam +11 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +14 (DC 24), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Gaining the Scrolls)- The Scrolls are a classic Macguffin that will allow an ancient spirit a foothold into our world, and allow the twins to take over the planet.
Relationship (Each Other)- Chonrei, the older twin, is protective of Chonshu.
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 8 + 11 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 20 (116)

-Man, the Jin Twins have some straight-up CRAP designs, I tell you what. All short and DBZ-haired and wearing weird pajamas... absolutely NO PART of these designs works. The twins were left orphaned at a young age, and were nearly killed by bullies when the spirits of their legendary ancestors possessed the fourteen year-olds and empowered them. Jin Chonshu was the first "Boss" of Fatal Fury 3 (faced after defeating Yamazaki), but Chonrei will appear if certain conditions are met, and is the REAL Final Boss- they are thus the successors of Geese Howard (FF1) and Wolfgang Krauser (FF2), which indicates just how badly these characters failed, as they vanish after the Real Bout series, and SNK has never brought them back to the main series. However, they at least got revived along with piles of other unused characters for Neo*Geo Battle Coliseum.

-The two are said to seek the mystical scrolls their ancestors created centuries ago, believing them to unlock ultimate power. However, in the "canon" ending, the twins regain some Magic Macguffin Scrolls from Geese Howard and Chonrei tears them up, wanting instead to live like normal teenagers. They go off under Tung Fu Rue's mentorship. See, the ideas here are solid enough, but making the Bosses of a big-time Fighting Game young children is just a bad idea- the weak outfits and lame Head-Swap idea don't help matters.

-As one-time Bosses, the Jin Twins are PL 9, but not all over the place (they're weak in melee), since they ended up turning into just a pair of guys in the series. They have more epic powers than is normal for SNK characters (befitting the later King of Fighters bosses), featuring heavier Blasts, Teleporting, Deflecting attacks and stuff. Only Chonshu can Teleport, while Chonrei has a Blast that also heals him if it strikes.

[Jabroniville]

More Old Comments!

L-Space:

Fond memories, it was seeing Tung Fu Rue transform that first drew my attention to Fatal Fury (and fighting games in general), I just found the idea/visual so cool!

I'll admit, I'll always find Terry Bogard awesome. Between his brawling-type fighting style, his look and his attitude, Terry Bogard is probably one of my favorite fighting game characters ever. Keep up the great work Jab.

Crinos:

I actually like the Jin Twins. I thought their designs were really neat and I dug the costume and the whole psychic power thing they got going on.

Me:

Yeah, the pictures actually made them look okay... but in-game, they're basically little Munchkins wearing PJs, and it doesn't work. It IS one of the better reasons for someone who doesn't look like a fighter being in a martial arts tournament, though- developing sudden Psycho-Magic Powers allows for children to compete on the level of adults. So at least THAT aspect works.

Ares' Thoughts on TKD:

As for Taekwondo, I believe it's like anything else. Any martial art that has survived to the modern day and is taught by a legit teacher for use in practical combat situations can be effective if the guy using it has really dedicated himself to that training, on being adaptable and his training has incorporated a lot of free sparring. You have crappy teachers, you have crappy students, but I'd hesitate to call the art form itself crappy. Honestly, the smart TKD guys would play with peoples expectations, and when folks are looking at their feet, they'd punch their opponent in the face.

My response:

Yeah, in martial arts, the guy is more important than the art- a big, burly guy with no formal training can actually hold is own with a LOT of advanced martial artists in real life, if he has the experience and know-how. Ability in a fight is a combination of hitting power, toughness, MENTAL durability (a lot of potentially all-time great fighters had this as their weak point) and versatility. It's like when people insisted that samurai would always beat knights "who couldn't even get up if knocked down", which is obviously idiotic if you know anything about warfare.

Though competition between the styles is rare these days- it's the thing I miss most about the current era of UFC. Back in the day, it was like friggin' Street Fighter, with guys from every little style coming out there to defend their ability- you had a Pro Wrestler (actually a Greco-Roman wrestler also, but he WAS carrying a "fake" wrestling Title at the time), Muay Thai Kickboxer, a Boxer, a Karateka, a "Shoot Fighter" and a goddamned SUMO WRESTLER in there!! Of course, in this case, most of them were set up to be sacrificed at the altar of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and its representative, Royce Gracie (the Boxer & Muay Thai guy were nobodies in their respective styles... boxing in GENERAL only tosses out the weakest competitors in MMA, which seeks to further undermine their style). Which is in ITSELF funny, because UFC later went on to prove that to be the best, BJJ could only be ONE of your pillars- you also needed Wrestling and Muay Thai (which has the most credibility of any striking style, these days)- watching Gracie get killed by Matt Hughes only further served to prove that.

What I REALLY want is for some guy to go into UFC using something like Kung Fu or Taekwondo as the foundation of his style, and try to prove his arts like THAT- nowadays, everyone's the same Muay Thai/BJJ/Wrestling combo, and it's boring. Get everyone all up in each other's faces about defending their own style and stuff, just like in Street Fighter.

Crinos:

Ah Raiden. As I mentioned before, When I played the original Fatal Fury as a kid, back when you only had three guys to choose from, and my strategy for winning was "Crouch kick with Joe", Raiden was the one guy I could never beat. As I recall the guy was a freaking beast.

So I was greatly amused when he returned for Capcom vs. SNK 2 (Which I owned), so I could beat the crap out his nerfed ass at my leisure.

And I do mean nerfed, in Capcom vs SNK his fire breath was about a quarter the size it was in Fatal Fury.

[L-Space]

A couple of the main issues with Taekwondo is it became really popular, so a lot of McDojos showed up and saturated the market and it became too focused on scoring "points" instead of any actual sparring. Practicing forms and katas is great for muscle memory, but without any actual experience facing someone else it's going to fall short of martial arts that do.

L-SPACE!!! I knew if I guilted you enough on Facebook, you'd come by .

Heh . I've been meaning to come back, but RL kept getting in the damn way.

[Jabroniville]

HOTARU FUTABA
First Appearance: Garou: Mark of the Wolves (1999)
Game Appearances: Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum, King of Fighters XI (PS2 Version)
Role: Teen Fighter
PL 8 (110)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 9 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 9 (+15)
Athletics 9 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 6 (+14)
Expertise (Martial Arts) 4 (+5)
Investigation 4 (+5)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Diving Kick), Improved Critical (Energy Ball), Improved Critical (Anti-Air Leap), Improved Initiative

SNK Fighting Style: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Defensive Roll, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Defense, Improved Hold, Improved Trip (Throw), Power Attack, Takedown, Withstand Damage (Block)

Powers:
"Energy Reflector" Deflect 9 (Extras: Reflect) (Flaws: Limited to Energy) (9) -- [12]

• AE: "Energy Ball" Blast 4 (Reduced Defenses -2, Diminished Range -1) (3)
• AE: "Diving Kick" Strength-Damage +2 (Drawbacks: Inaccurate) (1)
• AE: "Anti-Air Leap" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +14 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Special Moves +12 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +2 (+3 D.Roll), Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Relationship (Gato)- Hotaru believes that Gato is her older brother, though he has little memory.
Relationship (Ikotatsu)- Hotaru, like most Pedobear-Approved Japanese girls, has a cute pet- a sable (related to minks & ferrets and stuff).
Weakness (Predictability)- SNK Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 6 + 11 / Powers: 12 / Defenses: 18 (110)

-Yup, it's YET ANOTHER TEENAGE GIRL CHARACTER. Nice one, SNK. She's an easygoing, non-violent girl who was nonetheless instructed in the martial arts by her father, and joined a KoF tournament to find her disappeared family. And judging by that one Super Move that looks like she rides a dude cowgirl while climaxing a ball of blue energy, she appeals to people who like little girls. GOOD GOD SNK, if you're gonna be PERVERTED, give that move to an ADULT!! Her design is pretty generic, but the power of Sexualized Teen Girls was enough to get her put into a single King of Fighters game as a PlayStation exclusive, and Neo*Geo Battle Coliseum alongside other forgotten characters.

-Hotaru is a PL 8 due to her appearance in the final game in the Fatal Fury franchise, as well as Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum, being the token Small Fast Character in that one. She can toss out Projectiles, Reflect them, and use a batch of special moves (the standard "Chi-Empowered Kick" kind of thing), and does a fairly-limited amount of Damage for a Martial Artist (though +2 is the most many SUPER-HEROES get for their unarmed attacks). I'd probably shrink my Sakura & Karin builds to that level, in retrospect.