Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers

{{Short description|1998 video game}} {{Multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=April 2017}} {{Missing information|gameplay and development history|date={{monthyear}}}} }} {{Infobox video game |title = Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers |image = Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 - The Newcomers arcade flyer.jpg |developer = SNK |publisher = SNK |producer = Hiroshi Matsumoto Seigo Ito Takashi Nishiyama |designer = Takahisa Yariyama Takashi Tsukamoto |artist = Eisuke Ogura Nobuyuki Kuroki Y. Ashizawa |composer = Hideki Asanaka Yoshihiko Wada |series = ''Fatal Fury'' |platforms = Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, Windows |released = '''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|JP/NA|20 March 1998}} '''Neo Geo AES'''{{vgrelease|JP/NA|29 April 1998}} '''Neo Geo CD'''{{vgrelease|JP|23 July 1998}} '''Windows'''{{vgrelease|WW|28 September 2025}}

|genre = Fighting |modes = Single-player, multiplayer |arcade system = Neo Geo MVS }} '''''Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers'''''{{efn|Also known as {{nihongo|'''''Real Bout Hungry Wolf Legend 2: The Newcomers'''''|リアルバウト餓狼伝説2 THE NEWCOMERS|''Rearu Bauto Garō Densetsu Tsū: Za Nyūkamāzu''||lead=yes}} in Japan.}} is a 1998 fighting game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo platform. It is the fifth mainline installment in the ''Fatal Fury'' series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/649/G064915/20230912029/ |title=餓狼，龍虎，そしてサムスピへと。SNK大阪スタジオの小田泰之氏に聞く，IP再生の次なる一手。そして次の黄金期に向け，求める人材とは|website=4Gamers.net|accessdate=18 September 2023}}</ref>

The game uses the same graphics as ''Real Bout Fatal Fury Special'' and its update ''Real Bout Fatal Fury Special: Dominated Mind'', but returns to the same fighting system from the original ''Real Bout Fatal Fury''. The game was included in ''Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol. 2'' compilation released in February 2007 for the PlayStation 2. In March 2017, the compilation was re-released in the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 4.<ref>{{cite web|title=FATAL FURY™ BATTLE ARCHIVES VOL.2 PlayStation Store|url=https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/games/fatal-fury-battle-archives-vol2/cid=UP0576-CUSA03750_00-SLUS217230000001|accessdate=12 April 2017}}</ref>

== Gameplay == [[File:NEOGEO Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 - The Newcomers (Rearu Bauto Garō Densetsu 2 - Za Nyūkamāzu).png|thumb|left|Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Li Xiangfei and Rick Strowd]]

''Real Bout Fatal Fury 2'' revamps the two-lane battle system from ''Real Bout Special''. Instead of fighting in either two lanes, the player is now forced to fight in a main lane, while the second lane is a "sway lane" used to avoid attacks (similar to the original ''Real Bout''). The one-lane trap stages, last seen in ''Fatal Fury Special'', also return.

== Characters == The character roster from ''Real Bout Special'' returns, including Geese Howard, who is now a normally selectable character, and serves as one of the standard final bosses, alternating with Wolfgang Krauser. However, the extra versions of Andy, Billy, Mary, and Tung are gone. Two new characters are introduced: Li Xiangfei, a Chinese-American waitress; and Rick Strowd, a Native American boxer. The game also features biplane pilot Alfred (who would later be the protagonist of ''Real Bout Fatal Fury Special: Dominated Mind'', the PlayStation version of ''Real Bout Special'') as a secret final boss.

== Development == The game was exhibited at the February 1998 AOU Show.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Marcus |last=Webb |title=Sequel Mania at London and Tokyo Expos |magazine=Next Generation|issue=41 |publisher=Imagine Media |date=May 1998|page=33}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=AOU Show '98 |magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine|issue=30|publisher=Emap International Limited|date=April 1998|page=7}}</ref>

== Release == The game was first released in Japan and North America for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system on March 20, 1998, followed by the Neo Geo AES home system on April 29, 1998. It was among the first games to take advantage of the "Neo Giga" upgrade for greater cartridge size, using 600 megabits.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Arcade Preview Gallery |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=107|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=June 1998|page=90}}</ref> In Japan, the game was also released for the Neo Geo CD on July 23, 1998.

''Real Bout 2'' is also included in the compilation ''Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Vol. 2'' for the PlayStation 2; this version includes Alfred as a playable character.

The Neo Geo version was ported to the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on June 19, 2012 and in Europe on October 4, 2012. In North America, Nintendo accidentally set the release date of March 27, 2008 on the official game page at the Nintendo site when the game was released on September 27, 2008.

''Fatal Fury: First Contact'', a game loosely based on ''Real Bout 2'', was released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 1999. This version adds a new character named Lao, who is only playable in the game's Versus mode, while removing half the characters from the arcade release.

On September 28, 2025, a definitive version of the game was released for PCs and distributed through the Steam marketplace, as a part of the Neo Geo Premium Selection by Code Mystics. This version features online play with rollback netcode, practice mode and gallery mode.

== Reception == In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers'' as the most popular arcade game of April 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=563|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 May 1998|page=21|lang=ja}}</ref> According to ''Famitsu'', the Neo Geo CD version sold over 11,821 copies in its first week on the market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|title=Game Search|website=Game Data Library|access-date=2020-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424035430/https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|archive-date=2019-04-24|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Notes == {{notelist}}

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/arcade/562641-real-bout-fatal-fury-2 ''Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers''] at GameFAQs * [https://www.giantbomb.com/real-bout-fatal-fury-2-the-newcomers/3030-14929/ ''Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers''] at Giant Bomb * [https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9276 ''Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers''] at Killer List of Videogames * [https://www.mobygames.com/game/real-bout-fatal-fury-2-the-newcomers ''Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers''] at MobyGames

Category:1998 video games Category:ACA Neo Geo games Category:Arcade video games Category:D4 Enterprise games Category:Fatal Fury Category:Fighting games Category:Hamster Corporation games Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:Neo Geo CD games Category:Neo Geo games Category:Nintendo Switch games Category:PlayStation 4 games Category:PlayStation Network games Category:SNK games Category:SNK Playmore games Category:Video games developed in Japan Category:Video games set in China Category:Video games set in Germany Category:Video games set in Hong Kong Category:Video games set in Japan Category:Video games set in South Korea Category:Video games set in Thailand Category:Video games set in the United States Category:Virtual Console games Category:Windows games Category:Xbox One games ja:リアルバウト餓狼伝説#リアルバウト餓狼伝説2