On Reflection

On the basis of price versus fun, this represents the best value and most entertaining beat-’em up on XBLA. Short of releasing the 3DO version of Samurai Showdown, we don’t see that changing any time soon.

The Score

It’s a brave company that goes up against Capcom’s Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting, so kudos to SNK Playmore for having the balls. Of course, SNK has danced this particular waltz before in arcades around the world throughout the Nineties, so it should come as no surprise that Fatal Fury Special is a more than competent competitor.

Essentially just a rejig of Fatal Fury 2, Special features a solid roster of fighters, some very challenging opponents and a surprisingly stable online mode. Oh, and it’s half the price of Capcom’s brawler. Bargain.

8 out of 10