| Garou: Mark of the Wolves | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) |
|
| Publisher(s) | SNK
|
| Producer(s) | Hiroshi Matsumoto Seigo Ito T. Tsukamoto |
| Designer(s) | I. Higemura Yasuyuki Oda |
| Artist(s) | D. Takagi M. Hirano N. Kuroki |
| Composer(s) | Akihiro Uchida Masato Horiuchi Yasuhiro Naka |
| Series | Fatal Fury |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | |
| Arcade system | Neo Geo MVS |
Garou: Mark of the Wolves[a] is a 1999 fighting game produced by SNK, originally for the Neo Geo Arcade system and then as Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves for the Dreamcast for the. It is the sixth main installment of the Fatal Fury series. Though released a year after after Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers the game is canonically a sequel to the 1995 installment Real Bout Fatal Fury, taking place a decade after the events of such game. Ten years after combatant Terry Bogard kills crimelord Geese Howard in the King of Fighters competition, he and his adoptive Rock Howard enter into a Southtown tournament known as Maximum Mayhem to learn about the Howard legacy. The game features 14 characters, all new with Terry's exception. As a fighting game, the game employs a mechanic known as T.O.P which strategies the uses of Desperation Moves. The game also usess a Just Defend system in the form of blocks.
The game was designed as an overhaul of the Fatal Fury series as event planner Yasuyuki Oda found the franchise outdated when compared when SNK's IP The King of Fighters. In order to the remake the series, the new protagonist Rock Howard was created serving as the basis for Terry's redesign and the rest of the 12 characters. Two of them are also bosses. Yasuyuki Oda and Nobuyuki Kuroki served as the main illustrators and character designers. The fighting system was created to be accessible to newcomers. The game was ported to several consoles with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 being given online modes whereas more modern port aimed to give improved netcode.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves became one of SNK's most famous fighting games of all time for its new fighting engine and new cast which appeals to newcomers and returning players. Often compared with Capcom's acclaimed Street Fighter III due to the new cast and visuals, the game was famous in each console and has often appeared in lists of SNK's best fighting games. Ending in a cliffhanger, the game's narrative was briefly explored in KOF: Maximum Impact among other KOF games as the no plans for sequels were conceived after two years of development. Eventually, the sequel Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was announced by SNK for a 2025 release.
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