Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History (Collector's Edition)

The fighting game genre just wouldn’t be the same without the Fatal Fury series (known as Garou Densetsu in Japan). Beyond defining SNK and the rise of the NEOGEO hardware, the early Fatal Fury releases established a foundational template that has influenced every competitive fighter since – shaping arcade and console gaming in diverse and profound ways.

The special Collector’s Edition of Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History tells that story in remarkable detail, informed by candid interviews with key developers from across the Fatal Fury series, including pixel artists Hitoshi Okamoto, Youichiro Soeda, and Nobuyuki Kuroki, planner and designer Takeshi Kimura, and Chief Producer of SNK Fighting Games, Yasuyuki Oda, who also authored the book’s foreword. Bitmap Books were also granted access to the celebrated gaming company’s vast archive of concept sketches, promotional illustrations, and cover art.

As a result, inside the pages of Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History you’ll discover an unprecedented visual and written history, which explores the series’ emergence within SNK, the design philosophies that guided the creation of each of the games, and the fascinating connections with other fighting icons such as KOF and Art of Fighting. The book also explores the new standards for world building and character development that the Fatal Fury games brought to arcade game design, shining a light on rostrum icons like Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and Geese Howard. Every game in the series, meanwhile, is covered in-depth, from the famed NEOGEO console and arcade titles, to Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition, Fatal Fury: First Contact, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

Across over 460+ pages, readers will also be treated to all manner of visual delights, from vibrant full-page sprite sheets to carefully reproduced screenshots, as well as the aforementioned concept and promotional artworks by artists including Shinkiro, TONKO and Eiji Shiroi – all printed using special Pantone ink and high-quality paper.

Made for the most devoted fans, the Collector’s Edition includes an exclusive slipcase to house the hardback form factor. Beyond protecting your precious new book, the slipcase features sound effects from the game that can be heard when the facia is depressed. The cover itself carefully compliments those of Bitmap Book’s existing SNK volumes; THE KING OF FIGHTERS: The Ultimate History, Metal Slug: The Ultimate History, and NEOGEO: A Visual History.

The Collector’s Edition also comes with a set of A5 Fatal Fury art cards and a postcard. This edition is limited to 2,000 units and will never be reproduced. Previous SNK Collector’s Edition's have sold really quickly and continue to be in demand years later. Don't miss out!

A Standard Edition of Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History is also available on the Bitmap Books store.

Includes quotes, insights, and anecdotes from:
Yasuyuki Oda, Youichiro Soeda, Nobuyuki Kuroki, Takeshi Kimura and Hitoshi Okamoto.

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