Bitmap Books returns with yet another massive, nostalgia-fueled tome, this time celebrating the 35-year legacy of one of Japan’s most legendary fighting franchises.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a book publisher working today that cares as much about the retro video game scene than Bitmap Books. Having published titles dedicated to specific console eras, classic genres, and even video games that never saw the light of day, its latest behemoth of a book is wholly dedicated to one series and one series alone: Fatal Fury (or Garou Densetsu, as it is known in Japan).
View 3 ImagesThere’s plenty of original character sketches and sprite sheets to peruse throughout the book on a game-by-game basis. (Image: Bitmap Books)
Following up Bitmap’s previous collaborations with publisher SNK that documented the legacies of Metal Slug and The King of Fighters, Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History is an equally ambitious volume that brilliantly punches its way through well over 35 years’ worth of fighting game brilliance.
Anyone who picked up Bitmap’s The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History from 2022 will know exactly what they’re in for. Essentially, what you’re getting here is a brief but well-written history of Fatal Fury that is clear and easy to digest, with insight provided from a selection of key SNK developers that have influenced the direction of the franchise most.
Chief series producer Yasuyuki Oda, designer Takeshi Kimura, and some of Fatal Fury’s most important pixel artists such as Hitoshi Okamoto, Youichiro Soeda, and Nobuyuki Kuroki all provide invaluable insight, all of which sits alongside a beautiful selection of Fatal Fury screenshots, character sketches, and original concept art. All of which will have any dedicated fan frothing at the mouth.
By focusing on just one strand of the King of Fighters universe this time around, there’s a real attempt and determination here to make this the richest telling of the Fatal Fury story yet. That said, like most Bitmap Books releases, Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History takes an art-first approach that is cleanly laid out and confidently celebrates the way these games look just as much as the influence they’ve had on the fighting game genre as a whole.
I especially appreciate the inclusion of Fatal Fury: City of Wolves as the franchise’s most recent release as, while not the most revered compared to its fighting game peers, makes this Ultimate History feel totally complete.
View 3 ImagesThe spine of the book is sewn in as with other Bitmap Book releases, complete with an easy-to-use ribbon bookmark. (Image: Bitmap Books)
In case it wasn’t already evident, the book itself is of the highest quality from a materials standpoint. I was sent the standard edition, and even that boasts a reliable sewn-bound spine that feels like it can comfortably support the weight of all 468 pages whenever I lay it out on my coffee table.
The internal pages are glossy but not prone to fingerprint marks when touched either, and overall there’s just a level of expertise on display here when it comes to how the book is actually put together and the way each full-colour page is presented.
Although not the most successful fighting game series these days, Fatal Fury stands proud as a worthy contender within the genre’s history, standing alongside the likes of Tekken, Mortal Kombat, and yes, Street Fighter in terms of its influence, and Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu The Ultimate History is the perfect celebration of that.
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It’s a tome that I imagine even Terry Bogard himself would be proud of, so fans should be sure to grab a copy the next time they take a trip to South Town (or anywhere else, for that matter).
Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu The Ultimate History is available on the Bitmap Books website now.