Art of Fighting
Encyclopedia
is a trilogy of competitive fighting game
titles that were released for the Neo Geo
platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK
, following the Fatal Fury series and is set in the same fictional universe
. The original Art of Fighting was released in 1992
, followed by two sequel
s: in 1994
and in 1996
.
It was the first fighting game by SNK to feature the character designs of former illustrator Shinkiro
, who would go on to do the character designs for the later Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters games.
The Art of Fighting series was also the first fighting series to allow players to perform a "super attack." In the original Art of Fighting, the player's character learns a super attack (dubbed the super death blow) by completing one of the game's bonus rounds (this technique is available by default in the 3rd game). All three games also feature "Desperation Attacks" that can only be performed when the player's health is low and the life bar is flashing red.
The series also introduced graphical scaling into the genre: as the characters move away from each other, the camera will zoom out to keep both players on the screen. In previous fighting titles, the left and right sides of the screen acted as invisible boundaries; characters could only move as far from one another as the width of the screen permitted. Scaling allowed for a broader range of movement; the only boundaries in Art of Fighting are the edges of the stage. Character sprites in Art of Fighting change as the fight progresses to become more bruised and cut as damage is taken.
and Robert Garcia, in what appears to be the late seventies. Ryo is the son of the Kyokugen Karate discipline’s creator, Takuma Sakazaki, and Robert is the wayward son of a billionaire family from Italy
. The initial two titles are set in South Town, a common location in SNK games that is also the setting for the Fatal Fury series, while the third appears to take place in a fictitious area of Mexico
.
The plot of Art of Fighting alludes to Fatal Fury. Art of Fighting 2, for instance, documents the rise of Geese Howard
, a character in Fatal Fury, from corrupt police commissioner to crime lord of Southtown. Takuma is said to be a contemporary of Jeff Bogard, father of Fatal Furys main hero, Terry Bogard
; Jeff Bogard's murder at the hands of Geese Howard triggers the events of the Fatal Fury series.
and the PlayStation port of Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition features an older modern-day Ryo adopting his father's former identity of Mr. Karate. While The King of Fighters series features characters from the Art of Fighting series and alludes to events occurring in the games, it follows a completely different continuity from that of the actual Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury games. This was done so that the Art of Fighting characters could fight alongside the Fatal Fury cast and other characters without aging them; however, continue to maintain the existing stories from the other games.
and Robert Garcia set out to find Ryo's sister, Yuri
, who has been kidnapped by Mr. Big. Mr. Big has taken the girl to entice Takuma Sakazaki, Ryo's father and originator of the fictional form of karate
known as Kyokugen Karate ("Extreme style"), and because Ryo refused to work for Big. After they defeat Mr. Big, Ryo and Robert face the enigmatic Mr. Karate. Art of Fighting
Only Ryo and Robert are playable in the 1-player story mode although eight of the characters are playable in the 2-player vs. modes. Mr. Big and Mr. Karate can be played in the arcade version by reaching the final stage of the game then having a second player join in, and on the console versions via the use of cheat codes.
Art of Fighting
, for instance, parodies the events of the game in its ending.
The game's story is set a year after the original. Geese Howard
, a rising star in South Town's criminal underworld, calls fighters to the city for a new tournament, "The King of Fighters." Howard was the final boss and series villain of SNK's other fighting game franchise Fatal Fury (though he is a secret boss in this game), whose story took place over a decade after the events of Art of Fighting.
Art of Fighting 2 was the only time Yuri Sakazaki was a playable character in the series. It also marked the only time that she donned her trademark outfit, which was made famous in The King of Fighters series. This game also marks the debut of Takuma Sakazaki without his Mr. Karate persona, as well as Eiji Kisaragi, who both appear in the King of Fighters series.
This game is also notorious for its difficulty, with it being referred in many fighting circles as having some of the toughest opponent AI in a fighting game.
It was re-released for the Wii
's Virtual Console
in North America on July 28, 2008 at a cost of 900 Wii Points.
The story switched focus from the Sakazakis to Robert Garcia. Garcia disappears to search for an old childhood friend, Freia Lawrence, and he tracks her to GlassHill, Mexico
. Freia is wanted by the game's boss character, Wyler, to complete a powerful elixir that was created by his and Freia's fathers. The drug affects users in a similar manner as the potion in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
One of the game's characters, Kasumi Todoh, became a part of The King of Fighters cast.
All three games were released for the MVS Arcade System, Neo Geo Home System, and Neo Geo CD with the first one being included on SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1
.
The SNES version of the first game features an extended ending which ties to the sequel Art of Fighting 2, rather than ending the game on a cliffhanger like the original Neo Geo version does. Additionally, the English localization of the port was censored. Many of the locations had their names changed (Mac's Bar was changed to Mac's Cafe), the No Smoking sign in Todo's stage was removed and the player can no longer expose King's bra without the use of a special or super move. The vehicle driving scenes have been omitted.
The Neo Geo version of Art of Fighting was released for the Wii
Virtual Console
on October 2007 and Art of Fighting 2 was released on July 2008.
The PlayStation 2 version of Art of Fighting stays true to the original Neo Geo cartridge. However, the vocals in the opening title have been stripped, as have Ryo's vocals.
The Mega Drive/Genesis version lacks the zooming effect. The gameplay has been changed as well, the Ryuuko Ranbu is blockable, Jack's drop kick only goes 2/3 of the screen, and Lee's claw spin has invincibility during the starting pose.
As a result of these crossover appearances between the two franchises, SNK produced The King of Fighters series, pitting characters from both series against each other. As mentioned in the continuity section above, the series eschews the continuity of the Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury games for the purpose of having the Art of Fighting cast fight against everyone else without aging them. Ryo, Robert, and Yuri have appeared in nearly every installment along with King, Takuma, and Kasumi, who are constant characters as well. Eiji and Mr. Big also made appearances as playable characters in the series.
The characters from the series have also appeared in the SNK vs. Capcom series and in NeoGeo Battle Coliseum. Capcom
's Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000
features Ryo, Yuri, and King while Capcom vs. SNK 2
adds Ryuhaku Todoh to the lineup. SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos features Ryo, Kasumi, and Takuma under his Mr. Karate guise. NeoGeo Battle Coliseum features Lee Pai Long, Mr. Big and an aged Robert Garcia along with the older Ryo Sakazaki from Buriki One. In KOF Maximum Impact 2, Ryuhaku Todoh drives the truck in one of the extra games.
The Street Fighter
character Dan Hibiki
is a parody of Art of Fighting.
A Japan
ese animated
television movie
, , was created and directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi
and produced by NAS
. It was the third animated co-production between SNK
and NAS, following Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf
and Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
. While looking for a cat, Ryo and Robert witnessed a murder related to a stolen diamond. After fighting the murdering mobsters, they discovered that the top mobster, Mr. Big, had kidnapped Ryo's sister to exchange her against the diamond, which he believes to be in the possession of the protagonists. They then have to defend themselves anyway they can. The designs of some characters were based on their appearances in the Japanese commercials for Art of Fighting 2.
Art of Fighting was produced by Kenji Shimizu and Yoshiro Kataoka for Fuji TV on December 23, 1993. It features Script by Nobuaki Kishima, character design by Kazunori Iwakura, and was distributed in its English version by US Manga Corps
in 1997.
Art of Fighting has received negative reception by most American websites. It was billed as stupid, idiotic and plodding, and compared to a Saturday morning cartoon. It was said it had "Choppy animation, illogical perspectives, uninspired art, badly choreographed fight scenes, and most of all horrible voice acting", and none of the interest of the video game or its sequels translate into the anime. The film gathered a 14% rating at Meta Anime Rviews, placing it in the bottom 3% of the reviewed titles.
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
titles that were released for the Neo Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
, following the Fatal Fury series and is set in the same fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
. The original Art of Fighting was released in 1992
1992 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:* Gremlin Graphics releases Zool, Amiga's answer to Mario and Sonic. It goes on to become the best selling Commodore Amiga game, boosting the already popular computer to be the leading gaming machine in Europe....
, followed by two sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
s: in 1994
1994 in video gaming
-Events:*Nintendo calls this year "1994: The Year of the Cartridge".*Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd is established and opened by Hiroshi Yamauchi and effectively ends Mattel Australia's distribution of Nintendo's products throughout Australia.*"Project...
and in 1996
1996 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*January 29 — Duke Nukem 3D, successor to the simple side-scrolling originals, and a genre-redefining title for first person shooters....
.
It was the first fighting game by SNK to feature the character designs of former illustrator Shinkiro
Shinkiro
Toshiaki Mori , best known under the pen name of , is a Japanese illustrator and conceptual artist currently employed by Capcom.- Biography :...
, who would go on to do the character designs for the later Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters games.
Gameplay
The Art of Fighting series follows the conventions of the time in the sense that the player faces a variety of opponents in best two-out-of-three matches. Each of the game's characters have a unique fighting style and set of special techniques. The player has two basic attacks—punch and kick—as well as a utility button that switches between punches, kicks, and throws. A fourth button is used for taunting. Art of Fightings contribution to the genre was the inclusion of a "spirit gauge" underneath the character's life bar. When characters perform special techniques, their spirit gauge is depleted and their special attacks become weaker. Players can also drain their opponent's spirit gauge by taunting them.The Art of Fighting series was also the first fighting series to allow players to perform a "super attack." In the original Art of Fighting, the player's character learns a super attack (dubbed the super death blow) by completing one of the game's bonus rounds (this technique is available by default in the 3rd game). All three games also feature "Desperation Attacks" that can only be performed when the player's health is low and the life bar is flashing red.
The series also introduced graphical scaling into the genre: as the characters move away from each other, the camera will zoom out to keep both players on the screen. In previous fighting titles, the left and right sides of the screen acted as invisible boundaries; characters could only move as far from one another as the width of the screen permitted. Scaling allowed for a broader range of movement; the only boundaries in Art of Fighting are the edges of the stage. Character sprites in Art of Fighting change as the fight progresses to become more bruised and cut as damage is taken.
Plot
The games follow the struggles of the students of the Kyokugen Karate Dojo, Ryo SakazakiRyo Sakazaki
is a video game character developed for the fighting game Art of Fighting from SNK Playmore . His name is most often written in kana, however, in some games kanji is used to write parts of his name. In the series, Ryo is a martial artist that practices his family's fighting style, the Kyokugenryu...
and Robert Garcia, in what appears to be the late seventies. Ryo is the son of the Kyokugen Karate discipline’s creator, Takuma Sakazaki, and Robert is the wayward son of a billionaire family from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The initial two titles are set in South Town, a common location in SNK games that is also the setting for the Fatal Fury series, while the third appears to take place in a fictitious area of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The plot of Art of Fighting alludes to Fatal Fury. Art of Fighting 2, for instance, documents the rise of Geese Howard
Geese Howard
is a fictional video game character appearing in SNK Playmore's Fatal Fury fighting games series. Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, Geese is the local crime boss of the fictional city of South Town. Geese hosts a fighting tournament named "The King of Fighters", in which he faces the...
, a character in Fatal Fury, from corrupt police commissioner to crime lord of Southtown. Takuma is said to be a contemporary of Jeff Bogard, father of Fatal Furys main hero, Terry Bogard
Terry Bogard
is a video game character created by SNK Playmore , and is the main character of the Fatal Fury series. In the series, he is an American fighter who enters the worldwide tournaments called The King of Fighters to kill Geese Howard, a criminal who killed Terry's father. Terry becomes a formidable...
; Jeff Bogard's murder at the hands of Geese Howard triggers the events of the Fatal Fury series.
Series' continuity
The Art of Fighting series originally served as a prequel to the Fatal Fury series, taking place during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This is reflected by the characters' official birthdates in the series and given ages in each game. This is made even more obvious with the appearance of a young Geese Howard in Art of Fighting 2. The Hyper Neo-Geo 64 game Buriki OneBuriki One
Buriki One: World Grapple Tournament '99 in Tokyo, otherwise known simply as Buriki One, is a 3D competitive fighting game produced by SNK and released as a coin-operated arcade game in...
and the PlayStation port of Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition features an older modern-day Ryo adopting his father's former identity of Mr. Karate. While The King of Fighters series features characters from the Art of Fighting series and alludes to events occurring in the games, it follows a completely different continuity from that of the actual Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury games. This was done so that the Art of Fighting characters could fight alongside the Fatal Fury cast and other characters without aging them; however, continue to maintain the existing stories from the other games.
Art of Fighting (1992)
In the first game, Ryo SakazakiRyo Sakazaki
is a video game character developed for the fighting game Art of Fighting from SNK Playmore . His name is most often written in kana, however, in some games kanji is used to write parts of his name. In the series, Ryo is a martial artist that practices his family's fighting style, the Kyokugenryu...
and Robert Garcia set out to find Ryo's sister, Yuri
Yuri Sakazaki
is a video game character from SNK Playmore's Art of Fighting series. She first appears in the original Art of Fighting being kidnapped by Mr. Big, a criminal from the fictional city of Southtown. The players, Yuri's brother Ryo and his friend Robert Garcia spend the game searching for her...
, who has been kidnapped by Mr. Big. Mr. Big has taken the girl to entice Takuma Sakazaki, Ryo's father and originator of the fictional form of karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
known as Kyokugen Karate ("Extreme style"), and because Ryo refused to work for Big. After they defeat Mr. Big, Ryo and Robert face the enigmatic Mr. Karate. Art of Fighting
Only Ryo and Robert are playable in the 1-player story mode although eight of the characters are playable in the 2-player vs. modes. Mr. Big and Mr. Karate can be played in the arcade version by reaching the final stage of the game then having a second player join in, and on the console versions via the use of cheat codes.
Art of Fighting
The King of Fighters '97
The King of Fighters '97 is a fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It is the fourth game in The King of Fighters series. It was ported to the Neo-Geo CD, as well as the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn in Japan only...
, for instance, parodies the events of the game in its ending.
Art of Fighting 2 (1994)
Art of Fighting 2 was released in 1994. The second installment in the AoF series added the "rage gauge"; similar to the "spirit system" of its predecessor, it limited the use and effectiveness of special attacks.The game's story is set a year after the original. Geese Howard
Geese Howard
is a fictional video game character appearing in SNK Playmore's Fatal Fury fighting games series. Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, Geese is the local crime boss of the fictional city of South Town. Geese hosts a fighting tournament named "The King of Fighters", in which he faces the...
, a rising star in South Town's criminal underworld, calls fighters to the city for a new tournament, "The King of Fighters." Howard was the final boss and series villain of SNK's other fighting game franchise Fatal Fury (though he is a secret boss in this game), whose story took place over a decade after the events of Art of Fighting.
Art of Fighting 2 was the only time Yuri Sakazaki was a playable character in the series. It also marked the only time that she donned her trademark outfit, which was made famous in The King of Fighters series. This game also marks the debut of Takuma Sakazaki without his Mr. Karate persona, as well as Eiji Kisaragi, who both appear in the King of Fighters series.
This game is also notorious for its difficulty, with it being referred in many fighting circles as having some of the toughest opponent AI in a fighting game.
It was re-released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in North America on July 28, 2008 at a cost of 900 Wii Points.
Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior (1996)
Art of Fighting 3 (Ryuuko no Ken Gaiden in Japan) featured a new cast of characters with the exception of Ryo and Robert. Yuri Sakazaki is seen in the game, but only as a side character in Ryo and Robert's story mode.The story switched focus from the Sakazakis to Robert Garcia. Garcia disappears to search for an old childhood friend, Freia Lawrence, and he tracks her to GlassHill, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Freia is wanted by the game's boss character, Wyler, to complete a powerful elixir that was created by his and Freia's fathers. The drug affects users in a similar manner as the potion in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
One of the game's characters, Kasumi Todoh, became a part of The King of Fighters cast.
Ports and compilations
SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1
SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 is a video game compilation created and published by SNK Playmore which includes sixteen Neo Geo games.The compilation was released on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and the Wii...
.
- Art of Fighting for the TurboGrafx-CD (Arcade Card, Japan only), Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
- Ryuuko no Ken 2 for the Super Famicom (Japan only) for the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
- Art of Fighting and Art of Fighting 2 for WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual ConsoleVirtual consoleA virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
The SNES version of the first game features an extended ending which ties to the sequel Art of Fighting 2, rather than ending the game on a cliffhanger like the original Neo Geo version does. Additionally, the English localization of the port was censored. Many of the locations had their names changed (Mac's Bar was changed to Mac's Cafe), the No Smoking sign in Todo's stage was removed and the player can no longer expose King's bra without the use of a special or super move. The vehicle driving scenes have been omitted.
The Neo Geo version of Art of Fighting was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on October 2007 and Art of Fighting 2 was released on July 2008.
The PlayStation 2 version of Art of Fighting stays true to the original Neo Geo cartridge. However, the vocals in the opening title have been stripped, as have Ryo's vocals.
The Mega Drive/Genesis version lacks the zooming effect. The gameplay has been changed as well, the Ryuuko Ranbu is blockable, Jack's drop kick only goes 2/3 of the screen, and Lee's claw spin has invincibility during the starting pose.
Appearances outside the series
Some of the Art of Fighting cast have continued appearing in other SNK fighting games (particularly in The King of Fighters) long after the last Art of Fighting game was produced. In the same way that Geese Howard appears as a hidden end boss in Art of Fighting 2, Ryo Sakazaki appears as a secret opponent in Fatal Fury Wild Ambition and Fatal Fury Special. Unlike the battle against Geese in Art of Fighting 2, the battle against Ryo is depicted as a "dream match" and does not occur in the series' storyline.As a result of these crossover appearances between the two franchises, SNK produced The King of Fighters series, pitting characters from both series against each other. As mentioned in the continuity section above, the series eschews the continuity of the Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury games for the purpose of having the Art of Fighting cast fight against everyone else without aging them. Ryo, Robert, and Yuri have appeared in nearly every installment along with King, Takuma, and Kasumi, who are constant characters as well. Eiji and Mr. Big also made appearances as playable characters in the series.
The characters from the series have also appeared in the SNK vs. Capcom series and in NeoGeo Battle Coliseum. Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000
Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000
is a head-to-head fighting game produced by Capcom originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for Segas NAOMI hardware and later ported to the Dreamcast...
features Ryo, Yuri, and King while Capcom vs. SNK 2
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001, known as Millionaire Fighting 2001 in Japan, is a sequel to the fighting game Capcom vs. SNK. This game was released on NAOMI hardware in the arcade...
adds Ryuhaku Todoh to the lineup. SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos features Ryo, Kasumi, and Takuma under his Mr. Karate guise. NeoGeo Battle Coliseum features Lee Pai Long, Mr. Big and an aged Robert Garcia along with the older Ryo Sakazaki from Buriki One. In KOF Maximum Impact 2, Ryuhaku Todoh drives the truck in one of the extra games.
The Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
character Dan Hibiki
Dan Hibiki
is a video game character from Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games. Introduced in Street Fighter Alpha, Dan is consistently portrayed as an arrogant, overconfident, yet utterly feeble character.-Concept and creation:...
is a parody of Art of Fighting.
Introduced in Art of Fighting
- Ryo SakazakiRyo Sakazakiis a video game character developed for the fighting game Art of Fighting from SNK Playmore . His name is most often written in kana, however, in some games kanji is used to write parts of his name. In the series, Ryo is a martial artist that practices his family's fighting style, the Kyokugenryu...
(リョウ・サカザキ) - Robert Garcia (ロバート・ガルシア)
- Ryuhaku Todoh (藤堂竜白)
- Jack Turner (ジャック・ターナー)
- King (キング)
- Lee Pai Long (李白龍)
- John Crawley (ジョン・クローリー )
- Micky Rogers (ミッキー・ロジャース )
- Mr. Big (ミスター・ビッグ)
- Takuma Sakazaki (タクマ・サカザキ)
- fights as Mr. Karate (ミスター・カラテ) in the original game
Introduced in Art of Fighting 2
- Yuri SakazakiYuri Sakazakiis a video game character from SNK Playmore's Art of Fighting series. She first appears in the original Art of Fighting being kidnapped by Mr. Big, a criminal from the fictional city of Southtown. The players, Yuri's brother Ryo and his friend Robert Garcia spend the game searching for her...
(ユリ・サカザキ) - featured as an NPC in the first and third game. - Eiji Kisaragi (如月影二)
- Temjin (テムジン)
- Geese HowardGeese Howardis a fictional video game character appearing in SNK Playmore's Fatal Fury fighting games series. Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, Geese is the local crime boss of the fictional city of South Town. Geese hosts a fighting tournament named "The King of Fighters", in which he faces the...
(ギース・ハワード) (from the Fatal Fury series)
Introduced in Art of Fighting 3
- Kasumi Todoh (藤堂香澄)
- Jin Fu-Ha (不破刃)
- Karman Cole (カーマン・コール)
- Lenny Creston (レニィ・クレストン)
- Rody Birts (ロディ・バーツ)
- Wang Koh-San (王覚山)
- Sinclair (シンクレア)
- Wyler (ワイラー)
Anime
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese animated
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
, , was created and directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi
Hiroshi Fukutomi
is an anime director born July 25, 1950 in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. After leaving Tokyo Designer Gakuin in the middle of his studies, he joined A Production...
and produced by NAS
Nihon Ad Systems
, NAS for short, is a Japanese anime production and character merchandising company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the advertising agency Asatsu-DK. The "Ad" in its title is an abbreviation for "Animation Development". Along with animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation and TMS Entertainment, it is...
. It was the third animated co-production between SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
and NAS, following Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf
Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf
is an animated TV Special based on the fighting game Fatal Fury. It originally aired on Fuji TV on December 23, 1992. The movie was directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi and features character designs by Masami Ōbari...
and Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
is an anime TV Special based on the Neo Geo SNK video game, Fatal Fury 2 and is a sequel to the previous TV movie, Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf. The movie was directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and once again features character designs by Masami Ōbari...
. While looking for a cat, Ryo and Robert witnessed a murder related to a stolen diamond. After fighting the murdering mobsters, they discovered that the top mobster, Mr. Big, had kidnapped Ryo's sister to exchange her against the diamond, which he believes to be in the possession of the protagonists. They then have to defend themselves anyway they can. The designs of some characters were based on their appearances in the Japanese commercials for Art of Fighting 2.
Art of Fighting was produced by Kenji Shimizu and Yoshiro Kataoka for Fuji TV on December 23, 1993. It features Script by Nobuaki Kishima, character design by Kazunori Iwakura, and was distributed in its English version by US Manga Corps
Central Park Media
Central Park Media was an American multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York, that was active in the distribution of East Asian cinema, television series, anime, manga and manhwa titles in North America prior to its bankruptcy in 2009...
in 1997.
Art of Fighting has received negative reception by most American websites. It was billed as stupid, idiotic and plodding, and compared to a Saturday morning cartoon. It was said it had "Choppy animation, illogical perspectives, uninspired art, badly choreographed fight scenes, and most of all horrible voice acting", and none of the interest of the video game or its sequels translate into the anime. The film gathered a 14% rating at Meta Anime Rviews, placing it in the bottom 3% of the reviewed titles.
Official sites
- Ryuko no Ken -Ten Chi Jin- at SNK PlaymoreSNK PlaymoreSNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
- Ryuko no Ken series at NBC Museum of SNK PlaymoreSNK PlaymoreSNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....