Sunday, 28 April 2024

The Amazing World of SNK's Neo Geo

Fatal Fury: King of Fighters was labelled as being a shameless clone of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior.

The debut of Terry and chums was designed by Takashi Nishiyami and Hiroshi Matsumoto, who had earlier created Street Fighter.

Nishiyami recalls:

"Even when I started working at SNK, I wanted to challenge myself to create a storyline and characters that were easier to emphasize with, something I couldn't achieve with Street Fighter. That's how I created Fatal Fury, but when it was released, Street Fighter II was already very popular. There was only a 5-month gap between the release timings for both games, and there would not be enough time to develop it after it was released. Even though we made Street Fighter in the first place it was often called a rip-off (laughs)."

Fun fact.

Both games count 55 megs.

Amusingly, 'similar' characters aren't even from SF II.

Hwa Jai vs Adon


Michael Max vs Mike


Here comes an unrelated character.

Balrog/M. Bison
As with everybody else, portrait was redrawn for Super SF II: The New Challengers.
Now he looks like...

It's possible that both had Henry Arthur from Karate Master in mind.


Who the fuck knows?

Finally.

Duck King and Blanka couldn't be more different, but share an identical special attack.


Dialogue

Only a total geek would go through the hassle of doing this.

(Ahem).

Ice cream

Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
W...What?! Mai, what in the name of the Great Ice Cream Salesman are you doing here?
Fatal Fury Special
Die like your father, you pin-headed son of an icecream maker!
Eunuch

Art of Fighting 2
...to your pick-up lines. Eunuch!
Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
Hey! Get back here, you eunuch!
Crazy funster

Samurai Shodown
Then die, you crazy funster!
World Heroes 2 Jet
Why you, you, YOU...
YOU CRAZY FUNSTER!
To think that you were this strong!
Oshkosh

Art of Fighting 2
You worm! I'm from Oshkosh!
Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
The world will all be mine, except for Oshkosh. But first, to take care of you!
Disease called life

Art of Fighting
Come on! I'm gonna cure you of the disease called life.
Fatal Fury Special
Yes, my friend. I will cure you of the disease called life.
Samurai Shodown
Come, gentle one. I will cure you of the disease called life.
Cream puffs

Art of Fighting 2
Gee. Boxers really are cream puffs.
Fatal Fury Special
Krauser! I'm not a cream puff. Got it!
World Heroes 2
"That's cream puff, idiot. And the answer is no!"
Variations

Power pole

Art of Fighting 2
I thought so. The power of my pole is positively preposterous!
Fatal Fury Special
Eat my power pole, pansy. A nice treat after a long separation.
Syrup

Fatal Fury Special
Blood is thick, but syrup's thicker. Think about it.
Samurai Shodown
Life is a stewed peach in a lot of syrup... Ukyo.
Big

The King of Fighters '94
All of you are just big!
Savage Reign
Adults are only big!
Why don't you understand it?
Mysterious

Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
These Japanese I always find quite mysterious.
The King of Fighters '94
China is so mysterious!
Kitchen

It's clear that translators didn't like women.

Art of Fighting 2
Go back to the kitchen. Babe!
Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
This place is not for a woman!
Go back home, take off your shoes, and stay in the kitchen!
World Heroes
Ha,ha,ha. Would you like to make any other comments about my place being in the kitchen?
Impertinent

Savage Reign
Impertinent whelp!
Feel my wrath!
Samurai Shodown II
You, impertinent small fry, I'll eat, eat you all!
Clean teeth

Art of Fighting 2
Heh, heh. I'll clean my teeth with you.
Samurai Shodown
I'll clean my teeth with you.
Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory
Don't threaten me with the Shiranui name! I'll clean my teeth with that family!
Historical figures

Samurai Shodown
I thought I was dead. But I think I'm Cleopatra, too.
World Heroes 2 Jet
Hanzou. I thought you were my equal. Then I think I'm Napoleon, too.
Metal Slug

Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge
Run home to mommy!
Allen O'Neil taunts player by saying: "Come on boy, go home to mommy!"
Cultural references

Expect a bit of everything.

Bloodsport

Fatal Fury
Did you think you could beat me! Go home!
After throwing an opponent out of the ring, Ray Jackson says: "Go home!"

Muhammad Ali

Float like a feather.
Sting like a hornet.
No, that's not it.
Quote paraphrases the GOAT:

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

The Wizard of Oz

The King of Fighters '96
Someday, everyone will know Todo! No, not the dog!
Kasumi references her father sharing the same name as Dorothy's dog.

Trouble is, mutt was called Toto.

Scum

Real Bout Fatal Fury
In the company of long-term friend P-Chan, I'M HAPPY is written on Duck's forehead.
A massive stretch I know, but...

A defiant Archer paints I AM HAPPY on a wall.
Multiples

Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory

Dream Amusement Park has a Joy Division saloon bar
Sokaku's stage is full of Unknown Pleasures.

Why, by the hairs of my chengny, cheng, cheng... It's Cheng!
Wolf and pig exchange proverbial phrase in The Three Little Pigs nursery rhyme.

"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."

Also, helicopter's tail boom displays Ching.

HA HA HA!

Back to the Future

World Heroes
Thou hast been vanquished.
Make like a Bonsai and leave!
Biff's signature catchphrase is "Make like a tree, and get outta here.!"

Back to the Future Part II

World Heroes 2
"Yeeeeow!"
"Of all the mysteries of the universe. There is none more perplexing than that of western women."
Doc Brown: "Time-travelling is just too dangerous. Better that I devote myself, to study, the other great mystery of the universe. Women."

Similar... yes?

World Heroes 2 Jet

I am well aware of your big eyes and teeth. Call me the friendly woodsman! Grimm, huh.
Little Red Riding Hood observes her 'granny's' big eyes and teeth.

One of the best known versions was written by the Brothers' Grimm, making spiel either clever or a mistake.

Love this one.

I am a viking, and I am okay. I pillage all night, and I sleep all day!
As performed by Michael Palin, lyrics from said verse in the Lumberjack song from Monty Python's Flying Circus are:

"I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay, I sleep all night and I work all day."

Samurai Shodown

Batman Returns

For everyone to remember:
I am Wan-Fu, hear me roar.
Michelle Pfeiffer states:

"I am Catwoman, hear me roar."

Stand by Me

Sic 'im, Poppy.
Junkyard owner Milo Pressman sets his dog Chopper on Gordie, angrily screaming "Sic 'im boy."

But what I heard was "Chopper, sic balls."

Tokugawa, you filth!
I stab at thee
Tokugawa was a former shogun and the rest is taken from Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick; or, The Whale.

"Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale, to the last I grapple with thee, from hell's heart I stab at thee, for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee."

For shiggles, meat forms part of Khan's monologue in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Art of Fighting 2

Apocalypse Now

I've smelled napalm in the morning. You didn't scare me!
Lt. Colonel Kilgore:

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

Queen

We are the champions, my friend. And we will keep victorious til the end. Wah hah haaaaah!


In reality.

We are the champions, my friend. And we will keep on fighting until the end.

Betty Boop

Jack: Oooh. Trickey Mickey the boxer boy. Eat my shoe boop boop bedoo.


Boop-Oop-a-Doop is her signature phrase.

W.B. Yeats

Mickey: Read a lot of Yeats, huh. The poet of South-Town. Pansy!


Until next time.

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