One of the early pioneers of the fighting game genre, Fatal Fury helped define the NeoGeo era of gaming during a competitive age. This 468-page book chronicles how it shaped arcade and console gaming through interviews with key developers across the entire series. Some of the notable names involved include game artists Hitoshi Okamoto, Youichiro Soeda, and Nobuyuki Kuroki, designer Takeshi Kimura, and the chief producer of SNK Fighting Games, Yasuyuki Oda–who has also penned a foreword for this release. Overall, the book covers several notable games in the series, including Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition, Fatal Fury: First Contact, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

Alongside the interviews, there are full-page sprite sheets, reproduced screenshots, concept art, and promotional artwork. As mentioned above, this hardcover book is designed to have a premium feel with its high-quality paper, vibrant Pantone ink prints, sewn binding, black foil-blocked cover, and ribbon bookmark. I’ve purchased several books from Bitmap Books, and I can confirm that each one looks and feels exquisite to read.

For devoted SNK fans, Fatal Fury: The Ultimate History Collector’s Edition offers all the same content from the regular edition and an exclusive slipcase to house it in. This isn’t just a decorative cover, as it features sound effects from the game that can be heard when you press down on it. It also comes with a set of A5 Fatal Fury art cards, a postcard, and is limited to 2,000 units that will never be reproduced.