Game Discussion - Mark of the Wolves

[Kazuya_UK]

I've been meaning to do another one of these for a while now, but I keep forgetting, or getting distracted by other things (the Matrimelee review and FAQ for instance). Here goes:

Garou: Mark of the Wolves





Ukyo suggested throwing this one up for discussion, but is there anything that can be said about this game that hasn't been said before? It has the best animation in a Neo Geo fighting game (alongside AoF3 that is), nice backgrounds, great new characters, and above all, fast paced and great fun gameplay.

If there is one thing that always stands out for me in this game, it has to be Grant's stage. I really dig his character, and I think the stage/music fits really well... Kain is cool, but Grant is *the man*. Besides, I think Kain lost a couple of badass points when he called Freeman "hasty pants" ;D

Speaking of Freeman... man, what a character. Everything about Freeman kicks ass, and to top it all off he is British. The last time I had this much respect for a British fighter from a game was with Cammy in SSF2... but that was for entirely different reasons

So, what do you guys think? I'm guessing most of the answers will be quite predictable with this game...

Kaz

[Raiken]

I'd heard about this for quite awhile before playing it but never saw any screenshots. Then I finally got it and played it and my jaw hit the friggin floor. As Kaz said the animation is top tier and the artwork for the characters and endings pushes the neogeo to it's limits. I remember some of the first things that impressed me were the fluidity of the characters win poses (like Rock's flaming wings, Hotaru twirling around). My fav stage will always be Rock's cuz the music is some of the best I've heard on the neogeo. Overall this game showed me the neogeo could still turn out some awesome titles. Now where's the friggin sequel?

[Kazuya_UK]

Yeah, I forgot about the awesome endings. Rock's music is also excellent, but I take it all of you noticed the part near the end that was completely ripped from Robert Miles "Children"? If you guys don't know of that song, I'll be happy to upload it for you. In fact, I have a couple of arranged MotW tracks that I'll upload in a sec... you should like these

Kaz

[Kazuya_UK]

Here ya go everyone:

homepage.ntlworld.com/darren_reynolds/motw/

Couple of arranged versions of the MotW music, ripped from the DC version

Kaz

[Raiken]

Thanx man!

[Kazuya_UK]

I'm uploading some more now - also adding a funny MP3 that I found on my HD (MGS2 spoof)... listen to it, I think you'll like it

Check there in 10 mins, still uploading right now

Kaz

[Throwen]

Thanks!

This Game´s best Character was definetly Freeman, he´s original, strong, cool-looking (although I´d never dress like this!!), and has scary, brilliant Moves.

Playmore should make the Endings of KoF like those of MotW!

[Goemon]

Beautiful animations, lots of stylish characters, moves, and music. Nothing much more to ask for in a fighter, this is probly not just my fav neo fighter of all time but my flat out fav fighter of all time. It has tons of replay value imo cause all the characters are fun to play as and have potential to be equal to any other, unique backrounds and bosses also, i really hope playmore releases a sequel with equal quality and fair amount new characters eventually

[BoriquaSNK]

this is the only cartridge that has literally never left my machine. The game is as fluid, playable, and modern now as it was nearly five years ago. The characters are new and many hold distant if non-existent ties with former characters in the fatal fury and AOF series...and it's for this reason that the game succeeds on a story telling level as well as it succeeds at a gameplay level.

The learning curve is steap but accessible and was practically made for players who were retarded by Capcom's sdm motions. The game could let remotely experienced 2d fighting game player walk up, play, and walk off satisfied (after snatching a few dollars in change).

Awesome game...except for Grant...

...Grant sucks. ;D

[umgogo]

I could sum it up in one sentence: MotW is my favourite game in what could be my favourite series, and Freeman is possibly my favourite character in said game.

But I will not.

Some call MotW a simplified version of SF3 with SNK character/moves design. This might be true, and it might also be why I love it. It has the bone/crunching "feel" of the SF3 series (no light "slapping" hit effects here, as in Alpha or the Real Bout games), unusually fluid animation and a more mature atmosphere than its predecessors. To top it off, I enjoy playing as every character except the bosses and Hokutomaru. (Sorry, Kaz, but in my book Grant is mostly boring, although the cutscene is - unintentionally - funny... ;D)

Freeman did not strike me as too compelling at first, but it was not long before I realized that a) he is the closest thing the game has to Dudley and b) his quotes and poses make up for his slightly cartoonish outfit and overly spindly build. I do not count him among the game's top tier characters, and I am not particularly good with him (at least not if one considers how long I have been playing the game), but all the same, I never tire of him. I would, however, prefer if his nationality were stated as "Unknown" - I feel it would suit his concept better (especially since Jack from World Heroes and - for some reason - even Fighter's History's Matlock Jade instantly spring to mind whenever I think "morbid, pseudo-psychotic British fighter").

Other combatants of choice include Kim Dong Hwan (again, I cannot play him that well, but he is great fun to use, what with the aerial options and high/low games) and Rock Howard (good all-rounder, and the only "main character" I regularly play nowadays).

There are only three things that I would say could have been better with the game (except the low number of characters, etc. that might have been addressed in the sequel):

* A few backgrounds could have used more layers of parallax (i.e. more "levels of depth", though they are 2D). The most obvious example would be Rock's stage, where the signs and poles do not "cover different spaces of the wall" depending on where you stand. (I seem to remember that Freeman's stage is handled a mite better, but I could well be wrong.) It is a little hard to convey the meaning unless to someone who has not noticed this, but it makes for a very uneven visual experience, since the attention to detail is otherwise high.

Also, while all of the backgrounds are pleasing to look at per se, the characters do not "blend into" some of them, like Marco's forest and Hokutomaru's street. It looks a bit like they are standing in front of a big screen or as though the sprites have been pasted onto another game's BG. The funny thing is that the majority of them (most notably Terry's, Grant's and Kain's stages) do not suffer from this AT ALL. Oh well.

Finally, they could have come up with something better than a gambling district for Dong Hwan, and Freeman and Kevin HAVE TO fight at a World of Darkness-style, rain-drenched rooftop and just outside a police station in the afternoon (with colleagues cheering), respectively. That is merest common sense.

* Most of the music tracks are IMO not very memorable. Rock's (yes, the "Children" part helps), Gato's (Last Blade-ish score), Hotaru's (Nakoruru's "Silent Hill", anyone?), Jae Hoon's (laid back and pleasant) and Kevin's (which reminds me of a Final Fight tune) are all in character and easy on the ears, but the others simply do not do anything for me. The Griffon's theme, especially, is quite generic (just like his stage) and support the notion that SNK did not spend very much time on him compared to some of the other battlers.

* Average character art (as in close-up pictures and such). While towering over games such as Real Bout 2 and *barf* KOF '01, it does not have the quality of KOF '94/'00 or Fatal Fury 3/Real Bout/Real Bout Special.

All of this (and a faint, SFA1/SF3: NG beta/like scent) notwithstanding, MotW remains one of my most treasured titles, and the fact that there might not be a sequel (and that it has taken this long, if there is one) is nothing short of scandalous.

[ukyo]

First of All thanks Kaz for the topic. I thougt Samurai Shodown was the best 2D fighter ever made until I played this game. This game surpasses SamSho and streefighter. I love the voice acting as well animation and in game music. It is interesting reading people' s favorite characters beacuse I would have never picked them. I love Joe Hoon because I was a huge Kim Kawapan fan for the fatal fury days. Just the sounds he makes when doing his moves is awesome and the idea of stomping on someone's head. Also when he does his supers it the best feeling in the world. I had to buy this game for the dreamcast. I like Dong Hwan for the same reason. There are also characters I like to fight against because they are hard and a certain kool factor resonates from them. 1 Kevin, some of his moves and combos are devastating. Number 2 Butt I think Butt is one of the coolest dressed characters. If you sleep on him he will kill you and before you know it your dead and dont know why. Quick question for you guys what level do you play against the computer on. I'm a level 7 kind of guy.

[seiryu]

BoriquaSNK said:

Awesome game...except for Grant...

...Grant sucks. ;D

*does the con-chair-to move on Boriqua´s neck*

[Throwen]

LOL!! That´s great from the "Great One".

[seiryu]

[glow=green,2,300]Throwen....DUDE.
Could you please change your sig...or at least use just one GIF instead of 3 seperate ones?
The download time of the page is kiling some peeps on slower modems.......[/glow]

[Throwen]

When the Boss is shouting............ ;D