Controls in Fatal Fury COTW: Arcade vs Smart

In the game “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves,” you’ll find that it maintains the traditional control system characteristic of SNK fighting games. Yet, what sets this version apart is the inclusion of an easy-to-use, streamlined input method.

Two distinct control methods cater to both newcomers and experienced fighting game enthusiasts within the game. To be honest, the Arcade Controls in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (COTW) aren’t particularly unique. However, it’s essential that this traditional method is included. On the other hand, introducing Smart Controls represents a significant advancement for the developers.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve found myself pondering the differences between Arcade and Smart controls in my latest journey through Fatal Fury: COTW. Here’s a breakdown of how they differ and what makes each one unique.

Arcade control feels more traditional, mimicking the layout of classic arcade machines. It requires you to use six buttons for punches, kicks, special moves, and character swaps. This setup offers a raw, authentic gaming experience, but it can be challenging for beginners due to its complexity.

On the other hand, Smart control simplifies things by using a single joystick for movement and four attack buttons. It’s perfect for those new to fighting games, as it reduces the learning curve significantly. However, some veterans might find it limiting since it restricts access to certain advanced techniques only available with an arcade-style setup.

Ultimately, whether Arcade or Smart control is “better” depends on your skill level and personal preference. If you’re a seasoned fighter looking for a challenge, go for the Arcade style. But if you’re just starting out or want something more accessible, give Smart control a try!

Control basics — Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

Just like previous Fatal Fury titles, City of the Wolves utilizes four primary control keys for basic attacks, which are commonly referred to as Normal moves.

  • Light and Heavy Punch
  • Light and Heavy Kick

Beyond this, the game features just one exceptional button called REV Guard. This triggers an exclusive mechanic from Fatal Fury COTW known as a Perfect Block. Players can utilize it in conjunction with Normal buttons for evasive maneuvers such as dodging or feinting (a deceptive Special move).

As a dedicated player, I execute special moves and supers using directional inputs combined with regular attacks – just like executing Terry Bogard’s Power Wave by inputting a quarter-circle forward motion followed by a punch. This is reminiscent of classic arcade controls.

As a gamer, I can tell you that the Smart Controls in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves offer some exclusive buttons and even alter the normal input. However, despite the advanced controls, it still sticks to the fundamental control foundation set in place.

Smart Controls in Fatal Fury COTW — simplified input

Players of Fatal Fury execute Normal moves using just two attack keys and straightforward directional commands with the Smart Controls.

AttackPlayStation inputXbox input
Light PunchSquareX
Heavy PunchSquare + ForwardX + Forward
Light KickCrossA
Heavy KickCross + ForwardA + Forward

In the Fatal Fury Customized On-The-Go Smart Controls, three essential moves have separate keys assigned to them. Traditionally, these moves are executed using just two standard moves.

  • Throw — L1 on PlayStation; LB on Xbox.
  • Dodge — L2 on PlayStation; LT on Xbox.
  • REV Blow — R2 on PlayStation; RT on Xbox.

The REV Guard button is universal between two Fatal Fury control schemes.

  • REV Guard — R1 on PlayStation; RB on Xbox.

Smart Combo

With the Smart Controls, you can mash one button and your character will do cool Fatal Fury combos.

  • Smart Combo — Circle on PlayStation; B on Xbox.

Based on your situation and the tools at hand, pressing the Smart Combo button triggers various regular, special, and powerful attacks.

Specials

In the game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, there’s just one control button designated for triggering special moves with the Smart Control system. Since each character has some unique special abilities, you can activate them by pressing the Special Move key along with basic directional inputs.

  • Special Move — Triangle on PlayStation; Y on Xbox.
  • Special Move in neutral or plus forward, down, or backward — the type of your Special changes.

For instance, Terry Bogard’s Neutral Special move is known as Power Wave, while his Forward Special move takes on the form of Power Dunk, which is an entirely distinct action.

With some Specials, you can add a Punch / Kick button to activate a Heavy version of this move.

REV Arts (Super moves)

Performing these incredibly potent moves is quite challenging using the traditional control system. However, they become much easier to execute with the Fatal Fury Smart Controls.

  • Special Move + Punch activates a REV Art of your character — Triangle + Circle on PlayStation; Y + B on Xbox.
  • Add a simple direction input, and the REV Art will be different: forward, down, or backward.

In the game, you can find a list of special and super moves for every character in the menu. It’s crucial to grasp which directions you should input to execute various moves effectively.

Arcade Controls — fighting games classics

In Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the gameplay controls are similar to those found in Street Fighter, The King of Fighters, and older versions of Fatal Fury, following a traditional control scheme from these fighting games.

Each Normal has its dedicated button.

AttackPlayStation inputXbox input
Light PunchSquareX
Heavy PunchTriangleY
Light KickCrossA
Heavy KickCircleB

To activate other basic techniques, you need to press two Normal buttons at the same time.

  • Throw is Light Punch + Light Kick — Square + Cross on PlayStation; X + A on Xbox.
  • REV Blow is Heavy Punch + Heavy Kick — Triangle + Circle on PlayStation; Y + B on Xbox.

The REV Guard button is designed to ensure seamless self-protection. It also has the ability to trigger Dodge when necessary.

  • REV Guard — R1 on PlayStation; RB on Xbox.
  • Dodge is REV Guard + Heavy Punch — R1 + Triangle on PlayStation; RB + Y on Xbox.

In Fatal Fury COTW, there isn’t a specific button for automatic combos when using arcade-style controls. Instead, you must execute each move, including normals, specials, and REV Arts, manually to inflict maximum damage.

Specials

In Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the fundamental principle behind many Special moves typically involves combining directional commands with a regular move (Normal).

  • Quarter-circle forward + Punch / Kick
  • Quarter-circle backward + Punch / Kick
  • 623 + Punch / Kick — a classic Dragon Punch input: forward -> down -> down-forward

Additionally, you’ll find similar input combinations, such as holding down, then pressing up followed by ‘Kick’ for Kain’s Schwarze Lanze. All Fatal Fury COTW Arcade Specials are detailed in the character command lists and can be found on the game’s official website. Don’t forget to take a look!

REV Arts

For newcomers, mastering the execution of Super Moves or REV Arts in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves can prove challenging due to their intricacy. Trying to incorporate them as a final move during high-speed battles might only complicate matters further.

The patterns for Arcade-style REV Arts include the following.

  • Double quarter-circle forward / backward + Punch / Kick
  • Semi-circle forward / backward + Punch / Kick

To fully incorporate these moves into your repertoire, consistent training is essential. Yet, if you’re transitioning from other fighting games to Fatal Fury Championship of the World, these commands should feel quite intuitive and familiar to you.

Smart vs Arcade in Fatal Fury COTW. What to choose?

In a refreshing twist, the streamlined gameplay of Fatal Fury: City of Wolves is impressively well-executed. The developers have adopted a strategy similar to Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, making actions more straightforward than their traditional quarter-circle counterparts. Furthermore, the Smart controls echo those in Street Fighter 6’s Modern system, but with a more distinct separation between Light and Heavy Normal moves.

In my experience as a fan, one significant drawback I’ve encountered with the Fatal Fury COTW Smart Controls is the frequent occurrence of accidental input errors during high-speed matches. It seems that when characters are constantly moving around the stage, it’s easy for me to press the wrong directional input for movement or crouching, which in turn affects my intended use of the Special Button. This often results in unintended actions like a projectile turning into an uppercut, leaving me vulnerable to attacks.

  • Smart Controls are an excellent choice for beginners in the fighting games genre and for many casual players. You control everything that happens on the screen, and you don’t need to practice difficult directional inputs. Wrong Specials and REV Arts may appear here and there, so pay attention to this aspect.

Arcade style

The traditional design of Arcade Controls is simply delightful. Performing a quarter-circle move and witnessing a projectile strike my opponent is incredibly satisfying. With practice, mistakes in inputs gradually diminish and vanish.

Training the Arcade input for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves can be quite time-consuming, except if you’re already an experienced player. The REV Art inputs, in particular, tend to pose challenges.

  • Arcade Controls require practice, but then, this scheme becomes more precise and satisfying to use. It opens the door to fighting creativity, like your own combos in Fatal Fury COTW. It’s the best choice for experienced fighting games players and those who want to dive deeper into the game and the genre.

Feel free to explore different control options and pick what works best for you. If you’re interested in improving your skills, it could be beneficial to start with Smart controls and then transition to Arcade as you progress. Remember not to rely too heavily on the Smart controls’ muscle memory. Instead, familiarize yourself with the game’s fundamentals and your character, and then focus on mastering the Arcade style. If you prefer sticking to Smart controls because they fit your playstyle better, that’s perfectly fine!

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2025-04-16 11:47

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