Bitmap Books Returns in Fighting Form with the Launch of Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History, Available 20th May in Standard and Collector’s Editions
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Uncover the Remarkable History of SNK’s Legendary Fighting Franchise in A Gorgeously Illustrated Tome That’s Essential for Arcade Fighting Fans!
London, UK – May 7, 2026 – Bitmap Books, the premium video game book publisher, announced today their latest title, Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History, available in Standard Edition for £34.99 or Collector’s Edition for £54.99 from 20th May, 2026.
Known in Japan under its original name, Garou Densetsu, Fatal Fury is the iconic fighting game franchise from arcade masters SNK, captivating gamers since 1991 and spawning no fewer than seven canon ‘main game’ installments. Fatal Fury was key in defining the fighting game genre and remains a firm favourite amongst the Fighting Game Community to this day.
Instrumental in establishing the NEOGEO as the premium home system for arcade enthusiasts, Fatal Fury’s appeal continues to shine brightly 35 years later and is a hugely popular title on the competitive gaming scene thanks to its tight gameplay, beautifully balanced characters and compelling fighting mechanics.
Celebrating the rich Fatal Fury legacy, Bitmap Books has done justice to this monumental franchise, proudly presenting Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History, a comprehensively written and gorgeously illustrated love letter to fighting game fans, full of history, lore and fascinating insights into the development of the series.
Spanning 460 pages and printed using special Pantone ink and premium paper, Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History explores the legendary series in remarkable detail, informed by candid interviews with key developers from across the Fatal Fury series, including pixel artists Hitoshi Okamoto, Youichiro Soeda, and Nobuyuki Kuroki, planner and designer Takeshi Kimura, and Chief Producer of SNK Fighting Games, Yasuyuki Oda, who also authored the book’s foreword. In compiling the book, Bitmap Books was graciously granted access to the celebrated gaming company’s vast archive of concept sketches, promotional illustrations, and cover art, all of which is presented to the reader in this unmissable guide to the Fatal Fury series.
With Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History, readers are invited to discover the design philosophies that guided each Fatal Fury entry, learn about the intriguing connections with other SNK fighting games such as KOF and Art of Fighting and delve into the comprehensively detailed history of each game in the series, including Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition, Fatal Fury: First Contact, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
From vibrant full-page sprite sheets to carefully reproduced screenshots, as well as concept and promotional artworks by artists including Shinkiro, TONKO and Eiji Shiroi, Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History is essential reading for all self-respecting Fatal Fury fans!
This Standard Edition comes in a large hardback form factor, with cover art that carefully compliments Bitmap Book’s existing SNK volumes; THE KING OF FIGHTERS: The Ultimate History, Metal Slug: The Ultimate History, and NEOGEO: A Visual History.A Collector’s Edition of Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History is also available, offering the most devoted fans the ultimate tribute to Fatal Fury including an interactive slipcase and a selection of exclusive extras.
For more information and to order, please visit Bitmap Books:
Press Contact:
Overload PR on behalf of Bitmap Books
©SNK CORPORATION ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Specifications:
Book: 468 pages. 210mm × 297mm. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Special Pantone ink used throughout. Hardback. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Black foil-blocked cover and spine. Bookmark ribbon. Shrink-wrapped. Free PDF for viewing on the go when purchased directly from www.bitmapbooks.com
Collector’s Edition: 310mm × 220mm × 55mm. Lithographic print. Interactive slipcase that plays sound effects from the game. Shrink-wrapped.
Games Featured:
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, Fatal Fury 2, Fatal Fury Special, Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory, Real Bout Fatal Fury, Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers, Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition, Fatal Fury: First Contact, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
About Bitmap Books:
Founded in 2014 by Sam Dyer, Bitmap Books is a design-led publisher dedicated to producing the highest quality, most visually splendid gaming books ever produced. Renowned for their attention to detail and collaboration with influential outfits, like SEGA, SNK and Atari, as well as industry veterans, including: Mark Cerny, creator of Marble Madness and chief architect of the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita, legendary developer siblings Ste and John Pickford, point-and-click trailblazers Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert, esteemed SNK producer Yasuyuki Oda, and many more, Bitmap Books celebrates the software, hardware, developers, and studios that shaped the games industry and is committed to preserving and sharing the rich history of video games through exceptional design and storytelling. For more information, please visit: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/pages/our-story
