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DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
Software Product Code NGM-258 was a mystery for many years. And although we had a
few logical possibilities for which title it may have been assigned to, it remained
unknown until 2022. We had generally leaned towards Garou 2 being the most likely
candidate, but we were unable to confirm it until now. Recently, after finding
supportive evidence, we have come to the conclusion that it was indeed Garou 2.
NGM-258, was a circa 2000 position in the catalog and it occupied the absolute
youngest undiscovered position on the list. It was quite literally, SNK's last
unused product number and SNK's final unreleased NEOGEO title.
It looks like SNK was working on a Fatal Fury 9 (Garou 2 or Garou Special) before pulling
the plug on software development. A few circa 2001 CD ROM discs containing art assets from
the project which had been discarded by SNK, were found and revealed to the internet in the
Sping of 2022. In addition, two pictures of the alleged game being played surfaced which
clearly show a MotW character (Marco Rodriguez) fighting Mr. Karate (an Art of Fighting boss)
with a beach-like background, neither of which were in the first MotW game. Wether or not the
screen captures were faked, the art assets were confirmed as real, and the time period fits
the NGM-258 product number parameteres perfectly.
INFORMATION TIMELINE:
-- November 1999 -- SNK releases Mark of the Wolves / Fatal Fury 8.
-- January 2000 -- Aruze/SETA (arcade pachinko company) acquires SNK.
-- June 2000 -- SNK closes all USA operations.
-- April 2001 -- SNK applies for rehabilitation.
-- June 27th 2001 -- (file date found on the DVD ROM DISCS that were saved.)
-- August 2001 -- SNK Founder Eikichi Kawasaki forms PLAYMORE Corporation.
-- October 2001 -- SNK declares bankruptsy.
-- July 2003 -- PLAYMORE reclaims the rights from Aruze to the SNK name
-- October 2003 -- 2 mysterious pictures with screenshots are found on the internet.
-- July 2004 -- SNK PLAYMORE releases NGH-272 the final NEOGEO software product
-- April 2022 -- 2 abandoned and discarded SNK CD ROM discs are found with Garou materials.
-- May 2022 -- Garou 2 backgrounds and sprites are among the materials on the SNK CD discs.
CREDIT goes to Jesus Campos Nerkin for creating the composite screens shown here.
NOTE: NGM-258 may have originally been assigned to an early beta build of SNK versus
Capcom which was being developed in 1999/2000 simultaneoulsy with Capcom versus SNK. It
was during this time that the Capcom version of the game was released. However, due to
the difficulties SNK faced in 2000, the SNK game was likely put on hold and delayed for
3 years. Typically, when this happens, the product number is revoked and reassigned. So
even if it had at one point been assigned NGM-258, after its' cancelation, the number
would have been reassigned to the Fatal Fury 9 project.
CURRENT STATUS: INCOMPLETE / UNFINISHED
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