**Mr. BIG: A Formidable Finale to Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves’ First Year of DLC**
Mr. BIG serves as an intriguing bookend to the first year of DLC for *Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves*. As the original boss from *Art of Fighting*, Mr. BIG has been a longtime menace in South Town, serving as one of Geese Howard’s chief henchmen for decades. Though his appearances in *The King of Fighters* series have been rare, his presence remains impactful.
In *City of the Wolves*, Mr. BIG shows signs of age and wisdom but still packs a mean streak, especially with his signature Eskrima sticks. Boasting a well-rounded and versatile move set, he promises to be just as formidable as ever. I had the chance to preview him and experienced firsthand just how dangerous he can be.
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### BIG Style, BIG Moves
While Mr. BIG might not have the traditional privileges of an SNK boss character in *City of the Wolves*, his capabilities give plenty to be excited about. His Eskrima sticks provide reach that many other characters simply don’t have. Additionally, he features normals that advance as he backs up, alongside a satisfying jab string that can keep opponents on their toes while you strategize your next attack.
He retains much of the moveset from previous games, with a few fresh twists. His ground projectile, forward diving attack, and rapid strikes remain intact. Added to these are a solid uppercut, a command throw, and a parry special—enhancing his threat level and combat variety.
My personal favorite move is his far Heavy Punch. Mr. BIG lunges forward with a strike and can follow up with a second Heavy Punch that combos into other attacks. This move is fantastic for baiting opponents and punishing their attempts to counter. It can lead to significant damage finishes with a REV Blow, super move, or even his Hidden Gear technique.
What’s surprising is that despite having a move for nearly every situation, Mr. BIG still maintains impressive range.
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### Strengths and Weaknesses
That said, there are a few notable drawbacks to Mr. BIG’s arsenal. For starters, he lacks any kicking attacks. While this means he misses out on the range other characters gain from their legs, he compensates with some of the best punching pokes and combo potential in *City of the Wolves*.
Another challenge lies in combo execution. It can be tricky to connect jump attacks into ground attacks due to a particularly tight link window—even compared to characters known for difficult jump strings. His jumping cross-up is also somewhat flimsy; you must land almost directly on your opponent for it to succeed. Attempting a cross-up improperly can result in whiffing and leaving yourself open to heavy punishment.
I also found his close Heavy Kick underwhelming. Though it hits multiple times, it didn’t open up follow-up opportunities, resulting in just quick damage where more versatile options might have delivered better results.
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### Making Way for the BIG Guy
Mr. BIG undoubtedly capped off the first year of *Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves* DLC in a truly “big” way. This iteration feels like one of the best versions of the character I have played, loaded with nasty tools to pressure and punish opponents.
Whether you prefer to control the screen with his tricky projectile game, bait foes in with his heavy punches, overwhelm them with rapid strikes, or apply relentless pressure with his command throw and supers, Mr. BIG offers a robust and rewarding playstyle.
He has the potential to rival Billy Kane in terms of how imposing and annoying he can be. We’ll soon find out how he fares as he enters public matchmaking. One thing is certain: Mr. BIG rounds out *City of the Wolves*’ first season of character DLC in style.
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*These impressions are based on an early preview of the game using a pre-release version of the character. Mr. BIG will be available on all platforms as part of the paid Season Pass 1 DLC series for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.*
https://www.shacknews.com/article/147039/fatal-fury-city-of-the-wolves-mr-big-preview
