![Brutal - Paws of Fury [Model SNSP-ABLP-EUR] screenshot](images/game/62811_2.png "Brutal - Paws of Fury [Model SNSP-ABLP-EUR]")
Brutal - Paws of Fury © 1994 GameTek.
Brutal - Paws of Fury is an anthropomorphic fighting game developed by Eurocom and published by GameTek. Departing from the traditional human combatants found in titles like Street Fighter II, this game features a roster of martial arts-trained animalsâincluding rabbits, panthers, and bearsâfighting for the right to challenge the evil Tai Pan. The game distinguishes itself with a unique "kata" system: rather than memorizing complex joystick motions for every move, players can learn and assign specific fighting techniques to button combinations. This customization allowed for a more personalized combat style, focusing on strategy and move management as much as execution speed.
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GAME ID: SNSP-ABLP-EUR
BARCODE: 5 026555 080064
Unlike many of the Japanese-developed fighting games on the system, Brutal was developed in the UK. This gives the game a distinct aestheticâthe character designs, influenced by a blend of American comic book styles and 90s animal-action tropes, look and feel noticeably different from the standard Japanese anime-inspired fighters.
Customizable Combat: The standout feature of Brutal was the ability to learn and "equip" moves. As players progressed through the single-player mode, they visited masters who taught them new katas. The player could then decide which moves to map to the Super Famicom controller, effectively allowing them to create a custom fighting style for their chosen animal.
The "Kenshiro" Inspiration: The gameâs premiseâa lone martial artist seeking vengeance against a corrupt tyrant in a dark, slightly dystopian settingâowes a clear stylistic debt to the Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken) franchise, though it trades human grit for a more "furry" and whimsical character roster.
Technical Performance: Being an early-to-mid 16-bit fighting game, the developers pushed the Super Famicom's sprite rotation and scaling capabilities to make the character animations feel fluid. While it doesn't match the pixel-perfect responsiveness of Capcomâs Street Fighter series, it offers a distinct, weightier feel that rewards players who master their custom move sets.
The Tai Pan Final Boss: The final encounter with Tai Pan is notoriously difficult, serving as a "skill check" for whether the player has properly balanced their offensive and defensive moves. Tai Pan utilizes a wider range of techniques than any other character, forcing the player to adapt their strategy rather than relying on a single "spamming" tactic.
Critical Reception: The game holds a unique place in the history of the genre; it was often praised for its innovation in the "custom move" department but criticized for its somewhat floaty hit-detection compared to the arcade giants of the day. For collectors, it remains a fascinating example of 90s experimental fighting games that dared to try something different from the standard genre blueprint.
