Bloody Roar: The Fang (2001)
Manga Cover
Released in two volumes in Monthly Shonen Jump, this manga is set in an alternate universe where none of the game characters make an appearance. The story’s set around Mashiro, an ordinary high school girl. After finding out her dreams in which she becomes a rabbit at night are real, she also finds out her teacher is a sinister Tylon scientist. She’s saved by Fang, wolf zoanthrope and freelance journalist who’s out to cover zoanthrope appearances in their hometown. As the two team up to investigate together, the plot eventually climaxes in a search for four mystic talismans before the scientist can awaken an evil creature.
It’s a pretty decent read, with some well-done art provided by Maruyama Tomowo and some good fight scenes. Seeing the characters getting to interact outside of a short ending scene is fun, and the ‘mystery of the week’ theme the manga kicks off with is interesting. Unfortunately, only four chapters of the currently have an English translation, long before the real plot begins in earnest. There’s also an untranslated bonus chapter that shows how Fang got involved in the events of Bloody Roar Extreme that appears in V-Jump’s official strategy guide for the game.
Dream Mix TV: World Fighters – Sony Playstation 2, Nintendo GameCube (2003)
Japanese GameCube Cover
This is a Super Smash Brothers-esque crossover fighter, starring characters from Hudson, Konami, and the Japanese toy company Takara. Yugo is the sole representative of the franchise, specifically his Primal Fury incarnation. Throughout the game, you only play as his wolf form, with his human form only appearing in his win pose and his menus. Unfortunately, the game itself isn’t great, with floaty movement, very simple movesets, and a win condition that makes matches tend to drag on. Because of that, you don’t really need to play it unless you’re a superfan of both Bloody Roar and obscure platform fighters.
