Blue Mary is definitely back in South Town and will be playable in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Personally, I’ve never really gravitated to using grapplers in any fighting game, but since it is the month of wrestling, why not? Recently SNK gave us a chance to see the Sambo master Blue Mary in action earlier than her release date, which we’re pretty excited about!
Tools from Blue Mary’s Shop
Nearly every move that Mary contains additional inputs that can lead into an unblockable throw for either the Heavy or Rev versions. It’s like watching Donnie Yen’s SPL fighting style, where everything flows into a throw. Even her Rev Blow aerial is a grab. Vertical Arrow is definitely a good option for anti-air, while Straight Slicer is a charge move similar to Cammy’s Spiral Arrow. Her normals are also beneficial, too. Blue Mary’s universal overhead has two hits.
Blue Mary’s Quick Step moves allow her standard special attacks to act as follow-ups, turning offense into a solid defensive option when needed. Both Quick Step A (forward) and Quick Step D (back) versions include Quick Counter, Quick Slicer, Quick Arrow, and Quick Fall, which mirror their standard counterparts but require fewer inputs during Quick Steps. One Quick Step can even be chained into the other.
Luckily, all versions of Quick Step share the same vulnerability in terms of frames, so there’s no advantage lost between variations. Even better, Quick Step can be added into combos to cancel into specials, and these moves do not need the Heavy versions to include throw inputs.
Quick Step doesn’t grant invincibility and can be interrupted, making it possible to knock Blue Mary out of it. However, Real Counter after a Quick Step still provides that invincibility. Blue Mary’s Spin Fall is an overhead that works better without SPG but can be hard to capitalize on due to its startup. It can be punished hard by anti-airs, though Rev canceling might give it some combo utility. Using Break Moves for Mary unlocks a lot of her combo potential alongside using quick step. Mary can be punished hard when she whiffs her specials because of her huge recovery frames.
Mary’s signature move Real Counter returns in City of the Wolves. Real Counter dodges projectiles as usual and includes the classic delayed suplex command throw that can set up additional Rev options to cancel. There are also OTG opportunities thanks to the flexibility of the REV system. Blue Mary’s M. Dynamite Swing serves as a strong anti-air super in both Redline and Ignition.
Luckily, Blue Mary doesn’t need her install from Real Bout (M. Escalation) in order to use Dynamite Swing. Oddly enough, Blue Mary’s other super (M. Arrest D) deals more damage in Ignition than in Redline.
Semi Final Report
Mary is a solid addition those who are into dedicated throw-focused fighters in City of the Wolves. While she differs from throw options from Kevin and Tizoc, she’s very fun to use. She brings a strong mix of speed and stopping power for players who want to keep the pressure on their opponents.
Blue Mary will be available next week on March 26th, so there could still be changes before her full release. For fans of her The King of Fighters series renditions or even Real Bout, there’s still alot to take in with the new mechanics for Blue Mary to shine.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is currently available for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).
