Brutal: Paws of Fury was released in 1994 on the Amiga, Sega Genesis and Sega Mega-CD, and was ported to the Super NES later the same year. Another version, Brutal: Above the Claw was released on the 32X and PC in 1995 with two new playable characters and a remixed introduction. The general content and gameplay has remained constant throughout all incarnations, although the Sega releases boasted superior graphics and sound. Many fighting game fans preferred the SNES version, if only due to the 6-button controller, each button to correspond with strong, medium, and weak punches/kicks, while the standard Sega Genesis 3-button controller forced players to toggle between punches and kicks. This could be remedied with use of the Sega 6 button pad.The game also featured an ability to learn new moves and save them via a password feature.
Playable Characters:
- Kung Fu Bunny - A rabbit monk.
- Prince Leon of Kenya - A lion rock star.
- Rhei Rat - A rat who is an accomplished Thai boxer.
- Tai Cheetah - A cheetah who is mentoring Kendo Coyote.
- Kendo Coyote - A coyote who is motivated by greed.
- Foxy Roxy - A lycra-wearing vixen, who is a politician and social activist.
- Ivan the Bear - A bear who claims to be the strongest animal in the world.
- Panthra - A panther who is a member of a sinister cult.
- Karate Croc - A crocodile bar brawler.
- Dalai Llama - A llama who is currently the holder of the Belt of Heaven championship.
Note: Karate Croc and the Dalai Llama are only playable by means of inputting a secret button sequence, and The Pantha is only available in the Sega CD version.
Brutal: Above the Claw introduces two additional characters:
- Chung Poe - A mole who can transform into an anthropomorphic bat-dragon hybrid during battle.
- Psycho Kitty - A cat who apparently suffers from hyperactivity.