Rock Howard

From SNK Wiki

Rock Howard
Rock Howard in KOF: Maximum Impact 2.
Profile
Full name	Rock Howard
Birthdate	June 24; 17 years old
Birthplace	Southtown, USA
Height	178 cm (5'10')
Weight	70 kg (154 lbs)
Blood type	B
Family/Relatives	Geese Howard (father), Marie Heinlein (mother), Wolfgang Krauser (half-uncle), Kain R. Heinlein (uncle), Terry Bogard (legal guardian)
Job/Occupation	Student
Likes	The hat Terry gave him, his Honda bike that he bought with his earnings, driver gloves
Dislikes	People who boast all the time
Hobbies	Touring, playing the bass (he can perfectly copy any song he hears once)
Favorite food	Jambalaya (but he doesn't like the sausages)
Forte in sports	Street Basket (3 on 3)
Special skill	Cooking
Most unpleasant	Women (growing up with a bunch of men, he's become a little shy)
Favorite music	Hard Rock
Measurements (bust, waist, hip)	-- cm, 67 cm, -- cm
Fighting style	Martial Arts

Rock Howard (ロック・ハワード, Rokku Hawādo) is a video game character who was introduced in SNK Playmore's fighting game Garou: Mark of the Wolves, the last chapter in the Fatal Fury series.

Although his appearance in the 2D King of Fighters is highly anticipated, the KOF staff revealed that they have no plans to place him in the roster due to their respects for the old Fatal Fury staff. SNK Playmore members seem more interested in placing Rock in the next Fatal Fury installment. He was voted as the number one favorite character at the time of his debut.

Rock is voiced by Eiji Takemoto and Mike Lane.

[edit] History

Rock is the son of the most noteworthy crime lord in Southtown, Geese Howard. Although he knew of his father's existence, he grew up living a modest life with his mother in a small apartment. He often wondered about his father and was excited at the prospect of someday meeting him. When Rock was seven, his mother contracted a mysterious disease and he tried his best to nurse her to health. As her illness worsened, Rock went to Geese Tower and met his father for the first time in his life. Though the boy pleaded for medical aid and told him that Marie desperately wanted to see him, Geese would have nothing to do with the matter and sent him away. Marie died the same night and Rock has had a grudge against his father ever since.

A year later, Rock meets Terry, who finally settled his vendetta against Geese. Rather than hate his father's enemy, he felt a complicated mix of loneliness and joy knowing that his father died. Since Terry left the scene soon after, the boy followed him and attended his street fights. Rock angrily charged at him once after learning about his father's death. After their scuffle, Terry quietly accepts him and they begin their travels together.

As the years go by, Rock becomes a formidable fighter, due in no small part to having been trained by Terry. Approximately ten years after Geese's death, Second Southtown was established. During this time, a new King of Fighters tournament arose dubbed Maximum Mayhem, which Rock decides to join to search for his purpose in life.

By the end of the tournament, Rock finds his final opponent is Kain R. Heinlein, who reveals himself to be both the host and Rock's uncle. Upon winning, Rock discovered that the tournament was orchestrated by Kain to bring Rock to him. Kain, aware that Geese Howard's will held presumably valuable secrets but unable to discover them without assistance, won Rock's aid in working through the document by offering information regarding Rock's mother—whom Kain claimed was still alive. Terry accepts Rock's decision to become Kain's new partner, with Rock promising to return.

In his development blog for KOF: Maximum Impact 2, Ureshino states that he doesn't know about Rock's mother or the true inheritor of Geese's legacy but hints that it would most likely conflict with Terry. Rock's scenario in this game explores his personal take on the character's actions in the yet to be released Mark of Wolves sequel.

[edit] Personality

Rock is a shy young man with an inner struggle. Every day, Rock fights off his evil side and tries to get out of the shadow of his father. He isn't proud of his heritage and refuses to refer to Geese as his father, stating him to be "that man" or "that person". He's the middle term between Geese's excessive evil and Terry's excessive festive personality. Rock is also a very compassionate man, offering to help those in need (he offered to help Hotaru Futaba find her brother). He is also a childhood friend of Kim's sons.

[edit] Powers

Gather Chi: Rock can gather chi energy from Gaia, the mother-earth.
Sense: Rock can sense the presence of people nearby.
Energy Projectile: Rock can fire a projectile of energy called Repuuken, just like his father's. He can even use the Double Repuuken.
Energy Attack: Rock can use chi energy to increase the damage of his normal attacks (punches, kicks,...). He uses this power in a similar fashion Terry does and sometimes, the energy takes the form of wings.
Energy Geyser: By touching the ground with his hands, Rock can make a geyser of energy come from below the ground. He called this attack Raging Storm. Rock's Raging Storm differs from Geese because Rock's version is weaker.

[edit] Skills

Acrobatics: Taught by Terry, Rock is proficient in acrobatics. His move Rising Tackle is an example of this.
Musical Instrument: Rock is a very skillful bass player.
Motorcycle Driving: Rock likes to drive around Second Southtown with his Honda.

[edit] Fighting Style

Much of Rock's fighting style came from Terry and Geese. Terry taught him the arts of Boxing, Kung Fu, Kickboxing and Street Fighting; while he instinctively uses Kobujutsu moves derived from Geese Howard. Even so, Rock uses a unique fighting style.

[edit] Music

Spread the Wings: Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Raging Fight - Days of Memories

[edit] Game Appearances

Rock's card in Card Fighters Clash DS.

[edit] Mobile Appearances

Days of Memories (fourth, eighth, and ninth title) - unplayable

[edit] Cameo Appearances

Fatal Fury 3 - during Terry's ending
Real Bout Fatal Fury - during Terry's ending
Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 - during Terry's ending
The King of Fighters 2001 - during Terry's winposes
The King of Fighters 2002 - during Terry's winposes
The King of Fighters 2003 - during the Fatal Fury Team's ending
The King of Fighters '94: Rebout - background cameo
Garou Densetsu Special - cameo

[edit] Anime Appearances

[edit] Trivia

Rock's face looks similar to Kaede from The Last Blade, featuring nearly identical hair color, style and eyes. Possibly to take a jab at this similarity, SNK Playmore included Kaede's outfit as an extra uniform for both KOF: Maximum Impact games.
The kid in Terry's endings for Fatal Fury 3, Real Bout Fatal Fury, and Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 is Rock. All About SNK has also confirmed this. He -or someone who looks like him- also makes an appearance in the Fatal Fury team's ending in The King of Fighters 2003. He also makes a cameo in Terry's winposes during KOF 2001 and 2002. He appears as a child with an orange shirt.

[edit] Sprites

[edit] Gallery

Rock with Terry's cap	Rock artwork from Capcom vs. SNK 2	Rock Howard in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum	Rock in KOF Maximum Impact
Rock's Another outfit in the Maximum Impact series	Rock in The King of Fighters: Another Day