Surely there are enough 2D sprite based fighting games in the world already? Well, with the release of the twelfth instalment of their flagship series ‘King of Fighters’ (KOF), SNK Playmore have demonstrated that they think otherwise.
Though KOF is primarily a game to be found in the arcades, the series and its characters have appeared on home gaming consoles before; perhaps most famously its fighters appeared in the PS2 games ‘SNK vs. Capcom’.
Now KOF makes its next gen debut on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, but does the revival of such an antiquated style of fighting game merit our time when games like ‘UFC 2009’ are constantly pushing the boundaries of fighting realism, where ‘Mortal Kombat’ and now even ‘Street Fighter’ have entered the third dimension?
If you played any fighting games during the 1990’s you’ve already seen most of what KOF XII has to offer, and if you aren’t familiar with it’s 15 year mythology, there shouldn’t be a problem as this instalment lacks either a story mode or a traditional arcade tournament. Instead it offers only a time trial mode, two player versus and the option for online play.
The characters are fairly diverse, with the fluid animation giving each a distinct personality. Although each character boasts depth in the length of their command lists, it’s clear that moves have been unfairly distributed by the game’s designers, making some fighters far superior than others.
The AI is fairly challenging, but fighting against a second player is where the real fun begins, providing the same addictive, repetitive and competitive thrills as its many predecessors.
Hilarity is guaranteed for the less hardcore of us as our character squats in their corner kicking and punching the air in an effort to trigger overly complicated special moves. Despite the fun to be had on two player, there’s nothing new here, and with only five venues to fight in it soon all feels far too familiar.
So, why does KOF XII need to be next gen? The game’s sleeve argues that it is to support the ‘high definition painted visuals’, which suggests something about the game’s target audience: fans of the series and hardcore animé buffs.
There is no denying that this is a beautiful game, boasting the franchise’s first full graphics overhaul in 14 years. With no in-game cinematics it’s clear that this game is geared towards painted art work, with painstakingly detailed hand-drawn backgrounds, and player rewards consisting of pictures unlocked in the game’s gallery. It is undoubtedly a collector’s piece.
It also does a fair job of transplanting all the excitement of the arcade into your home, with retro synthesised music and cheesy deep voiced fight commentators aplenty. However, although these touches account for the charms of the game, they also explain its flaws.
Limited venues and unbalanced characters might not be noticeable, and a few minutes nostalgia might be welcome, as you play the time allotted for a 50p go in an arcade.
Unfortunately, if you’d paid the full RRP of £34.99 to take this home, you might feel instead that you’d bought something you’d already played 10 years ago.