Game Boy Advance owners have seen a lot of great fighting games. From Street
Fighter II: Turbo to Tekken Advance, gamers no longer have to stay home to get
their fighting game fix. Adding to the list of stellar games is Sammy, who
has brought SNK’s stellar King of Fighters series to everyone’s favorite
portable game system. Although pocket-sized, The King of Fighters: NeoBlood
EX’s fun is as big as some of the best console fighting games available.
To the uninformed gamer, the
KoF series may appear to be a major Street Fighter knock-off. If the only
characters you’re familiar with are Ryo, Chang and Andy, you’d be right.
Those characters mimic at least some of Ken, Zangeif and Ryu’s moves,
respectively. But the other characters, especially the female fighters, are
much more unique than that. Moe has a nice array of kick and punch attacks
that are ever-so-slightly reminiscent of Xiayou (from Tekken). She has very
little in common with the ladies of Street Fighter, except for the fact that
most of her moves are performed with rolling motions (this is true for all the
characters in the game). Mai is another unique character. She uses fans like
Kitana from Mortal Kombat, but her attacks are almost entirely physical; Mai
can throw one of her fans for a quick attack, but her strength comes in the
form of her ability to get up close and personal with her opponents and win.
Leona is another great physical fighter, using a fake (but cool-looking) kick
boxing style. There are 18 fighters in all, most of which have a great (but
small) list of unique special moves and attacks.
For a Game Boy Advance
game, KoF: NeoBlood EX moves remarkably fast. It’s not as fast as Capcom’s
Vs. games or Mortal Kombat 4 (which were developed for the arcade, and then
the consoles), but all of the characters have the ability to perform their
moves very quickly. General movement (walking, running, jumping, etc.) is
also relatively fast.
KoF: NeoBlood EX tells a
story about a King of Fighters Tournament, which is about as original as the
King of Iron Fist Tournament. Some old guy wants power. The only way to
obtain the desired power is by having a tournament, which will lead all of his
enemies into a trap, thus opening the door to powerful success. As the
fighters battle their way through the KoF Tournament, they repeat the same
lines over and over again (a la Street Fighter). Andy consistently reminds us
that you "can’t win on talent alone," while Moe can’t seem to stop questioning
her beauty. It amuses me that game developers say that the story is an
important part of fighting games, because it never has and never will be the
reason why I play them. If this empty storyline was the only thing the game
had to offer, it wouldn’t be worth playing. Thankfully, it has a lot more to
offer than that.
This game is a must-buy
for every fighting fan. Whether you like Street Fighter, Tekken or something
else, KoF: NeoBlood EX is entertaining enough for everyone to enjoy. The
variety in special moves and attacks is amazing. You won’t spend a lifetime
trying to master this game, but you will spend weeks — maybe even several
months — playing against your friends. It’s the kind of game that makes you
glad that Game Boy Advance is portable, because it enables you to enjoy the
game everywhere you go. It’s the kind of game you could take on a road trip
to entertain you and your older/younger brother. Up until this point, my
experience with the King of Fighters series did not extend far beyond Capcom
Vs. SNK 1 and 2. Now that I’ve played and fallen in love with KoF: NeoBlood
EX, I’m saddened by the loss of SNK as a developer. Its properties have been
picked up by other publishers, but without SNK at the helm, it just won’t be
the same. This game was developed by Marvelous Entertainment, but SNK laid
out all of the ground work for them. Both developers have done a stellar
job. Hopefully the creators of the series will start their own development
studio and continue making great fighting games.
Gameplay: 8.7
You won’t believe
how much depth is packed inside this tiny game! The fact that this game has
18 playable fighters is more than enough of a reason for gamers to sit up and
take notice. But when you add in all of the unique special moves, this game
becomes more than a fighting game with variety, it becomes an extremely
entertaining package that you should have shipped to your home immediately.
Graphics: 8.5
Fighting games
have proven to be the best way to demonstrate the GBA’s 2D power. The
graphics are nice and clear, with fairly decent backgrounds, great-looking
characters and higher quality animation.
Sound: 7
The sound quality
is pretty low, but the music is actually good. The kick/punch sound effects
aren’t bad either.
Difficulty: Easy
It won’t be hard
for fighting fans (and especially fighting masters) to enter the King of
Fighters Tournament and win.
Concept: 7.4
What do you get
when you shrink the latest King of Fighters game down to the small,
easy-to-carry GBA format? An extremely memorable fighting game that no
fighting fan should live without.
Multiplayer: 8.7
Overall: 8.7
Marvelous
Entertainment has created a game that is truly marvelous. Game Boy Advance
owners take note: this is a must-buy fighting game. I repeat, a must-buy
fighting game! The King of Fighters series may not be that familiar to you,
but it should be, because this is one of the best fighting games out there.
