While most of
America’s fighting game fans concern themselves primarily with either Namco- or
Capcom-made fighters, in Japan, SNK’s King of Fighters series is arguably the
most popular, and has been going strong now for well over a decade. Originally
designed to be a mash-up of characters from several different SNK series (Art of
Fighting and Fatal Fury being their two main fighting game series beforehand),
King of Fighters quickly overtook its “parent” titles in popularity and began
receiving yearly installments. Despite the games’ success in the East, America
has seen only sporadic localization of the various titles, and they usually sell
only to the SNK hardcore fans. This year, the US was not only lucky enough to
receive a translated version of the latest KoF, but at a budget price, it might
just be the best bargain in gaming this winter.
Like the other
King of Fighters titles, the game’s storyline is more or less a silly
afterthought. Mysterious groups working with nefarious agendas and stolen
ancient magical artifacts both play into the plot, but when you get down to it,
all you need to know is that thirty-three of the world’s best fighters (divided
into 11 three-person teams) take each other on in the King of Fighters
tournament.
The quick combat
can get pretty frantic at times.
But who cares
about the plot? Any fighting game lives and dies on the strength of its
gameplay, and I’m happy to say that King of Fighters XI has got depth and
playability in spades. Fans of the series will be familiar with the myriad of
complex maneuvers at your disposal, including Desperation Moves, Guard Cancels,
and Tag Attacks, not to mention the new abilities added just for this
installment, including Dream Cancels, Saving Shift, and a Skill Bar that
operates in addition to the Power Bar from previous installments. As you can
probably tell all this can be a little intimidating to series newcomers, but
none of it’s necessary to enjoy the game; it merely adds layers of tactical
depth for those hardcore fans who crave it. Controls are quick and responsive,
and special moves require simple input to execute (these will be familiar to
fighting game fans, as they are mostly of the traditional, quarter-circle
forward + punch variety). Returning for this installment for the first time
since 2003 is the series’ tag system, which allows players to switch between
their team’s three characters in the middle of a battle (or even in the middle
of a combo, thanks to the new Quick Shift maneuver), adding yet another layer of
tactical depth to the combat.
The game doesn’t
fare quite as well in the technical end of things. The 2D sprite-based graphics
are the result of many years of honing and perfecting, but they’re not
particularly detailed. Recent titles like Odin Sphere and GrimGrimoire have
shown what the PS2 is capable of in terms of 2D graphics, and what’s present
here simply doesn’t measure up. The backgrounds look great, but the characters
are jarringly low quality in comparison. They’re not terrible, and they animate
beautifully, but the simple fact of the matter is that this game has its roots
in an antiquated arcade hardware board and it shows. Some might not like the
game’s music, either, but as far as I’m concerned, generic Japanese techno-rock
is the perfect audio background for this type of game. The rest of the game’s
audio is well done, with plenty of crisp sound effects and voice clips (in
Japanese, of course).
While the
backgrounds look great, the characters are disappointingly low-res.
Even with its
(minor) technical problems, King of Fighters XI shines. With almost fifty
characters (counting unlockables), several game modes, and tons of depth to
discover, the game would be a bargain at full price. The fact that SNK Playmore
has decided to release it for a mere 20 bones is just icing on the cake. Sure,
not everybody will appreciate a deep, complex Japanese 2D fighter. For anyone
with even a modicum of interest in the genre, though, King of Fighters XI is
definitely recommended. It’s the most bang for your buck you’re likely to find
on the PS2.
|
Review Scoring Details |
Gameplay:
8.7
There’s enough
silky-smooth, fast-paced fighting action here to satisfy even the most
discerning of SNK fanboys. While the more complex gameplay elements are likely
to overwhelm the casual player, anyone can pick up a controller, dish out a
beatdown, and have a good time. KoF XI plays as well as or better than any
other 2D fighter to date.
Gameplay: 8.7
Graphics: 6.8
The art style is
great, the backgrounds look great, and the animation is gorgeous, but the
characters themselves (which is what you’re looking at 90% of the time) are
dated and low-res.
Sound: 7.1
While the music is
forgettable Japanese techno (in that classic fighting game style), sound effects
are crisp and plentiful, and voice-overs are frequent and well done (even though
they’re in Japanese).
Difficulty: Hard
Actually, only the
last boss is really difficult, but boy, is he ever. Frustrating, cheap, and
overpowered are just a few of the terms that will probably come to mind when you
face him down. The rest of the game is remarkably well-balanced, with no
particular team dominating the game.
Concept: 7.5
When it comes to
2D fighters, SNK’s a master of the form. Most, if not all, of the gameplay
additions here are brilliant, and add a new layer of tactics to what was already
a deep fighter.
Overall: 8.1
Sure, the game’s
far from perfect. Still, it’s one of best fighting games ever to grace the PS2,
and for only 20 bucks, it’s about the best deal in gaming today. Pick it up,
have some buddies over, and remember the fun a well-made 2D fighter can deliver.
