The seventh and last SNK-produced King of Fighters game was recently emulated, and seeing as I’m too poor to own a Neo*Geo, and too scared of the big boys at the arcade - this was my first real chance to have a good long look at it.

Was it worth the wait? Does it live up to the name? Well, yes and yes - but it’s a slightly tentative yes, because while it towers incredibly over about 90% of all known fighting games - there’s no way it’s the best KOF game.

On the surface, it seems fairly similar. You pick a team of four, either a predetermined ‘theme team’, or not - then fight through six other teams and then a boss. Hit him until he dies, then cut to badly-translated end sequence and funky credits. However play it a little while longer, and it becomes clear that the game has been ‘dumbed down’, even more so than ‘99 - and while it’s doesn’t quite reach Capcom’s levels of utter debasement, several key changes to the engine have been made, with what appears to be the intention of making it more exciting and accessible to KOF newbies.

The biggest change to the gameplay is the ‘active striker’ system - going one step beyond KOF’99’s system, this year round a a striker can be called pretty much anytime, except when being hit, doing a DM or at the very start of a special move. This brings both good and bad things to the KOF table. The combo possibilities open up incredibly, what with the added hits from rush attack strikers, juggle combos from throw/hold strikers and all sort of goodies, it’s also damn good fun and ups the pace significantly, the action more hectic and the pressure higher than past games.

BUT (and that ‘but’ should echo like the door to a huge tomb slamming shut forever) they also make things cheaper, lamer and duller. Landing DMs is no longer the art form it once was, just call a striker, and while they’re hitting, do the motion and bam. So you can do jump in attack > standing attack > special > striker > standing attack > super. Bleh. In SNK’s favour, they did try and make it harder to land combos like that by having the strikes knock down, or push away - but they didn’t do it enough, and it’s but a few minutes of trial and error before such barriers are worked around. There’s little to no damage scaling either - which would perhaps dissuade use and abuse of such easy combos.

The whole active striker thing messes with one of the fighting game fundamentals — the whole risk/reward concept. In previous instalments - if you screw up an attack, you can expect to be punished, but here if you run in with something and it’s blocked, you can then call a striker (and especially if they’re an auto-combo type), forcing the opponent to keep blocking, pause, then even resume the attack. Chipping away with both high and low attacks trying to get an opening to combo into is horribly reminiscent of the MvC games - not really what I’d expect to see in KOF.

Sadly, the active strikers and ‘enhanced’ juggle options also pave the way for a multitude of infinites and 100% combos - one particular GameFAQs guide lists SEVENTY-EIGHT infinites in this game - an appalling amount, that could have surely been reduced by more careful design and stricter play testing.

To compliment this change in play style, from “tactical” to “GAY GAY GAY OFFENCE STRIKE GAY”, the ’slides’ (A+B, back+A+B) from ‘99 have been removed and replaced with the much nicer (for me anyway) rolls from ‘98, no more ‘in your face’ dodging, just a nice safe roll in the countryside, and you’ll need to retreat in this game.

Another change is the DM/SDM system - 2K gets rid of the “red flashing energy” concept from ‘99 (and ‘96) and replaces it with an option new to the KOF games, but not to SF ones; MAX (level 3 only) supers. Each character has between one and four Desperation Moves, and one of said moves can be done both as a normal super, or (using both punches/kicks) a MAX DM. Sometimes the choice of ‘MAX-able’ DM is a bit weird, and I miss the SDM versions of some of the others, but can appreciate their toning down - especially in a game where connecting with combos is so easy.

Another use for the super stocks, and another feature new the series is the ability to convert one level of super meter into one striker call by taunting. Taunts can no longer be interrupted, so you’re totally vulnerable when doing them - but in a game where so much hinges on your active-striking buddies, it’s often worth the risk. The final use for the stock is a “bonus striker attack” — which combines a throw and a striker call at the same time - at the cost of one level of super and one stock.

Because the strikers feature so heavily in the game, the “bonus” or “another” strikers from Dreamcast KOF:Evolution, (all-new sprites of characters who can be called to strike, but aren’t selectable to play) have increased vastly in number. When you choose your team and decide which three will fight, there’s then a choice of striker - the fourth character, or an alternate striker. These are either the character in some sort of different costume (”Another Benimaru” is a shocking spectacle), an ally or enemy, or someone from another SNK game. Terry’s Another Striker is Geese, Mary’s is Yamazaki, Leona’s is Goenitz and so on. There are also a couple of hidden “Maniac Strikers”, hidden for no discernible reason, but fun to show off with.

Of course actually being able to play these characters would have been better, and the appearance of characters who either died or never existed in the KOF ‘continuity’ is a bit weird, but it’s better than nothing - and some of them are just too ace for words.

Just going through all the new things really brings home how much is new in KOF2000 - I haven’t seen this many innovations since ‘97. Then there are the yearly character overhauls - new animations, moves and poses - changes in speed, in priority and so on. There are several characters who appear not to have changed at all this year — such as Mai, Joe or Andy - which is a little disappointing. The yearly changing of Athena’s outfits (rowr!) and Kyo and Iori’s DMs continues however, all three being exceptionally raunchy this year.

Like much in this game, the new characters are a mix of good and bad; there are a couple of really weak ones, but they’re supplemented by some of the greatest characters to ever throw a three-frame punch. Leading the forces of crapness is Lin, the ninja. I think he’s a ninja - he’s got a mask and studies some unpronounceable art. He plays OK, with a “Zanretsuken” type attack, an aragami style three-part punch attack and a kicking juggle thing amongst others, no my dislike of Lin is purely aesthetic. What sucks about him is his ’special power’ … several of his attacks see him giving off this brown-green poisonous gas. He spits it, his limbs get covered with it, and it just looks stupid.

I can deal with people throwing fire and punching gods in the balls - but I just don’t buy a poison-spitting ninja - he doesn’t fit in with the rest of the cast, he doesn’t seem like a KOF character. And it’s not just his lack of realism - it’s the way everything he does looks stupid, sounds dumb. And his ending - with his arch enemy, the ninja “Ron” … ugh. There are plenty of awesome ninjas in fighting games … Eiji; Kage .. er, that’s all the important ones I can think of - but they messed up bad here.

Ramon doesn’t suck quite as badly. He’s a Mexican wrestler, clad in green, with an eyepatch. OK, he sucks as badly. He’s a small quick grappler, but he lacks moves and cancels in general, and makes so many awkward shapes with his normal attacks that playing him is a pain. He’s an excellent striker though.

But these guys are forgiven, because of Vanessa. Vanessa is great, Vanessa is love, Vanessa is one of the greatest SNK characters ever. She’s the redhead boxer girl. Every move she makes oozes sex and style. I’ve been banned from six arcades for indecent exposure because of her.

You may remember her as a ’striker-only’ bonus in Dreamcast KOF:Evolution, along with Seth, another superb new character. He’s big and bad, has a mohawk and wears a shirt and braces. He’s also full of moves, counters, cancels and combos - one of those characters who is just flat out FUN to play, and another ace striker too.

Finally for the newbies is Hinako, the schoolgirl sumo wrestler. Uh. Right. Yet another strong grappler with some powerful combos but a bit of a strange combination of character designs.

The boss, Zero, is challenging and cheap as we’ve come to expect. He’s harder than Krizalid, but nowhere near any version of Rugal, or Goenitz.

The storyline itself continues the NESTS saga, this time centring on Zero, a rebel member of the organisation and (yawn) a space-based weapon called the ZERO Cannon. The usual stuff ensues, the shadowy figure cackling in the cutscenes, the obligatory energy collecting routine and some truly hilarious dialogue. No really. I missed the ludicrous dialogue after KOF’96, what with ‘97 being fairly dark, ‘98 having no story and ‘99 being too plain, it seemed as if it had been toned down.

But 2K brings it back, big time. I know how lazy it is to just copy and paste quotes from an FAQ - so here’s some of my personal favourites.

“You can’t resist me. I’ll beat you all like a drum”
“Hmph… Humbug… !!!”
“Hmph…. You lie like a rug!”
“By the pricking of my thumbs, some wicked dude has come” (Jesus, Terry … )
“It’s weenie time…!!!”
“You gotta be kidding! I’ll bop you into tapioca!”

It’s this sort of overt campness that makes the story work for me — sure the concept is unoriginal and lame, but the way it’s presented is just so good-naturedly goofy I find it impossible to dislike.

Oh and guys, this is the seventh consecutive tournament where the KOF name has just been a front for some nefarious scheme or villain - somebody get a clue, please?

Such story scenes are also sweetened by some incredible artwork, easily the best in the entire series (so far) - every cutscene and ending is drawn in such a detailed, dynamic, realistic style, you can’t fail to be impressed by the effort that’s gone into them. No more “sprites standing against a background”, oh no.

The art for the characters is beautiful, the intro and endings (even the credits) rock … the sprites are as detailed, well-animated and erotic as ever - but the backgrounds just aren’t up to scratch, in fact I think they’re probably the worst in the entire series. Talk about polar opposites, they’re empty, dull and unimaginative. The desert is almost totally lifeless, the street stage is like the ‘99 one from a different angle, the junkyard one is grey and shitty, the shipyard one is grey and shitty with the sea in it… there’s an aquarium? The factory stage, complete with giant extractor fan is pretty neat, and the final boss stage would be good if you could see actually anything.

If you gain enough battle points along the way, you’ll be challenged by Kula, secret character extraordinaire and NESTS secret weapon. She’s a weaker, slower, ice-based version of K’, with fewer attacks - but secrets are secrets, and her existence is justified if only for the way her presence causes whatever stage you’re on to ice over, complete with icicles on everything — it’s really impressive, easily the BG highlight of the game.

I think I’ve been saying that the MVS board has reached it’s maximum output for about four years now, but for the first time in a KOF game there have been actual cutbacks - just little things like the number of win poses for each character (goes from 3-4 to an average of 2) and the fact there are only very few special character vs. character intros - I know it’s no big deal, but the personalities and interactions of the characters were what first drew me to the series, and it’s sad to see them so cut back, presumably to make room for the striker sprites and animations. Mai and Andy’s intro this year sucks too. :(

The fact the newest KOF game will have a fabulous soundtrack is pretty much guaranteed, and 2000 doesn’t disappoint. This years’ personal highlights are the ‘Fatal Fury’ team’s super-aggressive take on the traditional FF organ music, Kula’s spooky techno theme and final boss Zero’s cataclysmic, gothic monstrosity, replete with pipe organs and chanting choirs. As good as they undoubtedly are, one thing I noticed about some of the 2K tunes is their similarity to previous versions. Now it’s true some semblance of continuity has to be kept, but some tracks sound a little TOO like previous years — the AOF team has the same strumming, steely guitar and soaring chords, the hero team’s upbeat techno track could be an alternate version of the ‘99 one, the Korean team has the same power electric guitar, Iori’s tune is the same pelvis-thrusting pr0n-a-like sax stuff … I didn’t need to refer to the track listing for most of the soundtrack CD … a minor gripe perhaps, but this is the first year it’s actually been noticeable.

In the non-music sound department, things are all fine and dandy. New characters sound good; Zero sound appropriately menacing and evil, Seth is a badass (”RUMP! RUMP! RUMP! RAAAA!”), and I can do Vanessa’s “boogie-boogie-boogie-boogie-upper!” thing all day long. Existing characters get new quotes - Shingo’s winpose where he sings is comedy gold, and Benimaru’s lisping “Shee you … next time!” made my hair stand on end.

So all in all, it’s clear that KOF2000 was never intended to be the most hardcore of the series, and perhaps attempting to appeal more to the masses was a good idea - though hindsight allows us to see it was far too little, far too late.

I feel the whole deal, with the character and striker-specific combos and infinites sort of sucks a little of the spontaneity from the game - if you’re playing someone who picks Ralf and Joe - it’s easy to tell what they’ve got in mind. It’s a little less of a fighting game, and more a “do this combo” game. While this is, in some respects true for almost every fighting game at a certain level of play - the fact that KOF2K has so many infinites and they’re so easily accessible to anyone, regardless of skill (hell, I did one!) — it hurts the game. And while I’ve bitched a lot about strikers and cheapness and so on, it doesn’t bother me as much when I’m actually playing … it’s just so lazy and promotes such skill-less, dull play that it needs to be mentioned, and SNK reprimanded (not that it’ll do any good, may they rest in pieces.)

It also raises the question - does making a game more accessible to the great unwashed masses mean filling it with crap? The VS. series did exactly the same thing - and it’s not really that great direction to take a franchise.

It’s hard to be really mean to this game though. Fuck, it’s a NEW KING OF FIGHTERS GAME with punches and boobs and effeminate men prancing around in trainyards. If you can ignore the pockets of lameness, it’s still a great game. It was also SNK’s last fighter, and a worthy addition to one of the greatest videogame franchises of all time - and while it’s faults mean it fails to scale the heights achieved by ‘97 and ‘98 - it’s still one to buy. Er. Download. Never mind.

• Publisher/Developer: SNK
• Score: 83%