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Review: King of Fighters 2006 |
SNKPLAYMORE succeeds in their efforts to transform a turd into a Golden Goose egg.
You know, since the beginning of time, change has always been one of the
toughest and most divisive issues that man has ever had to deal with. Never has this been more true than in the world of gaming. Especially in the fighting game community, where high-maintenance gamers continually argue for the fact that their favorite series’ need to be improved in every aspect, but do nothing but bitch and moan about any changes in the next iteration of their favorite series.
Which brings us to the King of Fighters: Maximum Impact series. Maximum Impact is a 3-D psuedo-sequel/spin-off of the KOF series that we all know and love, and thanks to the heads at SNKPlaymore, and a pretty lukewarm reaction to gamers the first time around, is now in its second generation. In the US, it’s aptly titled, ‘KOF2006.’
Going back to my original line of thought, I still remember the visceral reaction that I had when I heard about a 3D King of Fighters. Even more so when I actually saw the images of the game and saw it in action. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I, your friendly neighborhood ‘Erotic?’ was one of those, ‘LOL Bloody Roar Lite’ douche-nozzles that you see on the internet, berating the game without even playing it, just because I was far too nostalgic about a series that had long outlived its prime.
Honestly, even though Maximum Impact didn’t do that well, the fact that it didn’t do that bad in a climate as picky and eccentric in the videogame community is actually exactly why we can consider the first installment enough of a success to warrant a sequel.
And what a GRAND sequel it is! King of Fighters 2006 is the kind of game that makes me glad that I was able to get over my preconceived notions and prejudices as a gamer, in order to go ahead and pluck it off of the shelves!
Easily, this game solidifies the series as a legit franchise of its own, and after engrossing myself in this title, I am indeed left eagerly anticipating yet another sequel. From here on out, I’ll build a case as to why you too, not just as a KOF fan, but as a fighting game fan in general, should make this game a part of your gaming library.
Right out of the gate, King of Fighters 2006 brings you into its world with a dazzling, colorful intro CG, complete with introductions of all of the new characters, original characters, rivalries and fight scenes that one would come to expect from a new King of Fighters game. Rather than clearly focusing on a single character as past KOF incarnations have done, the game provides you with equal focus on everyone, immediately establishing that no matter who you like, you’re going to be pleased with what you see.
There are a ton of modes, many of which you have come to expect from a KOF game, and many that have never been in the game, like EXTRAS mode, which incorporates many fun ways to distract you and pull you into the game, including a Guilty Gear-esque mission mode, all of which I will delve into later.
Once you start playing the game, you’ll notice that there are a plethora of characters to choose from, including all of the KOF fan-favorites, and quite a few new characters created just for this game. In the past, I’ve found Maximum Impact original characters to be quite generic and, well, just plain butt-ugly. This time, however, Falcoon, a man who worked his way up from being a King of Fighters fan-artist, to being Maximum Impact’s official designer, has really put his foot in the stew and created some memorable, and lovable gems for us to toy with from here on out.
The first thing that you’re going to notice is that the game has more young bishounens than Rumiko Takahashi’s scrap paper drawer. The second thing that you’re going to notice is Lien Neville’s rack. The third thing, well, of course, Mai’s rack. I mean, jesus christ, technically, these things alone fit the criteria of extra characters.
There’s someone for everyone here, and the characters have all been thought-out so well, that everyone is worth using. YES, EVEN SOIREE! In fact, he’s exactly why I consider this game a success. SNK Playmore KNEW that he was a mistake in the beginning (why do you think his name is an apology?), but they STILL pressed on, and now… well, now I’m actually pretty tolerant of him.
Looking at the game for a while, the graphics in this game are definitely nothing to jump for joy about, but they definitely adhere to the bare minimum of what’s acceptable at this stage in the PS2’s timeline. The clothes are wavy, the hair doesn’t clip, and the body types don’t seem hollow. All of the clothing textures are pretty true to life as well.
Honestly, my only complaint with the graphics would have to be that it retains the uninspired, and ultimately lifeless backgrounds of the first. There’s a cool effect with every character intro where they somehow interact with the background, but it doesn’t serve to distract you from the fact that you’re playing in a Toshinden 2 arena. With games like Tekken 5 already more than a year old, this is a pretty glaring shortcoming.
I’m pretty happy with this game’s addictive gameplay. For a game that is definitely aimed at a far less hardcore crowd than your average KOF fanboy, fresh out of Hong King or Portugal, it definitely has added enough depth in terms of gameplay to solidify it as a unique entity, while making it engaging enough to encourage the gamer to get better.
Among the new gameplay additions are the Sabaki, which is a counter/reversal that everyone can do, it’s designed to parry incoming attacks and leave the attacking opponent vulnerable. It’s similar to DOA, but better, because you can actually *counter-sabaki* your opponent. Very impressive. The super cancel system has been added, and done properly, requiring a lot more super meter than one can normally use. The game has sidesteps and sidestep attacks like Tekken. Many things are borrowed from many other series, however they are implemented in such a way that they fit within the game’s guidelines, they do feel distinctly KOF, and they are fun to do.
My favorite thing about the gameplay is the chain combo system. It’s fun, it requires timing and skill, and you definitely can’t mash. What they did here is, the combos only work if you do them a specific way, and they are unique to everyone. They call it the stylish combo system, and you most certainly have to know your individual character to pull them off. Very fair, and very well done. I really like when fighting games have something that will truly seperate the skillful, from the victims.
Always something that I look forward to in a KOF game, the music in this game is quite the compliment to the gameplay. The themes are pretty-much stage specific, however, everyone also has their own individual tracks, including classics from past King of Fighters games. Unfortunately, somebody dropped the ball and left Kaze No Allegory out of the mix.
The reason why this game, while being a solid ‘7′ in all aspects, would definitely get a ‘9′ from me, were I to rate it that way, is because of the obvious amount of heart and soul put into it. After unlocking the extra characters, which include Garou characters like B-Jenet and MOTW Terry, fan-favorites like Geese Howard and Hanzo, random characters such as Lilly Kane (?) and Armor Ralf (WTF), several KOF favorites and many other original Maximum Impact characters, the roster jumps up to something like 40+ characters. Each of these characters have 16 outfits total, many of which, paying homage to literally every aspect of SNK’s history.
Mission Mode provides you with over 200 missions, plus wacky mini-games, like destroying a Metal Slug tank, beating the christ out of those statues from Easter Island, and even knocking Kasumi Todoh’s dad off of a cliff as he tries to run you over with a steamroller! There are about 25 of such missions.
Packed to the brim with bonus backgrounds, an RPG-like survival mode, in-depth profiles for every character, and a final boss that comes in TWO genders, SNK Playmore definitely won my adoration on the basis of extra content alone.
In the end, this all sums up to provide us with a solid fighter, whether you’re with friends, or alone, and yet another reason to want to see the King of Fighters legacy live on and continue to grow. With a budget price-tag, clearly mindful of the prejudice that a title so controversial and so widely hated-on in the past would face, and a title that is clearly designed to set itself apart from the critical failure of the past installment, this game is a success on almost every count.
Pick it up, if this vast improvement is any indication, this series has a bright future.
