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Platform: Playstation
2
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King
of Fighters 2000/2001
Score: 7.8 / 10
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Pros: - Very true to the Neo Geo originals - Some decent extras - Two games in one at a great price
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Cons: - Visuals and sound are dated - Controls are clunky on a gamepad |
Related Links: Review: Guilty Gear X2 (Playstation 2) Review: Capcom vs SNK (Dreamcast) Review: Soul Calibur II (Playstation 2)
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"For those who missed the boat on those games and really like the King of Fighters series, or are just looking for a new 2D fighter, this title won’t disappoint despite looking a tad dated."
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When
we first started to see the Neo Geo get fighting games in its library it
was obvious the system still needed time to get its sea legs.
There was the Street Fighter II clone, World Heroes, as well as the
somewhat awkward Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting. Finally SNK hit
its stride with the King of Fighters series and the rest was
history. Now SNK Playmore has released its first title for the US
market in quite some time with King of Fighters 2000/2001. Despite the presentation of these games starting to look a little
bit old, KOF 2K/2K1 will keep 2D fighter fans entertained for quite a while as
it is a port very true to its Neo Geo counterparts and also sells for a
very reasonable price.
The first, and probably most disappointing, thing players will notice about these games is that they really haven’t aged well visually. Clocking in at almost 5 years old, the graphics are starting to look quite pixilated with less than stellar animation and a real lack of detail by today’s standards. Seeing this game in action makes one really appreciate how much effort was put into the visual presentation of a title like Guilty Gear X2 and how far graphic quality has come in the last few years. On top of this, the audio experience is also dated. The music doesn’t feel as crisp, the sound of blows being landed don’t jump from the speakers, and the little bits of vocal work performed when doing certain moves just feels flat.
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But
despite the aging visuals and sound, the game is everything fans of
these two fighting games could want.
They’re very accurate to their arcade predecessors with enough
play modes to keep you busy for a very long time.
But what will give players the most bang for their buck is the
sheer number of selectable characters the games have in their rosters.
Obviously some of them will be in both games but even despite
this there are just so many different characters with different fighting
styles that it will be hard to get tired of the combat any time soon,
even if you do have one or two go-to-guy types of characters. |
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What
also helps this installment of KOF is that it does go beyond what it had
in its arcade equivalent with some unlockables, such as new story
elements, as well as a few more play modes, not to mention a few
exclusive characters for the PS2. It’s
not a quantum leap over that of the arcade versions of the game, but
it’s a nice addition nonetheless.
While
marching through the matches, though, the controls did prove a little
more clunky than usual on a control pad.
Usually it’s to be expected that performing moves is a more
difficult task on game pads when playing a fighter, but here they felt
extra problematic, especially on KOF 2000.
It is possible to adjust to a degree, but it gets frustrating
failing to pull of a move at critical moments.
An actual joystick is highly recommended for this compilation.
The
real question, though, is how many people are going to swarm to the
stores to get it. Really,
its main appeal will be to those who didn’t bother to import the
titles when they were released separately overseas.
For those who missed the boat on those games and really like the
King of Fighters series, or are just looking for a new 2D fighter, this
title won’t disappoint despite looking a tad dated.
It has plenty of characters to choose from, stays in step with
the arcade originals with just enough extras to keep things interesting,
and its two games for $40US. You can’t beat that with a bag of hammers.
-
Mr.
Nash (February 19, 2004)
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