sexta-feira, 27 de fevereiro de 2009

KYO KUSANAGI
BENIMARU NIKAIDO
GORO DAIMON
TERRY BOGARD
ANDY BOGARD
JOE HIGASHI
RYO SAKAZAKI
ROBERT GARCIA
TAKUMA SAKAKZAKI
HEIDERN
RALF
CLARK
ATHENA ASAMIYA
SIE KENSOU
CHIN GENTSAI
YURI SAKAZAKI
MAI SHIRANUI
KING
HEAVY D!
LUCKY GLAUBER
BRIAN BATTLER
KIM
CHANG KOEHAN
CHOI BOUNGE
RUGAL BERNSTEIN
IORI YAGAMI
EIJI KISARAGI
BILLY KANE
SAISYU KUSANAGI
OMEGA RUGAL

LEONA
KASUMI TODOH
MATURE
VICE
GEESE HOWARD
WOLFGANG KRAUSER
Mr.BIG
CHIZURU KAGURA
GOENITZ
YASHIRO NANAKASE
SHERMIE
CHRIS
RYUJI YAMAZAKI
BLUE MARY
SHINGO YABUKI
OROCHI IORI
OROCHI LEONA
OROCHI YASHIRO
OROCHI SHERMIE
OROCHI CHRIS
Kyo Kusanagi, Version '94
OROCHI
Kyo Kusanagi, Version '95
YUKI
K'
MAXIMA
WHIP
PAO
LI XIANGFEI
JHUN HOON

KYO KUSANAGI-1
KYO KUSANAGI-2
KRIZALID
RAMON
VANESSA
LIN
SETH
HINAKO SHIJO
KULA DIAMOND
CANDY DIAMOND
ZERO
K9999
FOXY
DIANA
ANGEL
RON
MAY LEE
ZERO(THE ORIGINAL)
KUSANAGI(CLONED KYO)
IGNIZ
ASH CRIMSON
DUO LON
SHEN WOO
TIZOC
GATO
MALIN
MAKI KAGURA
ADELHEID
ROSE
MUKAI
Jjeff

As much as I love the King of Fighters series, it is probably the most difficult fighting game series to get into.
Not from a technical standpoint, at least. Compared to truly hardcore one-on-one fighters like Virtua Fighter or Street Fighter 3, King of Fighters is relatively simplistic, although it still requires plenty of skill to master. And compared to other SNK fighters, there's really nothing about the fighting that stands out. Back in the early days of the Neo Geo, SNK tried different things to differentiate themselves from Capcom - Fatal Fury introduced the multi-plane system, Art of Fighting had gigantic characters, Samurai Shodown had weapons and World Heroes...well, that didn't even really try. King of Fighter's gimmick is that there are simply a ton of characters. Just pick three characters and send them into one-on-one battles. When one fighter falls, the next in line takes their place. Add in your usual array of super moves, and that's pretty much KoF.
My first brush with the series was King of Fighters 98 for the Dreamcast. There are over forty characters on the select screen. I knew a few of them - I had rented Fatal Fury for the Genesis when I was kid, so I recognized Terry Bogard, his brother Andy, and Joe Higashi. And it's impossible to be a video game nerd on the Internet without having some passing familiarity with Mai Shiranui, the girl who practically defined "bounciness" when it came to video games. But other than that - there's some guy with a goofy red hair cut with his pants tied together? A purple haired girl with teleportation powers and a screeching voice? A basketball player? I'd played almost solely played Capcom games when I was up growing - I rarely went to arcades (my father still insists that the arcade by my local mall was a drug den), the SNK ports for 16-bit systems were almost universally trash, and the 32-bit ports rarely made it to America, So here I was, staring at dozens of unfamiliar faces, being asked to pick three of them and made headway into battle.
But once you get over that initial intimidating phase, there's something addicting about the huge character roster. There are well over eighty fighters in the entire series, which has spanned well over ten years. Each of them have a unique design (although not necessarily a unique ****, most with their own deep background and history. All previous fighting games have had loose plots to justify everyone getting together to beat the crap out of each other - The King of Fighters is one of the few that tries to make any sense out of it. Granted, it doesn't do a great job of it - the in-game cinemas are confusing (and often poorly translated), so gamers have to rely on translated documents to figure out exactly what the hell is going on. But once you get into it, there's a whole world that easily rivals any RPG ever made.
This brand of personality shows through in the music as well. Folks like Kyo, Kim and the Ikari team usually have hard rocking heavy metal themes. Terry and Blue Mary usually has jazzy themes. The Art of Fighting team's songs tend to feature an acoustic guitar and use similar melodies. The Psycho Soldier team is practically defined by upbeat J-Pop ****songs, some of which have lyrics. Iori is almost always accompanied by a screaming saxophone. All of the King of Fighters music spans a wide variety of genres, and is unarguably the most ambitious fighting game soundtrack on the market. Although many songs are limited by the Neo Geo synth (at least until they switched over to the Atomiswave platform around 2004), nearly all of the games have had full arranged soundtracks produced for them. All of the Neo Geo CD versions and home port (at least, the ones on CDs/DVDs) feature these arranged soundtrack, and all of the MP3s found herein are the arranged versions unless noted.
The King of Fighters series unofficially began with Fatal Fury Special on the Neo Geo. SNK thought it would be a cool idea to stick in Ryo Sakazaki - the hero of Art of Fighting, one of their other series - as a playable character. Fans loved the idea, and thus SNK gave the crossover concept its own series. The King of Fighters combined characters from Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting, as well as sticking in characters from older, non-fighting games, like Ikari Warriors and Psycho Soldier. They also introduced a new hero, Kyo Kusanagi, who can wield the power of flames, as well as his rival, Iori Yagami. As the series progressed, SNK eventually added in cameos from Metal Slug, Robo Army, Kizuna Encounter and Buriki-One. It's essentially the whole "Marvel vs Capcom" concept years before Marvel vs Capcom.
Currently, there are three different story arcs in the King of Fighters universe - the Orochi Saga (KoF 95-97) focuses on a group of combatants trying to resurrect the Japanese spirit Orochi; the NESTS saga (KoF 99-01) revolves around a mysterious organization that's trying to create an army of clones for evil purposes; and the Sacred Treasure saga (03 - current) revolves once again around mysterious ancient powers. KoF 94, the first game, isn't considered part of any plotline, and KoF 98 and 02 are considered "Dream Match" titles, where they round up bunches of characters from older games and stick them together, regardless of the plot. Yes, characters are killed in the King of Fighters universe, and once they're gone, don't count on seeing them in the plot (except for said Dream Matches and the odd appearance of Fatal Fury boss Geese Howard.)
Up until 2003, the King of Fighters games came out on a yearly basis. Unlike sports games, which offer small roster changes and minor updates, each new King of Fighters is distinct in some way, even if the basic gameplay usually remains the same. Some characters are dropped - others are added. Remaining characters get new moves or lose old ones. Almost all of them have completely distinct backgrounds and whole new soundtracks. There are usually minor play variations or additional systems to spice things up (99-01 features "Strikers", which allow a backup character to quickly jump on the screen to execute an attack, while 03 and onward feature a tag system.) After 2003, SNK ditched the yearly updates, in order to keep the pressure off themselves. It also reduced the confusion of the home releases, which often came out a year or two after the arcade version.
In any case, there really aren't any truly "bad" King of Fighters games, although the fanbase tends to look down on certain titles - KoF 94 has aged poorly since its successors improve on it so much, KoF 01 has awful visuals and a terrible soundtrack, and KoF Neowave (produced around 2004) is ultimately just redundant. Still, some detractors argue that the series has stagnated, since the more recent games don't look all that much different than when they first came out over ten years prior. It's a legitimate complaint, especially since SNK refuses to redraw most of the sprites in high res (except for the PS2 remake of KoF 94), but most 2D gamers are unconcerned with the series' dated look. And even then, the design is so well done that it's hard to argue that the game is ugly. Still, its old schoolness required SNK to bundle the game together in packs (00/01 and 02/03) for American release. SNK eventually caved in and brought the series in the third dimension with the Maximum Impact spinoff series, with generally pleasing results - but at the same time, continuing with the 2D games.
If you're unfamiliar with the series, hopefully this article will get you more acquainted with the many personalities found within. If you're like me and need a Ryu/Ken clone to fall back on, try out Ryo, Yuri, Takuma, K' or Kula. If you're more into Guile-type characters, there's always Ash or Robert Garcia (although he alternates between a charge and a command character in various games.) If you want larger, slower characters similar to Zangief, there's always Goro, Chang and Tizoc. And of course, Terry Bogard is an all around good starting place for anyone, since he has lots of moves and good balance. KoF 03 and XI are generally the best places to start with the series, since the tag mechanics and faster pace are more appealing for newbies, but long time folks tend to enjoy the Dream Match titles, 98 and 02, due to their expansive roster. Regardless, there's a lot to see, and plenty of faces to suit your fighting sty!e.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:49 pm PT Edited 4 total times.

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stripeknight
Level 30
Wicked Sick!
Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 3:28 pm PT
Characters:
Kyo Kusanagi
The main hero of the series, Kyo comes from a long line of warriors who wield a sacred flame. He would step away from the spotlight in later games, but would still be playable and remain one of SNK's most beloved characters. Also changes his outfit for each new storyline in the series. Genetic clones would be made out of him in later games, retaining his old moves while the real deal's moveset has had many alterations over the years.
Terry_Bogard
The primary protagonist of the Fatal Fury series is one of the regulars of the KoF circuit, not to mention a really cool guy overall. "Come on, get serious!" is practically a household phrase by now. His Fatal Fury hat is also something of an icon in the SNK world. He would change his appearance in later games to his hatless leather-jacket incarnation from Garou: Mark of the Wolves, but would not lose a step in his awesomeness.

Andy Bogard
Terry's less popular (but still famed) brother who is trained in the arts of Ninjitsu and tends to be a bit more serious and calm than his bro. Quite the agile fighter and one of the three original stars of Fatal Fury. Also seems to be quite fond of Italy for some reason. He may be a bit short for a male, but his actions are taller than his stature. Plus, he's got Mai madly in love with him. Sorry, hopeful bachelors!

Joe Higashi
Friend of the Bogards, and a very loudmouthed Muay Thai boxer. Although he started out looking a bit like Adon from the original Street Fighter (you remember, the not-very-good one?), Joe proved to be something different altogether. As his personality would develop, so would his tendency to completely piss off enemies with his loud shoutings and make him a guy you'd hate to lose too. He even flashes his ass as a taunt. AUGH!

Iori Yagami
Kyo's rival, and a somewhat evil young man with loads of power. The Yagami bloodline has been tainted by a pact with the Orochi, and every now and then, Iori becomes uncontrollably insane as the Riot of Blood overtakes him. No, he is NOT emo, despite what the red hair would have you believe... well, okay, maybe he's just a BIT emo, but he's still cool! You wouldn't dare call him emo when he's in the Riot, or he'd eat your intestines.

Kim Kaphwan
The hardass Tae Kwon Do master from Fatal Fury fights for lady justice! Kim is almost fanatically devoted to doing good, which makes him a bit insane at times. Before facing off against an evil character, his eye twinkles with a determination to rid the world of the scourge he sees before him! He also bears more than a passing semblance to Tom Cruise, whose ass he could totally obliterate any day of the week. He also has two sons, both of which are playable in Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

Ryo Sakazaki
The main character from the Art of Fighting series makes his way into the KoF tournament with his brand of Kyokugen Karate. Naturally, he's a bit of a rebellious youth who protests to his dad's rough training. In an interesting parallel, he becomes somewhat toned down in later games of the series, almost to make him resemble Dan Hibiki, Capcom's bastardized mockery of Ryo. Maybe he's been slacking a bit in his practice...

Mai Shiranui
The hyper-hot ninja babe, and the star of many hentai doujinshis most famed female from SNK's archives. Also madly in love with Andy Bogard, much to the dismay of drooling fanboys everywhere. I can't help but be irked when she cries out "Andyyyy!" when knocked out. Her prowess with fans and fire make her more than just a pretty figure. Some of Mai's intro and victory poses add to her cocktease factor.

Robert Garcia
Ryo's pal, who's rich enough to pay several bodyguards to fight for him. But he's too cool for that, and he also practices Kyokugen Karate. He is a very snazzy dresser, and has only had cooler outfits as the series would develop. Since his debut in Art of Fighting, Robert's special attacks have differed from Ryo's moveset significantly. Sound a bit like two gi-clad young fighters from another game series?

Yuri Sakazaki
Ryo's younger sister, who somehow manages to be adorable and hot at the same time. She also pines for Robert, but tries not to let it show in the arena. Naturally, she also fights with Kyokugen Karate, though has her own special moves different from Ryo and Robert. Some of her special attacks even go so far as to poke fun of Street Fighter characters, like Ryu and Sakura. Ah, SNK, you crazy funsters!

Takuma Sakazaki
Ryo's father, who as you can probably guess by now, is also from Art of Fighting and (you guessed it!) fights with Kyokugen **** But he also has his own original attacks, many of which are strangely altered in KoF 2002. Also has a violent alter-ego named "Mr. Karate," concealed beneath his awesome Tengu mask, which has only appeared in the original Art of Fighting, SNK vs. Capcom: Chaos and the GB version of KoF 96 so far.

King
A tough tomboy female who utilizes Muay Thai (though differently from Joe Higashi) and dresses up in male-looking suits. She surprised many back in her debut in Art of Fighting (back when her gender was ambiguous) when the player would finish her off with a fireball, only to have her top explode and reveal her bra underneath. Tee hee! King would become more feminine as the series evolved, much to the delight of fanboys.

Benimaru Nishikado
A Japanese fighter who wields electricity and has the most ridiculous stalk of blond hair, giving Guile a run for his money. Also, as his manner of dress and win quotes would suggest, he... is more than likely gay if not metrosexual at the very least. His leopard print shirt in KoF 2003 terminates any iota of masculinity he may have once retained.

Goro Daimon
A large and bulky Judo fighter who utilizes his brute strength to whip the opponent around like a rag doll and pound the ground with such a force that even the spectators in the background shake. Probably one of the most normal characters, compared to some of the more colorful designs.

Athena Asamiya
Once the star of an early SNK platformer (which sucked) and a pretty good shoot-em-up, now a fighter in the KoF tournament who uses her psychic powers to her advantage. Also has an EXTREMELY irritating voice in certain games (especially 98 ), and changes her outfit for every single new game there is.

Sie Kensou
A former Psycho Soldier who fought alongside Athena in the game of the same name, he's also taken up to fighting. He's a bit of a dork, but his powers are genuine (except in a few games where he loses some of his psychic ability). His favorite food is meat buns, which he even eats in the middle of battle to regain life.

Chin Getsai
A funny old man who fights with the Psycho Soldiers and uses the ever-popular Drunken Boxing **** Obviously based off of Su Hua Chi, the legendary geezer who trained Jackie Chan to kick some serious ass in Drunken Master. He doesn't mind indulging a bit in the middle of battle to better his abilities.

Chang Koehan
A massive man with a bald head and a wild beard, and a former criminal who now fights on the Korean team, where Kim attempts to reconstitute him through strict discipline. Has a massive iron ball which gives him lots of power and range, but is naturally rather slow. Also considered by many to be one of the most annoying characters to fight.

Choi Bounge
Chang's partner in crime who just so happens to be a really agile midget. Has claws and a hat which gives him a bit of a Freddy Krueger-esque look. Is also under Kim's custody for rehabilitation. Like his big buddy, he's also one of the most annoying characters in the series to play against.

Ralf Jones
A hotheaded commando who fights with some highly aggressive moves, many of which generate explosions. Speculated by many to have originally been Paul from the SNK shmup Ikari Warriors. He's got quite a loud mouth and is just the type of guy who really gets on your nerves if you fight against him.

Clark Steel
Ralf's brother-in-arms, who tends to be more laid back than his partner and prefers grapples and throws to striking attacks. Speculated by many to have originally been Vince from the SNK shmup Ikari Warriors. Dig the shades!

Heidern
A hardass commando who has almost nothing left to live for ever since Rugal murdered his family. One of the most no-nonsense fighters in KoF, but it's easy to see why. He only has two purposes in life; to see that Rugal is terminated, and to ensure the safety of his adopted daughter. He would only stick around for 94 and 95, but save for joining a team of protective fathers in 98 and a comeback in 2001, he would turn his leadership status of the Ikari team over to his daughter...

Heavy D!
A boxer from America. Heavy D! (take note of the exclamation point) is part of the Sports Team, and thus only shows up in Kof 94 and 98. Probably the least embarrassing member of the group, despite the ridiculous name, which is actually taken from a real life rapper.

Lucky Glauber
In 1994, Shaquille O'Neal starred in his own deplorable fighting game called Shaq Fu. Coincidentally, SNK thought it would be cool to have a basketball player in their games, hence Lucky Glauber's existence. He's tall and attacks with...well, basketballs. He only shows up in Kof 94 and 98 as part of the Sports Team.

Brian Battler
Rounding out the Sports team is the American Football player Brian Battler. Even with J. Max from World Heroes, apparently SNK felt that the world needed more hogskin tossers on their system. Kind of silly, and like of the rest of the sports guys, only shows up in Kof 94 and 98.

Rugal Bernstein
The first big badass boss of the KoF series, Rugal takes pride in making statues of the strongest fighters around the world... whom he usually ends up killing. He lost one of his eyes against one of the eight direct heirs of the Orochi power. Uses Geese's Reppuken and Krauser's Kaiser Wave, but is most hated and feared for his patented Genocide Cutter, one of the most unstoppable all-purpose moves in the history of forever.

Billy Kane
The right-hand man of Geese Howard, Billy Kane hails from good ol' England and wields a mean red staff. Not just any old staff, mind you - it can extend and even ignite on fire. Billy has an obsession with heavy metal, as evidenced by his rocking theme music.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 6:35 pm PT Edited 15 total times.

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stripeknight
Level 30
Wicked Sick!
Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 3:36 pm PT
Eiji Kane
A Lightning fast ninja who was originally a villain in Art of Fighting 2, he first appeared in KoF 95 and was dropped until KoF XI. He is a descendant of Zantetsu of the Last Blade series.
Saishu Kusunagi
Kyo's dad and the current patriarch of the Kusanagi bloodline and wields the sacred flame with much mastery. He was brainwashed by Rugal in 95 and foced to fight his own son but Saisyu came to his senses and went into exile. Later he would grant Shingo's wish and teach him to fight Kusanagi.
Leona
Heidern's adopted daughter, and just as serious as her dad is. Naturally, she has inherited some of his moves, but also has some of her own. Has luscious blue hair that gives Marge Simpson a run for her money. Much to her misfortune, the cursed blood of the Orochi runs in her.
Kasumi
TodohA cute young martial artist who utilizes her father's method of self-made fighting, her father being Ryuhaku Todoh from Art of Fighting. Somehow, she's a more accomplished fighter than her dad. In early games, she has a poor grasp on the English language and looks up a translator dictionary before insulting opponents that she beats, which is just adorable. She's also the only original character from Art of Fighting 3 to appear in more than one game.
Chizuru Kagura
A mysterious woman of mystical power, Chizuru is devoted to keeping the seal maintained upon the vile Orochi power. She takes over Rugal's position as the host of the King of Fighters tournament in 1996, and promotes the hell out of it to gather the strongest fighters around the world in order to defeat her most despised rival, Goenitz. She returns in 2003 and attempts to crush the uprising of the Orochi, but is unceremoniously slayed.

Mature
One of Rugal's secretaries and a rather attractive lady, she has the Orochi power of light and has been sent to work with Iori in the KoF 96 tournament. Iori's Riot of Blood would unfortunately kill her, but she would still appear in the dream matches.

Vice
The Yang to Mature's Yin, Vice has the Orochi power of darkness and is Rugal's other secretary. Her stance has changed a lot over the years, looking like a zombie sometimes and a hunchback in other games. She's still attractive, though. Too bad she also gets killed by Iori's rage.

Mr. Big
The original pimp in fighting games, Mr. Big is one of the main villains of the Art of Fighting series. He's just too cool for words, and he can certainly beat lots of ass with his kali sticks. Plus, you can see him with his hoes before the fight begins! He has only been in the KoF series in the great Boss team in 96 (alongside Geese and Krauser), but SNK has not forgotten him and he appears in the home version of KoF XI.

Geese Howard
Geese is the criminal mastermind that rules Southtown, and is the primary enemy in the Fatal Fury games. Although he is of German descent, he's studied Japanese martial arts to the point where he's an unstoppable killing machine. He's only shown up in KoF 96 and the home ports of 02 and XI, as well as in young form (with long hair and wearing a suit) in KoF Neowave. Don't laugh at his name, or he'll stain his hands with your blood.

Wolfgang Krauzer
The primary boss of Fatal Fury 2, Wolfgang Krauser is a huge German wrestler with an affinity for Mozart. He's one of the few characters that speaks entirely in English, and is apparently the half-brother of Geese Howard. Wolfgang only appears in KoF 96 on the Boss team.

Leopold Goenitz
One of the most powerful figures of the Orochi, something can truly be said about the man who sliced out Rugal's eye. He has the power of wind, and his infuriating "make tornado appear right where you are" move is probably one of the most hated in SNK history. He's got a cool beard, though.

Blue Mary
Hailing from Fatal Fury, Blue Mary is an officer of the law and one hell of a wrestler - she can crush a man's neck with her legs.Her real name is Mary Ryan, although she's nicknamed after a drink of the same name. Her partner/boyfriend was mysteriously murdered, which also lends a bit of irony to her title, and her jazzy theme songs fit her perfectly. Blue Mary's supposedly involved with Terry, and is usually seen with her faithful dog.

Shingo Yabuki
Shingo idolizes Kyo to the point where he mimics all of his moves. He aspires to use the same flame attacks, but Shingo lacks such powers. Names most of his attacks after himself (SHINGO KICK!) and is generally a source of comic relief.

Ryuji Yamazaki
One of the most psychotic personalities from Fatal Fury makes his way into the KoF tournament, whipping his arms and slashing his knife. Also has a particularly infuriating counterattack where he eggs you on and effortlessly takes the pain while smacking you away. He keeps one hand in his pocket like he's saying, "I only need one hand to beat you, weakling! Gya ha ha!" It just so happens that he has the power of the Orochi in him, which accounts for his uncanny strength.

Yashiro Nanakase
A very physically fit young man who often shows off his prowess at the beginning of the battle with one-hand pushups. His red eyes signify that he's evil, and... well, he is. His blood is of the Orochi lineage, and has totally different moves in Orochi mode that are similar to Daimon's attacks.

Shermie
A mysterious babe who doesn't mind letting her legs show, but seems to have something against showing her eyes, as her unique haircut would indicate. This may be because she is also of the Orochi bloodline, and has electrical attacks like Benimaru when in Orochi mode.

Chris
A kid of ambiguous gender (Chris could be short of Christina, for all we know), whose form belies his true power. Yes, he is also an Orochi, and is chosen as the one who will become Orochi itself. He has weird teleporting attacks in normal form, and flame attacks like Kyo with Orochi power.

Orochi
The root of all evil, Orochi itself takes manifest at the end of the Orochi saga in KoF 97. Somehow managing to be cheaper than Rugal and Goenitz with destructive black projectiles, lightning strikes, a mirror that counters any attack, and the ultimate desperation move which fills the entire screen with ungodly energy! Only the combined efforts of Kusanagi and Yagami can vanquish his evil power... for a while, anyway.

Bao
A little boy with a stupid hat and dumb pants. Bao also has psychic powers similar to Athena and Kensou, and fights alongside him. He has an insanely annoying voice and is one of the most reviled characters in King of Fighters.

K'
After Kyo mysteriously disappears at the end of the Orochi saga, K' (pronounced K-Dash) takes over as the main hero of the game to kick off the (admittably confusing) NESTS storyline. He somehow manages to pull off wearing all leather without looking too gay and has inherited his fire powers from genetic enhancement involving Kyo's genes.

Maxima
A real big and powerful man, made even stronger thanks to cybernetic enhancements and the ability to analyze opponent data. Max has been buds with K' ever since they've been paired up to carry out tasks by their mysterious boss. You just gotta love the sideburns. Maxima is technically from the Neo Geo Robo Army - he's player two.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:49 pm PT Edited 12 total times.

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stripeknight
Level 30
Wicked Sick!
Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 3:39 pm PT
Whip
It may not exactly be the most original name, as... well, you can probably guess what her primary weapon is. As it turns out, her real name is Muchiko, and she's been working for NESTS. She's not sure why, as her past is shrouded in mystery. She does manage to meet up with the Ikari team and join their ranks, but also has a connection with K'. Her code name is "Muchiko", which means "little whip".

Krizalid
A pawn of Nests, he is the main villain of KoF'99, overseeing the creation of K' and the "anti-K,'" Kula Diamond (who doesn't appear until KoF 2000). Whip hates Krizalid because she's K's brother. Physically it's possible some of Krizalid's DNA is in K' but it's not totally clarified. For failing miserably, Krizalid is murdered by a clone of Zero as his base and operations fall apart.

Hinako Shijou
Hinako is a schoolgirl who has an ambition to be a sumo wrestler. Never mind the fact that she's far, far, far too skinny and also, you know, a girl. Despite her frail and often ridiculous demeanor, Hinako is surprisingly powerful.

Ramon
He may be a bit of an overconfident dork, but there's something to be said about a Mexican luchador with an eyepatch. Ramon's moves are also rather cool to watch in action, as true to his **** lucha libre is all about showmanship. He also has a not-so-subtle crush on Vanessa... but who wouldn't?

Vanessa
EXTREMELY FREAKING SEXY secret agent who pulls off the combo of a tie and suspenders with flying colors. The short dress shirt, tie, and red hair certainly don't hurt her image either! Despite her slender arms, Vanessa is a boxer who strictly utilizes punches. WAY cooler than Micky Rogers and Axel Hawk, for sure. Kinda looks like Alyson Hannigan in some artwork.

Seth
A smooth and suave secret agent who looks like your average working joe... with a crest of white hair and a vague resemblance to Mr. T. Seth's fighting ****is a little bit unorthodox, not really conforming to any martial art. Gotta love the original ****! He is also quite fond of wine.

Jhun Hoon
A very good friend of Kim, but also a rival to him as well. Of course, he also fights with Tae Kwon Do, and joins the Korea team to mete out more discipline to poor Chang and Choi. He gets bonus points for only using his legs, and never his arms. Even Kim utilizes punches every now and then, but Jhun's too cool for that.

Li Xiangfei
A cute Chinese girl with an adorable hair****and an appetite twice her size. There's not really much to say about her story, as she came from Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, essentially a dream match game which is all fights and no plot. However, she does get credit for possessing a super that deals out 100 freaking hits!

Lin
Surprisingly, the KoF series hasn't had a kickass ninja design for all the years that Eiji left the circuit. Lin rectifies that dilemma with his awesome ****and poison attacks. He's on a mission to hunt down Ron, a former rival of his in the order of the Hizoku clan, who has been brought back to life through unholy means...

Kula Diamond
A young girl designed to be the "Anti-K'" - that is, she uses ice powers to counter his flames. At first, Kula is a mid-boss in KoF 2000, but eventually becomes a regular character in 2001. Kula is often accompanied by her robot pal Candy, as well as companions Diana and Foxy. She ice skates like a ballerina in combat and has an affinity towards lollipops. Her blue hair correlates with her icy personality.

Zero
The number two man at Nests. A clone of him is confronted as the final boss in King of Fighters 2000. You fight the original in KoF 2001. Following the format of the game, he's the only active character during the battle but has three "striker" like special moves where three different cronies get involved (one of which is a Krizalid clone). He goes down with the ship during/after your confrontation with Igniz on the orbital station.

May Lee
A cute and spunky young Korean girl who idolizes both Kim and Jhun. She has a rather unique adaption of Tae Kwon Do which primarily centers around an opening move and having several ways to end it. May also has a normal fighting stance and a peculiar "Hero" stance, where her moves focus more on power above versatility. Much to Chang and Choi's delight, she's not a strict hardass, but a fun-loving girl who jokes and jests with the ex-convicts.

K9999
Pronounced "kay-four-nine," this genetic anomaly was built to be the ultimate Kusanagi clone. Needless to say, the experiment failed and he developed a rather vile persona. He possesses psychic energy, has the ability to morph his arms into various shapes, and has move names like "Shut Up!" and "Get Lost!". Flowing cape, large forehead, grotesque pulsating tentacle arm... if you haven't figured it out by now, K9999 isn't just inspired by Tetsuo from Akira... he practically IS Tetsuo! He's even voiced by the same guy, Nozomu Sasaki.

Angel
A devil-may-care young girl whose unique ****of dress belies her highly unorthodox fighting skill. Many of her moves are interconnected with each other through an odd (and often unpredictable) chain system that has an assload of possibilities to it. She often unzips her jacket and shows her breasts off to the very lucky onlookers (which is somewhat reminiscent of I-No from Guilty Gear). Although she has a joyful personality, she turns out to be somewhat evil.

Foxy
An agent who bears high-ranking status in the NESTS cartel, her tall frame and ridiculous hair (that's actually a flag that makes up the stripes) make her seem quite intimidating. However, she's rather gentle underneath her cold exterior and cares deeply for Kula, whom she supervised the creation of with Diana (a character who pops up with Kula every now and then, but had never been officially made playable). She has some mad fencing skills and a suicide attack that knocks her out, but completely destroys the opponent's lifebar. Foxy is unceremoniously killed by a pair of traitors, but somehow appears in later games.

Igniz
The number one arch-bastard in the NESTS agency, he is the source of all pain in the NESTS saga. By absorbing all of the battle data he's been collecting ever since the first KoF tournament, his power meter flies off the scale and becomes something of an insane deity. Igniz has ridiculously quick and damaging moves, as well as the infamous Brutal God Project (where he pretty much assaults you with everything in your arsenal and takes away 80% of your lifebar.) After beaten, he exclaims, "Is this the end... of lovable Igniz?" Tch, yeah. "Lovable," my buttpipe.

Ash Crimson
Challenging Benimaru for the "Most Ambiguously Gay Fighter" award, he comes into the tournament as the new protagonist, taking the place of Kyo and K' before him. But as a certain end scene shows, not all is quite right with this young fighter... Ash has a very unique fighting ****that has some inspiration from Guile, but he has his own moves as well. He's also the first fighting game character to wield green flames, which gives him some originality points.

Duo Lon
A mysterious fighter with a unique outfit, hair**** and fighting discipline. Very little is known about him so far, but based on some moves of his fighting ****and a scene in his team's ending, Duo Lon is somehow involved with the Hizoku clan, the same one of which Lin is a member. He breaks down into a skeleton and channels ethereal spirits for some moves, so he might also possibly be undead.

Shen Woo
A fiery fighter with some hard-hitting techniques and a violent persona, he joins Ash and Duo for the fight in 2003. As with his teammates, Shen's story is currently obscured in mystery. All that can be surmised from what is known so far is the fact that he loves to fight and he gets pissed off very easily, which is contrasted in his brutal fighting method.

Malin
Not much is really known about this mysterious girl who first appears in KoF 2003, but there's still time to develop in future games. All that we can tell from her fighting technique is that she has lots of dirty tricks up her sleeves, such as swithblades, bladed yo-yos, electric rods, and a gigantic mallet! What, you don't carry a gigantic mallet with you everywhere you go?

Tizoc
Known as Griffon Mask is Japan, Tizoc is a powerful Mexican wrestler who, as the name implies, wears a griffon mask. He was introduced in Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and made his KoF debut in 2003.

Gato
A solemn Kempo fighter who is just way too cool to even realize it. He has crippled many an opponent, acts coldly most of the time, has large scars on his back, and only finds solace in the middle of the fight. He wishes to find out about his past, but his memories are blurry and inconsistent. He eventually meets his father and discovers that Hotaru is his sister, but that still doesn't make him any less of a badass.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:50 pm PT Edited 4 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 3:40 pm PT
Maki Kagura
The image of Chizuru's deceased twin sister fights alongside her in 2003. She was supposed to be the heir of the Kagura lineage, but was murdered by Goenitz. Her moves are similar to Chizuru's, but like a thousand times more annoying.

Adelheid Bernstein
Rugal's painfully bishounen son and pilot of the Skynoah, very little is so far known about Adel. As expected, many of his moves are inherited from his father, though the Genocide Cutter is now a Desperation Move (thankfully) and cannot be abused cheaply. He also has a sister named Rose who plays piano as you fight on.

Mukai
The enigmatic end boss of 2003 and master of stone and petrification. Despite having an uber-cheesy move where the entire screen fills up with energy and will render your character helpless if it is executed, Mukai is one of the easier bosses to contend with in the KoF series. His entire presence brings up a load of questions, mostly concerning his connection with the Orochi. He is affiliated with a group known only as "Those from the Past."

Elisabeth Blanctorche
Elisabeth is a Frechwoman who seeks to defeat Ash for his transgression. Her name apparently means "white light", a power which she uses in combat alongside her fierce-looking baton.

Momoko
Momoko is basically the female equivalent of Bao - small and annoying. She's also a master of capoeira, the dancing fighting **** Much like Eddy Gordo of Tekken, this means you can pull of lots of easy combos by mashing buttons. She appears along side the Psycho Solder team in KoF XI, and even though she doesn't actually appear to have any psychic powers, she regards Athena as an older sister.

Oswald
Oswald is a **** guy in a black suit, with a yellow tie and dark red glasses. He fights using a made-up fighting ****called Karnoffel, which is based on using cards to attack. While this may sound a bit like Gambit, Oswald actually uses the cards as slashing weapons, giving him tremendous range. He also has a crazy dance thing he does with his arms.

Duck King
Duck King is a crazy breakdancing kung fu fighter who initially appeared in the original Fary Fury, and shows up in King of Fighters XI in his first official (non-striker) appearance. He seems to be more interesting in dancing than fighting, and has a little bird that mimics his every moves - the poor little thing even cries when Duck loses.

Bonne Jenet
More commonly known as B. Jenet, she's the sassy leader of a group of pirates called the Lillian Knights. Nearly all of her animations are tinged with a sultry grace, and doesn't appear to take fighting too seriously. Most of her attacks revolve around kicks, and she's more than happy to show off her legs from beneath her dress. B. Jenet was introduced in Garou, but makes her first appearances in KoF XI and Max Impact 2.

Sho Hayate
Sho Kayate is a master of "Fuunken" - the art of fighting with a boomerang (!!). He starred in the somewhat average Neo Geo figher Savage Reign, and later in its much superior sequel, Kizuna Encounter. That may seem a little goofy, but that huge boomerang can cause quite a headache. One of the hidden midbosses from KoF XI.

Gai TendoGai Tendo is a wrestler from the 3D Hyper Neo Geo 64 game Buriki-One. Although he made brief appearances as strikers in early titles, KoF XI is the first game where he's playable. His combo-based attacks are a good substitute for Angel, who's since been since from the series.

Silber
Silber (probably a misspelling of Silver) is a hulking beast of a human that was the last boss of Buriki-One, and KoF XI is his first appearance in the 2D fighting realm. Although he's slow, he can also dish out extreme amounts of damage.

Jazu
Jazu (also spelled Jyazu) is the true final boss of Kizuna Encounter. He's essentially a more powerful version of two other palette-swapped characters, Mezu and Gozu. Apparently some kind of crow demon, he wears a golden mask and attacks with his claws. His hunched stature and spinning attacks define him as something of a post-apocalyptic verison of Blanka.

Shion
Shion is one of the bosses working for Magaki in King of Fighter XI. Sho wields a gigantic spear weapon (think three times her size) as well as a rope dart. Even without any weapons, she's skilled in Wu Shu Kung Fu. SNK has never officially stated Shion's gender, although she looks and sounds very much like a female, so that's what the gaming audience has decided on for now. Until SNK pulls a Bridget, that is.

Magaki
Oh man. After eleven years of King of Fighters games, you'd think SNK would realize that people are sick of incredibly cheap bosses, and yet they try this crap in KoF XI. Magaki initially takes on the appearance of a cliched white haired bishounen, but then erupts into a hidicious Orochi-like being, who can toss several kinds of projectiles, as well as turn invisible. He can also rip the fabric of space-time to make flashy entrances or exits.

Hotaru Futaba
Hotaru Futaba is a young woman in search of her older brother, who as it turns out, is Gato. (No big spoiler there, it's pretty obvious even in Garou: Mark of the Wolves, the game they both hail from.) She attacks with grace and beauty, and manages to dish out quite a bit of punishment in the process. Hotaru also has a pet ferret thing, since girl characters apparently need mascots (at least it's less annoying that the stupidly whining thing of Mina's from Samurai Shodown V.)

Tung Fu Rue
Every fighting game series needs at least one Old Guy, and Fatal Fury has Tung Fu Rue. While this unassuming little bugger may seem pretty harmless, he has an assortment of agile moves, as well as the ability to call out a stronger spirit version of himself to attack. He's first introduced in the PS2 version of KoF XI.

Moe Habana
Created specifically for the King of Fighters EX series for the Gameboy Advance, Moe (pronounced "moe-ay", not like the Simpsons bartender) is a schoolgirl with great talent who fights alongside Kyo. Her look is practically a home/ripoff of Sakura from Street Fighter, and even emanates cherry blossoms with her attacks.

Reiji Ogami
Reiji is a fire-haired karate expert who is sent by Chizuru to take her place in the tournament. He lugs his poor little daughter everywhere, who runs out to congratulate her father after he pounds the tar out of someone. Only appears in KoF EX2 for the Gameboy Advance, but it'd be awesome to see him in the main series.

Jun Kagami
Jun appears to be a cross between a stripper and a flamingo - she wags her hips tauntingly, but looks totally ridiculous doing it. She wants desperately to get close to the Orochi power and hooks herself up with Iori. Also only shows up in KoF EX2.

Miu Kurosaki
A little goth school girl with a bizarre interest in the Orochi power. She seems to channel the power of crows, as most of her attacks sends out little black feathers. Also has a thing for hidden blades. One of the exclusive characters in KoF EX2.

Sinobu
The final boss of KoF EX2, Sinobu is a crazy little boy who's inherited the powers of Goenitz, which includes fierce wind and lightening attacks. Naturally, this makes him kind of a pain in the ass. He's actually being manipulated by an evil bastard named Gustav Munchausen.

Rock Howard
The bastard child of Geese Howard, Rock was orphaned after Terry killed Geese in Real Bout Fatal Fury. Overwhelmed with guilt, Terry raised the child as his own. Essentially, Rock is a product of both nature and nuture, as his arsenal consists of moves from both Terry and Geese. Although he's the star of Garou, he only appears as a child during Terry's win poses from 2002, and doesn't show up as a playable character until Maximum Impact.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:51 pm PT Edited 3 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 3:41 pm PT
Alba Meira
The hero of the Maximum Impact games, Alba was orphaned at a young age and taken in by Fate, the crimelord boss of Southtown. Eventually he left to help save the city he treasured.

Soiree Meira
Alba's twin brother. If Alba is synonymous to Terry, then Soiree is Maximum Impact's equivalent of Andy. Instead of being a badass American ninja, he's more of a dancer, and fights using the Capoeira dance **** Not quite as flaming as Benimaru, but still doesn't appreciate the gay cowboy jokes.

Lien Neville
A British assassin with a thing for 70s hair****, Lien is an assassin initially sent to kill Duke, but eventually ends up working for him. Her low-cut jacket accentuates her natural assets, and puts her in competition with Mai for the bounciest character in Maximum Impact. Despite her taste for frilly opera dresses, she can call on laser strikes from orbit, which shows how serious she can be.

Mignon Beart
I can understand why SNK chooses to have so many cutesy girl characters in their games, but do they really need such obnoxious voices? Mignon (as in the filet) practices witchcraft, but ditches the typical black look in favor of bright pink hairdos and cat costumes.

Chae Lim
Chae Lim is essentially a female version of Kim Kaphwan, and replaces him in the first Maximum Impact game. The guys over at Insert Credit seem to insist that she's bisexual, but I dunno about that. One of her alternate costumes is May Lee's cute frog shirt.

Duke
Duke is the fierce boss of Maximum Impact, an evil crimelord who rules Southtown violently. However, even his rule is just a front for a more powerful organization. He has a scar around his neck, which suggests he's brushed very closely with death.

Luise Meyrink
A silver-haired aristocrat with a penchant for magic, Luise quite literally floats like a butterfly and attacks with the grace of a ballerina. She's the primary mid-boss of Maximum Impact 2, but she's not really evil, just searching for her father.

Lilly Kane
Billy Kane's little sister is referenced a few times, and shows up as a striker in KoF 2000, but only makes a playable appearance in Maximum Impact 2. Essentially, she's just like Billy, even wielding the same weapon and having many of the same moves. She even dresses like her older brother in one of her outfits.

Ninon Beart
Mignon's little sister, who practically defines the term "gothic lolita". She's practically the opposite of her bubbly older sister, and is incredibly jealous that she gets to participate in the King of Fighters tournament just because she's older. Ninon believes her own magic to be far more powerful.

Fio
A cute little combatant from the Metal Slug series first showed up as a striker in KoF 2000, but makes her first playable appearance in KoF Maximum Impact 2. She has several of the same attacks as she does in Metal Slug, and is actually easier to control than Marco from Neo Geo Battle Coliseum.

Nagase
Nagase is one of those characters with practically no backgrounds details - she just shows up in the King of Fighters tournament with a strange haircut, crazy yellow hippie glasses, and even more bizarre outfit. Apparently the character designer, Falcoon, based her appearance off his own, except made to look (a) female and (b) hot. She's apparently a huge computer and video game geek, and is completely fascinated with watching her favorite fighters duking it out.

Richard Meyer
A Brazilian capoeira master who owns the Pao Pao Cafe, a popular hangout in Southtown and recurring stage in the Fatal Fury games. He only appeared in the original game, and later trained Bob Wilson in Fatal Fury 3 and beyond to take his place. However, SNK brought back Richard from retirement in King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2.

Hyena
For some reason, SNK put a dorky looking announcer in Maximum Impact to move the plot along - I have a feeling he's an ode to some Japanese TV personality, what with that stupid pompadour, gigantic nose and buck teeth.. They actually made this loser playable in Maximum Impact 2. It's hilarious that they try to make him look badass with a pair of evil-looking glasses, but there's absolutely nothing fearsome about this clown.

Jivatma
Apparently part of the Orochi bloodline, Jivatma is the final boss of King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2.He has a huge laser attack, but otherwise, doesn't have much going for him. In fact, for an SNK boss, he's pretty easy. Oddly enough, his "Another" character model portrays him as a woman, with huge, spiky, scary looking boobs.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:51 pm PT Edited 3 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 4:06 pm PT
The King of Fighters 94 - Arcade (1994)

Although the first King of Fighters had a lot of innovative ideas, it's been completely surpassed in every aspect by it's successors. Most annoyingly, you're forced into choosing set teams of three instead of picking your own selection. There's also very little in the way of plot, at least compared to its successors. Although most of the characters hail from Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting, the protagonist of the game is Kyo Kusanagi, and the final villain is the evil Rugal (both created specifically for KoF.) Also notable is the Sports Team, hailing from USA, which includes some of the most laughable characters in the series, I mean, one of the guys hurls basketballs to attack. The only way to build up power for special moves is by charging up your character, rendering them temporarily defenseless. There's also a dodge move which lets you avoid attacks, although the evasive roll found in the later games is nowhere to be found. The enemy AI is also pretty obnoxious. KoF 94 and 95 are the only games in the series where finishing certain female characters with a special move will cause their clothes to tear off, revealing their undergarments. It has some good music, and it's still playable, but it feels pretty archaic by comparison.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:52 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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The King of Fighters 94 Rebout - Playstation 2 (2004)

For it's tenth anniversary, SNK remade KoF 94 for the Playstation 2 until the name King of Fighters 94 Rebout. All of the characters have been redrawn in high resolution, although they appear to simply be upscaled and smoothed out, similar to techniques applied to many emulators. It's still not remotely near Guilty Gear quality, but they look better than any other game in the series. SNK also added a whole slew of nice new 3D backgrounds, many of which include cameos by characters from later games. There's also a cool three minute long intro showing the various characters brawling, and while it's not as good as the KoF 98 Dreamcast intro, it has some nice rock music. The gameplay is pretty much the same as KoF 94, except for the addition of a Team Edit mode (thank God.) The character select screen features new artwork done by artist Hiroaki, but the rest of the portraits are taken from the original version. Since this is technically commemorating the 10th anniversary of the series, there are also two videos that explain the Orochi and NESTS storylines.
Considering KoF 94 never received a home port, this is a nice package for fans (and includes an emulated version of the original game), but it feels like such a major step backwards that it's hard to play. However, it does include online play. Rebout was only released in Japan, although it was originally scheduled to be ported to the Xbox for American release. Unfortunately, due to constant delays and several bugs, the game was eventually scrapped.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:52 pm PT Edited 3 total times.

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stripeknight
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The King of Fighters 95 - Arcade / Playstation / Saturn / Playstation 2 (1995)

King of Fighters 95 improves quite a bit over its predecessor, mostly because it let players choose their own team (known as Team Edit) and introduces a storyline revolving around the Orochi powers. There are also several new characters introduced into the story, including Billy Kane (from Fatal Fury) and Eiji Kisaragi (from Art of Fighting), as well as Iori Yagami, who was designed to be the mortal enemy of Kyo. The main enemy is once again Rugal, although Kyo's father Saishu also appears as a midboss.
King of Fighters 95 was ported to both the Playstation and Saturn. The Playstation version was released in America, and although it played well, as saddled with cut animation and lots of load times. The Saturn version came with an expansion ROM cart that was necessarily to play the game. Unlike the RAM carts used in other SNK and Capcom games for the Saturn, this ROM cart contains data from KoF 95, reducing the load on the CD and resulting in faster load times. Unfortunately, this hindrance makes it very hard to play on non-Japanese Saturns. It's is also part of the King of Fighters Orochi Collection for the Playstation 2, which contains arcade-perfect ports of KoF 95, 96, and 97, along with online play and arranged soundtracks, making it the definitive versions.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:52 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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The King of Fighters 96 - Arcade / Playstation / Saturn / Playstation 2 (1996)

King of Fighters 96 introduces Leona, a blue haired female member of the Ikari Warriors team, although she's brutally overpowered here and was toned down for later games. Also notable is the Boss Team, consisting of Geese Howard (Fatal Fury), Wolfgang Krauzer (Fatal Fury 2) and Mr. Big (Art of Fighting 2.) Kasumi Todoh is also introduced, as well as Chizuru, a midboss who uses illusionary powers to attack. Vice and Mature, two vicious female characters, also make their first appearance. The final boss is Goenitz, whose hurricane attack makes him just as remarkably annoying as most SNK bosses. This is also the first game to introduce the tactical roll, which drastically changes the way the game is played - by pressing A and B simultaneously, you execute a roll that's impervious to damage. Not only that, but you can roll behind an opponent and attack them from behind, or go for an easy throw. KoF 96 also has one of the best soundtracks of the series - such as Kyo's guitar-heavy "ESAKA?", the Art of Fighting's acoustic-oriented "Kamikiri Mushi" and Kim's rock music "Seoul Road".
KoF 96 was ported to both the Playstation and Saturn. The Playstation version was once again saddled with cut animation and load times. The Saturn version used the 1 MB RAM cart, and while there's still plenty of loading, it's much shorter and very little animation is sacrificed. It also appears on the King of Fighters Orochi Collection.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:53 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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The King of Fighters 97 - Arcade / Playstation / Saturn / Playstation 2 (1997)

King of Fighters 97 finishes off the Orochi saga by introducing several new characters, including the "New Faces" team - Yashiro, Shermie and Chris - who all share in the power of Orochi. Billy Kane makes another appearance, and Yamazaki and Blue Mary from the Fatal Fury games also make their KoF debut. Shingo Yabuki, a comical admirer of Kyo, has been added to the roster. In addition to the newcomers, there are also Orochi version of Leona and Iori - both are very fast and immensely powerful. Other than the expanded roster, King of Fighters 97's only real addition is the ability to choose your power up system - "Extra" is the same as the older games, where you need to charge up attacks with buttons and features the dodge move from Kof 94/95, but "Advanced" is much closer to a Capcom game, where you get more power by taking or dishing out damage, and allows you to use the tactical roll.
There are a few smalls details that aren't found in other games, like the card girls in between matches. It also has some of the flashiest between-round cinemas, with an introduction that shows the next battleground, the time of day, and the number of people in attendance. The presentation feels very much like a high-tech television show, and no other KoF game has quite matched its feel. For some reason, most of the battles are fought without music, with only ambient noises providing the soundtrack. Certain characters still have theme songs, but the relative silence is a bit disappointing. The final boss is Orochi himself, who emanates an eerie blue glow.
Like the previous game, KoF 97 was ported to both the Playstation and Saturn, with the Saturn version taking advantage of the 1 MB cart. It also appears on the King of Fighters Orochi Collection.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:53 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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The King of Fighters 98: The Slugfest / The King of Fighters 99: The Dream Match - Arcade / Playstation / Dreamcast ( 1998 )

With the Orochi storyline concluded, SNK created the first "Dream Match" title, which ditched the storyline and added nearly all of the characters from the previous games, regardless of whether they were alive or dead. There are a few exceptions - the Boss Team from 96 is gone (so no Geese, Wolfgang or Mr. Big), Eiji is absent, and some of the other boss characters (like Goenitz and Orochi) are missing, although the final foe is once again Rugal. The soundtrack is also a mixture of ****c themes, stretching from both King of Fighters and Fatal Fury games. Certain characters, like Chris and Shermie, have their own new theme songs. Due to it's near-comprehensive roster, King of Fighters 98 is often regarded as one of the best of the series.
King of Fighters 98 was ported to the Playstation, but the superior version appeared on the Dreamcast under the (confusing) title King of Fighters 99: The Dream Match. In addition to a fully animated intro, which shows off all of the characters amidst a battle against Kyo and Iori, SNK rendered all of the backgrounds in 3D. While the recreations are faithful, they don't exactly look high tech, and the 2D ones are arguably better - unfortunately, there's no option to use them. Although load times are minimal, the music pauses and starts over whenever characters change, which is pretty annoying. Otherwise, it's a decent port, and was actually released in America, the first since KoF 95 on the PSOne. It also has link-up functionality with King of Fighters R2 for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, one of the few titles that took advantage of it.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:54 pm PT Edited 3 total times.

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stripeknight
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The King of Fighters 99: Millennium / Evolution - Arcade / Playstation / Dreamcast / Playstation 2 (1999)

King of Fighters 99 starts the NESTS storyline, a plot of an evil organization who seeks to clone the world's most powerful warriors and use their DNA for their own nefarious purposes. The new hero is K', joined by cyborg grappler Maxima. Other new characters include the sadistic military girl Whip, stupid little kid Bao, Tae Kwon Do master Jhun Hoon, and Chinese girl Xiangfei, the latter of which hails from Real Bout Fatal Fury 2. The roster is relatively small, and feels a bit lazy, seeing as how two characters are literally Kyo clones (Kyo-1, who plays like the 94/95 Kyo, and Kyo-2, who plays like the 96/97 version.) Iori and the "real" Kyo (who has another new moveset and is the version used in all following games) are hidden - initially, they weren't going to be in the game at all, but were added due to popular demand. The look and feel of King of Fighters 99 is quite a bit darker than the other games, which also shows through in the soundtrack. The character portraits also seem to be done by a completely different artist than the earlier games, and are much cleaner.
Taking a page from the Versus Capcom games, King of Fighters 99 introduces Strikers into the mix. You're allowed to pick out four characters, but only three are let into battle. The fourth is designated as a Striker, who can be called out a limited number of times to execute special attacks. There are also two special modes that can be activated when your power bar is at max - Counter Mode, which strengthens your offense, and Armor Mode, which enhances your defense. The "Extra" mode from the previous games is gone entirely, although the tactical roll has changed a bit - instead of just dodging backwards, you'll leap back then forward again. You are also graded after every fight and are assigned "Battle Points" - the only way to fight the true last bosses are by consistently keeping your rank high. The final boss is Krizalid, who takes on two different forms before finally going down. Oddly enough, KoF 99 is the first game that removes the characters cheering from the sidelines. Alas, due to weird censorship issues, the blood was removed from the American versions, and Whip is missing her gun move.
King of Fighters 99 was ported to both the Playstation and Dreamcast, with the Dreamcast version subtitled to "Evolution" and both were brought to America. The Dreamcast version has 3D backgrounds once again - some of them recreations and a couple are completely new - and they look much sharper than they did in KoF 98. The load times are also pretty much nonexistent, and the music issue was fixed. There are also some extra Striker characters, including Vanessa and Seth, who weren't officially introduced until KoF 2000. In theory, the game would link up to Battle de Paradise for the Neo Geo Pocket Color to obtain these characters, but since that game never came out in America, that feature was excised. Naturally, the Playstation version isn't quite as good, but still plays fine, and features a color edit mode.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:54 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 4:11 pm PT
The King of Fighters 2000 - Arcade / Dreamcast / Playstation 2 (2000)

King of Fighters 2000 expands greatly on Striker system from the previous game. Now each character has an alternate partner that can be chosen as a Striker. These alternates aren't actually playable characters, but SNK took this opportunity to include a ton of fan service by taking characters from other games. Included are Kim Sue Il from Kizuna Encounter, Fio from Metal Slug, Kaede from Last Blade and Duke from Burning Fight. Some older characters like Vice, Mature and various members of the Orochi team also returns as Strikers. Amongst the new characters are Vanessa, Seth, Ramon, Lin and Hinako. Kula makes her first appearance as well, although she's initially a mid-boss. The final boss is Zero, who attacks with an astoundingly well animated cape. King of Fighters 2000 also has one of the best soundtracks of the series, including Goodbye Esaka, one of Kyo's coolest theme songs. Unfortunately, Whip's gun move is still gone in the American versions of the game, plus Mai's boob jiggling has been removed, but only in her idle pose. How strange.
King of Fighters 2000 was ported to both the Dreamcast and Playstation 2. The Dreamcast version features sliding tile puzzles, which are pretty lame. This is missing from the Playstation 2 version, but instead has unlockable videos of all of the intros up until 2000, but the requirements for obtaining them are absurd. It also fixes up some of the minor slowdown experienced in certain areas from the Dreamcast version. Both ports contain extra Strikers and lots of backgrounds from old SNK games, including Samurai Shodown, Metal Slug, and various King of Fighters.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:55 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 4:12 pm PT
The King of Fighters 2001 - Arcade / Dreamcast / Playstation 2 (2000)

Around this time in 2001, SNK had gone belly up, and handed development over to Korean studio Eolith. Unfortunately, it was pretty clear that they were new to fighting games, and the result is one of the weakest entries in the series. For starters - the character artwork is terrible, to the point where some fighters actually look mentally disabled. The artist this time around is Nona, who thankfully improved in later installments. The backgrounds are incredibly ugly, consisting of garish colors that hurt the eyeballs. The music is a horrendous collection of unmelodic cacophony, a mixture of techno and drum and bass, mixed with some truly awful distorted guitar samples. Trust me when I saw it's one of the worst fighting game soundtracks in existence.
King of Fighters 2001 also introduces a ratio system similar to Capcom vs SNK 2. You're given the option to select between one and four fighters. The less characters you choose, the more powerful they'll be, and the more power stocks you can obtain. Any unused characters are designated as Strikers. It's a weird system, and isn't exactly a welcome change, especially since 4-on-4 matches can drag on. The midboss this time is Original Zero, who has three of his own Strikers - including Krizalid, the evil ninja Ron, and a nasty looking lion. But the main boss is the massively overpowered Igniz, who at least looks really cool. The new characters - Angel, May Lee and K9999 - are also pretty strange to play as, although they offer some new combo-based techniques. There are also new moves called "Wire Attacks", which will cause your foe to be launched to the side of the screen and then bounced back so you can continue a combo. The American version of the game is censored much like KoF 2000.
King of Fighters 2001 also appeared on both the Dreamcast and Playstation 2. The Dreamcast version, only released in Japan, features a strange puzzle minigame. The object is to match up blocks by punching them, which then strengthens your power meter. After you build enough, you can attack your opponent. In order to win, either you need to clear your screen or your opponent needs to lose. Unlike most puzzle games, the screen is horizontally oriented. The matches go on far too long to be considered worthwhile. The Playstation 2 version loses the puzzle mode, but addresses some of the original complaints by using completely new character artwork for everything. All of the backgrounds have been redrawn and recolored to look less garish, and the whole game looks much better as a result. There's also a whole new intro, rendered in FMV, which features plenty of hilarious Engrish. However, since there was never an arranged soundtrack, both ports use the same crappy music as the Neo Geo version.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:55 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 4:13 pm PT
The King of Fighters 2002 - Arcade / Dreamcast / Playstation 2 / Xbox (2002)

Although once again made by Eolith, King of Fighters 2002 is a drastic improvement over its predecessor. With the NESTS storyline finished, this installment is another Dream Match, mixing up both old and new characters. While not as comprehensive as KoF 98, it includes a fair representation of the series most popular fighters, including the return of Yashiro, Chris, Shermie, Vice and Mature, as well as new characters like Angel, May Lee, Kula, K9999 and K'. Rugal once again returns as the final boss. The graphical presentation is much better, especially the backgrounds, which include plenty of cameos from other SNK titles. The Striker system has been ditched entirely, so it plays much like KoF 98. The soundtrack also includes a bunch of music from older games like Seoul de Ikou (Kim's Theme) Fatal Fury 2 and Diet (Yuri's Theme) from Art of Fighting 2, but they suffer due to poor sound quality. Due to its character roster and lack of gimmicks, KoF 2002 is also regarded as a high point for the series. It's also the first instance of Mai nudity in the entire series, as she shows off her behind during her Hidden Super Desperation Move. Once again, the American arcade version removes Mai's jiggling, but this was restored in the home console releases.

King of Fighters 2002 was also ported to the Dreamcast, Playstation 2 and Xbox. The Dreamcast version adds in Shingo and King (who were sadly missing from the arcade version). The Playtation 2 version features both of these characters, as well as Geese Howard, Orochi Iori and Goenitz. As usual, 3D backgrounds have been added. The Xbox port is the same as the PS2 version along with Xbox Live online play..
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:55 pm PT Edited 3 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 4:13 pm PT
The King of Fighters 2003 - Arcade / Playstation 2 / Xbox (2003)

With the resurrection of SNK, the original team took back over and once gain reinvented the entire series. Inspired by the Capcom Versus series, King of Fighters 2003 finally features tag battles, so you can switch back and forth between any of your three characters during battle. Combined with slightly ramped up gameplay, this entry is one of the fastest paced installments of the series. Out of your three characters, one of them is designated the "Leader", which usually means they have an extra special attack or two.
The new hero of the series is the girly-haired Ash Crimson, who can wield the power of green flames. He's joined by newcomers Shen Woo and Duo Lon, who star as the heroes of the new "Sacred Treasures" saga, SNK also began melding King of Fighters together with Garou: Mark of the Wolves - Terry appears in his leather jacket uniform, and both Gato and Tizoc appear in a KoF game for the first time. Chizuru also returns, along side with her identical twin sister Maki. The new main boss is Adelheid Bernstein, the son of Rugal, although the true boss is a demon named Mukai. The music is also much better than the previous two entries, and while it lacks the variety of the older games, it's still damn good. The official artwork is all done by Falcoon, and is some of the best looking designs the series has seen. Mai jiggling is, once again, gone in the American arcade release but implemented in the home ports.
King of Fighters 2003 was ported to both the Playstation 2 and Xbox. Both feature arranged music and plenty of new 3D backgrounds, although the Xbox version also has online play. While many more serious fans seem to prefer 98 and 02, KoF 03 is probably the most newbie friendly entry in the series, and is still incredibly fun.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:56 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 4:14 pm PT
The King of Fighters Neowave Arcade / Playstation 2 / Xbox (2004)

After programming for the Neo Geo for ten years, the team needed a bit of adjustment in moving to the Atomiswave platform. Rather than simply letting the members get familiar with the new hardware, they created King of Fighters: Neowave. For all intents and purposes, it's another Dream Match title, similar to 98 and 02. It's closest to 02, but some of the characters have been dropped (May Lee, Angel, K9999) and replaced with others (Jhun Hoon). None of the characters introduced in 03 are here. SNK also brought back young Geese Howard, who was the hidden final boss in Art of Fighting 2.
Neowave feels more like a step back than a step forward. The tag mechanics of 03 were removed in favor of the traditional fighting scheme, and there aren't really any new characters. The move to the new platform doesn't make much of a difference either - sure, the new high-res backgrounds look pretty nice, but the character sprites look exactly the same, except for a bit of filtering. If you're expecting the makeover given to the Rebout characters, you can forget about it. The new high-res artwork, done by Tomokazu Nakano, is pretty nice (and bears a distinct resemblance towards Range Murata artwork), but there aren't any win quotes, or any real plot line, making this seem more slapdash than usual. Even the music, while technically superior to the Neo Geo synth, is bland and forgettable.
There are only minor modifications to the gameplay. At character selection, you pick three options, which lets you execute Super Cancels, Guard Breaks, or MAX2 attacks. Additionally, the fifth button activates the "Heat" mode, which temporarily powers up your character in exchange for a bit of health. While it's still a solid game, the biggest problem is that Neowave just feels redundant. The game got a PS2 release in Japan and Europe, and an Xbox release in America, along with the usual Live support on the latter. Both feature 3D backgrounds, although the quick load times in between characters changes leads to the music constantly restarting, which hasn't been a problem since the Dreamcast version of 98. Ugh. There are several additional characters added to the home versions, including Seth, Kim, Ramon and Vanessa, although May Lee and Angel only appear in the PS2 version.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:56 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 4:15 pm PT
The King of Fighters XI Arcade / Playstation 2 (2005)

After messing around with Neowave, SNK finally got back on track with King of Fighters XI, which drops the yearly subtitle in favor of a roman numeral. The tag system from 03 has returned, with some minor changes to the tagging attack and super cancel system. You now have a separate skill bar which determines how you can execute these manuevers, so they no longer remove your power stocks. The high-res backgrounds are pretty decent, the fancy artwork by Hiroaki is quite nice, and the high-res character portraits are some of the best of the series. All of the music was composed by SHA-V, who is known for guitar-heavy songs like "Goodbye Esaka". The soundtrack is a mixture of that same rocking attitude, mixed with the hard electronica of KoF 2003.
New characters include little girl dancer Momoko, card-wielding badass Oswald, and the **** dominatrix-****Elisabeth, along with Duck King from the Fatal Fury series, and B. Jenet from Mark of the Wolves. The new sub-boss is Shion, an androgynous spear-wielding fighter, and the final boss is Magaki, who's pretty close to Onslaught from the Marvel vs Capcom series. Needless to say, he's remarkably cheesy. There are also several hidden subbosses from other SNK titles - Gai Tendo and Silber from Buriki One (a Hyper 64 game) shows up, as well as Hayate and Jazu from Kizuna Encounter. Some of them seem a bit out of place (especially Jazu), but it's cool to see SNK grabbing from lesser known series. The problem is, a lot of old favorites have been removed from the roster - Andy is still missing, and Joe, Leona, and Mai are gone entirely.
Thankfully, the Playstation 2 port adds a bunch of exclusive characters, including Mai, Robert Garcia, Geese Howard, Mr. Big, Hotaru Futaba, and Tung Fu Rue. All of these character are the same versions as found in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum. You need to unlock all of these through the Mission Mode, which offers over forty challenges, most of which are pretty difficult. There are plenty of new endings, several new 3D backgrounds, and a few remixed character specific songs (like "Diet" from Art of Fighting 2, "Big Shot" from Fatal Fury 3 for Terry, "Bad Girl" from Mark of the Wolves for B. Jenet and "Still Green" from KoF 97 for Shingo.) Surprisingly, the load times are even shorter than the arcade version. It also features the original "Arcade" as well as an "Arrange" mode, which changes some of the character balancing. KoF XI is undoubtedly one of the best, most refined entries in of the series, both in gameplay and presentation, and shows that SNK still knows what they're doing after all these years.
By Kurt Kalata, Sotenga and Neo Rasa


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 7:57 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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stripeknight
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Posts: 5045 Apr 6, 2007 4:16 pm PT


The King of Fighters XII (KOF XII) is to be the next installment of the King of Fighters series. SNK-Playmore has announced that it is abandoning the Atomiswave system and is moving its most popular game franchises to the Taito Type X2 arcade system. In addition to KOF XII, KOF Maximum Impact and a new Samurai Shodowngame in 3D will be released on the new arcade system. KOF XII is expected to conclude the current saga in the King of Fighters storyline. The game is currently early in development, with only some preliminary sketches showing Elisabeth Blanctorche and Ash Crimson released.
It has also been revealed that the game will undergo a complete graphical overhaul, confirmed by Nona, artist in charge of the art in the The King of Fighters XI endings. All the sprites used in previous games for over 10 years will be dropped. The programmers have stated their intention is to create the "ultimate 2D fighting game". Nona reaffirmed this once again in this year's The King Of Fighters Year End Party 2006 in Tokyo.
Reference: Wikipedia


Edited on Apr 6, 2007 10:36 pm PT Edited 2 total times.

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The King Of Fighters XII será a próxima continuação de uma das séries de jogos de luta mais famosa em todo o mundo. A SNK Playmore anunciou que está abandonando o sistema Atomiswave e está movendo suas franquias mais populares jogos para o Taito Tipo X2 Arcade System. Além de KoF XII, KoF: MI e o novo jogo em 3D de Samurai Shodown serão lançados sob este novo sistema de arcade.[1]

Índice [esconder]
1 Desenvolvimento
2 Personagens confirmados
3 Referências
4 Ligações externas



[editar] Desenvolvimento
O jogo está atualmente em desenvolvimento, com apenas alguns esboços e com material promocional mostrando vários personagens.

Foi confirmado que o jogo irá sofrer uma completa reformulação gráfica por Nona, o desenhista dos finais de KoF XI. Todos os sprites utilizados nos jogos anteriores por mais de 10 anos serão abandonados. Os programadores informaram que sua intenção é a de criar o "último jogo em 2D". Nona disse isso mais uma vez em 2006, na festa de Final de ano de KOF, chamada "The King Of Fighters Year End Party 2006", acontecida sempre em Tóquio.[2]

O Gerente da SNK Overseas, Yoshihito Koyama, revelou que o jogo vai ser "3D misturado com 2D". Esta situação levou à especulação que o jogo poderia utilizar "cell-shading" para dar ao jogo um visual em 3D. Recentemente, foi revelado na "AOU 2008" que KoF XII usará sprites 2D em cenários 3D, como em KoF XI, KoF 2002, KoF 2003 e KoF NW (para PS2, X-Box e Arcade).[3]

Em 14 de fevereiro de 2008, a Arcade Operators Union Amusement Expo (AOU) 2008, mostrou em um pequeno video os cenários, bem sombreados, personagens muito maiores e com expressões visíveis, a alta resolução. Apresenta efeitos de muita luz nos golpes especiais e, inicialmente, músicas e vozes destacadas. As filmagens também revelaram a presença de Benimaru Nikaido, Athena Asamiya e Kim Kaphwan.[4]

No dia 18 de setembro de 2008, no evento Amusement Machine Show, Masaaki Kukino, diretor de produção do jogo, anunciou que o jogo será lançado para os arcades japoneses em abril de 2009.[5] Neste evento, uma versão beta do jogo estava disponível para os jogadores lá, contando com 11 personagens jogáveis. Kukino também deu algumas informações sobre o desenvolvimento dos gráficos de KoF XII, o que inclui o fato de as redesenhadas sprites terem o equivalente a 4 vezes o tamanho das sprites dos jogos anteriores da série e o de cada personagem possuir de 400 a 600 padrões de sprite, tendo sido cada uma delas desenhada a mão.[5] Também comentou o sistema do jogo, revelando que ele terá de volta o sistema que foi deixado de lado a partir do The King of Fighters 2002 na série principal, o de rounds sem o esquema de trocar de personagem durante a luta.[5]


[editar] Personagens confirmados
De acordo com uma entrevista com os produtores-chefe do jogo, serão 20 personagens jogáveis[5], todos já divulgados.[6] Elisabeth Blanctorche aparece em um dos posters promocionais do jogo mas ainda não se deu notícia de sua participação no jogo como personagem selecionável/jogável.

Kyo Kusanagi[7]
Goro Daimon[8]
Benimaru Nikaido[7]
Iori Yagami[9]
Ash Crimson[7]
Shen Woo[10]
Duo Lon[6]
Terry Bogard[7]
Andy Bogard[9]
Joe Higashi[6]
Kim Kaphwan[7]
Raiden[9]
Leona Heidern[10]
Ralf Jones[10]
Clark Still[6]
Ryo Sakazaki[10]
Robert Garcia[10]
Athena Asamiya[7]
Chin Gentsai[6]
Sie Kensou[6]
The King Of Fighters XII será a próxima continuação de uma das séries de jogos de luta mais famosa em todo o mundo. A SNK Playmore anunciou que está abandonando o sistema Atomiswave e está movendo suas franquias mais populares jogos para o Taito Tipo X2 Arcade System. Além de KoF XII, KoF: MI e o novo jogo em 3D de Samurai Shodown serão lançados sob este novo sistema de arcade.[1]

Índice [esconder]
1 Desenvolvimento
2 Personagens confirmados
3 Referências
4 Ligações externas



[editar] Desenvolvimento
O jogo está atualmente em desenvolvimento, com apenas alguns esboços e com material promocional mostrando vários personagens.

Foi confirmado que o jogo irá sofrer uma completa reformulação gráfica por Nona, o desenhista dos finais de KoF XI. Todos os sprites utilizados nos jogos anteriores por mais de 10 anos serão abandonados. Os programadores informaram que sua intenção é a de criar o "último jogo em 2D". Nona disse isso mais uma vez em 2006, na festa de Final de ano de KOF, chamada "The King Of Fighters Year End Party 2006", acontecida sempre em Tóquio.[2]

O Gerente da SNK Overseas, Yoshihito Koyama, revelou que o jogo vai ser "3D misturado com 2D". Esta situação levou à especulação que o jogo poderia utilizar "cell-shading" para dar ao jogo um visual em 3D. Recentemente, foi revelado na "AOU 2008" que KoF XII usará sprites 2D em cenários 3D, como em KoF XI, KoF 2002, KoF 2003 e KoF NW (para PS2, X-Box e Arcade).[3]

Em 14 de fevereiro de 2008, a Arcade Operators Union Amusement Expo (AOU) 2008, mostrou em um pequeno video os cenários, bem sombreados, personagens muito maiores e com expressões visíveis, a alta resolução. Apresenta efeitos de muita luz nos golpes especiais e, inicialmente, músicas e vozes destacadas. As filmagens também revelaram a presença de Benimaru Nikaido, Athena Asamiya e Kim Kaphwan.[4]

No dia 18 de setembro de 2008, no evento Amusement Machine Show, Masaaki Kukino, diretor de produção do jogo, anunciou que o jogo será lançado para os arcades japoneses em abril de 2009.[5] Neste evento, uma versão beta do jogo estava disponível para os jogadores lá, contando com 11 personagens jogáveis. Kukino também deu algumas informações sobre o desenvolvimento dos gráficos de KoF XII, o que inclui o fato de as redesenhadas sprites terem o equivalente a 4 vezes o tamanho das sprites dos jogos anteriores da série e o de cada personagem possuir de 400 a 600 padrões de sprite, tendo sido cada uma delas desenhada a mão.[5] Também comentou o sistema do jogo, revelando que ele terá de volta o sistema que foi deixado de lado a partir do The King of Fighters 2002 na série principal, o de rounds sem o esquema de trocar de personagem durante a luta.[5]


[editar] Personagens confirmados
De acordo com uma entrevista com os produtores-chefe do jogo, serão 20 personagens jogáveis[5], todos já divulgados.[6] Elisabeth Blanctorche aparece em um dos posters promocionais do jogo mas ainda não se deu notícia de sua participação no jogo como personagem selecionável/jogável.

Kyo Kusanagi[7]
Goro Daimon[8]
Benimaru Nikaido[7]
Iori Yagami[9]
Ash Crimson[7]
Shen Woo[10]
Duo Lon[6]
Terry Bogard[7]
Andy Bogard[9]
Joe Higashi[6]
Kim Kaphwan[7]
Raiden[9]
Leona Heidern[10]
Ralf Jones[10]
Clark Still[6]
Ryo Sakazaki[10]
Robert Garcia[10]
Athena Asamiya[7]
Chin Gentsai[6]
Sie Kensou[6]
The King of Fighters XI é um jogo de luta desenvolvido pela SNK Playmore e lançado para Arcade e Playstation 2 em 2005.[1] The King of Fighters XI (ou simplesmente "KoF XI") é o 11º jogo da série contando a cronologia original.

Índice [esconder]
1 Sinopse
2 História
3 Personagens
4 Jogabilidade
5 Trívia
6 Veja Também
7 Referências
8 Ligações externas



[editar] Sinopse
Neste jogo, é continuada a caçada de Ash Crimson pelos três tesouros sagrados (lembrando que em KOF 2003 ele roubou o tesouro de Chizuru Kagura), e dessa vez quem está jurado de perder o seu tesouro é Iori Yagami. Caso ele consiga esse feito, irá faltar apenas o pertencente a Kyo Kusanagi.[2]

Praticamente todas as equipes se modificaram: muitos lutadores saíram, alguns entraram, outros retornaram. Neste jogo, temos a presença de Eiji Kisaragi (o ninja de Art of Fighting 2, que apareceu somente em KOF 95), e Duck King (o "punk" de Fatal Fury, estreando na equipe de Terry). Apesar disso, muitos personagens populares, como Leona Heidern, Joe Higashi, Chang Koehan, Jhun Hoon, May Lee, Angel, Choi Bounge, Goro Daimon e Takuma Sakazaki, não se apresentam nesta versão.[3]


[editar] História
Agora Ash Crimson começaria sua jornada em rumo o que havia prometido se unindo a Shen Woo e Oswald, Kyo, Iori e Shingo formam um novo time os três junto poderiam se proteger de Ash e resolvem entrar no torneio dessa vez, enquanto K' deixaria de lado todo esse torneio porem sendo subornado pelos Ikaris que queriam que ele investigasse tudo isso. Formando assim os três times protagonistas, o time de Kyo e Iori conseguem derrotar grandes times e conseguiram que enfrentariam o time de K' nas semifinais, o sangue de K' ferve e suas chamas perdem o controle de tal modo que sem reação sua mente é afetada por algo psiquico que o desmaia. Kyo e seu time partem paras a ultima luta. Enquanto K' acorda no hospital com Kula e Maxima junto a ele, desesperado ele perguntava se havia sido derrotado, porem Maxima diz que ele desmaiou logo K' pegava sua jaqueta e partia em busca de Kyo para sua luta, Kula e Maxima vão atras dele, chegando a perto de Kyo K' gritava o chamando para a luta, Iori dise que iria matar o clone de Kyo se housasse atrapalhar o sorriso de K'aparecencia em seu rosto, antes que K' e Iori se iniciassem em uma luta um estranho homem aparentando ser uma mulher chamdo Shion envade e ataca K' sem mais, enquanto Shingo chama Iori para que prosseguissem e esquecessem daquilo, Kula e Maxima chegam mais são derrubados por Shion, K' permanecia em pé logo ele dizia que K' tinha algo que "salvaria" a humanidade brevemente, e logo sai dali, K' cai sentado sem forças. Kyo, Iori e Shingo derrotam Magaki, que consegue de forma estranha usar o poder do Orochi, vencendo os tres. No final da luta contra Magaki, Ash entra e vence Magaki Iori por sua vez é dominado pelo sangue do Orochi e perde o controle, isso sendo feito por Ash , e Kyo e Shingo são obrigados a lutar contra Iori, Shingo quase perde sua vida lutando e Kyo é derrotado. Quando Iori consegue dominar as forças de Orochi ele cai exausto e Ash Crimson aparece no momento exato e rouba o selo do Iori, e quando ele está prestes a roubar o selo de Kyo, Benimaru Nikaido, Duo Lon e Elisabeth Brantorche aparecem a tempo. Elisabeth, que era amiga de Ash desde criança pergunta o que estava acontecendo, e nesse exato momento Ash ergue a sua mão liberando sua chama roxa. Elisabeth olha para os lados e vê Benimaru ajudando os amigos que estavam no chão gravemente feridos, Benimaru diz que Ash havia feito tudo isso e parte para cima dele, mas ele some dizendo que não poderia enfrentar os três, não naquele momento e para avisar Kyo que ele seria o próximo. No outro lado os Ikaris chegavam e viam K' sentado e seus amigos acordando, logo eles vao juntamente a K' para o local onde Kyo estava e encontram o corpo de Magaki, levando-o para a base. Na qual o corpo de Magaki desaparesse estranhamente, deixando um ar de mistério.


[editar] Personagens
Time dos heróis: Ash Crimson, Shen Woo, Oswald;
Time dos rivais: Benimaru Nikaido, Duo Lon, Elisabeth Blanctorche;
Time do Fatal Fury: Terry Bogard, Duck King, Kim Kaphwan;
Time do Art of Fighting: Ryo Sakazaki, Yuri Sakazaki, King;
Time do Ikari Warriors: Whip, Ralf Jones, Clark Steel;
Time Neo Psycho Soldiers: Athena Asamiya, Sie Kensou, Momoko;
Time dos agentes especiais: Blue Mary, Ramon, Vanessa;
Time Anti-Kyokugenryu - Malin, Kasumi Todo, Eiji Kisaragi;
Time do Garou: B. Jenet, Gato, The Griffon;
Time dos NESTS: K', Maxima, Kula Diamond;
Time de Kusanagi e Yagami: Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, Shingo Yabuki;
Mid e Sub-Chefes: Adelheid Bernstein, Gai Tendou, Silver, Sho Hayate, Jazu;
Chefões: Shion, Magaki.
Nota: Na versão do PS2 do jogo existem 7 personagens que podem ser selecionados depois de cumpridas alguns objetivos não-canônicos ao jogo. Estes são: Mai Shiranui, Robert Garcia, Mr.Big, Geese Howard, Tung Fu Rue, Hotaru e EX Kyo Kusanagi.

[editar] Jogabilidade
Esta continuação conta com a jogabilidade de versões passadas com 4 botões de ataque, evasiva e 1 ataque forte (botões C+D juntos). Herda duas características do KoF 2003: tag battle e a escolha de um líder para a equipe, sendo este o único a ser capaz de executar especiais de nível 2 (ou "LHDM" - Leader Hidden Desesperation Move) e, conseqüentemente, Dream Cancels. O que mais marca nesse novo título são a enfatização do cancelamento de ataques normais para especiais e um novo cancelamento (Dream Cancel). Neste último, o jogador cancela de um especial de nível 1 (HDM) para um de nível 2 (LHDM).[4][5]


[editar] Trívia
KoF XI é o segundo e último jogo lançado da série The King of Fighters a usar um sistema de Tag Battle.
Kyo Kusanagi teve seus golpes mudados (de novo) e voltou a poder usar o golpe "Shiki Ara Kami" (meia-lua para trás + soco, nesta versão) que ele usava nas versões mais antigas da série.
O personagem EX Kyo Kusanagi é exatamente igual à versão do Neo Geo Battle Coliseum de Kyo Kusanagi, salvo o seu LHDM.
The King of Fighters 2003 é o décimo jogo da série The King of Fighters. É o último jogo desta série baseada no hardware Neo-Geo e o primeiro da série desenvolvido e publicado pela SNK Playmore.[1]

Índice [esconder]
1 História
2 Jogabilidade
2.1 Sistema de Tag Battle
2.2 Escolha de Líder
3 Personagens
4 Veja Também
5 Referências
6 Ligações externas



[editar] História
Orochi foi selado, NESTS acabou e todos os lutadores puderam ter mais um ano de descanso, porém eles tiveram que dispensar o descanso e voltaram a aprimorar suas técnicas mais uma vez, pois torneio começou novamente no ano de 2003. Novos trios foram formados, novos lutadores, entre eles um lutador que teve sua memória apagada, Gato, um lutador de vale-tudo, Tizoc, uma usuária de armas legais e ilegais, Malin, o herói da saga NESTS K', o mais novo ninja do Clã Hizoku, Duo Lon, o criador do seu único e devastador estilo de boxe, Shen Woo, e um lutador com objetivos misteriosos e com um incrível poder, Ash Crimson, e dessa vez temos Kyo Kusanagi e Iori Yagami somente observando o torneio. O torneio começa, e o time formado por Ash Crimson mostra ao que veio, derrotando todos os adversários. Enquanto Kyo e Iori observavam o torneio, um rapaz com uma incrível semelhança a Kyo se aproxima e apresenta-se como Kusanagi e começa a atacar Kyo e Iori, porem Kusanagi é derrotado facilmente, e Kyo e Iori se perguntam quem teria sido o mandante desse ataque, o time de K' e o time dos heróis chegam as semi-finais.A luta tinha seu inicio, Shen Woo enfrentava Maxima, K' enfrentava Ash e Duo Lon lutava contra Whip, porem o filho mais velho de Rugal Adhelheid acaba por fazer um dircurso enquanto a luta se promovia, o time dos Ikaris (que foram derrotados por Ash e seu time) reconhecem que K', que ainda era fugitivo, estava naquela luta. K' estava perdendo de Ash, até o momento que Ralf Jones atinge K' com um soco nas costas, Ash recua juntamente com seu time enquanto, Adelheid envade o local porem é atacado por Shen Woo que o joga contra o chão, Gato entra e encara Duo Lon saindo vencedor, Shen Woo vendo aquilo entra com uma série de socos fulminantes derruba Gato, Terry Bogard o primeiro campeão do torneio entra e por sua vez derrota Shen com Power Stream, sem forças Ash envade o arremassa vence, enquanto deboxava, K' fugia dos Ikaris e logo atacava Ash com minutes Spike pelas costas Ash se levantava porem era vencido por K', porem Clark Steel agarra K' por traz e o algema,fazendo com que o time Ash chegam às finais e o suposto anfitrião se apresenta. Era uma mulher com uma semelhança incrível a Chizuru Kagura ,porém nos seus olhos tinham maldade, e Chizuru aparece ao lado dela dizendo que essa mulher se chama Maki Kagura, sua irmã gêmea, e começa a luta entre o time dos heróis e as irmãs gêmeas. O time de Ash as derrotam facilmente, e Maki em um ataque de fúria parte pra cima de Ash, porém ela é morta por uma mulher misteriosa chamada Botan, que tem a habilidade de manipular humanos. Botan diz que Chizuru e Maki foram meras marionetes usadas para romper novamente o selo de Orochi, e que agora não tinham mais utilidade. Ash pergunta da onde é que ela veio, e Botan responde que é de uma organização onde todas as pessoas as pessoas são movidas pelo poder de Orochi, e de repente surge uma figura assustadora. Seu corpo era todo negro, formado de pedras e rochas, e chamava-se Mukai, e diz que eles vão dominar o mundo através do poder de Orochi, e começa a luta contra o time de Ash. Mukai estava prestes a vence-los porem prescentindo que brevemente Kyo e Iori estariam lá ele é forçado a se retirar pois não poderia contra os dois, e diz que o que ele disse vai se cumprir, pois há outras pessoas que levarão isso adiante. Enquanto isso K', o clone de Kyo, é subordinado pelos Ikaris a ajuda-los onde seria necessario seguirem Ash, Leona os informa que na confusão havia colocado um rastriador no frances, os Ikaris e o time de K' vão no encalço chegando a caverna onde Mukai estava, entrando ali não encontravam Ash, pois ele estava vasculhando o local, Mukai presente a energia Kusanagi e acreditando que Kyo estivesse sózinho ele se apresenta com um sorriso e cria uma grade de pedra deixando ele e K' dentro da grade, Mukai nota que ele não era Kyo então o deboxa enquanto K' somente observava, assim a luta tinha seu inicio, por mais que K' tenha apanhando grandemente ele derrota usando um fortissimo Heat Drive levando Muaki ao chão, na qual não acreditava naquilo assim Mukai morria ali fazendo com que a grade se rompesse (SIM...Mukai não foi assassinado por Ash ou Kyo, segundo informações K' o assassina)os Ikaris levam o corpo de Muaki, saindo de lá as chmas de K' saem fora do controle, notando o distino que brevemente teria a Terra porem ele se acalma fazendo sua luva conter. Kyo e Iori entram na caverna e começam a investigar o local, quando Chizuru entra, gravemente ferida, e fala que Ash Crimson está atrás dos seus poderes, para eles ficarem prevenidos, e no momento que Chizuru desmaia, Ash aparece segurando-a, e utilizando suas chamas verdes, retira o poder dela. Iori parte para cima de Ash, porém Kyo o pára, e Ash sorri, e diz que o próximo seria Iori e Ash vai embora, e assim termina o torneio de 2003.


[editar] Jogabilidade
O jogo conta com a jogabilidade de suas versões anteriores: Joystick de 8 direções e 4 botões de ataque. Como sempre com a evasiva (botões A e B juntos) e o contra-golpe (botões C e D juntos). No começo de uma batalha, as duas equipes já estarão com 3 power-stocks cheios. Duas novidades do jogo são o sistema de Tag Battle e de escolha de um líder para a equipe.[2]


[editar] Sistema de Tag Battle
O KoF 2003 é o primeiro jogo da série a usar um sistema de Tag Battle que consiste em permitir ao jogador de poder alternar entre os membros de sua equipe durante a batalha. Há quem diga que é um Marvel vs. Capcom da SNK em forma de KoF. Para alternar entre os 3 membros da equipe basta apertar os botões C+D ou B+D. Quando feito, o personagem que estiver ativo executará uma animação parecida com um Taunt(também conhecido por "animação de provocação") e trocará de lugar com seu parceiro.[3] Também existe a possibilidade de usar um contra-golpe e poder trocar de personagem ao mesmo tempo. Faz-se o comando "meia-lua pra frente + C+D ou B+D" e o personagem executará um contra-golpe. Rapidamente ele sai da tela e seu parceiro vem para seu lugar já atacando. Esta tática é usada para causar mais dano no adversário e aumentar o número de combos.[4]


[editar] Escolha de Líder
Na tela de seleção da equipe, o primeiro membro a ser escolhido será definido como líder da equipe. Este é o único membro da equipe que pode executar golpes-especiais de nível 2 (ou HSDM - Hidden Super Desesperation Move).
Nota: A maioria dos HSDM dos personagens são executados com a mesma sequência de movimentos de um de seus SDM (Super Desesperation Move), só que com 2 botões ao invés de um.[5]


[editar] Personagens
Ao todo são 10 times e mais 7 personagens solo. Sendo que um (Mukai) não é selecionável:[6]

Time dos Heróis: Ash, Duo Lon, Shen Woo;
Time do Fatal Fury: Terry, Joe, Tizoc;
Time do Art of Fighting: Ryo, Robert, Yuri;
Time da Coréia: Kim, Chang, Jhun Hoon;
Time do Japão: Benimaru, Shingo, Goro;
Time dos Ikari Warriors: Leona, Ralf, Clark;
Time dos Fora-da-Lei: Gato, Billy Kane, Yamazaki;
Time das Mulheres: King, Mai, Blue Mary;
Time das Garotas: Athena, Hinako, Malin;
Time de K': K', Maxima, Whip;
Sem Time: Kyo, Iori;
Mid-Chefes: Kusanagi;
Sub-Chefes: Chizuru Kagura & Maki Kagura;
Chefes: Adelheid, Mukai (Chefe principal secreto);