Worst KoF?

[DigiPunk]

Not easy to pick by any means..

'94 could be a contender cuz of the lack of edit feature and the USA team, but that's not fair to be that harsh 'cuz it was the first one..

'96 could be named because they changed the moves around a little too much..

'98 has a lot of characters and variety of play, but I got sick of it too quick.

2000 because it's new characters aren't all that great, and the backgrounds suck.

Decision: KoF 2k - The new characters aren't what they could have been and the backgrounds, while detailed, lack suitable color (IE aquarium).

Let the flaming begin..

[wjw123]

Digipunk

>>>Let the flaming begin..<<<

Take flaming to War room. I love the whole King of Fighters Series.

WHO THE HECK WROTE THIS CRAP - I DID NOT - wjw123

[This message has been edited by wjw123 (edited March 11, 2001).]

[Caris Nautilus]

All the KOF games are good. I don't like playing 94 much though, Since you cant customize your teams

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http://www.chronome.org/dash/misc/psdmini.gif
http://prizmdash.cjb.net

[Dark Kaede]

I WOULD SAY 96 IS THE WORST CAUSE ITS THE ONLY KOF THAT MADE ME LOSE MY TASTE FOR THE SERIES TILL 97 CAME OUT AND REDEEMED IT. THE GAMEPLAY STUNK AS WELL AS SHARING BACKGROUNDS FOR CHARACTERS AND THE BOSS TEAM PLAYED LIKE SHIT. THEY SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THEM IN FUTURE INSTALLEMENTS SO WE COULD REALLY SEE THEIR COMBO POTENTIAL.
LATER KAEDE

[NeoLord]

I think KOF '96 was a great sequel. The new fighting system and the ability to run made it fun to play. The worse KOF game? This is a difficult choice, but KOF '97 was a slight disappointment. I thought the background noises were distracting....

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http://neonewsmagazine.bizland.com/terry1.gif
NeoLord
Neo-News and much more!
neonews.cjb.net (http://neonews.cjb.net)


[This message has been edited by NeoLord (edited January 11, 2001).]

[PrOzErG]

Excuse me guys but in my opinion KOF 2000 was a total waste of money i got the cart and it sucks i like Garou mark of the wolf more excuse me guys but i tink KOF 2000 was a total flop http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/mad.gif http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/mad.gif http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/mad.gif http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/mad.gifAnyways im gona sell my KOF 2000 cart some time il lett you know when i whant to sell it thanks and its brand new i just played it like 10 times

[Caris Nautilus]

96' was awesome in my book, Cause Geese was in it.

If I had to pick the game I least like playing it's 94', Lack of characters and no team edits.

No KOF game really sucks, Some are just not as good as others.

The BEST KOF game in my opinion is 98', It has the most characters and best over all feel of all the games.

I havn't played 2k yet, But in order from best to not as good are:

KOF 98'
KOF 99'
KOF 97'
KOF 96'
KOF 95'
KOF 94'


Originally posted by NeoLord:
I think KOF '96 was a great sequel. The new fighting system and the ability to run made it fun to play. The worse KOF game? This is a difficult choice, but KOF '97 was a slight disappointment. I thought the background noises were distracting....





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http://www.chronome.org/dash/misc/psdmini.gif
http://prizmdash.cjb.net

[VinylBoy]

KOF '95 people... that's my worst one.

Besides all the good backgrounds and graphics... it was ANNOYING to see people being able to kill someone in less than 10 seconds with 100% doing a SIMPLE 6-7 hit juggle combo with Kyo, Iori, Saishu, etc...

Just FAR too much unbalance in the damage department. It reminds me of the damage factor of SS3.

[lemonflav]

I think it would have to be KOF 94.
I don't know if that's fair to say since it was the first one, but never the less it did suck.
It was lemon scented!

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And knowing is half the battle.

[NeoTurfMasta]

I would say '94, but it started such a wonderful series. I got to have music with my fighting game, not just background noise.. so my worst pic is '97.

N-T-M

[Shining Soul]

To tell you the truth I like King of fghters 94 and King of fighters 95, I didn't like the rest of the series to much because the art in the characters changed and definitely the music, also I didn't like the fact that the team partners do not watch the the fight any more. It changed into capcom system where the characters jump out to save a partner or fight, but you don't see them while your fighting.

Neo-Geo Fighting Master

[outsider]

KOF97, never got into it. The super lame music didnt help either.

[Master Terry Bogard]

Yeah. For the most part, (except like the crowd and the Orochi New Face team stages), background sucked and so was having only theme music for some of the characters--the rest got generic background music. If it weren't for those, KOF 97 would have been sooo much better in my book. My favorite keeps on changing, but the weakest would be either 94/97. I am saying weakest, because as others said, each KOF is a great game in its own right--even though most resemble like rehash of the prior version.

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http://www.ciudadfutura.com/arcade/revisiones/images/ffmw_terry.gif

"Come on, get serious!"

[Taiso]

Warning: This is a little long, so I apologize beforehand.

I don't know that ANY of the KOF games 'suck'. They're all worthy games in my opinion.

But, even after saying that, one of the games is going to be the best of that series and one of them is going to be the worst. The only way that I could pick which is the 'worst' is to really look at it from an achievement standpoint. In other words, which one 'underachieved', or fell shortest of its expectations. Game by game:

'94: Matched most of its expectations. Gameplay was crisp, fresh and new and controlled very well. The idea of a fighting game with many SNK titles while at the same time adding new characters was high concept and mostly worked. Graphics, animations, backgrounds and BGM top notch. Second stage Rugal was NOT an easy boss to beat, to SNK's credit. Going back and playing, it has more than stood the test of time. Other game companies should be proud if their games today are as good as KOF '94.

'95: Tweaked gameplay, redrew some characters, added edit mode. Soundtrack was a bit weaker than the last but the backgrounds were just as good. Added a cancel attack to the dodging. Introduced Iori and his rivalry with Kyo, gave us the Orochi storyline, removed sports team and added rivals team. Bosses playable with a code (thank you, SNK). Damage WAY too high, but overall a worthy successor.

'96: Changed game engine dramatically; added rolling, dashing, guard crush. Removed dodging (for most characters) and 'hopping'. Took away most full screen projectiles in favor of more intense, close-in fighting . Super desperation moves added. Game has a largely untested feel to it, but doesn't hurt overall experience. Character graphics redrawn and look a little smaller. BGM no better than '95, but backgrounds are generally awesome. Added boss team (good), but lost Eiji and Billy (bad).

'97: Gameplay issues from '96 tweaked. Play is more refined; many old issues solved but new issues come up. Additon of 'Advanced' and 'Extra' fighting modes is welcome; play in KOF 94-95 style or in KOF 96 style with modification of building DM stocks as opposed to charging power meter. Backgrounds are bland, boring and uninspired except for a couple of stages and BGM is nonexistent except for SNK marquee characters (WHY!!!!??!?!). Oddly enough, original soundtrack is two discs! There IS a lot of music in the game, but you'd never know from playing it:P! Second lamest boss in all of KOF, boss team gone (bad), but replaced with some new charas, most notably NFT, Blue Mary, Yamazaki and a returning Billy. Side note: Where's Eiji? Character is too cool to only be playable in two games (Zantetsu in Last Blade doesn't count).

'98: Dream Match, Dream Game. As close to perfect as KOF is going to get. Gameplay is the best of the series. Great backgrounds overall. Great soundtrack. Best character selection of any KOF, but still no boss team characters or Eiji, which would have been preferable to the returning American sports team. The return of Rugal, redrawn graphics (thank you, SNK), Heidern and Saishu. Hidden versions of many of the SNK marquee characters with full screen projectiles and different moves. Variety is appreciated. Lack of story mode doesn't hurt game's appeal.

'99: Four character teams and Striker mode is added. Armor and Burning modes added. Gameplay tweaked, characters given some new and interesting variatons of gameplay, and control is a little more unforgiving. Story focus is shifted to K', the coolest character to come from the KOF series ever, and the Nests cartel. Other welcome additions (Juhn, perfect Kyo) are counterbalanced by cheese and stupidity (Whip, Bao). Most unwelcome change for me is in Robert Garcia's gameplay and animations. What happened with him? Backgrounds are very good and BGM is above average with a few standouts. A good game, but by now KOF's becoming a bit long in the tooth. Series turning into a 'fans only' love affair.

2K: Gameplay adjusted slightly. Controls a bit more forgiving. Extra and Hidden/Maniac strikers added for flavor, but these aesthetic touches don't impact the game much. However, infinites involving certain strikers are definitely a problem. Some interesting team variations, some cool new characters added. Hinako is not one of them http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif, and her presence almost singlehandedly ruins the ladies team (Xiangfe would have been better); Mai and Yuri do NOT belong in high school comedy anime/manga fare:P. Backgrounds are okay, if not remarkable, but the BGM is fantastic, ranging from techno progressive (example: K' music) to a fusion between jazz and dance (example: Benimaru team music). Zero....in best Simpons 'comic book guy' voice: WORST KOF BOSS EVERRRR!!!. Boss so lame it defies description. Well animated but poor conceptually. Only the addition of Kula Diamond ('anti-K'') can counterbalance it, and barely does so. Dramatic storyline ramifications to KOF universe as Southtown is destroyed by orbital laser, thus paving the way for construction of Southtown Second, the city in Mark Of The Wolves. Will be interesting to see if K' will play differently in the future now that he's not wearing 'the glove'. Overall, the game is a letdown due to the quality not measuring up to the hype, but by no means is it a bad game. Still better than most 2D fighters out there. Series needs at least one more game to end Nests Cartel storyline and wrap up all other plotlines.

So, based on this rather long winded examination of the KOF series, the only one that looks mostly negative is '97.

Therefore, KOF '97, for the reasons I've given, is my pick for the 'worst' of the KOF series. That is, the most 'underachieving'.



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Taiso
'For great justice take off every ZIG'

[Bobak!]

Well done, Taiso!

[Taiso]

Thank you for the compliment, Bobak! It's appreciated.



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Taiso
'For great justice take off every ZIG'

[Yoshima]

Just buy kof99 man its great its not a hard choice !!... gods whit you!

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[DigiPunk]

Taiso -

Good points, but I'd have to respectfully disagree.

1.) Sports team adds comic relief to an otherwise serious game. I mean, c'mon.. a Jock team in a fighting game?! JP must think we Americans are a buncha sports lovers! I still think Lucky Glauber is one of the best KoF characters (Good range, decent power, and nice moves).

2.) Boss team is nice, but not necessary. I think they would have fit better in KoF Dreammatch never ends/Slugfest better. (I always liked to call KoF 98 KoF Special.)

I think KoF 98 should have included Duck King. Think of the possibilities !

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Look for me in PSO as Flank or Gondamin.
http://ripsrus.retrogames.com/chars/25.gif

[gokusama26]

Worst KoF? Definatley 99. I hate Strikers, and the "armor" and "burning" modes aren't too cool. And the strikers, I hate them. Then there's the way the strikers ruin the game, and make it feel like I'm playing Marvel vs. Capcom. Get the feeling I hate the Strikers?

[Taiso]

DigiPunk-

Interesting comments. In the interest of pleasant debate and conversation, I'll offer a rebuttal http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif.

>>Sports team adds comic relief to an otherwise serious game.<<

KOF has Shingo, Kensou, Chin, Joe, Chang and Choi (even Kim, if you want to stretch it), Andy and Mai interacting, Mr. Karate and probably some others I'm not remembering now. There is plenty of character interaction to serve as comic relief. American Sports team isn't necessary for comic relief, and if you're asking me to choose between three poor character designs over three established SNK bosses, I'm picking evil http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif.

>>I mean, c'mon.. a Jock team in a fighting game?! JP must think we Americans are a buncha sports lovers!<<

Whatever they think we are, they've created three inane characters to represent the USA in this game. Thank God the Bogard Brothers are American. They offset the pointlessness of the American Sports Team...barely.

>>I still think Lucky Glauber is one of the best KoF characters (Good range, decent power, and nice moves).<<

I never debated that Lucky isn't an effective character. He's got all the things you say...good range, decent power, and nice moves.

He's also a basketball player:P.

Participating in a martial arts tournament. Double :P.

I'm not picking a basketball player to be on my KOF team. It's just silly. And this statement comes from someone who 'LOVES THIS GAME!'



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Taiso
'Okay!'

[DEVIL_GUI]

KOF 97 HAD THE BEST GAMEPLAY, AND WHAT MUSIC WAS THERE WAS THE BEST MUSIC!

AT LEAST KOF 97 HAD CHARACTERS IN THE BACKGROUND, BIG CROWDS.......SOMETHING I DONT RECALL SEEING ONCE IN KOF 99......COUPLE PEOPLE IN THE PARK RAKING LEAVES AT MOST....

97 COMBINED THE 2 SYSTEMS THE BEST SO FAR........YOU CHOOSE WHAT THE HELL YOU WANT!
THE ANIMATION WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN ANY KOF IN MY OPINION, AND '98+ SCREWED ATHENA OVER SO BADLY ITS NOT FUNNY.....

KOF 97 HAD A STORY LINE TOO....SOMETHING 98 LACKED AND 99 PITYFULLY TRIED TO PICK UP....
IN 94 THE STORY WAS OKAY, BUT NO CHARS INTERACTED, KOF97 PICKED UP THAT PACE DRAMATICALLY.....

94....WELL LOOK AT IT, PITYFUL IN COMPARISON, CRAP MUSIC, NOT SO GOOD ANIMATION, IT MAY HAVE BEEN FIRST, BUT THAT DONT MEAN ILL GO EASIER ON IT....NO TEAM EDIT, VERY FEW SPECIAL MOVES.......

95, STILL FEW SPECIAL MOVES, STILL SUB PAR MUSIC.....AND RETARDED DAMAGE!
ITS LIKE THEY SAID "WE WANT THE MATCHES TO GO FASTER SO THE ARCADE OPERATORS CAN GET MORE MONEY IN A DAY" AT THE END, SO THEY JUST WENT "OKAY" AND 4x THE DAMAGE LEVELS........
THE BACKGROUNDS PRETTY MUCH ARE CRAP (KIMS STAGE, LOOK AT THE FIRE ) TERRYS STAGE (THOSE RETARDS AND THAT E.T. MONSTER THATS "SUPPOSED" TO BE TERRYS CUTE LIL MONKEY)

TO ME, BEST IS '97...... 96 WAS COOL, BUT IT WASNT THERE WITH THE SYSTEM OF "GAMEPLAY" IT STILL HAD KIXAZZ MUSIC AND ANIMATION TO BOOT, A DAMN COOL STORY (A SECOND LAST BOSS THAT WAS HARDER THAN THE LAST BOSS)........BUT IT DIDNT HAVE THAT "I AM COMPLETE AND MINTY PERFECT" FEEL THAT 97 HAD......

'98 FELT LIKE MUGEN IF YOU ASK ME.....NO ENDINGS BAH!
'99, WELL THE STRIKERS ARE OKAY, BUT THE BGS WENT DOWN HILL AND WHAT THE HELLS W/THE '99 MUSIC?
ITS THE WORST SHIT IVE EVER HEARD!
2K.....IVE NOT PLAYED ENOUGH TO JUDGE, BUT I LOVED WHAT I PLAYED OF IT.......

'97 HAS MY PICK.......IT HAD A FEEL TO IT NO OTHER DID.......
THE STORY, THE OROCHI TEAM, THE FUN THE GRAPHIX, AND THE FACT YOU DIDNT NEED TO HEAR MUSIC EVERY SINGLE STAGE MABY (SOMETIMES I WISH I COULD TURN OFF MUSIC AND LISTEN TO THE PUNCHES AND KICKS)
IT CLOSED THE OROCHI STORY LINE IN A GREAT WAY!.......AND IT HAD SO MANY DAMN COOL ENDINGS!

KEEP YOUR 98, 99, 96, 95, AND 94S.......HELL EVEN 2KS FOR THE MOMENT, IF I GOT TO PICK 1 '97 IS IT!

HELL CHECK COSMICO.....
'96=$15
'97=$96
'98=$?
'99=$100
LAST I CHECKED.....MABY '97 IS RARER, BUT I BELIEVE ITS JUST MORE IN DEMAND, BECAUSE ITS A BETTER GAME, AND ARCADES HOLDING ON TO IT!
DEVIL GUI

[nruva]

Just a note to all you Sports Team trash talkers... face my Heavy D!! I think he is a damn good fighter, but I usually like the boxers. Worst in my opinion, I think 1997, I just could not get into that game at all...

-Nick

[Taiso]

nruva-

I will admit that Heavy D! is a decent design. Definitely the best of the three. And, being a boxer, at least he BELONGS in a game like this http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif!

I've always thought about the potential of a team of boxers for a future KOF. Say...Heavy D!, Mickey Rodgers, and....Axel Hawk, maybe? Vanessa? I don't know. And who would be the striker? Maybe a team of characters that plays the same might not be so much fun. Then again, I loved the Ryuko/AOF team before 99, so maybe the potential is there....




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Taiso
'Okay!'

[Taiso]

DEVIL_GUI-

Interesting responses. While my prior post indicates that I don't agree with you on most of your points, that's all cool. The only thing I feel the need to respond to is the following comment:

>>94....WELL LOOK AT IT, PITYFUL IN COMPARISON, CRAP MUSIC, NOT SO GOOD ANIMATION, IT MAY HAVE BEEN FIRST, BUT THAT DONT MEAN ILL GO EASIER ON IT....NO TEAM EDIT, VERY FEW SPECIAL MOVES.......<<

I think that because it was the first in the series, you SHOULD go easier on it. You have to look at what games were like at the time. Back then, that was as good as a fighter got. If '94 were to come out as KOF2K1, I'd agree with your comments. But we shouldn't judge the past by the standards of the present. That's just not fair to anything, video games or otherwise, that was ever invented in the past.

Oh yeah, one more thing.

>>HELL CHECK COSMICO.....
'96=$15
'97=$96
'98=$?
'99=$100<<

Dragonball: Final Bout for the PSX was a game that came out in limited quantity because no one was sure how DBZ would do on our shores at the time. So it's a rare game. Because people are hot for Dragonball Z right now they're willing to pay inflated prices to get the domestic version of the game, which by the way is an utter pile of crap, not at all fun to play and is pretty much strictly for HARDCORE DBZ fans (of which I am not). And even if you DO love DBZ, you'll be suffering for your entertainment if you play Final Bout http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif.

The point? The dollar amount attached to a game is not a determining factor in its quality of design and play. Never has been and never will be. Not even remotely. Sorry http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif.





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Taiso
'Okay!'

[DEVIL_GUI]

I DOUBT THAT KOF '97 IS A RARE GAME......
THATS THE NEO GAME IVE SEEN IN THE MOST PLACES FOR PUBLIC PLAY OF ALL THE KOF SERIES.....

ANOTHER THING IS THE TOPIC "WORST KOF"
WELL LET ME TELL YOU, REGUARDLESS OF THE TIME FRAME IT WAS MADE, ILL TAKE OUT '94 THE LEAST ILL EVEN PLAY '98 OVER THAT ALONE (NO STORY LINE) BECAUSE IT IS A BETTER, MORE FUN GAME......

THE WAY I READ THE TOPIC IS, GRAB ALL YOUR KOFS, THROW EM ON THE TABLE AND DECIDE WHICH IS THE BEST AND WHICH IS THE WORST......

NOT GRADE THEM FAIRLY ON THIER TIMEFRAME, BUT DECIDE WHICH IS THE WORST......
I PLAY '97 THE MOST AND HAVE ALSO PLAYED IT THE MOST OF ALL MY KOFS.....

IT WOULD BE VERY SILLY TO GRADE THINGS FAIRLY IF YOU WERE ADVERTISING TO A NEW PERSON.....THEY PICK UP '94 AND THINK ITS CRAPPY AND MAY NOT GET ANOTHER.......
I MEAN, ITS OBVIOUS TO MOST THAT GAMES GET BETTER OVER TIME.......
I MEAN, COMPARE YIE ARE KUNG FU TO KING OF FIGHTERS........
ITS GOT NOTHING ON KOF......I LOVE THE GAME BUT ITS USELESS THESE DAYS

WELL, THATS THE WAY I SEE IT......
DEVIL GUI

[Taiso]

DEVIL_GUI-

I understand your point about '97 not being rare, and wouldn't argue that because it's not what I was saying. If I WERE to argue about that, though, I would say that just because something is popular or widespread doesn't make it good. One need only turn on a popular radio station of MTV these days for proof of that. Brittney Spears is not, at this time, any barometer of quality music:P!

I was simply saying that a high price tag on a game, for whatever reason, does not indicate its quality. DB: Final Bout was an example I chose because it is overpriced drek. That it is RARE overpriced drek is beside the point.

As for grading KOFs on overall quality, I guess we're at an impasse. While I see where you're coming from, the reason we are all involved with the Neo Geo is because we love classic gaming and we all agree that no system does it better. In lieu of that, I feel it is only fair to grade each game based on its own merits.

There are people that swear up and down, for example that SS2 is the best fighting game ever made, let alone the best of its series. It, just like KOF '94, was years ahead of its time. It endures for SS fans the same way '94 endures for me and, I'm sure, many others.

If someone were to ask me which KOF was the worst, I would say '97 because it was a big letdown to me. None of the other games disappointed me as much as that one did.

As I go back and play '94, I don't find the game to have bad control, graphics, backgrounds or music. I think it all holds up very well, and is still better than most fighting games currently available. And based on that, I guarantee you that '94 will find its way into my gold system before '97 does.

But it's all cool beans. I mean, we're both still big neo fans, right http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif?



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Taiso
'Because of my bloody life, it was no accident that I was involved in the troubles...'

[DEVIL_GUI]

I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN, JUST TO ME, THE CONTROL WAY WAAAAYYYYYY REFINED BY '97 I LOVE ADVANCED MODE TOO, I HATE THE "HOP" AND LOVE THE DASH........
ITS ALL ABOUT THE WAY YOU PLAY I GUESS......

YEAH WERE ALL STILL SNK FANS (IM SNK, NOT SO MUCH NEO EXLUSIVE)
I WAS JUST SAYING, LIKE YOU PLAY '94 MORE THAN '97, I PLAY '97 MORE THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS, AND '94 OR '95 THE LEAST.......

THEYRE STILL COOL GAMES, BUT ITS LIKE PLAYING ATARI 2600 DOUBLE DRAGON OR THE ARCADE VERSION, ATARIS VERY COOL AND HAS THE BEST MUSIC, BUT IT DONT HOLD A CANDLE IN THE CONTROL OR GRAPHIC DEPT TO THE ARCADE VERSION....
DEVIL GUI

[Taiso]

DEVIL_GUI writes:

>>THEYRE STILL COOL GAMES, BUT ITS LIKE PLAYING ATARI 2600 DOUBLE DRAGON OR THE ARCADE VERSION, ATARIS VERY COOL AND HAS THE BEST MUSIC, BUT IT DONT HOLD A CANDLE IN THE CONTROL OR GRAPHIC DEPT TO THE ARCADE VERSION....<<

Well, I think there's a much larger margin of difference between VCS DD and arcade DD than there is between KOF '94 and '97.

But still, even though our opinions differ on KOF, I still smell what you're cookin' http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif.




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Taiso
'Because of my bloody life, it was no accident that I was involved in the troubles...'

[nima.mottacki]

People! I read all these posts flaming KOF95 and I'm not gonna stand for it! It's got an uninterrupted fluency that has yet to be matched. I realise that the system introduced in KOF94 had limited development potential. So did SNK and that's why they changed it. '96 was beautiful, but a bit of an unpolished product. The worst game in the series is definitely '94. The fact that it's the first one doesn't redeem that.

Now, if they'd only left Ryo alone in '99. Grrrrr, his whole game was screwed, even though I love him like that in '95.

[Black_Hayato]

from worst to best.

94- It sucked for me, it actually kept me away from KOF.

2k- Changed striker system isn't balanced like the MVC2 assist system. Characters play better than 99.

95- This one brought me into KOF, but there's problems all over the place.

96- It had Geese, the quality is similar to 97. Changed what was bad about 95.

97- Refined from the previous, It brought back a tornament feel most fighters forget. Good story.

99- Brings in new ideas w/o completely failing. The strikers were abusable, but not at 2ks level.

98- Balance and cast, and fun factor. Could throw out rugal though.

I have played them all, except 2k, but I do read whats said about it from those that do.

[shinkyo]

The Ratings are

98
97
95
94
99
96
2000

[Iie-Kyo]

I also must respectfully disagree, Taiso, on your extremely well written observations:

KoF '94 - If a modern-day KoF player like me tries to go back to '94 to take a shot at it, the gameplay simply feels, dated. You don't have the combos, speed, or freedom of mobility that the later KoFs give you.

KoF '96 - I believe one of the best soundtracks in the entire KoF series is in this year. I believe the music really gets you into the game. In fact, I own the '96 PSX version just for the short AST-style audio tracks that are playable in a CD player. http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif I also have to say that the '96 storyline was extremely intense. After wading through the SNKglish you could make out an epic waiting to happen.

KoF '99 - Well said, however I must disagree on your comment in regards to the excellent backgrounds. True, the backgrounds were well drawn and detailed, but KoF '99's color really detracted from the 'feeling' of the game. '98 had bright colors and made everyone really stand out. However '99 suffered from the "Quake" problem, namely everything was extremely brown or tanned, making the general atmosphere of the game somewhat dark and bland.

That's my 1 1/2 cents. http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/smile.gif

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I eat King sized pancakes for breakfast, Terry-aki burgers for lunch, and meat Jhun with sloppy Joe and Kim chee for dinner. All I need is Kyo to BURN'em.

[vulvair]

I'd hqve to say 94, as I play it the least, 97 I love for its storyline and gameplay wise I'm now most used to 99 so its is currently my favourite, yet definetly the one which marked me the most of the entire series is 97.
I hate the two button and angled unnatural motions for the DMs in '94, so I never got too involved in getting anywhere near reasonably good with it :/

[ShinIoriYagami]

Kof 94

The series sucked for me until Kof 95...

[YeldellGW]

I've been playing KOF94 quite a bit lately and realized how much I enjoyed the game and why I got into KOF in the first place; so KOF94 being the worst; "I DON'T THINK SO!"

My vote for worst KOF (In no order):

KOF95 - Damage
KOF96 - Control wise
KOF99-2K - Strikers (As I've stated before, I dislike strikers/assist attacks period!)

That's it, and only because of those features (I'll still play the hell out of them regardless though. http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/biggrin.gif )

---------------------------------------------

"Don't be scared! I'll only cut off one of your heads! Guess!"

[Iie-Kyo]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by YeldellGW:
I've been playing KOF94 quite a bit lately and realized how much I enjoyed the game and why I got into KOF in the first place; so KOF94 being the worst; "I DON'T THINK SO!"


What, in your opinion, makes KoF '94 decent? I'm guessing you don't think this is the best but what makes '94 something to look at when it comes to comparing the KoFs?

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I eat King sized pancakes for breakfast, Terry-aki burgers for lunch, and meat Jhun with sloppy Joe and Kim chee for dinner. All I need is Kyo to BURN'em.

[YeldellGW]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Iie-Kyo:
What, in your opinion, makes KoF '94 decent? I'm guessing you don't think this is the best but what makes '94 something to look at when it comes to comparing the KoFs?


To be honest, no idea. I guess I'm just a sucker for a classic (Excluding SF.)

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"Don't be scared! I'll only cut off one of your heads! Guess!"

[Jackal]

The WORST one?

It's not '94, but then again '94 isn't the best one either.

My personal favorite is KOF'98, so that one will be kicked aside as well. It's like '97 and '94 all rolled into one. My only cavil is that there are no team-specific endings.

While '99 is still very good, there are a couple issues about it that bug me. STRIKERS! http://www.neo-geo.com/ubb/mad.gif This just doesn't feel right in a KOF game. I'm hoping KOF 2001 does without them. Also, the 1P Battle is too short. In its defense, I do like the BA system for scoring. This would be the nadir of the KOF series, but still at a pretty high point.

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[Iie-Kyo]

The BA system is still a mystery to us all, however. VinylBoy has been trying to piece away at this puzzle for a long time and still hasn't totally figured it out.

Anyone know any guys who were at SNK who made this scoring system?

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I eat King sized pancakes for breakfast, Terry-aki burgers for lunch, and meat Jhun with sloppy Joe and Kim chee for dinner. All I need is Kyo to BURN'em.