Worst KoF?

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..

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).]

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://prizmdash.cjb.net

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

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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NeoLord
Neo-News and much more!
neonews.cjb.net


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

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 Anyways 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

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....

Click to expand...

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http://prizmdash.cjb.net

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.

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.

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

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

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

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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"Come on, get serious!"

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 , 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'

Well done, Taiso!

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



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Taiso
'For great justice take off every ZIG'

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

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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.

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?

DigiPunk-

Interesting comments. In the interest of pleasant debate and conversation, I'll offer a rebuttal .

>>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 .

>>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!'

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

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

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 !

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!'

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 .

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 .





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Taiso
'Okay!'

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