Should The King Of Fighters Series Have Ended With 2000?

Ever since the release of King Of Fighters 2001, the series has been going through quite a few changes, both good and bad (mostly bad). What I'm wondering is if the series had ended with 2000 (the last KOF game created by the original team), would the series' credibility have been better, worse, or about the same as/than it is now?

The main reason why I'm wondering this is because over the last two years, ever since Eolith gained creative control over the series, the KOF series has received more complaints than any other game developed by the original SNK staff (this year being no different, with the lack of fan-favorite characters, intros, endings, and the overall "lackluster" feel to the game). Don't get me wrong; I'm glad the series is still alive and well. However, unless Playmore adds a little (okay, a LOT) more refinement to the series (such as listening to fans' requests and spending more time in development), I have a bad feeling that the series will become as stale as Mortal Kombat (after 3; Ultimate was fun, but overkill).

Simply put, should the King Of Fighters series have ended with 2000 (and with a good deal of people happy), or should it continue on as is (and possibly risk alienating its' original fans while sending the series' credibility down the toilet)? Feel free to elaborate on any of your own comments (yes, Fran, you can go nuts with your rants, too).

No. KOF is KOF. I complained about bgs and stuff, but I hadnt played KOF 96 and 02 and since I have now ,IMO the series is still strong as ever.
02 makes up for the shit in 01. But I agree, we have to see new and capable bosses/ sub bosses each year and deep storylines.Also bringing in someone like Rock Howard into the fatal fury team instead of Joe would be cool

KOF should have been completely revamped after 2000 (even before that) with all new characters, all new artwork, new music, and totally new ways of playing.

Playing 2002 I still get the feeling I've done all this before for the past five years, the series really needs to be torn down and rebuilt.

As for the complaints about 2001 and 2002, a lot of it is SNK elitism. SNK didn't churn out all winners when it was in business, I wouldn't expect that to change.

2002 doesn't deserve the trashing it receieves by some on these boards, except for the music...

The series is definitely played out, but should they quit? Nah... Not 'til the next dream match at least...

With that said...

If they decided to end it with '02, I'd be content with their COA. This game makes up for the recent KOF debacles, but I'd be bullshitting if I said I didn't hope for more interaction in regards to the series 1 hit wonder characters (Goenitz, Orochi).

They wouldn't have retired the series on a high note if '00 was the last installment...I thought the game bit swollen glutes.

As good as 2k2 is, it looks the same essentially as '98/'99 in regards to sprites...which Imo is a bad thing. annoyed

For future story oriented titles: The fight engine and gameplay divisions are perfect, but the series needs a facelift, and a drastic roster cutdown as far as the old timer characters go... Runnin' the same timeless soul folks out there over and over is retarded now, and the fact that you can still trace animation back to '96 is blatant lazyness.

For more dream match esque titles: We have to see a better representation of past characters in the series. Both '98 and '02 have let me down somewhat in this department. Geese, Krauser, Big, Goenitz, Orochi, Eiji, Krizalid and others have yet to appear in one....which is saddening.

Of course, they play us like crack heads... Knowing that we need continual hits of the series, and the majority will buy off any product that offers the annual high - regardless of lackluster efforts on developers parts.

I loved (and still do love) KOF2001.
With all its flaws.

KOF2002 is not as good to me.

Now I'm looking forward 2003.

Guess the answer to the topic question is 'nope' for me!

I'm still of the strong belief that the series should not go beyond 2004 (10th Anniversary).

The series cannot go on for ever and ever, even if you axe a lot of the characters and bring new ones in. If you change the fighting style too much then it wouldn't be KoF would it?

I'm glad the strikers system has gone. I neither liked it nor saw the point to it.

I'd like them to keep the roster as it is now (koF 2k2), remove Rugal (or only have him as a 'hidden' character), return the boss team, Shingo, King and Orochi. Better animated bgs and the real KoF music returned (instead of this naff remix stuff).

I like koF 2000 and I like KoF 2001. They're aren't the best, but they're pretty good nevertheless. Pride has been restored with 2k2 (I think largely because strikers have gone), and they just need to keep going for two more chapters and stop.

There is no reason why a new fighting series cannot be established on next gen hardware featuring key characters from the series. Then you can get your new graphics, fighting system and characters.

KOF 2001 and 2002 are my fav KOFs. SO no. Hell no.
Just thinking about it...makes me sad...

The character sprites definitely need an overhaul for most old characters..
I have been comparing the sprites and the best sprites I've seen on a whole are in KOF 95'
because they have more of that rugged SNK look.
-BB
Where's my proper avatar? frown

Tarma:
I'm still of the strong belief that the series should not go beyond 2004 (10th Anniversary).

The series cannot go on for ever and ever, even if you axe a lot of the characters and bring new ones in. If you change the fighting style too much then it wouldn't be KoF would it?

I'm glad the strikers system has gone. I neither liked it nor saw the point to it.

I'd like them to keep the roster as it is now (koF 2k2), remove Rugal (or only have him as a 'hidden' character), return the boss team, Shingo, King and Orochi. Better animated bgs and the real KoF music returned (instead of this naff remix stuff).

I like koF 2000 and I like KoF 2001. They're aren't the best, but they're pretty good nevertheless. Pride has been restored with 2k2 (I think largely because strikers have gone), and they just need to keep going for two more chapters and stop.

There is no reason why a new fighting series cannot be established on next gen hardware featuring key characters from the series. Then you can get your new graphics, fighting system and characters.

Click to expand...

I agree with Tarma on this one. While I love KOF it would seem fitting to lay it to rest in '04, but in a BIG way. Has to be something totally fresh and new for the series. Maybe one final KOF with every character in one game, Bosses included. Maybe that wouldn't be the best way to end it, but it has to be something of that calibur, something huge. Then, after the close of KOF, they can develop completely new fighting franchises with some of the KOF characters.

Yagami

Naw, I liked KOF2k1 and 2k2. Sure they're different from previous KOFs, but change has to happen sooner or later.

Plus, you gotta consider the storyline of KOF. It's known from both the KOF99 and KOF2k storylines that there were people higher in NESTS than Krizalid and Zero. Plus, you have to develop the new characters that appeared in both games. They did that kind of well in 2k1, finally ending the NESTS plot. Now they're going on to the Dragon Spirit plot. You can't just leave a game's storyline wide open like that. Ending KOF at KOF2k would have done that.

I seriously believe that KOF should end at KOF2k4, with the ending of the Dragon Spirit plot, and the death of some characters (Bao mainly). It's good to end it at this year because other storylines are just beginning (MOTW, Savage Reign, Kizuna Encounter, etc).

Once KOF has ended, why not have the characters star in their own/different games? Like AOF4 and 5, RB3, MOTW2, a new Athena game, a new K' game, a new Kyo game or something! Just because the series has ended, doesn't mean the characters have to disappear.

One more thing, KOF2k5 should be one big as dream match, with every character that has been in KOF in it. It'll be the best closeout ever!

You know, I think 2000 had the best story. It broke up a lot of teams, killed off a character... setup MOTW and destroyed South Town... it would have been a fitting ending. I love the story of that game, it is really well done. 2001, well, it is fun to play 2p, not great, but fun... and I love 2k2, but I don't own it yet, so who knows if I will play it as much as 97/96 I like the new KOFs, 2K1 is kind of lame, but the team system was unique, balancing the power with the number of fighters... I liked that.

-Nick

WOW! Definitely a lot of good points brought up by many people (especially Body Rip, Tarma, and their funky avatars).

Basically, I got the idea for this topic from last year, when SNK went out of business. I was wondering if KOF 2000 was the last one released, would it have been seen in a better light than it is now?

Obviously, I'd want to see more KOF games (if only to see Playmore correct/improve upon the errors/ommissions made in previous ones, since they'll be picking up the ball from Eolith next year, or so I hear), but I agree with Tarma in the fact that the series should end in 2004. Besides, I'd hate for it to keep going indefinitely until it fades into obscurity (and/or the roster loses it's edge). Let's hope that if the series does end, it'll be on a high note (much like what KOF '97 and '98 were originally intended to do). Also, the next KOF will be the 10th one in the series, so something big will (and should) be in store. But I'd rather not get ahead of myself, and instead, try to focus on the good of the current KOF games.

King of Fighters 2001 clearly had somewhat better gameplay than 2000, but it still felt a bit like a rush job (though I can't blame Eolith, since they had to rush it out before the end of year; still, it probably could've benefited from another month in developement). Despite that fact, I still enjoyed it (especially beating one guy at Otakon who played as Hinako, Xiangfei, Bao, and Ramon using only Benimaru). 2002 made up for most of Eolith's previous errors (better backgrounds, music, character art, and having Hinako around another year), and the gameplay felt more refined than 2001 (probably due to a "return to basics" approach), but the ommission of King, Shingo, and any special endings (as well as Nona's hideous art) pretty much ruined any hopes of it being a TRUE Dream Match (thankfully, it wasn't enough to ruin the game itself, which I throughly enjoyed during my Christmas break, and look forward to playing at Otakon 2K3 in August). Despite the many advantages that 2K1 and 2K2 have over 2000, it still holds a special place in my heart (mainly because it was the first AES cart I ever purchased, the only one I got to play at Otakon 2001, and the second game I ever played on my AES; first one was KOF '98).

While any hopes of seeing King and Shingo in the 2K2 AES may have been dashed, there's still hope in the console ports (although I know that Tekken and Soul Calibur added characters that weren't playable in the arcade version to their home ports, I can't really think of any others fighters that have done that; anyone else know any?). I'm keeping my fingers crossed and am praying that my wishes come true...

Story line wise KOF couldn't really have ended since 2000 was like how empire strikes back was to star wars. Other than that I don't think it matters a whole heck of a lot if it died or not. Sure the series does kick major ass but if you ask anybody what SNK was they'd scratch there head. Most people were clueless who the 2nd half of the CVS roster was. But to people who did they wanted more. and they did but 2001 was definately a step in a different direction. some liked it, some didn't. So for the most part IMO it's very opinionated on if it should have ended or not since 2k1 and 2k2 both have gotten majorly mixed reviews here.

Sorry some of this stuff didn't really connect to other stuff but overall it makes sence...i hope

I think they need to reduce the number of characters so they can actually give the game some decent graphics. Then redraw the characters so they look good, and then tweak the fighting system a teeny bit. Then maybe they'll have a game that's close to being as good as MOTW.

i love 2002........ it reminds me of all that was good in the past.
the 3-on-3 gameplay, and the other splended points of the older games..
the nests story arch was VERY confusing(to me,atleast). they still have yet to out do the grand Orochi story arch..

I found the whole Nests thing rather convoluted and totally incompatible with the KoF theme set up in the previous chapters.
Rugal really needs to stay dead now. He was the final boss in '94, '95, '98 and now 2k2, yet he was probably at his best in either '94 or '98.
Goenitz (sp?) was a good boss, not as good as Orochi, but he ceratinly has the best bg! That stadium is brilliant!
I think it should end with Orochi as the last boss, or ended this year with Orochi and let the final chapter boss be Geese. It would be tops if Geese was actually behind the whole KoF thing!

Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see. But 2004 - definite cut off.

Personally, I have to agree the series should end in 2004. The series needs more new characters or characters from other games. What about Marco from MOTW on the AOF team? I would like the boss team to come back for one last game. As far as sprites are concerned I'm happy with all the sprites. The AOF team should play a bigger part though; Kyo and K' have hogged the spotlight long enough and some of the older characters need more involvement in the story.

Actually I was thinking that 2003 should be the last game on the Neo Geo being that it's the 10th and 2004(the 10th aniversery game) should arive in style on the latest arcade hardware on the PS2 GCN and Xbox and DC for reasons of loyalty.

I have an idea for 2004.

Just remake KOF94 but with Garou-style sprites.

I mean THE SAME cast as in 94. Same tunes, same stages and perhaps the same rules (well, or the classic EXTRA/ADVANCE mode).

But using NEW SPRITES with AOF3 animations, the kof94 stages with kof99/LastBlade quality and details, Garou style special FX (fireballs, hits) and the classic tune re-arranged (not in the same way as in kof2002. They sound good... but not as good as 98 arranged versions. And Esaka'94 is a GREAT song that should be used again )

With using only the cast from the original kof is completely possible to make such a game. And it's a good way to reach the 10th aniversary (although kof03 will be the 10th game...) or even finish the series...

Updated graphics, playability and sound, yes. I love that "Happy tournament" theme that KOF94, 96 and 98 had. The others are quite more serious (2002 was a great tournament but it don't have the feeling of previous tournaments, perhaps because of the music, color scheme)

AND BRING BACK THE PARTNERS CHEERING IN THE BACKGROUND!

(Extracted from the "kof2003?? any news..." topic)