Ok, by some stroke of gods will I got KOF2k2 on DC yesterday, despite the fact I got standard UPS shipping AND it was supposed to come out only the day before. Not that I'm complaining mind you... wink
So anyway I figured I'd put up a quick mini-review on this as I was really floored by this game. Now I've only played a few of them (Neo ports that is), so I may be wrong about this but honestly, this has to be the best Neo port EVAR!!
Now I've had the MVS cart of this game for a while and its been given a LOT of playtime, since I'm really digging KOF2k2 as one of my top favorite KOF's. Basically I've played this game to death and if there is anything remotely different about the game I'd notice it immediately as it has happened with every other port I played. But enough gushing praise, lets do this by detail:
Graphics: Its KOF2k2's graphics, although a bit different. Not really different in a bad way, just well filtered I'd say. See when I'm playing the game on my Neo I'm using S-Video so everything comes out very clear and very sharp, you can really see the dithering they used on say Iori's pants, or other things like that. Its pretty pixelated since you can really get a good look at it. Thing is on the DC it looks well filtered, you can't see the spots where one color block ends and another begins, this was also something I noticed with the KOF2k1 port on DC, just someway different in how they're displaying the sprites (and yes, my DC is also hooked up via S-Video). Does it look better than the original? Not really, but it'd be hard to say the original looks better than this, it's entirely subjective and its such a small effect I doubt many people will notice it.
Other than that, I haven't noticed ANYTHING else different graphically. No animation drops, no smaller sprites, everything looks spot on track to the original.
Sound: Wow now here's something I completely didn't expect. The sound is a real mixed bag, on one hand every sound effect sounds INCREDIBLY clear, while the BG music is a litte lower than I'd like (I think you can adjust that in the options but I was too stupid to check last night). Also, one thing thats a bit different from the cart version is the end of the match with supers. It's hard to describe, but when you're beating someone with a super move and its the end of the match, as the screen fades to white on the cart version you can usually see the last hit of the super move, but you won't hear anything. On this (much like the older KOF's) you'll actually hear the last sound effect of the super as the last hit connects. A good example would be Kim's DM (something I do a lot
), where he has you up in the air and is about to do his last kick to knock you to the ground, in the DC version you'll hear that last "WHAAATAAAHHHHH!" as the move comes out, which is kinda nice.
Also there is no real delay in the sound effects versus when the move/taunt/ending/intro is done, ala KOF2k1 or MOTW. I did notice a slight delay, ONCE when playing Rugal and when he did his end pose. Other than that there was nothing.
Here's the problem with the sound though, and its a biggie. I have the sound hooked up via my home theater, and while this could have to do with my reciever (it is set to take in stereo sound and Pro-logic it to all 5.1 speakers), is that the sound is heavily dependant on the center speaker, unlike my Neo (which goes through the same input port and reciever settings) which does the much more natural "Stereo to 5.1" effect, using all 3 front speakers to handle all the sound effects. VERY strange.
Control: Spot on controls, its actually nice to play with a pad instead of a stick at times, because its easier to do especially when you're really tired from working 11 hours straight that day... wink
That said I'm going to hook my Neo sticks up to the system through my converters and see just HOW spot on to the original the controls are.
Extras: Now HERE is the MAIN problem with the game. I CAN'T FIND KING OR SHINGO!!! I mean this is rediculous, I can't find King or Shingo in the game, and I can't select Rugal. Tried it in Team Play and Vs. Mode. They ain't there and its pissing me off! I beat the game and played through part of the challenge mode in the game and I didn't unlock any characters OR the Galleries (they're still all X'ed out). I looked through the manual and I couldn't find anything about King or Shingo in there, although I can't read Japanese I saw NOTHING about them in there. To be fair they didn't have anything on Kusanagi, Rugal, or Orochi Chris, Yashiro, and Shermie.
On the upside, when you boot the game up and have to wait at loading screens you get a random piece of official artwork featuring one of the teams in the game. Nice to see its random and not all pre-determined.
Inferiority factor: Here is the other problem with the game, and this one won't get solved eventually (as people will find out how to unlock my precious King, etc). Load times.
Loading is a mixed bag on this one, as the initial load-up is pretty bad, taking a lot longer than you'd like (that or I'm just REALLY spoiled by the cart version). That said the loads for the character select screen is like nothing, and the loads between rounds is practically NIL. Not too shabby. Slightly longer loads come in at "next to NIL" on the End of match to Win quote screen and the "Choose your Enemy" screen.
One other problematic load is when you go into the Gallery, it takes very little time to get in, but to go back to the main menu, its like the beginning load all over again (which kinda makes sense if you think about it), but its still far too long for my tastes.
Final Thoughts: KOF2k2 on DC is an awesome port. It's not enough for me to go around sreaming "SEGA!!!" from the rooftops, but it's damn near impressive (and will be doubly so when I CAN UNLOCK MY PRECIOUS KING!!!! blow_top )
I think that this port is an excellent way for anyone who is apprehensive about KOF2k2 to give the game a good try without spending tons of cash on the cart version (MVS or AES, its still rather expensive). Even then, if you're content with the loading screens you may not even decide you need the cart version as the port is good enough to satisfy someone who isn't really into KOF2k2 but still wants to have it available to play when they want "something a little different" when they go to play KOF.
That said, if you're really a fan of the series then you already know what I'm going to tell you: there is no substitution for owning the cart. I'm keeping my port and it's damn good, but you can have my cart when you pry it from my cold dead hands! The port is good, but when my friends come over and want to play some KOF2k2, the cart is going in for our VS. matches, and it will stay that way unless King turns out to be god like in her 2k2 implamentation, and even then it'll be a stretch to say the DC version will be used for our VS. matches because well the cart version just comes off as better since you don't have to wait because of loading (yeah I know its small but in heated VS. matches, you want to go from the end of the match to the character select screen ASAP for revenge
).
Ok, I'm done.
So anyway I figured I'd put up a quick mini-review on this as I was really floored by this game. Now I've only played a few of them (Neo ports that is), so I may be wrong about this but honestly, this has to be the best Neo port EVAR!!
Now I've had the MVS cart of this game for a while and its been given a LOT of playtime, since I'm really digging KOF2k2 as one of my top favorite KOF's. Basically I've played this game to death and if there is anything remotely different about the game I'd notice it immediately as it has happened with every other port I played. But enough gushing praise, lets do this by detail:
Graphics: Its KOF2k2's graphics, although a bit different. Not really different in a bad way, just well filtered I'd say. See when I'm playing the game on my Neo I'm using S-Video so everything comes out very clear and very sharp, you can really see the dithering they used on say Iori's pants, or other things like that. Its pretty pixelated since you can really get a good look at it. Thing is on the DC it looks well filtered, you can't see the spots where one color block ends and another begins, this was also something I noticed with the KOF2k1 port on DC, just someway different in how they're displaying the sprites (and yes, my DC is also hooked up via S-Video). Does it look better than the original? Not really, but it'd be hard to say the original looks better than this, it's entirely subjective and its such a small effect I doubt many people will notice it.
Other than that, I haven't noticed ANYTHING else different graphically. No animation drops, no smaller sprites, everything looks spot on track to the original.
Sound: Wow now here's something I completely didn't expect. The sound is a real mixed bag, on one hand every sound effect sounds INCREDIBLY clear, while the BG music is a litte lower than I'd like (I think you can adjust that in the options but I was too stupid to check last night). Also, one thing thats a bit different from the cart version is the end of the match with supers. It's hard to describe, but when you're beating someone with a super move and its the end of the match, as the screen fades to white on the cart version you can usually see the last hit of the super move, but you won't hear anything. On this (much like the older KOF's) you'll actually hear the last sound effect of the super as the last hit connects. A good example would be Kim's DM (something I do a lot
), where he has you up in the air and is about to do his last kick to knock you to the ground, in the DC version you'll hear that last "WHAAATAAAHHHHH!" as the move comes out, which is kinda nice.Also there is no real delay in the sound effects versus when the move/taunt/ending/intro is done, ala KOF2k1 or MOTW. I did notice a slight delay, ONCE when playing Rugal and when he did his end pose. Other than that there was nothing.
Here's the problem with the sound though, and its a biggie. I have the sound hooked up via my home theater, and while this could have to do with my reciever (it is set to take in stereo sound and Pro-logic it to all 5.1 speakers), is that the sound is heavily dependant on the center speaker, unlike my Neo (which goes through the same input port and reciever settings) which does the much more natural "Stereo to 5.1" effect, using all 3 front speakers to handle all the sound effects. VERY strange.
Control: Spot on controls, its actually nice to play with a pad instead of a stick at times, because its easier to do especially when you're really tired from working 11 hours straight that day... wink
That said I'm going to hook my Neo sticks up to the system through my converters and see just HOW spot on to the original the controls are.
Extras: Now HERE is the MAIN problem with the game. I CAN'T FIND KING OR SHINGO!!! I mean this is rediculous, I can't find King or Shingo in the game, and I can't select Rugal. Tried it in Team Play and Vs. Mode. They ain't there and its pissing me off! I beat the game and played through part of the challenge mode in the game and I didn't unlock any characters OR the Galleries (they're still all X'ed out). I looked through the manual and I couldn't find anything about King or Shingo in there, although I can't read Japanese I saw NOTHING about them in there. To be fair they didn't have anything on Kusanagi, Rugal, or Orochi Chris, Yashiro, and Shermie.
On the upside, when you boot the game up and have to wait at loading screens you get a random piece of official artwork featuring one of the teams in the game. Nice to see its random and not all pre-determined.
Inferiority factor: Here is the other problem with the game, and this one won't get solved eventually (as people will find out how to unlock my precious King, etc). Load times.
Loading is a mixed bag on this one, as the initial load-up is pretty bad, taking a lot longer than you'd like (that or I'm just REALLY spoiled by the cart version). That said the loads for the character select screen is like nothing, and the loads between rounds is practically NIL. Not too shabby. Slightly longer loads come in at "next to NIL" on the End of match to Win quote screen and the "Choose your Enemy" screen.
One other problematic load is when you go into the Gallery, it takes very little time to get in, but to go back to the main menu, its like the beginning load all over again (which kinda makes sense if you think about it), but its still far too long for my tastes.
Final Thoughts: KOF2k2 on DC is an awesome port. It's not enough for me to go around sreaming "SEGA!!!" from the rooftops, but it's damn near impressive (and will be doubly so when I CAN UNLOCK MY PRECIOUS KING!!!! blow_top )
I think that this port is an excellent way for anyone who is apprehensive about KOF2k2 to give the game a good try without spending tons of cash on the cart version (MVS or AES, its still rather expensive). Even then, if you're content with the loading screens you may not even decide you need the cart version as the port is good enough to satisfy someone who isn't really into KOF2k2 but still wants to have it available to play when they want "something a little different" when they go to play KOF.
That said, if you're really a fan of the series then you already know what I'm going to tell you: there is no substitution for owning the cart. I'm keeping my port and it's damn good, but you can have my cart when you pry it from my cold dead hands! The port is good, but when my friends come over and want to play some KOF2k2, the cart is going in for our VS. matches, and it will stay that way unless King turns out to be god like in her 2k2 implamentation, and even then it'll be a stretch to say the DC version will be used for our VS. matches because well the cart version just comes off as better since you don't have to wait because of loading (yeah I know its small but in heated VS. matches, you want to go from the end of the match to the character select screen ASAP for revenge
).Ok, I'm done.
