Worst King of Fighters game (Neo Geo)

[Tarma]

After 25 years I'm fed up with these fucking "best of" threads.

So now for something completely different...

Worst KoF, and why.

 

[The Chief]

Good thread. I love KOF and even tho they released a game every year for a decade on the Neo choosing a least favorite is still difficult.

I’m going with 2001 because it was the first non SNK produced game, had god awful character portraits and sub par music. Gameplay is still good, but something about the character of the game was off from the SNK releases.

 

[kernow]

Tricky one, one of my least favourites is actually 95, dunno why. 2003 is a mess really also but can be fun

I guess technically it's 94 but it holds a place in my memories from my arcade days

 

[BeefFieri]

My gut wanted to go with 2k3, but I decided to be fair and admit that I never really played it much and it has been so long I should give it another chance before calling it the worst. Then again, I didn't play it too much because I didn't like it. I already cast my vote though so heyo.

That said, I'm going with 2k1 as well. It was like some Korean teenagers had MUGEN and too much free time but made an effort. The characters looked like they had down syndrome in their portraits, and overall it was just a mess compared to the real KoFs. IMO the only redeeming characteristic was K9999. I appreciated the ripoff of Tetsuo but that was about it.

 

[kernow]

2001 has a rad intro though

 

[Tw3ek]

I wanna say 99 because it was the first one that didn't feel like a step up from the previous one but I also liked 99 more than 2001, so that's tough

 

[prof]

I wanna say 99 because it was the first one that didn't feel like a step up from the previous one but I also liked 99 more than 2001, so that's tough

Booooo....
Love me some 99.

 

[Neo Alec]

I wanna say 99 because it was the first one that didn't feel like a step up from the previous one but I also liked 99 more than 2001, so that's tough

99 was a refresh, not a step back.

 

[Tw3ek]

Look, I said it was better than 2001 and that's all you're getting from me. Well, that and it has some really top tier backgrounds.

 

[HellioN]

Thread invalid.
All are 11/10.

 

[Tarma]

Ban plz.

 

[100proof]

I cast my vote for '94 cuz it's stiff as shit and didn't have free select but would have GLADLY taken 2001 otherwise. That game looks and sounds like dogshit and is a broken mess if you take fighting games remotely seriously. Especially after 2000 which had some of the best music and backgrounds on the platform, it was such a trash fire regardless of the sad backstory.

 

[Teddy KGB]

Never liked '01... but by the same token, it's probably the KoF I've spent the least amount of time with as a result fwiw. Gameplay (which should be the most important factor) is OK, but some of the art and layout issues, not to mention I recall not being wild about the boss hit logic, makes it a standout as one of my least fave KoFs. May be a bit subjective here... half of you probably love it.

 

[NeoSeeD]

KOF 96 AKA the Dan game. Slower than 95, less moves, removal of moves, controls feel less fluid, loss of sound fx, no linking (added in 97), shared stage, ect. KOF 97 was an improvement but still felt incomplete until 98 hit.

KOF99 was good but a downgrade from 98. The whole theme of that game was depressing. 2k was alright. 2k1 was ugly but fun to play with buddies. 2k2 was a worse 98. Haven't played enough 2k3 to really judge it properly.

 

[max 330 megafartz]

My gut wanted to go with 2k3, but I decided to be fair and admit that I never really played it much and it has been so long I should give it another chance before calling it the worst. Then again, I didn't play it too much because I didn't like it. I already cast my vote though so heyo.

That said, I'm going with 2k1 as well. It was like some Korean teenagers had MUGEN and too much free time but made an effort. The characters looked like they had down syndrome in their portraits, and overall it was just a mess compared to the real KoFs. IMO the only redeeming characteristic was K9999. I appreciated the ripoff of Tetsuo but that was about it.

I promise you if we had a weekend to play 2003, you would love it.
I hated the game until we started having 6 to 8 person hangouts bitd. For some reason it always wound up in one of the 4 slots and eventually i was forced to give it the time of day. Its a riot once you get past the fact that all the move sets have been changed for no good reason.

 

[kernow]

KOF 96 AKA the Dan game. Slower than 95, less moves, removal of moves, controls feel less fluid, loss of sound fx, no linking (added in 97), shared stage, ect. KOF 97 was an improvement but still felt incomplete until 98 hit.

KOF99 was good but a downgrade from 98. The whole theme of that game was depressing. 2k was alright. 2k1 was ugly but fun to play with buddies. 2k2 was a worse 98. Haven't played enough 2k3 to really judge it properly.

 

[Heinz]

94 has great music and a great classic feel about it
95 polished version of 94, story ramps up, kick ass, kof could have ended here
96 found it's feet, music is awesome, story possibly best in series
97 for chinese people
98 the benchmark, it's got the magic of all before it and lil something extra
99 backgrounds - check, music - check, cast - check, story is ok and presentation is okaaay otherwise great game
2k everything 99 did but more, the last real kof and it knows it
2k1 for korean people
2k2 korean copy of 98
2k3 a rubbish game and the template of all future releases.

 

[yagamikun]

Went with KOF 94 in the poll - Glad @100proof already started the trend.

94 is an important game for SNK and for fighting games in general - But it's also #1 in a series with 15 mainline entries and numerous side games. When it came out (I was there, at the arcade, playing on a 60in monitor) it was revolutionary...but then KOF 95 came out. 95 is to 94 like FFS is to FF2 - Takes the strong foundations of a truly important game and polishes the experience to a nice sheen.

Personally, not a big fan of hit box placement in 94, the awful character portraits (Mai especially looks SUPER weird) in the win screen, and the incredible amount of jank. It has some fun backgrounds, and some of the music tracks are truly underrated gold (Napolitan Blues - that beat is sick!), but overall, I'd happily play any other game in the series - even 2001 (which I really like) - over 94. It's a fun revisit from time to time for nostalgia, but I always end up playing 95 within 10 minutes.

 

[LoneSage]

the awful character portraits (Mai especially looks SUPER weird) in the win screen,

Mao bless.

 

[Heinz]

Mai looks buff, like the kinda bitch who'd rip your dick off and peg you with it Yagami

 

[HellioN]

Mai looks buff, like the kinda bitch who'd rip your dick off and peg you with it Yagami

I'll allow it.

 

[LoneSage]

Mai looks buff, like the kinda bitch who'd rip your dick off and peg you with it Yagami

She got them Angela Bassett-Tina Turner arms.

Meanwhile King's face is basically David Bowie's.

 

[Heinz]

She got them Angela Bassett-Tina Turner arms.

Meanwhile King's face is basically David Bowie's.

Legends.

 

[b-blanco]

KOF 96 AKA the Dan game. Slower than 95, less moves, removal of moves, controls feel less fluid, loss of sound fx, no linking (added in 97), shared stage, ect. KOF 97 was an improvement but still felt incomplete until 98 hit.

KOF99 was good but a downgrade from 98. The whole theme of that game was depressing. 2k was alright. 2k1 was ugly but fun to play with buddies. 2k2 was a worse 98. Haven't played enough 2k3 to really judge it properly.

Yeah 96 used to be one of my favorites but as time went on I realized it’s just a really unfinished version of 98. 95 is just a well rounded game and feels the most complete until 98.

 

[Moob Butter]

Real answer is Fatal Fury 1…