SNK - CAPCOM dot com - News , interviews , reviews , articles , fan forum , focused on gaming and the history of gaming for Capcom and SNK (Playmore)

Overview

I loved it, I hated it, and loved it again. That is my history with The King of Fighters 2002 in a capsule.

Two and a half years ago, I was stuck in a mire KOF-wise. SNK had was just recovering from bankruptcy. The striker system turned me off. The weird sci-fi, NESTS, cloning, and cheesy whodunit storyline left me scratching my head. Would there ever be another KOF, one that goes back (at least a bit) to the basics? One that I could love about as much as the classic King of Fighters '98?

The answer would be "yes". Sometime in mid-2002, The King of Fighters 2002 was announced, and the first few pictures made their way to the internet. Another dream match! Old favorites meeting the new gang! The second coming of '98! Boy, I was thrilled. My eyes widened, my heart skipped, and I became hard in that special place for my precious. I hit the arcades as soon as it was released, and was in fighting game euphoria.

However my happiness was short-lived. It was soon replaced by “what the hell”, “is that it”, and a bit of disappointment. The aesthetics were mediocre! A lot of the characters were toned down, while the newer Eolith-era ones went on their merry, overpowered way. (Note- these my early 2002 impressions, now I realize that character neutering wasn't a rampant as I initially believed, and that Angel and friends aren't as abusive as the others). Outrageous! The game as a whole became dull and boring, and almost a chore to play. New gimmicks aside, I felt like I had played King of Fighters 2002 before. More like King of Fighters '98-a, I said to myself. "Having one's favorite characters comeback is nice and all, but it could've used a little more pizzazz", I told myself. And thus, I relegated the game to "occasionally played" status.

Then the PS2 port of the King of Fighters 2002 came to my life sometime in early 2004. Being the 2D fighting game addict that I am, I immediately bought a spare copy from a friend. And I was captivated There are no exact words, but it was like making up and starting a relationship with an ex-girlfriend.. The old magic was there, things were patched up, and new life was breathed into what was once a stalemate. This time though I felt that my love would last.

And there you have it, the labor and product of my love for King of Fighters 2002 is this.

Graphics 8/10
The graphics are exceptional, and the category that immediately grabs my attention. Granted, they're the same old, classic MVS-ey things at the core. But this being the PS2 port a few nifty things have been done to make it more presentable.

The 3D backgrounds immediately come to mind. I haven't played KOF '99 for the Dreamcast, but I feel that a comparison to the backgrounds of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Capcom vs. SNK 2 are fair. The generic and bland backgrounds of the arcade version (which can still be selected) are given a little bit of life and vibrancy. The Cambodia stage is stormy and leafy, the Japanese garden sports fireflies, and the infamous Netherlands stages gains brand-spanking-new windmills and balloons (same old clog though). The sub-boss and boss stages have been altered as well. The former is now situated at the back of the Blacknoah, with a tank, a chopper, and assorted litter falling through the exit. Rugal's stage gets my thumbs up. No longer is it a generic cables-and-scraps ugly excuse for a stage. Instead, it is the bridge of the Blacknoah, with alarms and controls and displays going haywire, a nice touch that almost makes the "LOL EASY" boss bearable.

As for the characters? Nothing too spectacular. The redraws are noticeable- Kim "my idle stance was too much for the old hardware to handle" Kaphwan comes to mind. But don't get me wrong, they are very welcome and acceptable. Fanservice has been turned up a notch too. Angel now shows off her bra, Mai's HSDM is yummy, and Shermie sports fatter thighs and boobie poses. Whew! I'm a firm believer in the adage that “the meat is in the gameplay". But I sure as heck won't decline this type of meat!

Modifications similar to the PS2 port of SNK vs. Capcom:Chaos have been made as well. Translucency and anti-aliasing have been made to the elemental and energy attacks. Gestures that suggest speed, such as Mature's slashes and Chris' teleports, have been given the translucent dissipation effect as well. This may quite possibly be the new trend in ports for SNK graphics, and possibly even for its future arcade releases, given that SNK has now jumped ship to the Atomiswave.

Gameplay/Controls 8/10
"Dream match" is the name of the game. The best characters of King of Fighters '98 (among them Rugal, the NFT, Vice and Mature) make a long-awaited comeback. It is only in this game that they meet and greet the best of the NESTS era characters, K' and friends. A vast collection indeed.

A few hidden characters, many of them exclusive to the PS2. As with the arcade, the Orochi versions of the NFT are available, as is Kusanagi (an alternate Kyo). King and Shingo reprise their roles of "we didn't fit on the MVS cart...the bastards!" from the Dreamcast port. The highlight of the roster is of course the PS2-exclusive characters. They are O.Iori, Goenitz, and Geese. Ported fresh from their appearances in SNK vs. Capcom: Chaos, this trio of superpowers adds spice to the already large and vivid cast. King and Shingo aside (as they have their own slot in the select screen along with Rugal), hidden characters can be selected by pressing and holding R1 over their "counterparts":

Orochi NFT- NFT
Kusanagi- Kyo
O.Iori- Iori
Goenitz- Rugal
Geese- Billy

Random select on the other hand is accessed via pressing and holding R2. The console-only characters must first be unlocked by completing certain tasks (see Replay Value section).

The engine is arguably the best features of the new with a dash of the classic. The physics, meter management, special-to-super canceling, and pace are decidedly 2000-2001. Gone are the strikers, powerup modes, and SDM-as-you-please features. These are ditched in favor the old 3 on 3 matchup (no more idle, potential helper teammates though) and the max mode. It is worth noting that the choosing team members' order prior to is "masked" again (this feature also appeared in KOF '99 and KOF 2003). Max mode itself has been given a twist. It is now activated by B+C and it now allows for certain normal-to-special and special-to-special cancels (which are not normally accessible) to be possible. Thus, custom combos and extended combos. The max mode timer itself can be "burned" as a DM, without using up another other idle super meter that has been built. Think of it, in Capcom vs. SNK 2 parlance, as a quasi A-groove with an SNK flavor.

The other new feature that 2002 brings to the table is the so-called Hidden SDM's (HSDM's). These are SDM's that can be accessed only when a character is down to low life. They are often accessed by odd inputs (For example, K9999's HSDM is performed by doing back, forward four times- IN THE AIR) and often yield varied results. They are really a mixed bag; while some SDM's are truly eye-popping (e.g. O. Yashiro, Mai, Yamazaki) and useful, many are really just old SDM's making a comeback, or a mishmash of different frames and poses intended to do something new. It begs to be called "MUGEN". Ah well, every annual KOF needs its novelty, so I suppose this will do.

New additions aside, this is the KOF you knew. Rushdown-ish, command grab-ish, C+D knockdown-ish goodness. I believe this port will suit the needs of both SNK veterans and newbies quite nicely.

Sound/Music 7/10
See King of Fighters 2001. The sound is a bit better this time but, more of the same.

The music is, for the most part, still synthesized ass™, and the mostly background-themed tracks are forgettable. The consolation is that some of the team- or character-based themes ("Beauty and the Beast", "Tears") are remakes of some memorable songs from KOF yesteryear. I reserve the right to ridicule the Orochi NFT team though- taking three awesome songs and making an amalgam wish-washy song out of them doesn't work. And sadly, there is no AST option for this port.

The voice acting is nothing special in this edition either; while the returning cast from '98 and a few others sport newly recorded voice clips, I felt that '98's set was better and more charming.

Replay Value 9/10
Now this, combined with the new graphics and console-exclusive characters, what kept me playing. The King of Fighters 2002 will keep you occupied for quite a while, be it in single or in two-player mode. The pace is faster than King of Fighters '98, and the playing field, with a few exceptions, is fairly balanced and yields generous amount of good, usable characters out of a field of 40 or so. It is really fun to mix and match your old reliables with the more recent characters (more so with the console characters) and do some new tricks. Versus was always an experience to me- win or lose, I had fun and learned something new from this hybrid KOF and hybrid engine of sorts.

Aside from the single and team one- and two-player ventures, there is a Challenge mode. It is subdivided into three parts: Team, Single, and Time Attack. The first two are straight up Survival modes. Time Attack, on the other hand, is a set of 40 missions. The theme of each mission is to beat an x number of characters in y seconds or minutes. Logically, the succeeding mission is more difficult that the previous one, given that x is increased and y decreased. Beating each category of Challenge mode is rewarded by having a console character unlocked. Finishing Team Survival unlocks Shingo, Single Survival unlocks King, and finishing a certain percentage of Time Attack unlocks O.Iori, Goenitz, and Geese, in that order. An additional perk is the Art Gallery, where official illustrations may be unlocked and viewed. Admittedly, the Challenge mode is not really for the newbie player, But one may try and breeze through with Rugal if he or she is in a hurry. This is, in fact, the reason I suspect why such an overpowered behemoth as Mr. Bernstein is available from the get-go.
While I have much praise for the PS2 port of KOF 2002, I have my gripes as well. As with its arcade parent, it tends to become boring after some time, and certain features of the game indicate that this port was a rush job. The most notable offenders are the SvC characters. Their HSDM's are merely their SvC Exceeds, they lack frames, and most notably, their C+D knockdowns deal no damage! Quite bizarre. The sprites also tend to stick out on the 3D backgrounds. This includes the NPC's- cameo saturation is the keyword here, and they stick out like so many sore thumbs. There is a control issue as well. The button mapping options are still limited (as was the case in the PS2 port of SVC:C) and fails to fully utilize the shoulder buttons and analog sticks for maximum effect.

Overall 8.5/10
The King of Fighters 2002 is a keeper. It is definitely of the better games in the series. Flaws aside, it has a decent enough fun factor, good extras. acceptable balance, and finishing touches that set it apart from its arcade parent. In my opinion, it is something that every fighting game fan should at least consider for his or her library. Be sure to grab the 2002/2003 double pack if you haven’t imported it yet. You won’t be disappointed. And I just might win another adoring fan of the eyeless boobie woman.

- by Photon