Overview
This is a short review of the King of Fighters 2003. This takes places after the NESTS incident, and promises to be the first chapter of a brand new triology. With new characters, Garou appearances, and a new system that didn't involve Strikers, this looks promising. How does it add up?
Graphics 8/10
By MVS standards, they are pretty good. I can see someone saying that they suck, blow, insert negative word, etc; but then again, this game wasn't meant to appeal to the graphic crowd in the first place. That's probably what Maximum Impact was aiming for. I like the graphics. They have the KOF aesthetic, Kyo, Billy, Beni and Yamazaki look really nice in this addition with new(sorta) outfits and the effects don't look that bad either. The train stage and Mukai's stage in particular were notable. The three Garou characters also have a slight graphic adjustment to fit in with the KOF crowd, but that's common knowledge.
Gameplay/Controls 8/10
In my opinion, the controls are the best they've ever been in a KOF game. Everthing is responsive, and one doesn't find her/himself scratching his head thinking "I didn't do that...(with the exception of Adel, but he's odd anyway.)" like in many other fighters, KOF included. The shoulder buttons are still kinda useless, espicially if you have played this before in an arcade.
Ah, the important part. Visual and audio appeasement is not an excuse for poor gameplay. So does KOF03 bring it? In my honest opinion, YES! Characters feel more balanced now, and the new moves allow some flexibility in previously fixed characters. Cool new moves in include an air fireball for K', and a running lightning blast for Benimaru. Also some moves and characters have been toned down, like Robert who could tear you apart in 2002 and the Haoh Sho Ko Kens aren't as devastating as they were in the past.
Generally, if you have played a 2D fighting game, you know how King of Fighters plays. You have 2 punches and 2 kicks. In the King Of Fighters series, fights are carried out in teams. Traditionally, and in the Team Play mode, fights are not seperated by rounds but by members. Once all members of an opposing team are defeated, the match is over and the victorous fighter progresses toward the next challenge. The kicker is the new rules in 2003.
The new feature is the Tag option, and it adds a new element of gameplay, espicially in the case of strategy. Have difficulty against a character? Bring out your weakest and use him/her to water it down. You can switch at any time as long as the Change OK function appears, additional options include use of the power gauge to create a quick tag attack.
The next element is the Leader option. This lets one character have a powerful Desperation Move(DM), or in Iori's case a follow-up to Maiden Masher and a DM. They are called Leader Desperation Moves. LDMs consume two power gauges as opposed to just one and can be used when the Leader is in play. Loose him or her, and you have no LDM, which could be bad. The commands for the LDMs are generally easy, two of them being Shun Goku Satsu commands. The functionality of the LDMs vary from character to character, so keep that in mind. Also Maki, a mid-boss, has no LDM. But, there's no wierd commands like in 2002, like the Vice/Mary/Shermie Hidden Desparation Moves that appeared as though someone had become drunk when assigning the directional commands.
The newcomers fit in nicely without being awkward, even at first while the bosses aren't head and shoulders above the normal characters. At least not the unlocked ones. Verdict is still out on Mukai and Adel.
Adel is awkward. His DMs are a joke, with commands like qcf+p, or a basic anti-air command neither of which are too impressive. He is just damaging. He also has a three hit kick that is easy to perform and is listed as a basic move. I'd love to see him in later installments, as a regular character with a regular move list. Sorta like the Capcom version of Rugal. Mukai.... can't duck. He's stuck in standing so I doubt he will return as a boss, and he's just not worth using.
Finally, the AI. The AI is not as annoying as in past games. Its pretty easy at times, actually. Mukai wasn't terribly difficult, but Adel was a chore at times with the God Press LDM. I think that most frustration will come from Maki and Chizuru and their thousand mirror body attacks. The boss you face is determined by your defeat of Kusanagi, a mid-boss that is essentially a combination of the Kyo clones. DM = MCM, normal attack=Adel. In other words, you use an DM, even a weak one, and you will face Maki, Chizuru, and finally Mukai. A blow to the face, or a regular special attack, will yield a confrontation with Adel. The Mukai path yields the endings.
There's also a challenge mode to let you test your endurance under the Arcade or Tournament rules, which are not that different from each other. You can unlock art, and the Team endings for the Gallery.
I guess my favorite thing about this game is that it isn't high damage juggle hit crazy like Tekken 5, or Roman Cancel nuts like GGXX. It's a fun game with its own features to learn and if you lose it is likely to be due to more than one mistake. It's fun, and it does not wreck my nerves.
Sound/Music 7/10
No more lame synths dragging down the songs. Kusanagi also has the Kyo theme. The musical direction feels more like '99. Some of the best ones are the Kagura theme and the Women's team. The voices are what one would expect from KOF, which is good. Everything happens on cue as well, like Yamazaki's insane laughing. I think by 2009, Terry's bad English will sadly be no more. The sound is cool too, with the flames and lightning blast effects sounding as they should.
Replay Value 9/10
The controls prevent frustration with moves and the cast is very entertaining. VS mode is very fun and interesting with the Tag Feature; it'll will be the dominant factor of replay value. The challenge modes will provide a decent amount of replay at best, since there is very little point in playing it once the art has been unlocked.
Overall 9/10
Remember I said I'd keep this short. After being disappointed by 2001, and stuck playing 2000, it's nice to get a fun KOF game without some random issue. The controls are no longer bothersome even in the least, the AI is better, the graphics are nice; the game is fun. Although missing some of the bright stars from previous games like Kensou, Andy, and Kula, this is one you should definitely pick up. The bundle got me back into KOF, and it will be awhile before I put it down.
- by Kusanagi Hizoku
