Overview
Following the first story arc of the KOF series, SNK released a "dream match" entry, KOF'98, that pitted almost all the characters from KOF'94 through KOF'97 against each other. That game has since been lauded as one of the best KOF games to date. In 2002, Eolith, the erstwhile developer of the KOF series, decided to continue this tradition by releasing another "dream match" game after the conclusion of the NESTS saga...KOF2002. This game pits characters from the older story arcs against the new generation of characters from KOFs '99 through 2001. The question must therefore be asked...does KOF2002 deliver in this aspect?
Graphics 7/10
Well, KOF has never really been known for its fantastic graphics, but 2002's are passable. Most of the sprites (mainly the ones from KOF98 and earlier) have been cleaned up, and the results are pretty good. However, some characters still lack animation frames (notably older characters like Leona and Chang, whose sprites have been recycled since the dawn of time) and some have too many animation frames (Kim is the main culprit here). This makes for a rather uneven feel, and I'd rather all the characters had a consistent animation style instead of some having more frames than others.
The backgrounds are a mixed bag, much like KOF01. Some backgrounds such as the Italy stage look absolutely fantastic, with high levels of detail and a reasonable number of background characters. Ditto for the Korea stage, where the background characters don't detract much from the overall feel of the background image. However, in other stages, the "supporters" dancing up and down in 3-frame animations get irritating really quick. A case in point would be the Mexico stage, where the sheer number of animations being repeated over and over again is enough to ruin an otherwise decent background graphic. On a more positive note, the background changes through the rounds to reflect the time of the day. While it's not pulled off as stylishly as in some stages from Garou: Mark of the Wolves(like Terry's and Gato's) the effect is good enough to warrant a commendation.
The presentation of KOF02 is very slick and easily ranks up there with that of KOF2000. There is a consistent style and theme used throughout all the menu and select screens, unlike KOF01 whose only theme appeared to be "anything goes." The new artist does a reasonably good job depicting the characters, but his work can be inconsistent in places. Still, it's a far cry from the often odd and sometimes hideous art of Nona from KOF01.
Gameplay/Controls 9/10
This is probably the area in which KOF02 fares the best. The system has returned to the pre-KOF99 3vs3 format, with the strikers finally taking a hike. At first glance, the game seems like a KOF98 clone, though. Whether this is a change for the better is debatable, but the developers have thrown in several new additions to the fighting system to compensate for the loss of strikers, and to hopefully quash any suggestion that this is KOF98 part deux.
1. Enhanced MAX mode - The KOF98 Advanced MAX mode could only be used to boost damage slightly and to do Super Desperation moves. Eolith has thrown a few more easter eggs into the KOF02 MAX mode (which costs one power stock and activates by pressing BC). One is the ability to cancel special moves at the cost of a little bit of time (about 1/4) on the MAX bar.This is certainly very interesting and opens up new combo possiblities. Damage is nerfed in this mode, although not for DMs/SDMs, and certainly not as badly as in CvS2's A-Groove. The ability to cancel into MAX mode from normal/command moves at the cost of an extra power stock is also new, and can be useful if used properly.
2. Hidden SDMs - This is undoubtedly a throwback to the Red-life SDMs that could be done in KOF99. These special SDMs can only be done when the player has 1/4 life left. The commands are often cryptic, but the damage can be very high, and thus HSDMs can play a vital role in turning the tide of the match. They are not as abusable as SDMs in KOF99, since one needs to be in MAX mode to use them, and this is definitely a turn for the better. The feature itself is commendable - however, the HSDMs themselves might need some work. While some of them, such as Billy's and Yamazaki's, look really good and have all-new animations, others are just rehashed old animations, most notable of all Robert's, which is an unblockable version of his Ryuuko Ranbu. Animation aside, some of the HSDMs are reasonably effective, but some have questionable practicality like K's and Chris'.
The speed of gameplay has been increased, and is now even faster than KOF98. Jabs have shorter hit recovery time, making jabbing combos a lot harder to do, while walking and running speeds have returned more or less to KOF98 levels. This is not necessarily a bad thing, although people who have never played KOF98 will need some getting used to. Eolith has also made several movelist and combo changes for all the characters. While some changes are more than desirable (Kyo, for instance, has regained his autoguard), others (such as Iori losing his fwd A comboability into specials) are much less so. It does seem odd that Eolith should want to fiddle with the characters year after year when the consensus was that KOF01 seemed to have the balance down to a science (aside from the ubiquitous Hinako and Bao infinites and Foxy bugs). Yet, there is nothing serious to gripe about where gameplay is concerned, and KOF02 is definitely not a KOF98 clone, despite the obvious similarities.
Sound/Music 6/10
KOF02's sound effects are nothing new, so there's not much to be said about them. Most of the voice actors for the characters reprise their roles, and the voice acting is decent as a result. There are no particularly annoying voices, although Athena's and Kusanagi's come pretty close. The music is a mix of new tunes and old KOF tunes that have been remixed. The results are mostly acceptable, although nowhere near the standards set by KOFs 98 through 2000. The quality often sounds suspect, and one would think that the MVS hardware is capable of storing better sound samples. Another point of contention is that many of the remixes do not sound as good as the originals. Many would agree that the KOF99 version of Tears was vastly preferable to the remix used in KOF02. Likewise for other tracks like Jungle Bouncer(KOF94) and KD0079(KOF99). The new tracks are acceptable, but some sound generic and get repetitive very quickly. The Japan stage music "J" sounds more like a remix of KD0084 than anything else. Some tracks, however, successfully capture the feel of their respective stages, such as "Red Wind," the theme for the China stage. All in all, the sound for KOF02 is good, but the music could have been a lot, lot better.
Replay Value 8/10
There are 4 secret characters, namely the Orochi NFT and Kusanagi (Kyo 95). This is in stark comparision to the over 12 secret characters available in KOF98. While not all looked like totally different characters, they all played differently from their normal counterparts, and thus added to the variety of the game. Finally, the lack of special edit team end portraits a la KOF98 may irk some. The random "comical scenes" more or less make up for these, though.
KOF2002's replay value fares well, primarily because of the great balance. Almost any matchup can be considered fair game, since most characters are balanced fairly well (with the possible exception of Seth). As a result, the game has considerable competitive longevity, making it one that can be played over the long term.
Overall 8.5/10
All in all, KOF02 is a reasonably good design effort that stays more or less true to the spirit of the KOF series. However, it would be absurd to suggest that KOF2002 blows the other KOFs away in terms of design or playability. Eolith has added a few nice bells and whistles here, but hasn't strayed too far from the KOF formula. They didn't break any real ground, and KOF02 is mostly just KOF01 minus the strikers. I wouldn't call it the peak of the series, but it's a fairly good KOF in its own right - just not terribly original.
- by ShadowSonic
