So if you're going to burden your fighting franchise with a moniker such as King of Fighters, then it's fair to say there could be a decent amount of expectation generated. And conveniently enough, those of you who still like their 2D fighting really have no choice but to play the King of Fighters games. And now, those who still remember the 2D days will be happy to know that QVS are releasing King of Fighters 2003 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2, the eighth instalment of the KOF franchise and a game equipped with a cast of thirty-five characters.
Maybe nostalgia has got to us but, well, we can't help but think the game has lost something in the port. After a recent hands-on session with the game, we were left feeling a tad disappointed.
The backgrounds look much better
The game allows players the option of tagging fighters in and out in the midst of battle, meaning skilled gamers will soon learn to tag players out in the middle of a combo. For the first time in the franchise, the game introduces evil versions of some of the characters. Up to now all the backdrops in the KOF franchise have been hand drawn. The backgrounds in this game are 3D rendered, and they look noticably different to the previous backgrounds. There are a total of ten stages to go through, and they do quickly become repetitive.
The actual gameplay of King of Fighters has been retained. The gameplay is fast, and fairly addictive, and fans of the previous titles will have no problems in picking this game up and instantly picking up the controls. This gives the game a sense of familiarity, which is both a positive and a negative.
Oh Ryo, how we love thee
In America the King of Fighters 2002 & 2003 titles are packaged together in a budget pack. PAL gamers are receiving two separate packs, released in September and November respectively. Of the games, we personally think King of Fighters 2002 is a better game, as it has a bigger roster. We can't help but feel spoilt for choice with the fighting games we've been able to play lately and unfortunately we were a little underwhelmed by the gameplay in this game. Maybe it's the 2D style, but ultimately we just don't think the gameplay is up to scratch anymore.
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