King of Fighters Neowave (BC)

[Gabriel]

So, during lunch today my copy of King of Fighters Neowave (XBox) arrived. I eagerly put the disc in my 360 to try it out. I now have a question.

 

Does this game look this craptastic on a regular XBox?

 

The backgrounds generally look nice, but the characters look like poo. And I'm not talking about the normal SNK pixelation from reusing the same graphics from 1994. The characters look like a blurry mess.

[Jess Ragan]

It looks craptastic because it IS craptastic. I had the game briefly, and wasn't at all impressed with it. I hated the graphics... they were dark, drab, and generally unimpressive, especially compared to King of Fighters: Evolution on the Dreamcast which was released six years before it. The gameplay was solid but dull, without any of the defining moments that made Evolution a hit.

[BydoEmpire]

I'm not the biggest KoF fan, so I don't have any other versions (like Evolution) to compare it to, but I have NeoWave and I thought it looked pretty decent. The characters were pixely, but I didn't think they were distractinly bad. The backgrounds were nice and the animation was good. I haven't tried it on my 360 (I'd pop it in and compare, but my 360 is dead).

[Atari5200]

you can also try KOF XI but don't know if it's BC with the 360.

[Gabriel]

Well, if I got KOF XI, I'd just get it for the PS2.

 

I got Neowave for a few reasons:

 

1) I was getting the KOF itch, and 2000/2001 just weren't doing it.

 

2) Despite all my griping about SNK, KOF, and 2d fighting games. I have a fondness for Terry, Andy, Mai, Athena, Iori, and the typical KOF crew. So, I wanted to see those favorites in another game.

 

3) It was $20 for a "dream match" game rather than $40 for 2002/2003. I think I'd only want 2002 out of that pack.

 

4) From what I had read, it didn't have the godawful striker system in it.

 

And I got it fully expecting the graphics to be pixely. I wasn't expecting a Guilty Gear type of game. I was fully expecting the typical SNK half assedness and recycled 1994 sprites.

 

Now, the backgrounds look nice, except for one which the colors seem off. But the character graphics are the sore spot. Firstly, they have the look of a cutout superimposed on the playfield. This is magnified because they look like they're coated in wax paper and in a darker environment than the rest of the scene. Everything around them is hyper-crisp but the characters look like they're a N64 texture. And since I bought this for the characters, you can understand how I'd be disappointed with how all the characters are blurry and indistinct. I played the PS1 version of KOF 95 to compare, and the characters looked better than the XBox version of Neowave.

 

One other thing, and it's entirely my fault. I had forgotten how horrible 360 controllers were for fighting games. I'll give SNK this, the game is forgiving enough on the controls that Neowave is ALMOST playable, so it's already better than Fatal Fury Special, Street Fighter II, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

 

I guess I might have to go ahead and get 2002/2003 for the PS2. I believe 2002 is supposed to be a dream match game. And the PS3 controller will make the game much more playable.

[Atari5200]

I have 94,95,96,97 for Neo Cd and I have 2003 for MVS.

 

I like 2003 a lot, but for eye candy, you can't go wrong with 97 or 98. The super moves in 97 are fantastic, and you can do multi level desperation moves. When you have 2 bars, hit i think light punch, hi kick and low kick, you will lose one level of your bar, but while your character is flashing whatever desperation move you do will be amplified. Some pretty god damn awesome visuals, blows away 2003.

[Lastblade]

you can also try KOF XI but don't know if it's BC with the 360.

 

There is no KOF XI for the Xbox.

 

Some of the 2D fighters are so glitchy on the 360, it is nigh unplayable. MvC2 is a complete mess with slowdowns and graphical mess.

[Atari5200]

I thought XI was out for the XBOX as well, guess it was only released on the PS2.

 

Edit: yep, had all the current KOF's EXCEPT XI. amazing.

Edited March 27, 2008 by Atari5200