The Official NEO-GEO Thread!

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi Guys,

d98b55583c072a904463b4a625655c70_bigger.

ファミ通.com ‏@famitsu 3h3 hours agoView translation

『ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ XIV』発売直前インタビュー――開発秘話からアップデート情報、懐かしのネオジオ話まで！ http://www.famitsu.com/news/201608/22113485.html …

Translated from Japanese by BingWrong translation?

"King of fighters XIV] just before the release interview-from the development story behind updates the classics to neo geo! famitsu.com/news/201608/22113485.html …

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Anthony...

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

More from Pitfall Harry.

Pitfall Harry ‏@retrodeals 2h2 hours ago

[NEOGEO]/#NeoGeo Console [Japan Import] [uSED] #retrogaming #ebay http://www.retrodeals.net/LUCXDFwfaY

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Pitfall Harry ‏@retrodeals 2h2 hours agoView translation

NEO-GEO Console JP GAME. #retrogaming #ebay http://www.retrodeals.net/FzOIifUpAV

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Anthony...

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

Arcade Europe ‏@ArcadeEurope 18h18 hours ago

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Anthony...

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

Back with Yakuza games and were in for a real treat. He just picked up World Heroes Perfect for the MVS.

From the description,

"So I came across a game I didn't think I would be part of my MVS collection. Here we take a look at a more recent acquisition, check if its legit, and give it a test run! I kind of switch some terminology around, but you'll see what was going on with this particular cart. Sort of a hybrid set, if you will. To check out if your carts match up with the database online, go to mvs-scans.com"

Anthony...

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

Back with NintendoComplete doing what he does best. Here, were going to see the Samurai Showdown port for the SNES.

From the description,

"A playthrough of Takara's 1994 versus-fighter for the Super Nintendo, Samurai Shodown.

Played as Nakoruru on difficulty level six.

This port of one of the true Neo Geo classics tends to get dumped on a lot, but I've always enjoyed it. It absolutely shows how the SNES was aging, but it retains much of the animation, voice effects, and all of the characters from the original (including Earthquake). The voices sound absolutely horrendous, though - I can only imagine that to fit them all in, they used super low-quality samples and and tried to make them sound better by drowning them in extreme reverb.

I'd take this over the Genesis version - the SNES plays more closely to the original despite the smaller characters, but I'd probably choose the Sega CD version over this one. Of course, there's no point in comparing any of them to the 3DO, since it wins over all of the 16-bit ports in every way.

I used to play SS and SS2 fairly often at the local McDonald's, they had an MVS cab in the corner (next to a Wild West Cowboys of Moo Mesa machine!), and I'd always go straight to it when we'd walk in. Good memories, great game."

Anthony...

Neo 64 · August 22, 2016

Hello as asked by Anthony here are some pictures of my neo geo aes.

Harolds Stuff · August 22, 2016

Hey, Harold checks out another Neo-Geo game & this time it is SVC Chaos. I hope you enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVzGsA_v9Yc

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hello as asked by Anthony here are some pictures of my neo geo aes.

Nice looking Neo-Geo unit Evan. Personally, I enjoy owning Neo-Geo units that have low serial numbers like yours for the input quality that it has to offer on the screen.

Thank you as always Evan. Keep up the great work.

Anthony...

Edited August 22, 2016 by fdurso224

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hey, Harold checks out another Neo-Geo game & this time it is SVC Chaos. I hope you enjoy!

Excellent as always Harold.

Always have fun SVC Chaos and what it has to offer. Great job you did and glad you shared this with us. Thank you as always kind sir!

Anthony...

Edited August 22, 2016 by fdurso224

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

Gatoray ‏@gatoray_kof 2m2 minutes ago

The King of Fighters XIV Review (hardcoregamer) http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2016/08/22/review-the-king-of-fighters-xiv/220474/ …

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Review: The King of Fighters XIV

By Jeremy Peeples on August 22, 2016

King of Fighters XIV

- Platforms:
- PC | PS4
Developer: SNK Playmore
Publisher: SNK Playmore
Release: August 23, 2016

Since 1994, the King of Fighters franchise has been SNK’s crown jewel. It’s had many ups and downs in that time, reaching great heights with highly-revered entries in 1998 and 2002 and low points with King of Fighters XII. Many were baffled when the visuals were shown to change from the lush sprites used in previous games to 3D models akin to the Maximum Impact sub-series in King of Fighters XIV. It’s the first mainline entry in the series to use 3D models, but retains the 2D fighting plane. The core gameplay mechanics have been tightened up and the super move system has been revamped as well. A new era begins with the story as well, showcasing an all-new villain.

A super-hairy and blonde tan man named Antonov is the King of Fighters and even has a fancy championship belt declaring himself that. In a move a bit out of Dragon Ball Z, however, we see that he’s really insecure and a bit like Hercule/Mr. Satan from that series in that regard. He’s a bit of an arrogant bastard and demotes his president for defying the smallest order. Still, you can tell he’s fairly harmless and just has a big head from all of his success. The cutscenes within the story mode are amusing and the usage of Japanese audio with English subtitles works well. Some are text-only and deal with the in-canon conflicts characters have, which make those particular battles stand out more. You’ll get amusing nods to the franchise’s past and that adds an extra layer of fun for long-time players.

Newcomers have little to fear, though. This is easily the most user-friendly entry in the series, with a well-crafted tutorial mode that guides you through every major mechanic and then shows you how to chain all of those things together to master them. It begins with simple things like movement and dashes before evolving into a detailed explanation of the various special states you can activate with button combos. Fortunately, some can be activated with just one button press thanks to shorthand commands — akin to the Virtua Fighter games tying a couple of buttons into one shoulder button.

This shortcut activates Rush mode, which doesn’t give you a little red robot dog to help — instead, it boosts your attack power for a limited time. You can do special variants of regular attacks and special moves and then link other attacks off of these. Max mode is one such thing, but requires intricate button combos to enact — so while you can daisy chain things together, it isn’t like turning on the stick-only controls in Capcom vs. SNK 2 and going to town. You can obtain great power increases, but you have to work for them. Three super move types are also available, and will require varying degrees of dexterity to pull off. Your usual super specials are the easiest, and least-powerful of the bunch. They usually just require more stick movements and an extra button press to enact, while the more advanced Neomax and climax moves are much harder to pull off.

These are the kinds of moves will will probably want to use to either wow your friends locally, or ensure victory online. Offline play is included, but limited. However, much like the launch version of Street Fighter V, the core content of what is included is very high-quality and worth your time. Players can enjoy the story mode, where multiple playthroughs will be rewards with unique dialogue boxes. You can also sharpen your skills in a variety of training modes, put yourself to the test in the survival mode, or see how efficient you can be by tackling the time attack mode. Those seeking a more arcade-like vibe for the game should either get a fight stick or look into stick extenders. They may be largely made for FPS games, but the KontrolFreek SNIPRs do work very well at replicating how you would hold an arcade joystick and give you a far greater range of motion.

The franchise is known for being fast-paced, but never overwhelming — and that trend continues with this entry. No matter which character you choose, you’ve got a wide variety of options. Some are going to be perfect for those who love playing as big brutes who do a ton of damage — but attack fairly slowly. Some prefer characters like Mai who are lightning-fast, but don’t do a ton of damage with each attack. Of course, you have all kinds of characters in-between and the ability to try out three characters within a single match if you so desire. There’s a ton of variety in the roster, and veterans will find a good mix of well-known characters to enjoy alongside a few newcomers.

Visually, KOF XIV is quite a downgrade from XIII. While the polygonal models aren’t awful, they aren’t as eye-pleasing as the slick sprites crafted for KOF XII and XIII. Those felt like the natural evolution of the series, and XIV using the polygonal models is too big a difference. One upside to them is that they allow for the cutscenes and in-game fighting to look very similar. As a result, there is a consistency to everything that works well — but the art style isn’t quite as good as it would have been had they retained the sprite work. That was some of the richest sprite art in fighting games, and it feels like they cut the style off prematurely for XIV. It could have been a budgetary issue where it is less expensive to make polygonal models than the highly-detailed sprites, but the game still suffers a bit for it. Fortunately, the animation is still incredibly fluid and captures the action well. Backgrounds are also full of detail — with characters moving around in the more real-life settings, and then some stages forgoing that in an effort to go for an artsy backdrop instead.

The largely-rock soundtrack sets the stage nicely and gets you pumped to fight. It might not be very memorable, but it is fun to listen to during the game itself. The voice acting is strong and gets across the characters’ personalities with either serious or jovial tones. The English subtitles help things out a bit, while the sound effects tell the true tale of all the combat. Punches and kicks sound forceful and most importantly — painful. Everything has a sense of weight, and the more supernatural things, like fireballs and the like all at least sound like the elements they use.

Closing Comments:

King of Fighters XIV has some rough edges, but is outstanding overall. It plays smoothly and while the DualShock 4 may not be the perfect fighting game pad, it does work fairly well by default — and is improved with stick enhancers that allow you to replicate a joystick’s movement. The story mode is focused and gives you some amusing glimpses into the characters and their interactions with one another, while the art style shift is jarring but gets the job done. Characters lack some of the detail they had in XIII, but there is a large roster here to enjoy alongside some new characters. The new art does allow for the cinematics to mesh with the in-game world a little better — so it’s not a total loss. Anyone who has ever enjoyed the series will find a lot to like about KOF XIV, and its user-friendly nature makes it a great starter game for the franchise.

Anthony...

Edited August 22, 2016 by fdurso224

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

.Gatoray ‏@gatoray_kof 6m

6 minutes ago

#KOFXIV #KOF14 Review Collection http://opencritic.com/game/2877/the-king-of-fighters-xiv … (opencritic) http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/the-king-of-fighters-xiv/critic-reviews … (metacritic)

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Anthony...

Edited August 22, 2016 by fdurso224

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

Jonathan Faust ‏@MrJonFaust 15m15 minutes ago

Jonathan Faust Retweeted Real Otaku Gamer

@RGB_RetroBlog @Richard31337 @regan_steer @Clammylizard @FreakZoneGames @gamesyouloved

Jonathan Faust added,

Real Otaku Gamer @realotakugamer

All Hail The King: The King of Fighters XIV Review (PS4) http://realotakugamer.com/all-hail-the-king-the-king-of-fighters-xiv-review-ps4 …

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+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hey guys,

Hey Poor Player ‏@HeyPoorPlayer 32m32 minutes ago

KOFXIV showcases SNK's rekindled fighting spirit, proving once again that The Future Is Now. http://www.heypoorplayer.com/2016/08/22/the-king-of-fighters-xiv-review/ … #KOFXIV #PS4 #SNK

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THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV REVIEW

Playstation Reviews August 22, 2016

0 Comments 115

Rekindling SNK’s fighting spirit

The past 16 years haven’t been especially kind to SNK. Since the former arcade gaming juggernaut declared bankruptcy back in 2000, the company has struggled to find their place in the industry’s modern landscape. With the arcades all but dead and fighting games decidedly less popular than they were in the Neo Geo’s heyday, SNK has found themselves dealing with fewer successes than struggles over the past few console generations.

That’s not to say things have all been doom and gloom for the company. In recent years, SNK has regained a bit of their stride with successful ports of some of their finest titles to the current crop of consoles, handhelds, and mobile devices. And while their flagship franchises have been noticeably absent from the limelight lately, welcome surprises such as The King of Fighters XII and XIII were enough to rekindle faith in a series that seemed destined for mediocrity after a pair of uninspired outings on the PlayStation 2. Still, for every success the studio experienced, the looming specter of such flops as Samurai Shodown Sen and The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact was never far from the minds of even SNK’s most stalwart supporters.

Thankfully, SNK seems to have gotten the memo, because The King of Fighters XIV comes out swinging to deliver a Burning Knuckle to the face of the non believers. Sure, longtime fans of the series may bemoan the switch from The King of Fighters XIII‘s lush, hand drawn sprites in favor of 3D models, but these fears are quickly laid to rest when you see just what the game has to offer. KOFXIV brings with it a staggering number of characters (48 instantly delectable, with two unlockable bosses), a ton of modes, and some of the tightest fighting action the series has seen to date.

While the system itself hasn’t received any drastic changes like it did with The King of Fighters 2000‘s Striker system or the tag mechanic fromThe king of Fighters 2003, SNK has tweaked a few knobs and dials to make the game more accessible this time around. The most notable of these changes is a new mechanic called the Rush mode. Rapidly tapping the light punch button will execute a Rush combo, which is capped off with a special move. However, if you have a power gauge then the combo will result in a Super Art or EX move depending on how many power stocks are at your disposal. At face value, the Rush system may seem like a cheap addition to KOF’s formula to cater to less experienced players. However, the advantage it gives is minimal, as SNK has wisely scaled back the damage for Rush attacks compared to standard combos. The end result is a system that gives newcomers a tool that’s easy to use but ultimately won’t do anything substantial to turn the tables in a fight against experienced players.

Another new addition to KOFXIV’s fighting formula are powerful EX moves, which can be unleashed for a period of time after using one bar of the power gauge to activate Max Mode. Additionally, you can use three bars of your power gauge to perform Climax Super Special Moves, which deliver spectacular shows of force (think Street Fighter‘s Revenge moves). These smart and subtle additions to The King of Fighters’ already rock solid foundation really help to modernize the game’s mechanics while adding a few fresh layers of depth for players to master. It’s by no means a grand reinvention, but what’s here works exceptionally well and does a great job of keeping things fresh and engaging for both newcomers and seasoned series veterans alike.

New mechanics aside, the core King of Fighters package is just as tight and responsive as you could hope for. The game’s signature four-button fighting system returns, with light and heavy punches and kicks being the tools of the trade. The shift to the 3D realm brings a solid weightiness to the on-screen pugilists, and the game’s variety of flying roundhouse kicks and searing Haou Shokoukens pack more heft than ever before without impacting the flow of the fight. It’s truly impressive just how little has been lost in translation here, as so few franchises make the jump from sprites to fully-rendered splendor without sacrificing a degree of precision, but SNK has managed to handle the task with flying colors. Simply put, KOFXIVplays like a dream, and seamlessly brings the series back into the third dimension while still maintaining the signature style and flavor fans of the series have come to expect.

As I mentioned at the start of this review, The King of Fighters XIV‘s roster features a staggering 50 characters (take that, Street Fighter V!). This burgeoning list of brawlers includes 18 fresh additions to the lineup along with 32 returning characters. Series staples such as the voluptuous kunoichi Mai Shiranui, Orochi Saga protagonist Kyo Kusanagi, and the “Legendary Hungry Wolf” Terry Bogard are joined by a rogue’s gallery of new combatants who largely impress. Some of the most noteworthy additions include the spunky sky pirate Love Heart, who comes across as a hybrid ofMark of the Wolves‘ swashbuckling street fighter B. Jenet and Soul Calibur‘s Cervantes, who devastates her opponents with rapid sword slashes; King of Dinosaurs, a ferocious luchador dressed as a T-Rex who punishes his opponents with devastating grappling techniques and sky-high body slams; Shun’ei, a master of illusion and former disciple of Fatal Furymainstay Tung Fu Rue; and the towering giant of a man, Anatov, who hosts this year’s tournament and battles while chomping a cigar the size of a toddler’s femur. These are just a few examples of the game’s roster, but rest assured none of the game’s nearly 20 new contenders feel like a throwaway, and each of the 16 teams offers a good balance of speed and power to master.

If you’re looking for a fighter that will keep you busy for months to come, The King of Fighters XIV has you covered. When playing offline, the star of the show is the game’s story mode, which allows players to choose from one of the game’s 16 teams – or a custom threesome of their own – to fight their way through the competition and to the finals of this year’s tournament. This mode is the best place to cut your teeth on KOFXIV’s mechanics before diving into the other modes, and it’s bookended by some nice CG that helps move the story along. My only real gripe with the Story Mode is the rather toothless difficulty of the computer-controlled AI, which makes it pretty easy to steamroll your way to the game’s surprise antagonist, who surprisingly lacks that notorious “SNK Boss Syndrome” that still brings fans of the franchise to tears to this day (Omega Rugal was one sadistic bastard). Despite the minimal challenge, Story Mode is still a great place to learn the building blocks of KOFXIV’s system, and each team features their own ending cinematic that’s usually peppered with fan service that veterans of the series should appreciate.

When not slugging it out in the Story Mode, you can learn the intricacies of each character in the training arena, or take on various challenges to learn more advanced techniques for each of the game’s 50 characters in the Mission Mode. Additionally, such genre staples as the Time Attack, Survival, and Trial modes are there to keep you busy in between story mode and online bouts, and competing in challenges will help unlock a treasure trove of concept art that documents the series’ history.

As with any fighter, the elephant in the room is its online performance. That said, I’m happy to report that the KOFXIV’s online performance feels like a marked improvement over its predecessor. Online bouts flowed smoothly, with input lag only popping up intermittently during our hands-on time with the game’s online component, even when competing with players from across the globe. As far as modes go, you’ll find your standard fare here – with ranked and casual bouts coming in Team VS, Single VS and Party VS. flavors. Team VS is especially entertaining, allowing six players on two opposing teams of three to each choose a player and duke it out for supremacy. The game also supports 12 player lobbies, making it very easy to choose your preferred opponent and game type before jumping into a match. Overall, KOFXIV’s suite of multiplayer modes don’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but they do deliver a streamlined and full featured experience that will keep you coming back for more.

When all is said and done, what’s perhaps the most impressive thing aboutThe King of Fighters XIV is that the game has managed to do what many thought was impossible by putting SNK back on the map as a world class developer. SNK’s latest foray into the arena showcases the studio’s fighting spirit, and makes me very excited to see what other classic franchises the studio could resurrect next. The thought of a Last Blade or Mark of the Wolves may have been enough to make us cringe just a year ago, but now the thought fills us with excitement. Simply put, The King of Fighters XIV represents SNK at the top of their game, and that alone should be enough to make you run out and add this fighter to your collection.

More than anything, The King of Fighters XIV showcases SNK’s rekindled fighting spirit, proving once again the The Future Is Now. And it’s been a hell of a long time since the company’s future has looked so bright. That said, if you only buy one fighting game this year, make sure it’s The King of Fighters XIV.

Final Verdict: 5/5

Available on: PlayStation 4 ; Publisher: Atlus ; Developer: SNK ; Players: 1-12 (online) ; Released: August 23, 2016; Genre: Fighting ; MSRP: $59.99

Full disclosure: This review was written based on review code supplied by the game’s publisher, Atlus

Anthony...

Edited August 22, 2016 by fdurso224

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

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Review: The King of Fighters XIV

2016-08-22 09:00:00· 5 minute read · Chris Carter@DtoidChris

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ARE YOU OKAY?!SNK PlaymoreDeep SilverStreet FighterTime Attack

While most people were introduced to fighters with Street Fighter, my first foray into the genre was King of Fighters at a local arcade. I had no prior training or guidance, I kind of just jumped in, picked Andy Bogard, and had a ball. Before I knew it I had graduated on to a long line of fantastic SNK fighters.

But one of the former "kings" of fighting lost some of its relevance in recent years, especially with the much-hyped but bare-bones King of Fighters XII. Thank the stars SNK regained a lot of goodwill with the much-improved XIII, and nearly five years later, in what has to be a miracle due to its constant corporate restructuring, we have XIV.

You just need to get past the art style and you'll be okay.

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DiscoverKukriTerry BogardOnline GameDue Diligence

The King of Fighters XIV (PS4)
Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK (Japan), Deep Silver (Europe), Atlus (US)
Released: August 23, 2016
MSRP: $59.99

Where have all of those good, beautiful, emotive pixelated characters gone? They're lost to what we call the ether of "the budget." Now, it's not like you can't make 3D art look incredible, but SNK hasn't quite done its due diligence here like Arc System Works. It's a shame, because there are so many great new designs here and they don't really get the justice they deserve due to bland coloring, especially when it comes to skin details. It does have a few bright spots. While I'm not going to rush out and buy the soundtrack, it's jazzy, upbeat, and gets me in the mood well enough. The menus are ace too, exemplified by the fact that SNK fit all 50 fighter's command lists on the same screen.

Most importantly, I'm happy to report that the style doesn't impact the actual engine in the slightest, and it still feels like a King of Fighters game. Yep, it's still fast, intuitive, and combo-heavy (great OTG and cancel in that by the way!). The four-button (Punch and Kick x2) setup holds up, as you can easily run any alteration of a light or heavy variant right on the face buttons, opening up all of the triggers for ancillary shortcuts or macros.

You can still vary their jumps between hops, leaps, and "large jumps," and cue up emergency evasions (rolls) to easily dodge projectiles or blowbacks to push foes away while getting hammered in a corner. I've also always enjoyed the way three-on-three fights are handled as you can change the order secretly right before a battle, adding an extra meta-element to the proceedings. King of Fighters makes you work for it, but it does give you the tools to succeed.

Word of warning for newcomers: it doesn't feature the most comprehensive tutorial (everyone should just copy Skullgirls), but it does give you a decent enough grasp on the fundamentals, even if you have to practice the Climax (super) cancel tutorial a ton of times before you clear it. I didn't get a chance to play many matches online, so I'm unable to accurately assess the netcode. When it launches I'll report back, and while SNK says it is making it better than XIII (which isn't hard), there is no rollback. In the meantime, you can take a gander at what the lobbies look like.

Okay, so it passes the hardcore test, but how is it content-wise? Well, it's better than say, Street Fighter V at launch, but not by much. There's a mission menu with three variants (trials, time attack, and survival; all standard old-school stuff), the typical versus mode (with one-on-one or three-on-three variants), plus offline and online play, and a campaign. I know all of you are chomping at the bit on that last one, but let me make it clear that you shouldn't rush out and buy it just for the story, if you can call it that. Kicking off with a J-Rock music video that basically just showcases the cast, it moves into a few short cutscenes across 10 stages, and that's it. The final boss (who has some crazy OTGs that do half-life damage) is fun to fight, but since I was able to beat him on my first try it's a fleeting fancy. The story mode is nice to have, but it's more of an arcade mode and plays it safe.

Again, if all you're looking for is a solid fighter, this massive roster has your back. Pretty much all of your old favorites return, but there's a ton of new blood as well, including Sylvie Paula Paula, Hein, Xanadu, King of Dinosaurs, Kukri, Mian, Mui Mui, Love Heart, Alice, Meitenkun, Gang-il, Luong, Nelson, Zarina, and Bandeiras Hattori. Kukri is probably my favorite, looking like he's a mix of something straight out ofKingdom Hearts and Gaara from Naruto. I also adore Maxima's design, sporting an enhanced suit lifted (tastefully) out of Platinum's Vanquish.

Some of their backgrounds are hidden behind "mysteriously unknown entities" like King of Dinosaurs, and Kukri, but nearly every character has some form of meaningful connection with the lore. Take Hein, a cat I don't really dig all that much -- he was recruited by Billy Kane and Geese to fight on the Howard Connection. Alice, an amalgamation of a few main characters, came from a pachinko game (as do Mui Mui and Love Heart). Tung Fu Rue, who taught Geese and was Terry and Andy's father, gains a few disciples. And Kim's (one of my personal classic characters) master makes an appearance. It's all pretty well thought out.

Others have been shuffled around, like the Dhalsim-flavored Duo Lon, who has been replaced by the female Luong. In other words, it took me days on end to try out all of these newcomers, much less pick up all the new tech from the old ones, so if you're someone who spends lots of time in the lab you have your work cut out for you. I also think we're going to be seeing a few unknowns in tournaments and in future iterations in years to come. It's a fresh, good feeling to have as a KOF fan!

King of Fighters XIV falls somewhere between XII and XIII. It's not exactly bare-bones and the roster is mighty, but the gaudy presentation and by-the-book story is distracting, and takes away a lot of the uniqueness of the series.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

King of Fighters XIV reviewed by Chris Carter

8

GREAT

Impressive effort with a few noticeable problems holding it back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth most people's time and cash.
How we score: The Destructoid Reviews Guide

Anthony...

Edited August 22, 2016 by fdurso224

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

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‘The King of Fighters XIV’ Review: SNK’s Fighting Game Royalty Reigns Supreme

Published 10:00 am EDT, August 22, 2016 Updated 10:00 am EDT, August 22, 2016 Comment By Elton Jones

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Game: The King of Fighters XIV
Consoles: PS4
Publishers: SNK, Deep Silver & Atlus USA
Developer: SNK

king-of-fighter-xiv-tgs16.jpg?quality=65

SNK has been non-existent for a couple of years now. Fighting game juggernauts such as Capcom, Bandai Namco and Atlus have continuously released great products into the market while SNK has remained silent. The 13th edition of King of Fighters feels like it came out ages ago, which makes the arrival of the official 14th edition such an anticipated event. The King of Fighters XIV represents SNK’s return to fighting game royalty and adds another quality battler to the market in 2016. If you’ve been on the fence about some of the other fighters that launched this year, then you should hop onto the KOF 14 bandwagon and not have to worry about being disappointed.

KOF 13 looked incredible with its focus on 2D animated sprites. That major visual element has been switched to full 3D models for the stages and the characters themselves. Everything within this entry looks similar to the Maximum Impact spinoff titles; only this time, the camera has been pulled back to reflect the old-school setup and style of the classic KOF games.

While this entry in the series doesn’t look outright terrible, its graphical presentation isn’t all that impressive. This fighter would look right at home on last-gen consoles, to be quite honest. But fighters aren’t all about their standout graphics and nothing more. On the actual gameplay front, KOF 14 makes up for its lackluster presentation in troves. It’s possible to pull off amazing combos due to the many mechanics you can master (Max Mode, EX Moves, Super Special Moves, Climax Super Special Moves etc.)

24352493024_c54a48c3b9_b.jpg?quality=65&

This series has always been known to include a plethora of classic and entirely brand new tournament entrees. KOF 14 looks to be the entry that has the largest roster to date. Longtime tourney entrants make their grand return and even some of them add a new fresh face to their team. For example, Chang and Choi ditch their heroic partner in favor of a fresh villain known as Xanadu. As for Kim, he decides to partner up with his trusty mentors Gang-Il and Luong.

the_king_of_fighters_14_banderas.jpg?qua

Most fighters don’t do a good enough job with its roll call of fresh additions. KOF 14 shines the most in this department. New characters such as Alice, Kukri, Mian, Hien and even the cocky boss man Antonov round the roster out perfectly. But there’s definitely a few misses when it comes to cool new faces and playstyles (we’re looking at you Sylvie, Meitenkun, Xanadu and Love Heart). Overall though, everyone should find a set of characters to become quickly attached to.

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When it comes to the package of modes on hand for you all to enjoy, there’s nothing to worry about on that front. You can choose to play through the game’s Story Mode, which comes with fully animated cutscenes and humorous ending sequences. Old fighting game mode standbys are present, such as Time Attack, Vs., Survival, Mission and Practice. As you win offline and online matches, a wealth of Gallery related bonus goodies unlock and give you a ton of throwback images to look at and catchy tunes to listen to.

The online modes offering features the best combination of playable content. You can hop online to compete in singles encounters, team engagements and even the type of team battles where two teams of three human players battle it out. The online worked pretty well during our time spent with the game, but we’ll have to see if it continues to hold up when the rest of the world gets their hands on it.

Bottom Line

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The King of Fighters XIV definitely lived up to the hype. The fighting game system featured here is full of deep mechanics that will cater to the more hardcore player set. Plus incoming casual fans will have no issue getting just as good due to the tutorial modes on hand here. The roster is mostly amazing, but there’s a few new characters who needed to be kept away from such a great fighter. Content wise, you’ll have plenty of great modes to furiously play through. While the visuals aren’t as favorable as they should be, KOF 14 manages to stay strong due to its impressive gameplay.

Score: 8.75/10

Pros:

The many systems and mechanics at hand during battle makes this fighter super deep
There’s a huge variety of returning and debuting fighters to master
The offering of offline and online modes are thankfully plentiful

Cons:

The graphics aren’t as strong as they should be for a current-gen fighter
Some of the newer characters leave a lot to be desired

Anthony...

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

INSIDE PULSE 12

152 days 14 hrs 1 mins 45 secs

Review: The King of Fighters XIV (Sony PlayStation IV)

Mark B. | August 22, 2016 | Archive, Sony PS4, Top Story, Video Game Reviews | 0 Comments

The King of Fighters XIV
Genre: Fighting
Developer: SNK Playmore
Publisher: Atlus
Release Date: 08/23/16

It’s kind of surprising that it’s been almost five years since we’ve seen a new King of Fighters title released into the market; when the game was originally released back in 1994, under the clever moniker of The King of Fighters ‘94, it was implied that we’d be seeing new entries annually, and that’s… pretty much what happened until about 2003, when the franchise stopped using dates to dictate schedule. Not that this stopped the name from being attached to games, as several more titles came out, including updated releases of 94, 98 and 2002, as well as side-projects like Neowave and the Maximum Impact titles, but even discounting those games, core games still saw a decent release schedule for a while. After 2003, KOF XI came out in 2005, XIIdropped in 2009, and XIII came out in 2010, leaving the largest gap between core releases at four years, and the largest gap in general at a single year, 2007. The reality, though, is that SNK has been somewhat quiet over the past few years; while the odd re-release has come out for arcade platforms by their hands, by and large they haven’t really been releasing a whole lot of content to the current generation platforms at all. As such, King of Fighters XIV isn’t just a return to form for the franchise, it’s a return to form for SNK, and there’s a lot riding on it being a success one would think. It’s good then, to be able to say that, for fans and newcomers alike, it’s an excellent iteration of the franchise, and while it’s not the most visually impressive release on the PlayStation 4, in nearly every possible respect, the game is a must-own for anyone who likes fighting games even a little bit. That said, there’s one fairly notable change here that may make it harder to love for fighting game enthusiasts, which… we’ll get to in a bit.

On the return to the King of Fighters tournament

With The King of Fighters XIIIhaving successfully wrapped up the Ash Crimson arc, the next logical step forward was to start a new storyline, and it seems that’s what we’re getting here in full force. This time around, the King of Fighters tournament is being organized by a guy named Antonov, who looks like he’s suffering from a massive case of boss-itis and smokes cigars pretty much constantly, as he’s looking to make the tournament the most popular event in the world. To that end, Antonov’s invited no less than sixteen teams to compete in the tournament, comprised of both old and new competitors, and is actively hoping to have a top-notch tournament… so you know it’s going to get screwed up eventually, because that’s what happens in a King of Fighters tournament. The plot here is what you’d expect from a traditional fighting game, in that it focuses on the team you pick and features relatively little plot outside of a couple of standard cinematics and a team-specific ending, but it’s not bad; if you’re used to Arc System Works fighters it might feel minimalist, but it gets the point across fine otherwise. For those who aren’t here for the story, you’ve still got plenty of options to play with, starting with an interactive Tutorial to learn the basics, as well as the standard Arcade and Versus modes to fight the CPU and local friends in single character (for Versus) and teams (for both modes). Online play has been revamped a bit, allowing for the standard Ranked and Free (Player) matches, while also allowing the option to download and watch replays, jump into online training to practice against friends, and view records, leaderboards, and even live matches as you wish. Mission mode also makes a return with the same three options as before (Time Attack, Survival and Trial), as does the Gallery option that allows you to unlock lots of content as you wish. The only things missing from the prior game are a dedicated Story Mode and the character customization options, but what’s here is still really robust no matter how you play, and you’ll find lots to do with the game for a while.

KOF XIV completely changes up the aesthetics from the prior game, going for a fully 3D look instead of the high quality sprites of the prior game, and… well, it looks fine, but it’s nowhere near being visually competitive with other games on the market. It’s easy to understand why you’d want to go the 3D route, since you just have to make a model and rig it up appropriately instead of hand-drawing every animation (even Guilty Gear has gone that route at this point), so in that respect, you can’t blame SNK for going this route. It’s also worth noting that everything looks great when in motion, between the fluid animations and the exceptional variety of them, the pleasant backgrounds and the high quality effects from special and super moves. However, the characters don’t quite hold up in comparison to games like Street Fighter V or Guilty Gear XRD, so if that’s more of a concern than anything else you may be disappointed. Aurally, however, the game is as top notch as it’s ever been, and fans will love everything about the audio here. The game once again has some strong, energetic tunes that are fun to listen to while fighting it out, and the sound effects are as powerful and painful (in a good way) as ever. The voice work in KOF XIV only offers a Japanese language track, as in the prior game, but the Japanese voice work is as strong as ever so this isn’t a bad thing in the least, and fans will be used to this (and will remember how uneven the English dubs were), so it shouldn’t be a concern at all.

On fighting it out

So, in case you’ve never played aKing of Fighters title before, let’s borrow the description I’ve been using for them from the past few reviews: imagine Street Fighter, with four buttons, different strategies, and teams of three fighters, and that’s the most basic explanation one can give. KOF XIV more or less follows that tradition, meaning that if you’ve played a 2D fighting game (or a 3D game on a 3D plane) in your life, you can figure out reasonably quickly how it works. You’re given two strong and weak punches and kicks to work with, and aside from the standard combos that can be strung together with those, all of the characters have their own Special and Super Special moves to work with. If you’re a Ken and Ryu fan, Ryo, Robert, Terry, Andy and Kyo should fit you okay. Like Guile? Kim, Leona or Choi might do you fine. More of a Zangief fan? Try Goro or… ahem, “Dinosaur,” no, really. Love Chun-Li? Benimaru, Mai and Athena have you covered, to a point. This is not to say that these characters are identical maps of the mentioned Street Fighter counterparts so much as it is to say that they fit into similar play styles; the characters in King of Fighters XIII all have their own unique and interesting ways that they can be played, and part of the fun is finding the characters you work best with.

The three-on-three team aspect is a big part of what makes any King of Fighters game work as well as it does, however; in KOF XIV, you put together a team of three fighters to do battle against one another, and when one team member is eliminated, you move to the next one. Since you can completely customize your team as you see fit in pretty much any mode, you can test out characters in Practice to see how they fit into your ideal team dynamic, then take that team to any other mode and play as you see fit. At first, this is a simple matter of simply assembling a team of three members who you happen to like, but the longer you play the more of a mental chess game the experience becomes, to the point where you pick out characters because of what sort of opposition they can shut down and counter as much as you pick them because of their play style. There’s a significant amount of strategy involved in picking characters, not just for their effectiveness, but for their effectiveness against others, as it’s generally not a good idea to bring someone slow in against someone with projectiles and speed who can dodge around them and shut them down, unless you’re really skilled, for instance. KOF XIV also retains a lot of the techniques from similar games, such as Emergency Evasion (dodging, essentially), Fallbreakers (recovery when falling to the ground), Blow Back (push away attacks), Guard Cancel Emergency Evasion (burn one Super bar to evade from guard), Guard Cancel Blow Back (burn one Super bar to smack an opponent away) and Super Special Moves.

For those who are long-time fans of the franchise, well, you’ll definitely see a few changes between this game and KOF XIII, which are mostly interesting, though whether they’re an improvement or not will depend on the player. Blow Back moves now stun opponents if they hit a wall, which can offer you a brief combo window if you’re fast (and close) enough to capitalize. Drive Cancels still exist, meaning you can cancel from specific special moves into super moves, so nailing a combo into a Super is as easy as ever. Hyper Drive has been excised entirely, however, instead reverting back into a system fans will remember from this or other games, dubbed the MAX system. Basically, pressing Low Kick and High Punch when you have one full Super meter filled will kick on MAX mode; from here, you can pull off EX Specials at a small drain to your MAX meter and rip into more powerful MAX Super Special Moves as needed, at the cost of one meter plus your remaining MAX bar. MAX Super Special Moves can also be utilized outside of MAX mode, by pressing both attack buttons, and they burn two full gauges of your bar, which allows them to be more of a surprise, though you lose the added benefits of MAX mode. NEO MAX Supers have been replaced by Climax Super Special Moves, but work basically the same; they’re very powerful Supers that consume three bars, but deal massive damage when they hit (and cannot be powered up by MAX mode). For those wondering, yes, Super Cancels still exist, but they don’t work in the same fashion, instead requiring you to cancel on an escalating sliding scale; in other words, you can cancel a Super Special Move into a MAX Super Special Move or a Climax Super Special Move, and a MAX Super Special Move into a Climax Super Special Move, meaning you can burn them into one heavy combo if timed right. The expanding Super Bar from the prior game also returns here, meaning that when you have no eliminated team members you only have a maximum of three Super Bars, but each elimination adds one, so you could very well have up to five bars on-hand if needed. As you’ll likely note, this isn’t a huge change from the prior game, but for the most part, the changes made refine the systems from the prior game nicely, and it should be a fine enough change to bring players back for more.

On long term play and considerations

You can blow through a single session of Arcade Mode in around half an hour, give or take, but with sixteen teams to go through (if you want to unlock all the Gallery items) that alone should occupy plenty of your time. Versus Mode is the same as ever, allowing two players to battle it out in single or team matches locally, and Online is also mostly similar, though with the option to spectate right from the mode you’ll have the option to watch good players in real time if you’re interested in studying from others. Mission Mode is also more or less the same as it was in the prior game (save that Trials are much more user friendly, thankfully), but this is by no means a bad thing, as it offers plenty of single player challenges to improve your play, from taking on character challenges, running time trials or trying to survive for as long as you can against escalating enemy forces, so you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. The options to save and view replays, check player stats and view online leaderboards are nice for those who like to step up their game as, and they’re fun to fool around with even if you’re not a tournament level player. However, there are two really great points in the favor of KOF XIV in comparison to its predecessor that bear noting. First, the net code for KOF XIV feels legitimately stable this time around; I did notice some hiccups against players with lower bandwidth (which is to be expected) but otherwise, play felt quite stable at this point, and assuming it holds up once lots of people jump on, this will be the best netcode the series has seen to date. Second, there are FIFTY characters in the game, including both old and new faces, so fans should absolutely adore the roster here if they’ve been hoping for a game with a ton of characters to choose from. DLC costumes for Kyo and Geese have also been announced, so it’s quite possible we might see more of those on the horizon, for those who find this interesting.

That said, there are a few notable issues here, and perhaps the biggest one is a system I haven’ttalked about yet, but that I alluded to at the beginning of the review: the Rush system. Basically, this is an autocombo system; by pressing Light Punch repeatedly, you’ll pull off an automatic combination that works one of two ways: when you have no Super bar, it simply pulls off a weaker multi-hit combo, but when you have at least one bar, it will stuff a Super in there around the fourth hit (or a MAX Super if you’re in MAX mode). This is a fine idea as an option for new players to learn the basics, but the problem is, it’s in the game all the time, so this is going to factor into play at all points, and if there’s a way to disable it, I haven’t seen it. It’s not bad per say, but it’s an easy way to land a lot of damage in a hurry, and it’s going to have an impact on how tournament play goes, so it’s… a questionable choice to include, honestly, and I’m thinking it won’t go over well with the community. It also bears noting that, while the game feels somewhat balanced, a few of the cast saw their movesets really pared down a bit from prior games. Kyo and Iori, for instance, are at full blast, but some characters are still missing moves they’ve had for years (Terry with Power Dunk), while others feel notably stripped down (King, Mai, Benimaru), and it’s hard to reconcile if you’re a fan of specific characters who’ve lost a lot of their moveset. Further, the game features sixteen new characters, which is fine, but to be blunt, none of the new characters are so interesting as to justify not bringing back Shingo, Chizuru, Juhn, Vanessa, or Whip, especially when some of them (Sylvie, Mian, Xanadu) literally look like they had an accident in a clown college.

To put it into simple terms, The King of Fighters XIV is mostly an awesome fighting game, and it’s easily going to give Guilty Gear XRD –REVELATOR- and Melty Blood: Actress Again a run for their money as top-shelf fighting games, but only if you’re cool with the Rush system and don’t mind the massive influx of new talent at the expense of losing some fan favorites. The Arcade mode presents a fine enough introductory story to the next arc, and there are plenty of play modes, both online and off, to plow through, especially since many have been expanded and improved to player needs. The game isn’t the prettiest out there but it more than does the job from a visual perspective, to the point where you can overlook this due to everything else the game does right, and the aural presentation is as outstanding as it’s ever been. The game is mostly mechanically similar to the prior release, but offers enough changes that fans of the franchise should be able to jump into it instantly and understand the changes, and between a robust tutorial and a ton of play options, as well as fifty characters and improved netcode, they should be able to do quite well with what’s here. However, Rush Mode is going to be divisive due to its “simple autocombo that cannot be turned off” nature, characters still feel nerfed from KOF XII two games later, and while the large roster is great, about a third of it is new to the franchise and will leave franchise mainstays wondering why their favorite characters still aren’t back yet. If you’re relatively new to the series or a diehard fan, KOF XIV will more than be worth the asking price, don’t get me wrong; it’s just that it feels like the game is going to have a hard uphill climb in the FGC, and more’s the pity, as outside of a couple issues, it’s one of the best games in the series, bar none.

Short Attention Span Summary:
The King of Fighters XIV is one of those fighting games that does mostly everything right across the board, but has one or two distinct flaws that make it hard to know if it’s going to fit in well; while new players and franchise lovers will adore it, everyone else may find it to a bit harder to latch onto. Arcade mode offers a fair storyline for fans to sink their teeth into that sets the tone for the next arc well, and there are a whole lot of play options that will keep the game fresh for players of all types once you’re done with the storyline. The visuals are a bit unrefined but honestly look perfectly fine once you’re in the thick of play, and the aural experience is as amazing as it’s ever been in the series. The core mechanics of the game will instantly be familiar to fans while offering some solid refinements that should keep the game from feeling like a retread, while an extensive Tutorial and simplified Trial mode will teach newcomers the basics with ease, and with so much content, a massive roster and solid online play, it’s easy to say this is a top contender in the field. However, Rush Mode is the sort of mechanic most fighting games gate off into an “Easy Mode” system and its inclusion in play is going to be divisive at best, some of the core franchise players are still feeling the effects of the KOF XII nerf two games later, and the new characters are mostly unimpressive and could’ve been excised for fan favorites instead. If you love the franchise or you’re relatively new to it, KOF XIV should easily be worth your money, but competitive players and those who have specific tastes may need to give it a try first, at least until SNK (hopefully) patches in an option to turn Rush Mode off; until then, it’s a game that’s going to be hit or miss with a lot of folks, which hurts a lot more than it should.

Anthony...

Edited August 22, 2016 by fdurso224

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

G-Mantle (ゲーマント） ‏@SNKPofficial 3h3 hours ago

Here is today's KOF XIV screenshot!!! #KOF14 #KOFXIV

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SNKplaymore_ゲーム公式 ‏@SNKPofficial_jp 3h3 hours agoView translation

THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV: KOF XIVの最新スクリーンショットを紹介！#KOF14 #KOFXIV

Translated from Japanese by BingWrong translation?

THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV: introducing the latest screenshot of KOF XIV! #KOF14 #KOFXIV

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Anthony...

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

Gatoray ‏@gatoray_kof 2h2 hours ago

Burn to Fight! #PS4share

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Anthony...

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

Back with Yakuza games doing what he does best. Here, were going to look at his past videos from 2012 when he purchased some amazing pickups for his Neo-Geo collection. Enjoy.

From the description,

"Picked up some titles I wanted to add to the collection for awhile and got them for a decent deal. Two of my favorite games to play on the system. Enjoy! ^_^"

Anthony...

+Charlie Cat · August 22, 2016

Hi guys,

The Official NEO-GEO Thread!

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