 King of Fighters EX - Neo Blood |
Developer: Marvelous Ent. | Publisher: Sammy Ent. |
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Type: Fighting | |
Skill Level: N/A |
| Players: 1-2 | Available: 2nd Qtr. |
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It's unfortunate that the SNK's portable was never given the time of day (until it was too late). Nevertheless, one of the biggest purveyors for 2D fighting titles, shooters, and the like - the company has plenty of exciting titles that will not only soon grace the handheld market (and hopefully the console scene as well with the Dreamcast now out of the picture). The King of Fighters series, which of course, is no stranger to any SNK purist as the first title - King of Fighters 94' made its debut in arcades, standing head to toe against Capcom's flagship fighting series - Street Fighter II. Since that time, the franchise has made its way onto other platforms, spreading its appeal byond hardcore gamers and becoming a top-selling title. Now, Sammy is bringing the action and caliber of the franchise to the GBA, introducing King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood. But before you cry "port", be assured that this is anything but as Neo Blood takes place between the eras of King of Fighters '97 and King of Fighters '99. The story takes places several months later, after the battle with Orochi - an unknown host brings together the legendary fighters of the day to compete for the championship. Despite their suspicions of an evil scheme brewing behind the event, the fighters stand ready to face each other in order to determine who is the victor of the King of Fighters tournament. Come on, baby! KoF EX - Neo Blood features several game modes, including Practice (to harness your skills), Team, Single, Versus, and Survival. In addition, the game supports head-to-head gameplay, via the GBA link cable, perfect for bragging right sessions and showing your friends who's the better player. The entire cast includes:
Note: Did I mention how displeased I am that Vice isn't in this game!?!? She should at least be hidden!!!
Are you ok? Buster Wolf! Compared to GGX: Advance Edition, the sprites are substantially larger. Unfortunately, the animation quality suffers slightly from gradual choppiness (yeech...something I never which to experience on the GBA). In addition, the controls are responsive, though a few SNK vets that have experienced the import version expressed their disappointment with the collision and overall feel. Perhaps Sammy can address these concerns before the domestic version hits stateside - after all, SNK has a significanly large player base. It would be in their best interests to tighten up the gameplay so as to incur the highest level of interest. Though I must admit, I actually got owned (read: destroyed) pretty badly by Andy Bogard...who not only made quick work of my entire team (Mai, Chang and Yuri), but it damaged my ego too...I'll have my revenge later this year when it hits this May.
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