Split-Screen :: The Game-Geek’s Daily Read

By Ravi Sinha

SNK is a name that resonates with fighting game afficiandos who grew up watching Terry Bogard scream, “Buster Wolf!” before engulfing his foes in a fury of flaming goodness. In this era of high definition, fighting game updates (Street Fighter with the 4th game, and Guilty Gear with it’s spiritual successor BlazBlue), it’s only natural to see King of Fighters included in the menangerie of updates. It’s the kind of old-school that caused most of us reared on button mashers to revise our rote definitions of tactics and defense. However, the latest in the series, King of Fighters XII, highlights the opposite of what’s achievable when updating a classic fighting franchise for the new generation.

Why exactly does King of Fighters XII fail so miserably? Most old school fighting games revived in the new generation have had at least two of the following three aspects: A trail-blazing, insidious art-style, new gameplay additions that don’t compromise on the much beloved core fighting systems and a greater openness to online play. KoF XII shoots itself in the educated feet in the second tenet alone: There are only 22 playable characters. It’s a tragedy, this being a series that prides itself on easily having thrice that number in it’s rosters. However, any one even remotely familiar with King of Fighters, Fatal Fury or the masterful Mark of the Wolves will be miffed at the exclusions. No Geese, Rock Howard, Mai Shiranui, King, Yuri, K’ or Rugal to be found. It gets worse. Terry Bogard? His Power Dunk? And the show-stopping Buster Wolf? Gone. Sacrilege.

KoF XII isn’t exactly trying to rein in the fighting game newbies either. The art-style pales in comparison to Street Fighter IV or BlazBlue with it’s pixelated and choppy-looking characters. Granted, SNK’s titles aren’t famed for their accessibility, but which fighting game needs four different types of jumps? The move changes are present throughout the cast – and nothing spurns an old school fan more than trying his favourite specials, only to discover their absence. Let’s not even get started on the Critical Counter system which causes both fighters, when clashing with attacks of similar strength, to return to a neutral position after they hit. Factor in multi-hit combos and projectiles, and you have a messy pandemonium befitting a UFC match more than the epic duels of KoF. Matches rely less on tactical observation, using the right moves when your opponent makes a mistake or creating and capitalizing on openings, and more on juggling your opponent, beating them down before they hit the ground. If I want to play mid-air slap-happy sessions, I’ll go back to Marvel vs. Capcom 2, thanks.

Did we mention there’s only one single-player mode? That’s right. No Survival Mode, no Challenge Mode, no Story Mode along with an Arcade Mode that’s little more than a five match time-trial with no end boss. Thankfully, there’s a Versus Mode because playing online is a headache, plain and simple. If it’s not the lag upsetting the Critical Counters (and your general level of balance), it’s the slip-shod menus that make finding matches a pain. Enjoy those times you’re a spectator in select matches, because you can never leave this mode while matches are on-going.

King of Fighters XII represents the anti-thesis of what’s achievable in the new generation of fighters: A game neither new-school nor old-school players will love, with less content than previous versions at a high price of $60 (USD). Find yourself a nice emulator and settle back down with Garou rather than investing in this mess.