Getting into KOF

Sup yall.

So, I’m gonna be picking this game up later today. After playing 2002 on GGPO for a while now I’m really wanting to get into KOF and start getting good at it. I own KOF 98 and 2002, but I rarely EVER play them so XIII will pretty much be my first KOF expirience.

All that considered, I just have a few questions as a newcomer to the series.

1.Do people usually do 1v1 or 3v3? I’m guessing 3v3.

  1. Out of the KOF games that I have available to me (98 and 2002), which of those two would be best to practice in when I can’t play XIII? Or would my knowledge in either or really even help me in XIII to begin with?

3.What’s the scene/community feel like on XIII? Do most dislike it or do most find it enjoyable? Which KOF do most people consider to be the best?

4.How populated is the online for Xbox players?

5.Is there anything I should know about the system mechanics that are like, drastically different from other fighters? My main game is Street Fighter so that’s where most of my knowledge is grounded in.

6.Any other general tips you guys think I might need to know would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. :tup:

controls in kof98 are more stiff than 2002 and XIII. df,hcb moves and links are far easier to pull during a match in 2002. so I’d say to play 2002 if you dont practice XIII. besides these two games have more characters in common. you have the 2009 version of kof2002? if so,the better

I consider kof98 to be the best, for the sole reason that it was made during SNK best years. 2002 is good too but at that time a lot did change at SNK and it produced problematic KOF sequels.

coming from SF, you should watch this tutorial then

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Perfect piece of information to get you into the game. Keep practicing, also, I can imagine you might want some match up knowledge too. If you have any specific questions on certain character against character matchups, just ask.

  1. 3v3

  2. 2002 is better for the reasons petran described, plus MaxMode from 02 is most like the HD combos XIII has, but HD for XIII is handled much better.

  3. The scene there is likes the game, and I enjoy their take on it. Asia’s still better at it as a whole, but SoCal proves that America and other countries can get there.

  4. I wouldn’t know for Xbox. I can put you in touch with some consistent players there if you want.

  5. & 6) From SF, use the video petran posted, and the best tip I can give you is when it comes to learning KOF XIII, rely less on comparisons from any other fighter (including other KOFs) and learn the game based on what it is. A lot of what was from older KOFs is still there, but best not to rely on it. New game, with a a new way to play.

I’d take advantage of the balance of the game too. Everyone’s got a viable shot, even with using HD combos. You can worry about tiers less in XIII can you can in SF.

Basically this

Learn your hops. Those are the footsies/movements in the game.
AA’s, for most of the characters a simple stand jab gets the job done.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
If you have a local scene, then take advantage of that and get as many games in as possible.
Training mode record feature is pretty neat!

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does kof still have online issues?

One does not simply play KOF 13 Online.

Hey wassup dude! KoFXIII is the best game ever! I’m glad you’re getting into it. Online really kinda sucks, and it’s really spotty to get lots of players. Depending on what part of the country/world you reside in, you may have a good scene around you.

The community that plays this game absolutely loves it! But then again I’m from SoCal so i may be biased lol. If you want extensive resources for learning KoFXIII specifically, I suggest the wiki on this site for info on mechanics and whatnot. It’s really good. Other than that, if you wanna follow the KoF scene, check out Dreamcancel.com. The tutorials section has tons of stuff there as well:
http://dreamcancel.com/how-to-play/

The most important tip if you’re just starting out IMO is to pick your 3 favorite characters without worrying about tiers and whatnot. That’s the most fun way to do it, and the best way to improve in general. Also, learn to hop! hahah That’s important.

Very helpful responses so far! I’m trying to download as much knowledge as I can.

I actually won’t be getting XIII until later today, but I’ve been fuxing around with the demo for quite awhile trying to take in all the information the tutorial provides. So far I’ve decided on using K and Kula, but as the character selection is limited I haven’t been able to decide on a third. Thinking either maybe Ash, Iori or Athena.

Does the order of the team really matter in this game?

Hey man! Everyone here is glad that you are enthusiastic about KOF02/KOFXIII. To speak about team order… Yes it does matte, but not as much as you think. You CAN get a way with playing in any sort of team arrangement as long as you got a plan and you know how to react to the opponent play style. Should you build a team, you should try to understand the characters capabilities, match-ups, damage ratios, and how you manage meter. Both K’ and Kula are extremely good at building meter as well as using it. Both Ash and Athena are very good zoning characters with a very unique set of tools (i.e. Ash’s Sans Coulette, his Genei traps… Athena’s mid air movement, teleports… etc). As for Claw Iori, knowing how to conduct a functional rush down game is imperative - Claw Iori can do a lot of damage at once, especially with meter. Believe me when I say this, you are going to enjoy this game SO much! Feel free to ask anymore questions!

So I’m messing around with Athena right now and I notice that if I crouch or stay still long enough she starts getting sparkles around her…does that have any significance?

Nah, that’s just the animation. Similarly, Kula is surrounded by ice dust.

By 98 and 2002 I assume you mean the vanilla versions for GGPO? You might also be interested in the 98UM and 2002UM games for the PS2/X360. They’re just as good, if not better.

Ah, I see.

Yeah, I have both of those for Xbox but I don’t have live right now so I’m playing KOF through GGPO.

-Does Mai have an Anti Air? I mean I guess her s.hp has a pretty big hitbox but I’m not sure what would be the best option
-For Mai, is hcf.LP>hcf.HK a safe option? It seems like a great pressure technique to get in.
-Who’s the best charge character? From what I’ve seen so far it seems like Ash.
-Does Leona’s punch charge have any use, really?
-Are any of the DLC characters worth the money?
-Does Duo Lon just suck, or does he have an awkward learning curve like Gen from SF? He plays so weird.

I think I’ve decided on a team. Mai/Kula/K.

For dlc’s Mr Karate is pretty strong, so yes. Old/flame Iori is an easy-to-use shoto ish character, and NESTS Kyo isn’t bad either.

Mai’s ryuenbu ( :qcb: :p:) and :snkc: (s. hp) can antiair. For hops/short jumps, :snka: (s. lp) is a standard check, or antiair.

Duo Lon is just hard to use at first. He has limbs, projectiles, and long range a la Dhalsim but you actually want to get close and do combos with him. He won at Evo, so he’s not useless. lol http://www.youtube.com/user/MADKoF13/videos

Now Mai I can definitely help you with. I usually use Kula as a point character for the sake of building meter - her combos without meter are reliable.
Here is a guide on Mai if you need help:


I am also constantly updating her wiki on Dream Cancel as well:
http://dreamcancel.com/wiki/index.php?title=Mai_Shiranui_(XIII)

Last, here is another guide on KOFXIII in itself.
http://dreamcancel.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_King_of_Fighters_XIII

Also keep in mind that every playable character as of KOFXIII are easily viable for tournament play as long as you know exactly what they capable of.

That’s good to know. Mai is fun as fuck, and she’s a really solid character to boot. This game seems really balanced, I love it. I’m surpised that I’m just now getting into it. I’ll take a look at all of those.

Kula is taking me some getting used to. Her normals are awkward to me, but she seems like a really solid character.

The thing I seem to be having the most trouble with is getting my ultra’s out (or, I think they’re called desperation moves in this game). It feels like I’m getting the motions right, but I guess my execution is a little off.

j.B, s.B, c.B all day, err’day.

As for getting DMs out, go into training mode and make sure you’re not accidentally pressing your buttons too soon into the directional input. For example, with a qcfhcb, make sure you’re not pressing P/K on db instead of b.

Does anyone know where I could find some hitbox data for Leona?

There’s no KOFXIII Hitbox data :frowning: