Completely and utterly on the fence about this. +0 hype.
Granted, the only KOFs I’ve ever really given a shit about were '98/98UM, XI, and to a lesser extent 2k2/2k2UM, but XII was still a major letdown. They lost so much ground just updating the graphics, botched the hell out of the critical console port (Chin infinites, so fucking what, brainless match-breaking handcuff glitch in Liz vs. Raiden, introduced in a fucking netcode-centric revision, how in God’s name did that happen?), and most importantly (and pettily) of all, they turned Clark into garbage. If they did that to another character (that wasn’t Leona or Ralf), I’d have laughed, because I’m an asshole. But you just don’t fucking do that to Clark.
But KOF has always been version-to-version, and I’m hoping even modern SNK has learned a couple crucial lessons from their KOF XII misstep (if nothing else they’re still better by default than Sega or snicker Examu). And make no mistake, even though KOF XII was pretty bare-bones, they did introduce some cool and highly functional subsystem stuff that I’d like to see stay on for XIII.
My big hopes for XIII:
PRIMARY (stuff that really matters):
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Fix Clark. Please. Make SAB good like it deserves to be again. As long as that happens I think he’ll be pretty much fine as-is from XII (although part of me still wants to see Frankensteiner come back…fuck Napalm Stretch, though)
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Keep the new airthrow anywhere-juggle property. I’m not much on Melty Blood, but ending juggles with air throws is just too sweet. Shit should be in every game, ever.
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Keep new CD attack system, full stop. Chains, charge, juggle properties, the works. Shit is gold.
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Keep b + CD. Might need some tweaking, but I think it’s on the right track.
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Scrap CC and bring back Quick MAX/2k2 MAX mode/etc. CC combos are fun but the mechanic for setting it up is just kind of dumb; too fundamental for any real trickery. Q. MAX or something like it would flow a lot better, I think; it would seem more like a reward for a good setup than something you just bide your time for (or against).
SECONDARY (more “wishlist-y” stuff):
No, seriously. It’s not just that she’s the closest thing I have to a KOF main (other than that I more-or-less tier-whore in every KOF that isn’t '98/'98UM), I think she really has the fundamental tools, even scrapped to a skeletal moveset, to do well and play fun in a system derived from XII. (“Skeletal moveset” here defined as '98/2k2 basic attacks + airthrow, wall jump, Kacho Sen, Ryuu Enbu, Deadly Ninja Bees, Super Deadly Ninja Bees, and possibly charge + command Musasabi no Mai as well [no need for the Vega-alike followups, just the '98 empty walldive or loaded walldive off the charge version would suffice.])
Give her her airthrow with Clark juggle properties and she can do pimp shit in the corner/off anti-air, give her chains into CD attack and she has good ways to knockdown, chuck a free fireball, run up, whatever. She’ll immediately stand out as one of the less conventional characters mechanically in terms of how she controls space (fan, walldive, fast walk/run/roll, high jump arc with fast rising/falling speed), and of course she’ll immediately have the fanboy hype on her side. I really think she’s one of the best characters SNK ever designed in every capacity. Also, titties.
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On a similar note, bring back Yamazaki. He’s another character I respect the hell out of for being so mechanically weird in a game like KOF where you tend to have so much overlap in terms of who can do what with a basic toolset. He has a tool for damn near every situation (snake arms for zoning, fireball reflect, command/super grab, a decent counter move, and a GIGANTIC FUCKING KNIFE), and yet he’s not a “semi/pseudo-Shoto” or a true grappler. Putting him in XIII would really liven up the roster, both in terms of aesthetic and mechanical diversity.
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Give Athena back her teleport. Sure, it’s not as critical to her game as her Psycho Ball, but I always liked the interesting flavor it gave to her mobility. The definitive Athena to me has always been '98 fireball-unblockable-trap Athena, so any changes they can make to her to make her more like OG Athena, I would like to see.
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On a similar note, give Andy back his Gen’ei Shiranui and its palm thrust/heel drop followups. This was another move to me that I always thought was critical to differentiating Andy from his fireball/uppercut peers. Made him seem more like a ninja and less like a semi-Shoto. The Kuu Ha Dan Break they gave him is still pretty sweet, though.
