I really believe that the original KOF(or SNK) feeling I had died at 2001, when the music stopped. Garou entered its’ own New Generation and King of Fighters was taking tolls since it went into the NESTS saga. What happened to the real team theme music, the voices(KOF 99), the many victory and entry poses, and…?
As for the moment, Playmore DID bring SNK to a new llevel of play, but will the quality continue to exist? or is it better.
I’d say it’s better, better than just having kof pachinko machines!
would be nice to see if the atomiswave really does have the potential to be the next neogeo. Although when the Neo came out, it was miles ahead of anything at the time.
In my heart I feel that the old SNK would still be porting the kof series to Dreamcast so I’ll say THE FUTURE IS NOW SNK is tops anytime.
For the sake of the argument, i wont mention which company, division or sub-division made what (same way Arc Systems works for Sammy, SNK also has Noise Factory and so on):
SNK:
Better overall presentation (from animation to sprite quality to music). They used to make just gorgeous, gorgeous games where everything would fit together… no mis-matched sprites, no mis-matched animations and so on. Their games seemed more like “experiences” than actual competitive games. Most of their stuff was just plain broken. Besides KOF98, Garou, RB2 and FFS, they didnt have much for serious play.
SNKP:
Started dissapointing, but its now doing pretty good.
KOF2001 and 2002 are the ugliest KOFs ever. 2001 is just a shitty game overall, while 2002 plays great. SS5 and SS5s, like 2002, look ugly but play great. SVC sucked, KOF2003 was good. KOF2001, 2002 and SVC also suffer from awful music.
But right now… ignoring the fucking annoying rehash issue (at least they still make new sprites - NGBC has like 12 new ones), their games are good. NeoWave, KOF:MI, NGBC, KOFXI, SSTenka - they all are or seem decent. The backgrounds and music are MUCH better than the 2001-2003 years (hell, i would say the backgrounds are better than anything theyve EVER done - just look at this, this and this.), and theyre taking more chances with gameplay (see NGBC, KOFXIs extra bars and systems, all the grooves in SSTenka).
They also seem much more concerned with testing and balancing the games than SNK ever did back in the day (MI excluded, being a console game).
On the issues of graphics, you can only expect any investiment in the 3D games, though (MI2 for the XBox360 will be a big investiment for SNKP).
Yeah. I heard SNKP is totally taking a chance with that Judgment system stuff.
:O!@#$
Let’s put it this way: the old SNK was more of a solid, good rock band that started fairly mainstream and ended catering to a rather nich market that still managed to kick ass.
SNKP is more of the sudden, quirky punk rockstar group that started mediocre but, quickly learning their lessons, are all of a sudden doing a fuckload better while still experimenting.
I havent got to play the new SS games so I cant say there but either then that the only decent game Playmore has came out with was 2002, that may change though. Right now I would go with old SNK.
Its abit unfair to judge at this point SNK where around for years snkp are just getting going, and like time stop says they have picked up with their recent games.
So hopfully the next bach after these will be total top tier stuff.
Im going with SNKP.
… if they bring back continuity in any of the series they have acquired, maybe my vote will change…and how long do you propose to conduct a better vote? :snkc:
…sobs*** THE FUTURE IS NOW!
How long? simple when snkp have been around for aslong as SNK were, which would be 10 years or so.
Also people are basing their votes from a different time period, lets face it snk are really just about fighting games, yea they have some other types but not as big as the fighters.
The golden Era of 2d fighters would have many top SNK games in its list, just like now days we get top tier FPS.
So in this day and age its harder for snkp i feel to put out top 2d games, because their only Competition are from games that came out 5 years ago.
As for continuity you can forget seeing a fatal fury or AOF game those universes have been mixed with kof and their stories will contuinue within that, ie more Garou characters in KOFXI.
Besides even if they did make a new fury game people would moan, I would like to see something new.
Ala NGBC even though its a bit of a rehash, Its problay just as good as any SNK top game, of course i cant really say till i play it but heres hoping it is.
There will be no new Fatal Fury or AOF games. That would be asking to lose money (even here, 30-something rosters are considered “small” - which is also another reason why we dont have games with all-new sprites anymore… how the fuck are you going to make an all-new game with 40 characters? it would take four years).
AOF and Fatal Fury are going to be part of the KOF:MI series now.
Im not lying.
…SNK took more risks before, but i believe there still basically the same company. They need some innovation fast or there gonna go down again. KOF won’t sell forever. After a while dat same KOF feel is goona get old. Althought KOF MI wasn’t that good it was something different! They should try making an MMORPG out of KOF…i bet alot of people would play it. I don’t mean change the whole series into that but juss make one.
1/2Man1/2God: I dunno. KOF has been around almost as long as the Madden series. So I think they can work it out so that it’s a yearly mainstay akin to Madden. SNKP still has a bit of work to do, but they’re heading in the right direction.
I also agree with Time Stop’s post in general. Is there a reason why you didn’t list SamSho 2 on your list of decent competitive games (unless you forgot about it)? I know Ukyo and Kuroko is another story, but still…
Deserted Town was the only really noteworthy track of the 3 titles.
Though SNKP is doing better now (with NGBC and the future SSVI… fuck KOF XI, not interested), old skool SNK is still relatively superior.
I’ll have to go with the old school stuff. The whole “feeling” of a KOF has been lost with the new ones, espeacially 2003. KOF music used to have some of the best music ever, with songs like Bloody and Arashi no Saxaphone(1 and 2) but now all of it is very, very generic and forgetable. And not to mention the “new” SNKP has brought us DuoLon. But oh well, they seem to be learning. Here’s hoping KOXI will be great toast
Actually 2k3 felt more SNK-esque than 2k1 and 2k2 together.
Ignoring sad details (like Duolon) it was a nice attempt from SNKP. Now it seems that they’re learning from their mistakes.
It didnt even cross my mind, for some reason. But yeah, SS2 should be there.
BTW, Time_Stop, there’s something wrong in your post: KOF NW is not decent in any way 
J/K (but anyway… seriously, NW is terrible… and so is the first SSV).
SSV is not terrible. Its actually very good. NeoWave is as awful as CFJ if you consider it a new game, but wonderful if you consider it an upgrade.
i don’t see why any of you care so much about the music or even the sprites so badly. Fighting games is about the fighting. When you’re versing an opponent, you dun sit down and admire the guitar solo or the drum fill(an exception maybe ggxx, but still), nor the graphics and how many frames per sec and shit. You’re supposed to test out your skill level against an opponent. Having this in mind, it is easy to see why kof 2k2 (playmore) is still the most played kof, and the reason why ppl have forgotten about neowave or 2k3 (2k3 is pretty shallow). SS5 sucks. SS2 was a lot betta for a one hit game, and SS4 kicks ass in the combo system compared to SS5. Anyways SNKP may be able to make betta games later. -shrug-
To me, music creates a nice ambience, including video games. Granted, gameplay is pinnacle/priority, but music is one of the extras that’s nice to have on the side. It pretty much gets you in the mood for whatever the situation calls for.
In that aspect, Shinsekai was hands down better than SNKP, as they knew the engine well enough to get the most out of the system and it’s channels. It took SNKP two years to get halfway to that point, but at least they picked up a person or two from the old studio.
…Is this the SVC track for Terry’s stage? because I also thought it rocked.
