Mukai looks awesome until his skirt blows up and you realize he’s not wearing pants.
Then you realize he’s just Urien in a sarong…
Hey may not have a panther but Bison sure does have a dozen pussies, I’d say they’re even with Rugal
Never liked Akuma’s design
May have been original at the time but too many things make me rank him (way) lower than actual awesome boss designs as Bison or Geese
The super shoto thing may have been original for the time but still all he offered were boosted version of Ryu’s stuff, that by nature was already visual surpassed by the current Boss Bison.
Starting from hado-srk-tatsu, they designed a Boss that outplay all of that
Ryu does tatsu, Bison outswag him with a more impressive and powerful looking Scissor Kick.
Ryu does an uprising vertical SRK, Bison fly higher than anybody else and fall from the sky stomping your head perfectly composed with crossed arms, like if is just a game for him.
Or he Devil reverse, falling like an eagle on the prey with a ki infused arm straight as a sword.
Ryu does the hadouken, a legendary secret technique that give ki a visible form big as a soccer ball of fire… Bison become a gigantic human torch of ki himself (implying an insane amount of ki) flying and spinning through his opponent as the ultimate expression of power of SF(2) world.
Also it ignite you of blue flames, wich gave him an extra supernatural touch
Small but important design wise detail, even his normal punches were infused of ki, implying that even his normals are somehow “specials”… dude was unique
Also he got thick steel over his forearms, shins and shoulders. This give him an unfair advantage at both offense and defense… and not because he NEED it to beat your inferior ass, just because fuck you.
And on top of all of that he was’nt alone, his power extent beyond himself. Design wise and purposely, the other 3 kings were part of Bison figure:
-Rog was Tyson, Tyson in these years was considered the most dangerous fighter of the world by far. Bison having him as one of his guardians was fucking impressive by hitself, but things were even crazier, as he was the lowest ranked one. Think about it, in a game based on fighters you reach the lowest step of the boss ladder and it’s the fucking world strongest fighter of our world.
And of course SF’s Rog he’s supposed to be stronger, wilder, tougher, more unstoppable than Tyson himself. Just because fuck your coin.
-Then you got Vega. You have barely the time to guess what can be worse than having to fight Tyson without having a gun, and you end up in a cage. Your opponent use a weapon. You’re locked in a cage with a psychopath super fast and skilled killer with 3 long razor-sharp blades and no minimal interest at having a “martial arts” fight with you, you’re end up in a straight gladiatorial duel to the death… too bad he’s equipped for it, you got just your Mr.Miyagi silly karate lol.
Oh, he climb the cage. This is another layer of design. Only char to have a specific stage move, wich on design level imply that even the stage work against you, fight Vega in his cage mean fight him in his world, at his game, under his rules.
-Then Sagat. Sagat is ALREADY a “super shoto” way before Akuma showed his ginger demon wannabe ass.
He got an unique forward kick special (as “tatsu”) but aside that he got a shoryuken of his own, and not one but TWO (high and low) version of “hadouken” implying that not only he can handle a similar technique but got even a greater control and ability to manipulate it.
And that’s where similarity end.
He got similar specials, he can move at similar speed… but he’s a fucking over 2 meters tall, powerful, long limbs, tough as steel, Muay Fucking Thai champion. And before Bison, he was SF1 Boss, and best fucking fighter of SF world.
Back then you had to pass through all that just to have a chance to fight Bison. And get destroyed.
That was how good Bison was as Boss concept.
Akuma just cheap crapped over this concept.
They did an headswap sprite, cheap boosting a bit Ryu already existing stuff.
If Ryu was 1 and Bison was 2, Akuma visually felt like 1,5
But they wanted just a cheap way to sell him as new greater treat to boost the hype on the new version of the game, so instead create an actual new and superior Boss design (like how they try later with Gill), they just forced it into everyone’s throat with the cheap “OMG he one-shotted Bison, must be twice as strong!” bullshit
Tbh i consider Akuma not only a bad (evolved into good later) design, but also a plague to the series as for how it interfere with Capcom’s attempt of create new Boss designs
They should just have sold him as secret char, super powerful but still inferior in power to Bosses. (wich seem not)
But particular dangerous as nemesis for Ryu, because on top of straight superior power, he mastered ansatsuken to the point that does everything Ryu does better + some inique shit that Ryu don’t know. (wich is more or less how it is)
I will be even ok with Akuma being considered able to defeat the same Bosses Ryu is able to defeat… but by technique, not by overpower, wich design wise should be the Boss exclusive
As lore and character building, everything will have worked way better with Gill and Bison being straight -officially- more powerful than Akuma.
If better handled instead frauds, both Seth and Necalli could have been sold as “superior” monsters as well
ps: also as straight personal preference it will have gave Akuma more charisma if they evolved his design into super stocky insane angry jap master woth insane tech and compact toughness like a murderer Oyama on cocaine and bath salts, i’m thinking something like
That’s something you can imagine as insanely tough “small” (he even look way shorter than his AoF days) man able to destroy giants with a single karate strike. Maybe not much commercial but that’s excellent chara design.
Similar (and even more extreme) design philosophy is Oro.
His big-man budybuilding (3d model, idgaf about stats) SFV version feel bland and generic imho, being a “superman” should never have been part of his concept… just another thing that feel off of his design
Dude imho ever been just a wrong step in otherwise usually (even today) great job of characterization/cast building by capcom
And a bull, a tiger, and a beautiful snake. The whole sub-bosses thing started with him afaik!
I see the angle you are coming from Yagami with Akuma, but it’s just not up there when all things are considered about the character. He’s a headswap of a character that already had a headswap. His story and moveset were stolen and slightly modified too. I dont want to say this disqualifies him, but it sure doesn’t do him favors.
I read somewhere Rugal regretted for killing Heidern’s family.
This image reminds me how much I despise the sprites in KOFXII and KOFXIII. They are fucking hideous and the artstyle is terrible. Seriously what the fuck happened SNK? I can’t think of another SNK game with bad sprites. I don’t understand how people like them. Is it a lack of 2D sprites causing people to romanticize any 2D sprites they get?
First impression:
Bison in WW-Super:
As for someone that is not familiar with Japan’s culture, I wasn’t aware of Yasunori Kato from Megalopolis. The only way I could associate Bison into Nazi generals or world war madman survivor kinda weird stuff.
I never though of him as a someone that operates in the shadow or a terrorist. I wasn’t aware of SF1 thats why just see him as another previous champion of a tournament that has ambitions to conquer the world someday but not yet on progression.
I though all the Sf2 titles were connected and just numerous continues yearly tournaments like KOF that everyone cared about is to be a champion. Never knew Thawks ending those days.
Seeing the likes of his ripoff from Kaiser Knuckle’s General and World Heroes’s Brocken, I have mistaken him and assumed to be like a military guy or a scientist(like Doc Ock) that fight like how I see CViper fights. I though he was using high tech gadgets that enhance his fighting skills and maximize his chi manipulation that why he could leap(i never knew he could fly) from across the screen and cover his entire body with chi energy.
Those thoughts were changed as soon as the first Alpha was release, after watching the animated movie, SF2V anime series and then the vandame movie latter the cartoons. Those teleport and flying stuff in Alpha along with Vtol and scientist assistants change my perception of him from high tech martial artist to a mystic that also uses science and martial arts.
His A3 iteration made him rise among the bosses of his time, and that time warping final psycho crusher made him everything epic about Bison until SFV.
Geese in FFS and AOF
Geese in his first appearance was not that intimidating like Rugal and Amakusa since the heroes of the game quests was revenge and geese motivation was okay it was something of a cliche in 80’s and 90’s movie, but his cutscene and ending was kinda okay but not like Amakusa and Rugal’s impression. Character design it was the Real Bout impression that makes me like his designs and moves.
Amakusa SS:
His presentation and being shadowy figure did make him standout before Rugal came in and his stage was awesome and the best in his time. His motivation is revenge not something as good as other bosses motivation.
Amakusa was good the teleport is just like how bison teleports in anime, his knockdown animation was interesting and his taunting laugh was executed better than Shao Khan.
**Akuma ST: **
His face is an “icon” already like those japanese statues along with his beads the only problem to me before is his body proportion that is a headswap of Ryu and Ken then it was fix in SF5 which is a good move for Capcom but Capcom made his face like lion trendy look makes him meh in the facial design and destroyed his memorable features in pop culture influence in video games industry. His intervention on the final stage makes him along the best.
I like him more before that he is more silent(no talk) and a shadowy figure that interfere in the final fight… than now having alot of chit-chat. The mystery that surrounds him is nice, I would assume the no dialogue thing was Capcom’s laziness in the 90’s but it did make a better impression. I used to associate him with the Undertalker in wrestling that take down opponent in dark by a blow to steal the fight, His motivation before was way more better because it is assumed to be all about fighting worthy opponent and not centered all about Ryu, Ryu and Ryu that makes him terrible nowadays.
Rugal in 94 :
A guy that has his personal airship shown partially like dr claw then latter introduce himself in a moment and welcome you to his museum. That was awesome SNK did learn to put everything from FF, SS and AOF for this ultimate boss presentation.
What comes into mind was “This badass guy needs to be shutdown for good.” and that Genocide Cutter from sound and action was pure awesomeness. It did challenge Capcom to make Bison as the brilliant as he is now. Rugal was a masterpiece even with those other meh moves from geese and krauser.
State your case. Someone honestly tell me why think the KOFXII and XIII are not ass. Don’t just Get Reckt me. SNK churned out beautiful sprites. Have you seen what they were able to do with Art of Fighting 3, The Last Blade Series? Samurai Shodown? The last KOF sprites were upscaled monstrosities with shit proportions. KOF always had more realistic proportions in relation to SF. Sprites were 8 heads high instead of 6 heads high. Instead we get bobble head Athena and Yuri. Takuma goes from bad ass to a dude with a spinal condition.
This is like the best stylistical thing they did in years, then they remembered to be KoF and pussied out 
For a short amount of time they gave KoF bitches an hint of old school Capcom (SFA/SF3) greatness
Every char got a process of chara design working specifically on theyr concepts, emphatizing theyr core traits with great sprite art in combo with it
RIP KoF 12/13, you was too good for KoF fans and paid the price
They look better than 14…
It was the only new sprite work they’ve done in years. That does not make it quality work. To compare those sprites to SFA/SF3 is an insult to SFA and SF3. Those were quality sprites with good art work. I’ve played virtually every SNK fighting game and KOFXII was the first time their sprite work make me grimace. Some characters look like bobble heads. It’s like couldn’t decide between standard and super deformed art.
Which has absolutely nothing to do with the argument. I’m talking about 2D sprites. Last time I checked KOFXIV uses 3D models. Not only that, the general consensus is that KOFXIV does not look good. Hence all the PS2 game on my PS4 jokes. I’m directly comparing the quality of the KOFXII and XIII sprites to previous SNK 2D Sprites. Outside of being higher resolution, they are inferior in my view. The proportions and general art style look awful to me.
I liked most of KOFXIII’s sprites, except for Ryo’s.
https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/snk/images/8/8b/Ryokofxii.gif/revision/latest?cb=20100411130822
What the fuck were they thinking here?
Honestly my only personal gripes with XIII sprites are the girls (Yuri and Athena look awful, Kula is so-so, Leona basically has no face), some of the neutral stance choices (Takuma, Ryo, Robert, Ash), and overbuffing the guys
I understand the disappointment on the UDON stuff. I kinda like it, but sometimes I genuinely wonder if I only like it because it’s Street Fighter. A lot of their story-arcs feel like the weaker crossover events from Marvel and DC, where you have this big event-driven, multi-character story, but it all falls apart at the end under the weight of a pile of underdeveloped characters. UDON also have shown a flaw where they rush through really potentially good stories just to recreate “iconic” Street Fighter moments (pretty much the entirety of Street Fighter II and Street Fighter II Turbo were guilty of this). Except, by the end , the whole thing leaves you unsatisfied.
You mentioning Ryu vs. Akuma reminded me of another problem I have with them. I feel like they’ve essentially killed Akuma as a credible threat. Having him and Ryu switch to Oni/Evil Ryu at will, get bodied by Gill in like two pages, come back in the comic, switch to Oni-mode and get bodied by Ryu means that you can’t take either regular Akuma or Oni seriously again. It would have been smarter to have Ryu defeat Akuma ,and that resulting loss pushes Akuma into Oni. And that arc should take more than two fucking issues to play out.
I agree about those “little character moments”. UDON tries to do them, but they just rush through it and it comes off feeling empty.
Lastly, one of the things I like about Sagat’s development over time is how natural it is, as well as how all of it fits within his character.
Okay but are you posting a sprite of John Talbain? 
Edit: All jokes aside, he looks l like a rabid dog…WTF
I read that somewhere, too. I doubt it’s legit, though. Rugal doesn’t seem to be the regretful type.
In his win quote to Heidern, he tells him his family awaits him. In his KOF '98 intro to Heidern, Rugal calls him a pathetic coward.
The other thing is there are two stories regarding Rugal’s attack on Heidern:
-One scenario has him kidnapping Heidern’s family after warning Heidern countless times to stay out of his illegal dealings. Rugal apparently told Heidern he’d release his family if he stopped investigating him. Heidern then takes his men to the Blacknoah and are slaughtered. Rugal unleashed the Kaiser Wave on the weakened Heidern, but his wife and daughter intervened and took the attack directly to save him.
-The other scenario has Rugal hearing about Heidern’s rep as a fighter, which makes him want to seek him out and test his new Orochi powers. Rugal stormed the base and decimated all of Heidern’s men, tore out Heidern’s eye to relive his encounter with Goenitz, and proceeds to kill his wife and daughter to show Heidern that he was powerless to stop him.
The 2nd scenario seems more likely to me, since there’s no way Heidern would’ve survived had that battle happened on the Blacknoah.
Either way, I’ll have to get All About SNK one day so we can see what actually happened.
He probably just regrets having to constantly deal with Heinderns lacky squad because of it.
He’s just trying to enjoy some wine and there’s these three dicks in tank tops throwing grenades at his blimp.
.
So, at the end Udon did something right
It’s a game of numbers i guess, at some point it was inevitable
Maybe it wasn’t really Rugal but a Zombie Rugal resurrected by Orochi . At least that’s what the plot guide says :whistle:
Like Gen and Gouken?
