Fact and Opinion: GCHD reviews The King of Fighters XII

Return of the King

SNK shows they still got it in this beautiful addition to the long standing franchise.

Jessee Derringer |

July 27, 2009

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In what is quickly becoming the year of the fighter, it is only fitting that SNK delivers King of Fighters XII so soon after Street Fighter IV. In the past, these two 2D fighters have been compared and argued over by countless competitive combatants, and now the purists have yet another year to argue over who does 2D fighting right. With games this good, however, there is no losers to had; only winners.

Eye of the Tiger

Fact: Having always been a sprite based game, KoF XII is certainly a throw back to a classic era of gaming goodness. Upon booting up the disk, however, the amount of care and polish that has gone into the visual presentation is evident. Every character in the fighting roster has been completely reworked and redesigned. These modern iterations are easily the most detailed and expressive versions to date. Along with the spectacular special moves that the KoF series is known for, the backgrounds have also been completely retooled, making the scenery just as new and diverse. Each stage changes the venue, with a veritable barrage of characters and sprites to keep your eyes busy, from a cafe of rotund women cheering the fight on, to a cult of dancing monks, the background is almost as much of a spectacle as the refurbished fighters.

Opinion: While the characters and backgrounds certainly are beautiful, fans of the series may not like some of the design choices for many of the characters. Terry Bogard, for example, is practically a 'roided up monster when compared to earlier versions, while his brother, Andy, is much larger as well, with hands that could palm a beach ball with ease. Most if not all of the characters also sport outfits from earlier KoF titles, such as the large wrestler Raiden, who wears the wrestling outfit he debuted in back in his Fatal Fury days. Some may like the homage to the series origins, but others still might have appreciated a few new skins to go with the new sprites. Despite such nitpicking, King of Fighters 12 is still one of the best looking 2D fighters on the market, and quiet possibly one of the best of the genre.



Fight Night

Fact: A fighting game is only as good as the fighting mechanics it is built upon, and there is a reason that The King of Fighters is numbered in the double digits. The combat is very reminiscent of previous entries into the franchise, though SNK has done some tweaking to the system. The most notable addition are two two new mechanics, the 'Critical Counter' and the 'Clash'. The 'Critical Counter' allows a player to string a multitude of combos together after countering a blow with a strong attack, and also being able to end the string with a powerful special attack. The other entry, the 'Clash', separates the fighters if they hit each other with similar timing, resetting them into neutral positions. Opportunistic players can use this system to their advantage, however, by pressing the attack just after the 'Clash', giving them extra damage and the upper hand, making this KoF much more timing intensive than ever before.

Opinion: The fighting system here is exactly what you would expect from a King of Fighters' title. It is fast paced, flashy, and very satisfying. The normal cadre of position based moves also make a return, like the roll, dash, back-dash and short jump, all which have become staples of the franchise. The most disappointing part of the fighting mechanics, however, is the severe lack of the 'Tactical Shift', which was introduced back in KoF 2003. Why SNK would leave out such a popular and useful function is a mystery. Still, the fighting mechanics are robust and accessible, giving first timers an easy introduction to the fundamentals, while veterans to the genre, and to this series especially, can jump right back into the action while quickly picking up on the new additions with relative ease.



The Lineup

Fact: Due to the reworking of every single character sprite in the game, SNK only offers 22 characters for the fighting fans to demolish each other with. Compared to the monstrous rosters of 40+ playable characters from the last entry alone, you are looking at a line up that has been slashed in half. Despite the low character count however, the selection here is full of familiar and iconic faces such as Terry Bogard and Athena. The console versions are even privy to two characters not released in the arcade; Mature and Elisabeth Branctorche. The beauty of the sprites bears repeating, however—this game is the best looking in the series, and while these familiar faces look a good deal differently than they have in the past, each character is well designed, and the sense of scale among them really adds weight to their attacks, giving a sense of power to the larger characters and a definite air of grace to the more agile fighters.

Opinion: Twenty characters is more than enough options for any fighting game. The only real problem in the choices is when comparing KoF to other entries in the series. The upside to this, however, is that every character plays more or less as unique individuals. There are very few shared moves, which gives every fighter a more distinct flavor. That said, there is a serious shortage of female protagonists, with only a meager four gals stepping into the ring to administer ample smack down to their peers. Many fan favorites such as Mai, Blue Mary and King are no where to be seen. Given that this KoF lacks any kind of story, their exclusion is mind boggling. Fortunately the prospect of DLC probably means we will be seeing more of these lovely ladies and other cherished characters sooner rather than later.



Having such a long history of fighting excellence, it is really no surprise that The King of Fighters 12 is an incredibly fun addition to the franchise. SNK has had many, many years to shine and polish the formula in order to get the balance just right, and yet still they manage to take some chances to keep things fresh. The roster may not be as large as before, but the incredible visual overhaul and addictive online play means that fan of the genre will have a lot of competition to look forward to. With other titles like Street Fighter IV and Blazblue coming out this year as well, we might be seeing the return of the 2D fighter, and frankly, such a return should be celebrated indeed.