King of Fighters 2002/2003

SNK’s King of Fighters series has been around for some time now, giving gamers a mélange of solid 2D brawling and a metric ton of fighters to play as, all harvested from SNK’s stable of fighting-game franchises. Many, many entries have been made in the King of Fighters franchise, each one offering subtle differences over its predecessor. Earlier this year, SNK released King of Fighters 2002/2003 on the PS2, packaging two games together in one bundle for a great deal. Now, a version of the package is hitting the XBox, this time with some great XBox Live features to boot. For fans of the series, it doesn’t get any sweeter than this.

KOF fanboys (or girls) will note some key differences between the 2002 and 2003 incarnations. King of Fighters 2002 is a series fan’s dream, by keeping to the tried-and-true formula set out by the series while offering an impressively huge roster of upwards of 40 characters, from which you choose three to fight for your side in the match. Max Activation has also been improved in this version via the new QuickMax system, which does what the former did without stopping the flow of the battle.

KOF 2003 is the oddball in the bunch, deviating quite a bit from its predecessors, including KOF 2002. The crew of characters to choose from has been shrunk, but you still choose from three of them to fight the match. You can now switch out characters on the fly, instead of waiting for one to get knocked out. This really changes the flow of the match, making for more of a fast-paced “Marvel vs. Capcom” experience. Series fanatics may object to this change, but newcomers will appreciate the change.

The biggest new feature in this package is the inclusion of XBox Live support. You can select either an Optimatch, where you set up the terms of a match (adjusting the options and factoring handicaps) and wait until someone comes along who agrees with those terms, or a Quick Match, which automatically calculates the best match based on your personal ratings. The system is tourney-based, allowing you to move up in ranks by winning matches or drop ranks by losing.

Graphically, KOF 2002/2003 represents some of the finest in 2D-fighting graphics, love it or hate it. Fans of the series will appreciate the sharp textures in the backgrounds as well as the intricate amount of detail in the character’s sprites, although some digitization is apparent at points. Unfortunately, those weaned on 3D fare like Soul Calibur 2 and Dead or Alive 3 will wonder where the polys are.

Soundwise, the game has a unique feel to it. The music is a bit on the cheesy side, and the voice work is over the top, but that is something unique to the 2D-fighting genre as a whole that some gamers have grown to embrace. The sound effects even have a really tinny and distorted sound to them, similar to a 1970’s kung fu flick, which is actually a pretty cool effect.

If you are a fan of 2D fighting or the KOF series in particular, the prospect of getting a bundle with two very fine, yet very different entries to the series for one low price is a godsend. Plus, with the addition of online play, no fan of the series should miss out on this. 

Gameplay: 8.0
King of Fighters 2002 and 2003 each take a different approach to 2D fighting. While newcomers or those not really honed in the art of 2D-fighting games might not pick up on the differences, fans of the series will notice the faster pace and dynamics of KOF 2003 as well as the more traditional feel of 2002. While 2D fighting may not be for everyone, those who love the genre will find a lot to like.

Graphics: 7.0
The 2D sprites are very well animated and sport a good amount of detail, although they can look a little digitized and blocky at some points. The backgrounds are somewhat 3D, and look pretty good, if not too terribly detailed.

Sound: 7.5
King of Fighters 02/03 sounds pretty good, complete with the cheesy soundtrack and over-the-top voice acting. KOF 2002 has a tinny quality to the effects, so it sounds kind of like a poorly dubbed kung fu film from the 70s, which actually adds to the charm.

Difficulty:  Medium

Concept: 8.0 
Neo Geo owners shell out hundreds of bucks for each of these games, making the package with both games for 40 bucks an extremely sweet deal.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The XBox Live features are what really pull this game, with a great matchmaking service to ensure that you fight the best opponent that you can.                                                                                                                 

Overall: 8.0

KOF 2002/2003 is a great package for any 2D gamer. Each game has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and both are fundamentally different, meaning that 2D-fighting fans should find something they love in either title.