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SNK's King Of Fighters Goes 3D, MVS Continued, Kao Megura Remembered
Thanks to Insert Credit for its in-depth report on SNK's forthcoming PS2 title, King Of Fighters: Maximum Impact, as "the first 3D fighter of SNK's new age" is rated from preview builds, with the author arguing "it would be considered a respectable contender against Dead or Alive 2 and Soul Calibur." Elsewhere, UK company Vektorlogic are bucking the death of the MVS arcade hardware, and are announcing multiple new MVS-compatible arcade cartridges, including an arcade version of Super Bubble Pop. Finally, and sadly, prolific Neo Geo (and other) FAQ writer Chris MacDonald, aka Kao Megura, has recently passed away, according to forum messages posted by his brother.
Kao Megura, may you rest in peace.
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Many gamers have at least heard the name "Kao Megura," since Chris Macdonald had contributed so much to the FAQ-writing scene. His dedication and attention to detail were admirable, and his willingness to help others was obvious. One look at his GameFAQs contributor page (linked in the story, relinked here) proves it. It's because of people like him that the game community, particularly the online community of gamers, is as strong as it is today. Without people like Chris, a huge part of what makes gaming fun would be lost.
I never knew him, or had even exchanged words with him, so I won't speak to the quality of his character. I'll just say that I'd consulted his work in the past, by way of his FAQs, and was always impressed. As a simple farewell, I'd like to direct readers to read from his immensely popular Final Fantasy VII FAQ/Walkthrough, linked above. Read the revision history and mind the dates, particularly the first and the last, and you'll see why he was revered in the online FAQ community.
RIP, Chris. My life as a gamer is better off for you and your work having been a part of it.
I'm not arguing that King of Fighters: Maximum Impact won't be a fun game. But, this is already getting comparisons to Dead or Alive 2 and Soul Calibur. Notice how these aren't the lastest and greatest of those series. By the looks of the screenshots, I'd have to agree. And, considering the number of KOF titles that have already been released, I don't see how they can change the gameplay mechanics too much without resorting to a complete overhaul; essentially taking away what makes a KOF game a KOF game. That's why we generally see a plateau in the innovation of a fighting license's gameplay. So, we probably won't be getting much else than a pretty solid game with somewhat dated 3D graphics; not too bad.
But then I start to think about the Street Fighter EX line of games. For the most part, they were alright games with the third one coming up shorter than the first two. However, they were by no means memorable. With Capcom making the decision to go into 3D, I figured that they would do it in a big way. Instead, those games end up being less than memorable. They weren't terrible by any means, but these were Street Fighter games. They were meant to be a cut above the rest! So, unfortunately, I'm left with disappointing memories of games that didn't do much more than muddy the waters of a great license.
If I were a big SNK fan, I'd be worried that the same might happen to the King of Fighters line. Sure, you might end up with a good game. But, are you going to be able to hold it as high as you would the other King of Fighters games? Aren't you expecting a little bit more than just good from SNK?
One of the interesting things that I see potential for is that, if this game does indeed tarnish the King of Fighters series, it probably won't stop there. Because King of Fighters is comprised of characters from multiple SNK licenses, Maximum Impact could possibly have the same effect on the licenses that make up the King of Fighters license.
Personally, I'd rather see SNK do what Capcom should have done; stick to 2D and let the King of Fighters license and the ones under it bow out gracefully. I wouldn't flood the market with 2D games, either. Maybe a few more and a grand final salute would be suitable. Then, focus on creating new licenses better suited for the future. That way, you're company is still alive and people can keep the fond memories of their favorite licenses without having to remember the ones that didn't quite live up to the high standards set.
Until Slashdot fixes the funny modifier, use insightful or interesting. The poster knows your intentions.
Finally, and sadly, prolific Neo Geo (and other) FAQ writer Chris MacDonald, aka Kao Megura, has recently passed away, according to forum messages posted by his brother.
This is truely a shame. I did communicate with Chris via e-mail a few years back about a FAQ I was writing and if I could "borrow" one of his layouts. He came across as a genuinly nice guy, and not stuck up at all which was refreshing.
Gamepro and other gaming magazines should print a tribute to him for all of his stuff they stole and sold from his FAQ sheets. Rest in Peace Chris.
in-depth report on SNK's forthcoming PS2 title, King Of Fighters: Maximum Impact, as "the first 3D fighter of SNK's new age"
SNK's should be SNKs' right? to show ownership?
Guilty Gear as the only 2d fighter series thats going to be around. UNless they make Samurai Showdown 6 2d.
There are already over a dozen KOF games released over multiple platforms. The hardcore fans of the series long ago decided which were great, good, bad, and vomit-inducing. Trying to argue that it's not worth releasing a potentially sub-par offering in a series filled with sub-par offerings is really kind of stupid.
The comment about it destroying the series' KOF:MI draws its characters from is a decent one, but there hasn't been a new Fatal Fury, Ikari Warriors, or Art of Fighting game in years. You can't ruin the reputation of a dead franchise.
And the KOF franchise is already being run into the ground. This year, we're getting Maximum Impact, Neo Wave (an ugly looking 2D game using the same sprites and gameplay as the NeoGeo version, but without any of the enhancements or characters from the 2003 installment), and KOF2004 (which no one really knows anything about yet). If shovelling the games onto the market like this isn't killing the series, why would the fact that one of them is a 3D fighter do it?
Capcom hasn't so much stuck to 2D fighters as they've made one or two every few years using the same old sprites or have just ported one of their old ones to a new system. Hell, their big celebration for the Street Fighter series' 15th anniverserry was a fucking PS2 port of Street Fighter 2 and an (admittedly cool) arranged soundtrack CD. And, as much as this is going to prove I'm not a True Fighting Game Fan, my favorite Capcom fighter is the 3D game Project Justice.
Oh, one last thing... you did RTFA, right? The full quote regarding the DOA2/SC bit was: "Maximum Impact does, in no way, suck. While it is no Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution (and what is?), this is a damned good game. If it had been released for the Dreamcast (which, let's face it, still holds its own against most fare on the current systems), it would be considered a respectable contender against Dead or Alive 2 and Soul Calibur. I, for one, sure enjoy it more than the former game."