King Of Fighters XI (PS2) OUT NOW

[fluxcore]

Released 6th July (available 4th)
Available from GPStore for the cool price of $50
http://www.gpstore.co.nz/Games/1536113.html

This is one I've been waiting for, the latest 2d incarnation of KOF! XI has been getting very positive press, supposedly it's a very good (and fun!) game. It has a tag system reminiscent of MvC2, with some pretty brutal combos from the couple of vids I've seen. Definitely one to pick up!

--flux

[geneterror]

Definitely a good game and the best KOF game since 2002. They have made the controls "looser" like a Capcom game which makes it easier to do combos. By looser I mean you don't have to be as accurate with your moves like you do in older KOF games it feels more like 3S or even CvS2. As a Capcom player I feel more at home with this KOF game than I have with any in the past. Not really into the judgement system especially seeing as the rounds are so short but that's only a small complaint about an overall awesome game.
Will definitely be getting this when it comes out over here though.

[Coddfish]

According to GPstore...

Exclusive PS2 characters: Mai Shiranui, Mr Big, Geese Howard, Tung Fu Rue, Robert Garcia, Hotaru Futaba, & EX Kyo Kusanagi.

Color Edit mode

Sold.

[fluxcore]

Sold.

I just hope the load time is decent... seen some match vids of NGBC and the loading is HORRENDOUS. Similarly, KOF2k2 on ps2 is just painful when used to the arcade version...

--flux

[Fate]

Ouch. :/
Whats up with load times like that? Games like 3s (on DC), and Guilty Gear X2 #Reload (ps2) seem to load really nicely. Are SNK just lazy as hell?

And yes, Colour Edit mode, rawr. Gawd, how long until 2D games grasp this more and allow you to save your colors on your memory card, and plug them into the arcade machine, ala Virtua Fighter in Korea (i think)?
Sure it's not some huge game breaking improvement, but as 2D fighter fans we can't want too much, because it just ain't happening.

[fluxcore]

Ouch. :/
Whats up with load times like that? Games like 3s (on DC), and Guilty Gear X2 #Reload (ps2) seem to load really nicely. Are SNK just lazy as hell?

And yes, Colour Edit mode, rawr. Gawd, how long until 2D games grasp this more and allow you to save your colors on your memory card, and plug them into the arcade machine, ala Virtua Fighter in Korea (i think)?
Sure it's not some huge game breaking improvement, but as 2D fighter fans we can't want too much, because it just ain't happening.

I don't know the technical reasons behind massive load times on 2d fighters (I mean shit, Tekken5 basically has none!), but I assume it's mainly memory-based. I guess with KOF you can't really load 6 chars worth of animations into memory at once, so I have a sneaky suspicion that XI will be nasty too.
Why SamSho5 (allegedly) has horrible animation though, I couldn't say; So it could well still be just lazy programming.

As for colours, CvS2 on DC had colour edit... and doesn't GGXX#R?

--flux

[Fate]

Yeah CvS2 on PS2 does as well. Guilty Gear X2 #Reload doesen't, but I think Isuka might? But that game is hardly important. :/ T'would be nice (branching off the memory card thing), if it loaded your custom colour, and maybe even like a name that went underneath your characters name. Like how people add it to video footage.

But oh well. Capcom games tend to have enough colour palettes for everyone to find something they like, but it's always nice to be individual.

[Coddfish]

I think SNK are just lazy coders. The only 2D fighters I've experienced bad load times for are SNK ports. Also, in NGBC I find that there's always a bit of slowdown with the Order Select screen, on PS2 anyway.

I think what Fate means is that you should be able to save your colors to a memory card, then plug it into an arcade cab, so you can use your own colors on the actual arcade machine. Which would be wonderful.

Personally, I think it won't be long until color edit mode is as commonplace (at least in home version ports) as Survival mode.


Incidentally, since this is a KoF thread, apparently for KoF XII, they will be redoing all graphics from the ground up. KoF12 will be on the Taito Type X2 board. I don't know anything about it, but I'd imagine it should be at least as good as Atomiswave, which they used for a few games (Metal Slug 6, KoF Neowave/XI, Samsho Tenka, NGBC) - why would they step back from AWave to lesser hardware? Anyway, my point here is that we can )hopefully) expect some gorgeous sprites in KoF12.

From Wikipedia..

It has also been revealed that the game will undergo a complete graphical overhaul, confirmed by Nona, artist in charge of the art in the The King of Fighters XI endings. All the sprites used in previous games for over 10 years will be dropped. The programmers have stated their intention is to create the "ultimate 2D fighting game". Nona reaffirmed this once again in this year's The King Of Fighters Year End Party 2006 in Tokyo.

EDIT because Fate posted while I was:

Yeah CvS2 on PS2 does as well. Guilty Gear X2 #Reload doesen't, but I think Isuka might? But that game is hardly important. :/ T'would be nice (branching off the memory card thing), if it loaded your custom colour, and maybe even like a name that went underneath your characters name. Like how people add it to video footage.

Yes, Isuka has a very user-friendly color edit mode. (As well as a Final Fight-esque scrolling beat 'em up mode). Too bad the game was broken by horrendous controls.

[samurai black]

I just hope the load time is decent... seen some match vids of NGBC and the loading is HORRENDOUS. Similarly, KOF2k2 on ps2 is just painful when used to the arcade version...

--flux

apparently that isssue was fixed with the PAL release

[fluxcore]

I just hope the load time is decent... seen some match vids of NGBC and the loading is HORRENDOUS. Similarly, KOF2k2 on ps2 is just painful when used to the arcade version...

--flux

apparently that isssue was fixed with the PAL release

With NGBC? That's good to hear... however at least the version of KOF2k2 I have is fucking hopeless.

--flux

[[NIUE] BIRRY WONG]

Cant say ill mind too much. i spend WAY too much money playing this. ill just be happy to be able to play it without having to trek into auckland city whenever i get the urge to oswald someones face off.

[Coddfish]

I just hope the load time is decent... seen some match vids of NGBC and the loading is HORRENDOUS. Similarly, KOF2k2 on ps2 is just painful when used to the arcade version...

--flux

apparently that isssue was fixed with the PAL release

With NGBC? That's good to hear... however at least the version of KOF2k2 I have is fucking hopeless.

--flux

Nope. I have the PAL version of NGBC, load times are indeed horrendous.

[samurai black]

Nope. I have the PAL version of NGBC, load times are indeed horrendous.

i'm pretty sure it's better than the arcade release. or maybe i'm imagining things. not that it really matters, since no one plays ngbc anymore. i think more people play svc: chaos, which is horribly sad.

[fluxcore]

i'm pretty sure it's better than the arcade release. or maybe i'm imagining things. not that it really matters, since no one plays ngbc anymore. i think more people play svc: chaos, which is horribly sad.

Fuck, SVC is probably the most played 2d fighter in Hamilton... how bad is that? MvC2 cab right next to it. More people play Xmen vs SF than MvC2, too... *cries*

I guess that's an interesting point... both NGBC and SamSho Tenka have pretty bad loads in the arcade, so maybe it's not so easy a problem to fix for a port. I know atomiswave loads off a cd, so if they can't optimise the ARCADE release...

--flux

[gunsmoke]

i'm pretty sure it's better than the arcade release. or maybe i'm imagining things. not that it really matters, since no one plays ngbc anymore. i think more people play svc: chaos, which is horribly sad.

Fuck, SVC is probably the most played 2d fighter in Hamilton... how bad is that? MvC2 cab right next to it. More people play Xmen vs SF than MvC2, too... *cries*

I guess that's an interesting point... both NGBC and SamSho Tenka have pretty bad loads in the arcade, so maybe it's not so easy a problem to fix for a port. I know atomiswave loads off a cd, so if they can't optimise the ARCADE release...

--flux

SVC true ..........4 Halmilton player........OMG..xmen vs SF more than MVC2 ...no way  i mean nothing wrong with Xmen vs Sf Joe and kingpiccolo is good in that game...more infinite i guess.....but i still prefer MVC2...

u should modify ur ps2 2 become an HD....like kingpiccolo...ps2...no loading needed....l0l...his hard drive load faster than normal aracde machine