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King of Fighters 2000/2001 - Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
29/09/2004
Thanks to Ignition Entertainment, the King of Fighters finally finds a home in Europe...
If you are looking for a rock solid fighting game, one with style and intrigue, then King of Fighters (KOF) could be the one. The KOF series has existed for exactly a decade now. If you canāt afford the arcade machine then you can now play the game on your own home system, which canāt be bad! Ok it may be 2D but, as you will find out; itās pretty slick and lacks nothing.
The sheer wealth of characters (over 30 initially selectable in King Of Fighters 2000, and even more available in KOF 2001) ensures that players will find a pugilist that suits their personal fighting style, and the innovative Striker system, which allows players to call forth a helping hand from other characters when things aren't going so well, adds another dimension to the already distinctive gameplay.
Derek dela Fuente spoke with the Product manager on the game Peter Rollinson.
TVG: How many people work at Ignition and what is your mission statement?
We currently have a total of 44 worldwide, 32 of which are in Development.
Our mission statement is to āallow creativity and artistic expression to flourish within our business and throughout our developments and publicationsā ā“ or something like that!! :0)
TVG: You are a European publisher, do you feel that the US and European tastes differ?
We are infact a worldwide publisher with an office in the US and a soon to be opened office in Japan. From our experience we would say that there is very little difference between Europe and the US, at least as far as the consumer is concerned. The thorny issue of censorship is as much a bone of contention here as it is over there, and using SNK as an example we know that 2D is still very much alive no matter what side of the pond you are on. Itās just that this type of title is easier to get over here.
TVG: What is Ignitionās goal for 2005 and will we see you publishing more titles?
Our goal is to continue to release titles that the consumer wants - quality over quantity.
For 2005, we will continue to release further SNK titles. Some will be instantly familiar, some will not. Ignition will also have Mercury (PSP, PS2, XBOX, GCUBE) which is the latest game to come from Archer Maclean and Awesome Studios. We have very high hopes for this title. One thing for certain, is that there will be some surprisesā¦
TVG: Who are the team converting King of Fighters 2000/2001 to XBOX and PS2?
At this time, we are unable to disclose these details, but rest assured they know what they are doingā¦
TVG: Many gamers might not be particularly au fait with KOF on the Neo Geo. Firstly, what makes this game so exciting and do you not feel that in the time period between its original release and its incarnation on XBOX/PS2 it may have become slightly dated?
I do not feel that the King Of Fighters series feels dated at all. In fact, it is more relevant today than perhaps it has ever been, with the resurgence of the fighting game genre. The reason why the King Of Fighters series has been going for a decade (this year is its 10th anniversary) is because the game experience revolves around the players and not the game.
King Of Fighters has long offered incredible depth of play and variety of characters, allowing players to fight in the style they like, with an artistic look that they like. It has been responsible for most of the innovation in the world of 2D fighting, changing and improving the mechanics of moving, striking and blocking with each successive generation. Many other fighting games have āborrowedā elements from the King Of Fighters series and yet, tragically, this series has never been available in Europe on home console formats before. The opportunity to experience these games, see how they started and indeed, where they are going, is an opportunity that few should miss.
TVG: Many would argue that 2D is dead? What would be your comments?
There are certainly those who are reluctant to give 2D games the light of day. But I donāt think players care so much about the format of presentation as they do about the quality. If it looks good and plays good then it looks good and plays good. Certain styles of game work better in 2D and certain styles of game work better in 3D. If we lost one type of game because of a current trend, well, that would be a sad thing indeed. Gameplay should be paramount, and Iām sure most gamers would agree.
TVG: What is the basic sequence for placing a NeoGeo game onto a popular home format? Will the original graphics and source code be used and are there any additions and improvements?
The basic sequence is to take the Neo Geo source code and convert it to a high-level language, such as "C" or "C++", then add on the console interfaces for controllers and memory cards, as necessary. The original graphics and sound are converted for use on the console. This can be technically challenging but necessary to keep the resulting game as close to the original as possible. The final code should then be a pixel-perfect recreation of the NEOGEO original.
Though, the home versions will include extras not found in the Arcade versions, and future versions of King Of Fighters will support XBOX LIVE.
TVG: There are over 40 characters to choose from. Can you highlight two of the most diverse and tell us some interesting facets about them that really show off the spirit of the game?
Ah, an excellent question. The King Of Fighters games have always allowed players a freedom of fighting styles that can be well reflected by the differences between Angel (present in the 2001 and 2002 titles) and Kyo. Angel is a graphical sex bomb. Her poses are comical and light-hearted. Her fighting style revolves around moving well, jumping correctly, confusing the opponents by switching sides a lot and initiating highly damaging combos through sequential button presses. In contrast, Kyo allows a fighting style completely different. Kyo can be played as a combo powerhouse also, but by using complex joystick manipulation. With a variety of ways to initiate attack, and moves that override certain types of attack, Kyo is a more technically precise fighter, and requires a very different mindset to be used effectively. His poses are more serious and his clothing more somber.
And thatās before we even move onto characters that use reversals and throwing styles!
TVG: What are some of the more diverse moves that are possibly unique to King of Fighters?
The King Of Fighters series was the first to introduce different distances in jumping, as well as rolling and dashing, three things that changed the way in which your character moves around. This produced a more organic feel to fighting, and more hardcore players would also argue it freed King of Fighters from the standard fireball-uppercut trap that was fast becoming the downfall of fighting games. Also, other sister SNK titles outside of the King Of Fighters series experimented with different ways of guarding and evading attacks. Such innovation will continue in future titles, and the move to 3D with Maximum Impact shows some of this with its introduction of side-stepping and simpler attacking systems running alongside the complex mechanics already in place.
TVG: Special new Strikers, never before seen on any home or arcade system ā“ please expand?
Itās as simple as that ā“ King Of Fighters 2001 introduces new strikers that havenāt been seen in a King Of Fighters game before. Even owners of the original Neo Geo cartridges have not been able to play with these characters until now. For those that donāt know, Strikers are other character you call upon in the heat of battle. They assist in a variety of ways, whether itās to give you an energy boost, attack the opponent, or hold them for you start a dangerous combo. It adds another level to the play and can be very exciting to watch.
TVG: Has the team worked on gameplay to ensure it offers the complete challenge and what kind of testing has been done?
A combination of years of refinement and hundreds of thousands of dedicated players around the world always battling and testing the finer points of play has ensured what many argue (and we at Ignition certainly do) to be one of the finest fighting experiences in the world of videogames, if not the finest.
TVG: What are some of the settings on offer?
There are a variety of ways to play, in both single and vs. modes. The way in which you select your team and whether or not you choose to use strikers or have more fighters is a tactical decision that affects gameplay. And then there is the party mode, which can see you fighting as many as 100 opponents (providing youāre skilled enough) to unlock various goodies.
TVG: Could this be one of many SNK titles to appear from Ignition?
Ignition has secured the rights to publish SNKās games throughout Europe, which includes all forthcoming titles as well. That means that Metal Slug 3, 4 and 5, SVC Chaos, King Of Fighters 2002/2003, King Of Fighters: Maximum Impact and Samurai Shodown 5 are all on their way. And it wonāt stop there ā“ watch this space.
King of Fighters 2000/2001 is scheduled for release in November on the Playstation2 and Xbox; weāll have more coverage soon.
