Review : King Of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga on PSP

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King Of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga

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King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga

Nostalgic KoF fans rejoice!

By Kabir Singh (stickywicket)
Posted on December the 1st 2008 at 09:30:00 AM

I remember in the 90’s wandering around the video arcade and pumping quarters into Double Dragon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Street Fighter I & 2. I remember the lights and sounds of the arcade that flooded my senses. There is another memory: the hordes of young men standing around the Neo Geo arcade machine. They were always there, cheering on their friends while waiting their turn. I looked on curious as to what was attracting such a die hard following, and it was King Of Fighters.

10+ years have passed and SNK has released a collection of KoF games titles called “The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga”, which is comprised of KoF 94-98. Let’s talk a closer look shall we?

Gameplay

KoF fans will be pleased to know that all 5 KoF games have survived the port to the PSP intact. The game handles exactly the same as the original but it must be said that these games do play better with an arcade joystick rahter than a PSP directional pad or PSP analogue stick.

The gameplay is standard 1990’s fighter fare. You have a strong and quick attack for your fists and you feet, there is an evade/block and a knock down attack. Specific inputs can unleash powerful attacks akin to SF 2’s dragon uppercut and fireball attacks. If you were a KoF fan, you will be pleased for nostalgic reasons, but the fighting is very dull compared to today’s fighters.

On the plus side there is 2 player via Wi-Fi which can be fun and adds replay value to the game. The training mode is nice as it demonstrates the moves with the necessary input commands. Nothing new here but it is useful to have.

Graphics and Sound

Everything is ported very well from the original arcade titles but the graphics/sound are straight out of the 90’s and do not hold up well against modern audio-visual experiences. The sprites are large, the colours are bright and there is definite improvement in visual quality from KoF ’94 to KoF ’98. The music score of the game is made up of very cheesy rock tracks that succeed only in irritating the player. The sound effects used during combat were weak and lacked variety.

Value

You get 5 KoF titles for the price of one. Not a bad deal at all, if you are a KoF fan. If you are not, this 2D fighter experience may not be to your liking. The changes between the 5 iterations of the game are minimal and the whole thing gets very repetitive.

Conclusion

While I was reviewing this game I was constantly comparing it to the true “king” of fighting games of that era, i.e. Street Fighter 2. I was struggling to find what was missing from the KoF experience. I turned to a fellow GF writer and mentioned my dilemma. He found the elusive thought that was escaping my mind in a single word: charm. KoF is missing the charm of SF 2. The visuals and character design are mundane; the audio is uninspiring and the gameplay lacks the intuitive, fun nature of SF 2. The whole experience is bland and lifeless.

Verdict: If you are looking for a good fighting experience for your PSP, I would check out Tekken: Dark Resurrection. If you were one of those young men crowded around the NEO GEO machine 10 years ago, you will probably enjoy this title and relive some fond memories from the past.

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Pros

+ Excellent port of the originals
+ 5 titles for the price of 1
+ KoF fans will enjoy reliving some past memories
+ Training mode is a nice addition that a lot of 90’s fighters lacked
+ Radial menu system is easy to navigate

Cons

+ Lacks the charm of SF series
+ Gameplay that does not hold up well to the test of time
+ Current generation of fighter fans will be disappointed

Final Verdict

5.8

Breakdown :

Presentation :

7.0

Graphics :

6.5

Sound :

5.0

Gameplay :

5.5

Replay Value :

5.0

Our review : 5.8
Your verdict [0 vote] : Do your own review
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Publisher :
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ESRB : RP - [GameFocus' ESRB Guide]
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Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.

PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)

GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.

AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?

GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.

REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.

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