The King of Fighters Neowave

If you are someone who is interested in fighting games, then you would do well to check out The King of Fighters Neowave. This title was a PS2-era classic, becoming one of the most interesting fighters released on that particular console. It was very well respected for those who were looking for an interesting development in the KoF series, offering some intriguing innovations that utilised a range of 3D and 2D graphics to interesting effect.

Even today, SNK Playmore still has many people who sit and play The King of Fighters Neowave over other versions of the series. Why, though? What made it so popular both at the time and today?

Innovative fighting mechanics in a flashy design

The game used a rich blend of 2D and 3D graphics for the best potential end result and detail. This created a really enjoyable, satisfying gameplay loop that was easy to keep returning to. Fighting through its various modes was enjoyable thanks to the return of the 3-character fighting system used in other games like King of Fighters ’94 through to ’98. It even had a tag system akin to something like Marvel vs Capcom, which further appealed to players looking for a KoF game with a bit more variety. It also increased button options, giving players five buttons to fight with as opposed to only three – this allowed players to activate the Heat Mode, which was a very powerful combat addition.

It also included various modes such as Super Cancel and Guard Break modes, which helped to add in extra modifiers to help keep the fighting experience fresh. With no actual storyline, though, many felt that The King of Fighters Neowave lacked what some of the other fighters of the era offered in terms of depth of character development.

A true KoF experience (7.5/10)

While it was met with resistance and uncertain reviews upon release, The King of Fighters Neowave soon developed its own little cadre of fans who seen it as exciting and refreshing. The addition of online play was a nice touch, while the graphics hold up well even to this day.

However, the familiarity in many of its modes and its characters had left some fans disappointed that The King of Fighters Neowave did not really look to add much more. In some ways, it felt like a step backwards from other KoF games – in other ways, though, it was a meaningful improvement. For most fans, it comes down to how much they enjoyed taking part in the various new features or whether they wanted a game with a bit more depth in terms of a story mode.

Pros

• Excellent range of modes to pick from to help modify fight conditions.
• Great blend of 2D and 3D graphics creates a welcoming and unique atmosphere.
• Fresh new addition of combos and other attack buttons made for a fresh experience.

Cons

• Lacked the story mode and character development of many competitive releases.