| |  "Re(6):SNK Stuff Thread 20- Spring 2017 Editio" , posted Tue 2 May 02:25:  
quote:
The player is Kula, he mains Angel/Robert/Mature.
He and M' played a fantastic FT20 this morning, which Kula won 20-17.
Yes it's Kula, thanks. I do wonder if he's hitting the city again come Evo Japan.
There's actually a fair number of Mature players in Japan. Angel is another thing .
I think though, the JP scene is in a total rut right now, and regardless of high-level play like this getting shown on stream, it's not going to help the community much.
Given the way how all the JP community leaders departed from the scene, the wikis and forums are dead, and high-level players share info privately on LINE, as far as it goes with novice or intermediate players trying to learn the game, it's a total information drought.
On the other hand, SNK has been really active in their promotions so it's a great time to be more of a casual fan/consumer!
[this message was edited by Professor on Tue 2 May 02:52] |
| | "Re(7):SNK Stuff Thread 20- Spring 2017 Editio" , posted Tue 2 May 02:57:
quote:
Yes it's Kula, thanks. I do wonder if he's hitting the city again come Evo Japan.
There's actually a fair number of Mature players in Japan. Angel is another thing .
I think though, the JP scene is in a total rut right now, and regardless of high-level play like this getting shown on stream, it's not going to help the community much.
Given the way how all the JP community leaders sort of moved away from the scene, the wikis and forums are dead, and high-level players share info privately on LINE, as far as it goes with novice or intermediate players trying to learn the game, it's a total drought.
On the other hand, SNK has been really active in their promotions so it's a great time to be more of a casual fan/consumer!
His Angel was really impressive as well, he even OCV'd M' with her. No one knows how to block against her lol.
And thanks for the insight into their scene, that's sad to hear but I guess expected since it has been so long since the last mainline KOF, and XIV launching console only probably didn't help.
So far SNK has been pretty solid with the support so here's hoping it continues and a scene develops again over time.
I wonder if it would help if their next fighter was SamSho or something else that is 1v1? They could play around more with the mechanics, accessibility etc. and have a smaller roster. Should be less overwhelming for new players than a 54 character KOF (which is known for being hardcore/difficult in general).
BTW Oogosho was at the East Asia tournament this weekend and made it all the way to grand finals against Dakou using Billy, Muimui and Goro. A lot of exciting matches from him.
[this message was edited by Izek on Tue 2 May 03:03] |
| | "Re(1):Lee Pai Long sprite in Art of Fighting" , posted Fri 5 May 12:10:
quote:
This has been bugging me for a while, last month I was talking with a friend about old neo geo games when suddenly he told me that Lee Pai Long sprite in AOF 1 was based on a 3d model. I inmediately told him that he was crazy, since I doubt that SNK would do that for just one character.
But there is something in the movement and specially the colors on Lee Pai Long sprite that made him look different from the rest of the cast, which used more colorful pixels. And in AOF 2 his sprite looks more fitting compared to the rest of the cast.
I still has my doubts about it, so it will be cool if someone could enlighten me on this
I also doubt he was based on a 3d model. If he was, then SNK were real innovators back then! Art of Fighting was released in 92. That would mean SNK would have been doing 3d character animation before Virtua Fighter, Toy Story, Donkey Kong Country etc. If you come across an evidence of SNK using cg as a base for their characters all the way back in '91/'92 please let me know, because I think that would be quite historically significant! :D
quote:
But there is something in the movement and specially the colors on Lee Pai Long sprite that made him look different from the rest of the cast, which used more colorful pixels.
You have a good eye. His sprite does stand out and look like it's cg compared to the rest of the cast, but I think it's because of his design leading the developers to approach his sprite in a few different ways.
Here's a clip of Lee Pai Long from AOF1 for reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooLMXHlohic
1) He doesn't expose much skin. Back in the early 90s, convincing organic cg models were a long ways off. Everyone else exposes more of their body, which makes them look more like conventional pixel art characters.
2) His clothing is very puffy. Because of this, there aren't many planes of flat color on his body like all the other characters. Because of that, he has very even, banded shading throughout. That style of shading makes him look more cg. I'm pretty sure it's hand done though. Anyone who has messed around with pixel art at some point probably knows how easy it is to fall back on that style of shading.
3) Related to the above, his sprite doesn't utilize much linework. Humans tend to naturally want to render things with both lines and tones. Computers only use tones (cel shading was a long ways off from 1992). The lack of clear lines that help provide more clarity and depth and style to his sprite also make him look muddier and more cg.
4) He has a lot of key frames where he's perfectly in front view or profile. I think maybe this happened with him because he's wearing a mask. When a character's face is uncovered, you naturally want to keep them close to a 3/4 angle because it just looks better/more dimensional. Since Lee is wearing a mask his face actually looks cool from these perfect orthagonal views. However, his body looks very stiff, especially in motion from these perfect front and side views. To their credit, for the front views they didn't simply copy paste and reflect. He's not perfectly symmetrical. They did the extra work to properly shade him in and make his sprite look better.
If you take a look at Lee's Art of Fighting 2 Sprite you can see it looks much more hand crafted:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkVmCfhu1uU
He isn't all puffy and blobby. His clothing has lots of sharp lines and flat planes that bend and wrinkle in interesting ways. Also they employ more linework which helps with clarity and just looks better.
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by nobinobita on Fri 5 May 12:21] |
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| "Re(2):Lee Pai Long sprite in Art of Fighting" , posted Fri 5 May 20:31
quote:
This has been bugging me for a while, last month I was talking with a friend about old neo geo games when suddenly he told me that Lee Pai Long sprite in AOF 1 was based on a 3d model. I inmediately told him that he was crazy, since I doubt that SNK would do that for just one character.
But there is something in the movement and specially the colors on Lee Pai Long sprite that made him look different from the rest of the cast, which used more colorful pixels. And in AOF 2 his sprite looks more fitting compared to the rest of the cast.
I still has my doubts about it, so it will be cool if someone could enlighten me on this
I also doubt he was based on a 3d model. If he was, then SNK were real innovators back then! Art of Fighting was released in 92. That would mean SNK would have been doing 3d character animation before Virtua Fighter, Toy Story, Donkey Kong Country etc. If you come across an evidence of SNK using cg as a base for their characters all the way back in '91/'92 please let me know, because I think that would be quite historically significant! :D
But there is something in the movement and specially the colors on Lee Pai Long sprite that made him look different from the rest of the cast, which used more colorful pixels.
You have a good eye. His sprite does stand out and look like it's cg compared to the rest of the cast, but I think it's because of his design leading the developers to approach his sprite in a few different w
-- Message too long, Autoquote has been Snipped --
Thanks for the explanation, it really makes more sense now.
I thought the same about SNK not using a 3d model, otherwise, they would have used it as a selling point for their game
quote:
I suspect there's a story behind Lee's sprite that needs to be told. Kind of like how Gen-An from SS1 originated from a scrolling beat 'em up concept. (can't remember if it was just the design or the actual sprite) He looks brawny in this sprite but the hand drawn character art depicts him as a lean martial artist. Also, because Lee isn't a playable character the decision to leave his sprite as it is must've been easier.
Lee is playable in the versus mode of AOF 1
|
Rare Customer   | "Re(1):SNK Entertainment new mascot. ENTER- GI" , posted Sat 6 May 16:19:
quote:
By the way, when did Falcon returned to SNK?
Probably first half of 2016.
For now, SNKE controls their remaining pachislot IPs and just sit them on until someone is interested to acquire them. This is probably the reason why Sister Quest and Sky Love is not in SNK's licensing list.
Sister Quest and Sky Love are already acquired by Highlights Entertainment. Highlights might announce Sky Love within this year. I believe around June/July the earliest.
Probably, SNK will stop using Love Heart once Highlights officially announce Sky Love to avoid conflict between them unless they made a deal prior to that. For now, SNK can freely use Love, just like in Nariyuki Quest, until Highlights Entertainment makes an official announcement.
I wonder what will SNK do once it finally happens.
EDIT: Interesting enough, Nakoruru was introduced earlier in KOF'98UM OL. However, her teammates are fellow Samurai Shodown characters, Haohmaru and Ukyo (who should be out anytime later this year) rather than wait for KOF'98UM OL to reach the KOF XIV Arc and add her there along with her pachislot teammates.
Well, there might be conspiracy theories between SNK's Chinese parents and pachislot. Not sure how true it is though.
I think Ledo Millennium/37Games/Leyou Games Group are disappointed with the SNK's President statement about "making gamers into pachislot players" after acquiring them.
This make me believe they have a hand somewhat in forcing SNK to finally withdraw from pachislot two months later after the statement.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Sat 6 May 16:36] |
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| "Re(2):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Wed 10 May 05:00
quote:
Not much, but SNK China has plans in spreading the KOF Brand across the nation.
Also, some KOF World (MMO) and KOF Destiny (CG Animation) previews, an announcement of a Live Action adaptation and most importantly...
The King of Fighters XIV for Steam
As announced by Oda.
I know i've said this at least a dozen times, but Mark (of the wolves) My Words:
After KOFXIV is officially released in China via Steam, it will eventually become the biggest fighting game in the world. If not in sales, then in e-sports viewership.
SNK is very fortunate in that all the people running game companies in China grew up loving their games. However, their window of relevancy shrinks year after year if they can't get younger people interested in the franchise. People love those characters though. I believe the inherent appeal of all those classic SNK characters will eventually shine through. I BELIEVE IN YOU SNK! がんばって！加油!!
I doubt that steam will give this game a huge boost on e-sports, unless SNK starts doing an even bigger league than what they are holding now.
And I think that SNK is doing an ok job with keeping its IP relevant, between all the collaborations on gacha games, the new mobile games coming, MSA, and the new designs in KOF 14, at least they are not as old for the kids as 5 years ago for saying something
|
| | "Re(3):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Thu 11 May 00:51
quote:
Not much, but SNK China has plans in spreading the KOF Brand across the nation.
Also, some KOF World (MMO) and KOF Destiny (CG Animation) previews, an announcement of a Live Action adaptation and most importantly...
The King of Fighters XIV for Steam
As announced by Oda.
I know i've said this at least a dozen times, but Mark (of the wolves) My Words:
After KOFXIV is officially released in China via Steam, it will eventually become the biggest fighting game in the world. If not in sales, then in e-sports viewership.
SNK is very fortunate in that all the people running game companies in China grew up loving their games. However, their window of relevancy shrinks year after year if they can't get younger people interested in the franchise. People love those characters though. I believe the inherent appeal of all those classic SNK characters will eventually shine through. I BELIEVE IN YOU SNK! がんばって！加油!!
I doubt that steam will give this game a huge boost on e-sports, unless SNK starts doing an even bigger league than what they are holding now.
And I think that SNK is doing an ok job with keeping its IP relevant, between all the collaborations on gacha games, the new mobile games coming, MSA, and the new designs in KOF 14, at least they are not as old for the kids as 5 years ago for saying something
A random KOF 97 tournament in China ended up being one of the most spectated FG tournies ever. There's just so many people in China. I think they have the potential to make it a contender in the world of e-sports.
I know KOFXIV is already out in China on PS4 and Xbox One, but those systems don't have a huge presence over there. I think less than 500,000 combined sales. Steam on the other hand just recently passed the 14 million mark and continues to grow.
http://influencematters.asia/2017/04/12/the-rise-of-steam-in-china/
I mean, I dunno if 1/10 Chinese Steam users are gonna buy KOF14 (one can dream), but i figure if they do a tournament in China it'll attract a ton of eyeballs.
eSports are quickly on their way to casually overtaking regular sports in viewership. More people tuned in to watch LoL last year than the NBA Finals. Tencent knows what they are doing in that arena. Hopefully some of that will trickle down in their support of the KOF franchise.
www.art-eater.com
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| "Re(5):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Thu 11 May 03:03
OK, I've been waiting for a KOF14 Steam announcement since the April 25th event last year, although this title was my first reason to buy a PS4, because I really feel a Steam edition may sell a lot of copies. Let's see if that huge demand is real, I sure hope it is.
Nobi, thank you for your insight about Lee's RnK1 sprite, enlightening like always, and I also enjoyed it because I can't help but believe there's a bit of Lee's fighting style in Mian.
Of course I'm marking your words about Steam KOFXIV in China ;) In the age of eSports, it may been the best feat ever for SNK.
On a side note, I saw KOF Destiny promotional material now features King as well. As poor as the whole thing looks, I think she's one of the better designs, and I'm getting more and more impatient to watch the series.
Ore no...kachi da!!
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| PSN: DefensorVirtuoso
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| "Re(9):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Thu 11 May 06:11:
quote:
I think it's more likely that they might not be in the Steam version and replaced with Chizuru or whatnot, but we'll know soon enough.
I would be OK with that.
Though if there really is some problem with Love Heart (it would have been quite amateurish to add her to the game without owning her fully, but again, KOF14), they'll probably replace her with a totally new and original character that happens to have the same body structure, move and voice actress.
She will be called... Nameless子.
Does this mean there will be two different versions of KoF14? Will this scab team be brought over to the console and arcade versions?
But the big question is why the heck did SNK include characters they might possibly lose the rights to? This is a baffling business decision which means the old SNK that we know and love is still around.
KOF 14 has been developed from a long time, I will dare to say that the game has at least 1 year before the chinese buyout, and then there were like 6-12 months after that than Ledo/Snk decided to sell the rights of the pachislot games since the idea was to leave the business
I still have my doubts about it, unless the company than purchased Sky Love stops the distribution of KOF 14, SNK has no reason to change their roster, it will be less troublesome to release 15, but if the rumours are true, than this means that SNK is using the games as service model for 14, so it should have a lot of support going on.
[this message was edited by sibarraz on Thu 11 May 06:14] |
Rare Customer | "Re(10):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Thu 11 May 19:00:
quote:
I think Love Heart appeared in Nariyuki Quest because Highlights Entertainment has not yet officially announced Sky Love to the public. The earliest announcement of Sky Love by Highlights Entertainment is around June/July (estimation).
I think they will stop using her once it is finally announced.
If they had plans to completely give up on the character, it would have been pretty easy to not include LH in the Naruyuki Quest comics - it would be simple enough to have her replaced with another "team mom" figure like King, and let LH naturally go out of focus due to lack of exposure. That being said, LH isn't one of the girls in the main illustration...
If she were to be replaced, I wonder what character could she be reskinned into, assuming they'd go for another existing SNK character... I never played Crystalis, but as an older RPG that seems sword-prone enough as a possibility while opening up a lot of flexibility in looks and animations; while someone like classic armor Athena would be more likely to use the sword all the time, and she'd probably fit bast in a later game of the current KoF story arc.
Next thing you know they create yet another original Metal Slug Attack character just for this purpose...
Probably, they'll just write her off in the next few chapters or, this trope.
Since Chizuru plays completely different from Alice. The replacements will be more than a reskin.
The rumor also mentioned that Mui Mui and Love Heart will be replaced by two characters from Samurai Shodown, but they were not named. I assume they are Haohmaru and Ukyo because of KOF '98 UM OL. (They were announced, but not yet available.)
Still, I think Ledo Millennium is behind this decision if this is true.
They were the one who convinced SNK to give up their lawsuit and stood as mediator for the settlement against Square-Enix's publishing division and Hi Score Girl.
I believe they also have a hand in convincing SNK to completely withdraw from pachislot amid pressures in stricter laws and declining markets.
EDIT:
ATRyoSakazaki thinks it was a mistake. He mentioned that it's an illustration instead of a 3D Model.
Compare Chizuru's portrait to Yashiro and Chris in KOF World
Mistake or not, why Chizuru's KOF World portrait ended up in KOF XIV in SNK China's Press Conference?
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Thu 11 May 20:11] |
| PSN: Gojira_X
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| "Re(3):Re(10):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Thu 11 May 22:54:
I think I got the owners mixed up, but it still doesn't make that much sense to me that they would have to change the roster this soon. The digital version of KoFXIV is still on the PSN store and still includes all three of the characters. If they were being forced to change it, wouldn't it be taken down by now?
In other news, LordBBH - a streamer that I frequent and fellow old school Neo Geo advocate - recently had one of his archive videos auto-muted by Twitch. Apparently the issue was that he had a playlist of KoF94/95 music up, which seems like it shouldn't have been a problem. As it turns out, some "band" has been selling KoF music as their own since last year on many music download sites, including Amazon:
Hi We Are The Totally Original Frans Bleed Band
So when Twitch merged with Amazon's database this came up and automatically flagged the stream, causing a bizarre situation where someone who owns nothing is able to block all use of something just because someone somewhere neglected to check their facts.
This is obviously not the first time something like this has happened on Twitch, but AFAIK it's the first time SNK has been involved. I tried letting SNK's official twitter know about this, but in case it doesn't reach them or they don't understand, maybe someone here is able to contact them and let them know the problem? It would suck seeing people get into trouble streaming KoF on Twitch just because some asshole tried to steal the music and sell it.
[this message was edited by Gojira on Thu 11 May 22:55] |
| | "Re(5):Re(10):Re(10):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Sat 13 May 02:37:
quote:
I assume KOF XV will be released on 2019 to coincide KOF's 25th Anniversary.
Here's hoping SamSho 7 is ready for SamSho's 25th anniversary next year.
Woah!!! That would be way to long. I am hoping the announcement for XV will be this August :)
I also wonder how SS7 will be this time around. Not only by graphics, but will it be combo based or like the first 2 installments. Maybe a new Last Blade can keep the combo system while SS stay original.
There is speculation that SS7 might be a "back to basics" SS with some elements from later games.
I hope they add 2 types of supers like most 2D themed games (preferably universal Supers input-style ala MOTW) and a more powerful super ala AOF/Real Bout.
However, I am worried that the violence might be watered down by SNK just to please the Chinese Market.
Unlike KOF, the roster for SS7 might be hard to predict.
I predicted that most 2D SNK-era (SS1-SS4) might return in SS7 except for the boss characters, Nicotine and Shizumaru. (for Shizumaru's case it depends on timeline. His story is done as of SS4) Tam Tam and Cham Cham are interchangable. (I am not sure who will SNK use, Tam, Cham or both?)
Not sure about the Examu/Sen-era characters. I can see Yoshitora, SS6 Yumeji and Iroha (eye candy purposes) returning, but not the rest. Probably Kim Hae Ryeong from Sen (because Kim's moves can be utilized) (The only Sen character SNK cares about is Suzuhime). I doubt with SNK's current 3D capabilities, Kusaregedo and Ochamaro won't be in SS7.
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
Yunfei is dead, Mina is implied to be dead and nobody cares about Sankuro. Andrew and Sugoroku are doubtful.
End of Spoiler
Although Shiki and Asura are more popular, I see Taisan and Hanma having a bigger chance in SS7 than their more popular fellow SS64 characters. That is, if timeline is factored in.
Roster Leak or no Roster Leak, SS7 newcomers are one thing to look forward to.
I'm not sure about the atmosphere of SS7. I like SS7 to have some Sukiyaki Western/Chanbara atmosphere.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Sat 13 May 03:02] |
| | "Re(7):Re(10):Re(10):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Sat 13 May 04:02
Was Sen part of any timeline or was it a new start?
In the main timeline, half of the interesting characters are dead (as they should in a chambara game), so if they want Nakoruru, Genjurou, Kazuki, Mina and others to appear, they'll either have to create time portals or chain resurrections, or yet again start anew...
I wouldn't be against a fresh start. The scenario is complicated as it is, and unlike KOF, there's no easy reset button. Hopefully they'll manage to keep the violence restrained and elegant, like SSS or Zero, and not like Sen's gross finishes. The fact that they're specifically aiming at the Chinese market instead of the US market is a good sign already.
The series also lacks Chinese representation, so I guess most of the scenario will be about the new Chinese characters, like KOF14... It could be the occasion to create some really interesting designs. Or something fun, like a Chinese rival to Kyoushirou.
I hope they'll chose some refined aesthetics (all SS games should aim to look like Zankurou Musouken), and if they do, that they'll be able to pull it off... Atmosphere is 50% of what makes SS games memorable, so they'd better up their game in 3D, but also in music and sound effects.
I don't think the franchise could survive another failure like SS Sen... But then, SS has had many bad games and has survived through it all, so maybe the good games are enough to support the failures.
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| | "Re(8):Re(10):Re(10):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Sat 13 May 04:16:
quote:
Was Sen part of any timeline or was it a new start?
In the main timeline, half of the interesting characters are dead (as they should in a chambara game), so if they want Nakoruru, Genjurou, Kazuki, Mina and others to appear, they'll either have to create time portals or chain resurrections, or yet again start anew...
I wouldn't be against a fresh start. The scenario is complicated as it is, and unlike KOF, there's no easy reset button. Hopefully they'll manage to keep the violence restrained and elegant, like SSS or Zero, and not like Sen's gross finishes. The fact that they're specifically aiming at the Chinese market instead of the US market is a good sign already.
The series also lacks Chinese representation, so I guess most of the scenario will be about the new Chinese characters, like KOF14... It could be the occasion to create some really interesting designs. Or something fun, like a Chinese rival to Kyoushirou.
I hope they'll chose some refined aesthetics (all SS games should aim to look like Zankurou Musouken), and if they do, that they'll be able to pull it off... Atmosphere is 50% of what makes SS games memorable, so they'd better up their game in 3D, but also in music and sound effects.
I don't think the franchise could survive another failure like SS Sen... But then, SS has had many bad games and has survived through it all, so maybe the good games are enough to support the failures.
Sen takes place a year after Asura Zanmaden (or two years after SS2/Shin). Some events in AsuZan were retconned in Sen. Kazuki, Genjuro and Ukyo are alive as of Sen. Nakoruru is still a spirit in Sen. Mina... she might be dead... Basara is excused thanks to time traveling shenanigans in Zero and Tenka.
From what you said, I expect more Chinese Characters in SS7 other than Wan-fu. Probably another Wuxia-styled warrior or a Chinese polearm user. A weaponized theater actor could be good.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Sat 13 May 04:18] |
| | "Re(8):Re(10):Re(10):KOF Presscon by SNK China" , posted Sat 13 May 09:02
quote:
Was Sen part of any timeline or was it a new start?
In the main timeline, half of the interesting characters are dead (as they should in a chambara game), so if they want Nakoruru, Genjurou, Kazuki, Mina and others to appear, they'll either have to create time portals or chain resurrections, or yet again start anew...
I wouldn't be against a fresh start. The scenario is complicated as it is, and unlike KOF, there's no easy reset button. Hopefully they'll manage to keep the violence restrained and elegant, like SSS or Zero, and not like Sen's gross finishes. The fact that they're specifically aiming at the Chinese market instead of the US market is a good sign already.
The series also lacks Chinese representation, so I guess most of the scenario will be about the new Chinese characters, like KOF14... It could be the occasion to create some really interesting designs. Or something fun, like a Chinese rival to Kyoushirou.
I hope they'll chose some refined aesthetics (all SS games should aim to look like Zankurou Musouken), and if they do, that they'll be able to pull it off... Atmosphere is 50% of what makes SS games memorable, so they'd better up their game in 3D, but also in music and sound effects.
I don't think the franchise could survive another failure like SS Sen... But then, SS has had many bad games and has survived through it all, so maybe the good games are enough to support the failures.
All this sounds great to me. And I agree with others that I don't want another combo game. I want meaty slashes and decisive blows.
/ / /
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| | "Re(5):KOF XIV Steam in 3 Weeks." , posted Sat 20 May 07:27:
quote:
Kensou: that's too bad...I hope sales happen soon, PS4 KOF14 got its first discounts few months after its launch if I remember well, so that my be the case with the Steam Edition as well.
Due to the nature of PC game pricing, I wouldn't be surprised if KOF14 is 50% off inside of three months, and I expect it to be 25% or even 33% off at least once within that time period. (Though that latter prediction is a bit of a cheat considering the pre-order itself is 20% off.)
As for the game itself, it is KOF14 on PC. I've not messed with it much, but I haven't seen any amazing problems (unlike the KOF12 beta.) Mind, I haven't tried online.
Though, honestly, I'm not sure that is enough.
I get the feeling that the only rival SNK sees is Capcom. KOF14 was marketed on a combination of nostalgia and how it offered more than the horribly mishandled Street Fighter V. The problems are that SNK in its current state wasn't going to (and didn't) beat Capcom on gameplay, while Capcom botched SF5's outside-the-gameplay stuff so badly that it was no real achievement to beat them there.
SNK got some chuckles at Capcom's expense when it promoted KOF14 launching with perceived basic modes (that SF5 lacked at launch), but at the end of the day that is still just having perceived basic modes. SNK didn't really do anything above and beyond with KOF14. It didn't tackle the visual spectacle of Guilty Gear Xrd, the alternate game modes and features of Killer Instinct, the storytelling spectacle of Netherealm titles. Nor does it have the fan service of Dead or Alive, and certainly not the all-around everything of Tekken. And while it is nice to see SNK returning to the fight, it doesn't even have the indie-darling-that-could factor.
SNK has tried to use the roster size as a selling point, but that is an argument that from my experience is largely ignored by non-KOF fans (and even by some KOF fans). Why? Because the perception is that SNK is able to make such large rosters because it doesn't put any real effort into the majority of its characters. They view KOF as a series where most of the roster won't matter, because a few characters will have all the tools while the majority are shallow gimmicks. As bad as F.A.N.G is, he at least feels like Capcom spent some effort in designing him, trying to make him special and unique and to stand out. (And Capcom hasn't completely given up on trying to rebalance its roster, either.) No matter how you feel about Killer Instinct's game design, its developers obviously put effort into its characters. As badly as Netherealm animates it characters, it at least tries to sell their personalities. In comparison, most of the KOF14 roster feels phoned in, designs that copy-paste old ideas and tick off the necessary check marks.
I think that ultimately will be SNK's biggest issue going forward. They aren't actively trying to compete with anyone other than Capcom, and they aren't even competition for Capcom in the area where it actually matters. I don't know if SNK even sees anyone other than Capcom. Until SNK changes, I just don't see their games selling to a wider audience, while their existing audience is gradually aging out and vanishing.
[this message was edited by Baines on Sat 20 May 07:35] |
| | "Who would've thought. Chang and Choi!" , posted Sat 24 Jun 12:27:
I've never played it, but a game that looks like a Monster Strike clone called Crash Fever is doing a collaboration with KOF and it's quite awesome.
Rather than just sticking to the usual over-collaborated main characters like Kyo Iori Mai and Terry, the game's producer had fond memories of KOF and it apparently led to some faces that are lesser than likely to be in collaborations, like Chang, Choi, Vice, King and Yamazaki. Check the link below for pics.
https://gamedeets.com/archives/279874
On a completely separate note, news on SNK's ongoing development of their MMORPG "KOF World" has been kind of mum as of late but there's been a screenshot released earlier this month and oh boy, Maxima....
http://picture.ledo.com/kofw/20170612/0108.jpg
As for licensed games, that sidescrolling title "KOF Destiny" has gone closed beta and it looks... well, it's not using the original CvS2 sprites, but they're obviously traced right over them. It's got some originality though, like a young boy Terry against Sword swinging mobsters in the middle of an American residential suburb..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ght0c0Q7Mok
[this message was edited by Professor on Sat 24 Jun 12:29] |
| | "Re(3):Who would've thought. Jubei Yamada?" , posted Sun 2 Jul 11:40:
quote:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-king-of-fighters-xiv-community/the-king-of-fighters-xiv-steam-edition-futuras-dlc-datamining/146140039270460/
Some reported datamining of the PC version.
Blue Mary, Shingo, Oswald, Hinako, Heidern... and Jubei Yamada?
Waiting for two weeks for real answers is a pain.
If true, Oda "fully" contradicts himself in an interview, if Blue Mary and Jubei Yamada is added.
http://www.mmcafe.com/news/posts/10212.html
quote:
Popular characters like Yamazaki and Blue Mary were obvious picks for the roster, but it would've ended up making the game into a Fatal Fury. Oda wanted a game that felt more "KOF".
We all know Yamazaki was added as DLC. I assumed that was enough Fatal Fury reps already back then. Adding Blue Mary (and Jubei Yamada, if real) in the process over-saturates the KOF roster with Fatal Fury characters, according to Oda.
...?
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Sun 2 Jul 13:34] |
| | "Re(4):Who would've thought. Jubei Yamada?" , posted Sun 2 Jul 13:59
quote:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-king-of-fighters-xiv-community/the-king-of-fighters-xiv-steam-edition-futuras-dlc-datamining/146140039270460/
Some reported datamining of the PC version.
Blue Mary, Shingo, Oswald, Hinako, Heidern... and Jubei Yamada?
Waiting for two weeks for real answers is a pain.
If true, Oda "fully" contradicts himself in an interview, if Blue Mary and Jubei Yamada is added.
http://www.mmcafe.com/news/posts/10212.html
Popular characters like Yamazaki and Blue Mary were obvious picks for the roster, but it would've ended up making the game into a Fatal Fury. Oda wanted a game that felt more "KOF".
We all know Yamazaki was added as DLC. I assumed that was enough Fatal Fury reps already back then. Adding Blue Mary (and Jubei Yamada, if real) in the process over-saturates the KOF roster with Fatal Fury characters, according to Oda.
...?
The guess right now is that those unknown character names in the data are tentative names used during the development of the new characters in 14.
|
| | "Re(5):Who would've thought. Jubei Yamada?" , posted Sun 2 Jul 22:59:
quote:
Some reported datamining of the PC version.
Blue Mary, Shingo, Oswald, Hinako, Heidern... and Jubei Yamada?
Waiting for two weeks for real answers is a pain.
If true, Oda "fully" contradicts himself in an interview, if Blue Mary and Jubei Yamada is added.
http://www.mmcafe.com/news/posts/10212.html
Popular characters like Yamazaki and Blue Mary were obvious picks for the roster, but it would've ended up making the game into a Fatal Fury. Oda wanted a game that felt more "KOF".
It would be a contradiction, indeed. I wouldn't complain, though: Mary should have been informações XIV from the start, and Jubei was so funny in FF2 that it amazes me it would take so long for his return.
My only complaint if these are really the next DLC characters is that SNK should replace Hinako with Kasumi Todo. Not only because she's far more recognizable, but also because the AOF series definitely deserve more love than it got so far in this game.
Maybe I'm this person right in front of you... nah probably not though.
[this message was edited by Just a Person on Mon 3 Jul 01:14] |
| PSN: Mike_ADV
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
STM: tamakimike
CFN: n/a
Rare Customer | "Re(4):Who would've thought. New DLC stages!" , posted Thu 6 Jul 05:34
quote:
AFAIR, SNK were hostile with the Rock Howard leak and the Chizuru rumors they "debunked" last May. But not this one.
Weird enough, the r/KOF subreddit dismissed it as fake. (NOTE: URL is still online despite being deleted)
On the other hand, they completely ignored that the first 50 characters were leaked many months even before the announcement and even the leaks detailing them, the story and mechanics JhonXuandou was posting on 4chan.
I don't see any argument dismissing the datamining on that reddit thread aside from a tweet made by ATRyoSakazaki pointing at SteamDB files that has simply nothing to do with what X-Kira did (looking into the executable files of the Steam version). The only thing X-Kira said about SteamDB is the fact that there are two unnamed packages besides the main game and the DLC pack.
ATRyoSakazaki also pointed out for unused entries in KOFXII that ended up in XIII and things in XIII like Adelheid entries (and unfinished portraits) but everybody here at the Cafe know about the situation SNK had during the development of what would end up becoming KOFXIII, how costly that game was on resources and people and what the president at time of the console release, Ryo Mizufune did to the company. So, even if Oda is learning well from Ono, Boon and Harada on how to say something about your game and do the opposite, it's a whole different situation and they said they want to keep the support and are doing what they neved did to any KOF game in matter of exposure and support.
I know for sure X-Kira did find those references that might point to future DLC but if SNK think it's worth it to invest in more content for the game or simply cut the development like happened to other games like Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, Soul Calibur V and, maybe, KOFXIII only time will tell. And maybe not even in EVO considering how unpredictable SNK is with those things.
|
| | "Re(5):Who would've thought. New DLC stages!" , posted Thu 6 Jul 23:25
With all this datamined characters and stages, I suddenly remembered that Dr. Octopus and the Okami Stage were supposed to be in Vanilla MVC3.
Dr. Octopus
In the MVC3 datamine, Dr. Octopus was found (along with Frank West, who was scrapped in MVC3, but returned in UMVC3). Capcom has already planned Dr. Octopus in MVC3 from the beginning. He even has a theme and an artwork. However, for some reason, he was dropped from the roster. He was not even considered in UMVC3.
Okami Stage
I remembered in a developer interview probably that an Okami stage was planned for MVC3. However it was cut because Okami's art style (Japanese-style ink painting) clashes with the Comic-book art style used in MVC3. It even had a stage theme.
In KOF XIV's case, are they abandoned, leftover or unused data, or upcoming DLC? Unless someone from SNK sheds an explanation. We have more than a week to find out.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
|
| | "Re(7):Who would've thought. New DLC stages!" , posted Sat 8 Jul 17:16
quote:
Well, like I said, there are tons of unused Characater Creation parts and thumbnails for even more in SCV that came in a later patch. PSASBR has whole character models in it and the character select screen was changing to accommodate more and more characters but after Zeus and Isaac, it feels like something is missing.
Well, SNK might had something to talk about because they were schedule to a panel at EVO in July 15, but that was recently removed for some reason (maybe it was a mistake and it wasn't supposed to be one in the first place?). So the mystery persists.
According to Mr. Wizard, SNK cancelled themselves.
I'm speculating it may have something to do with the datamine. However, it neither confirms nor denies it. Damage Control? Maybe... (IOW, "passive hostility") Remember, SNK went hostile when they debunked the "Chizuru in KOF XIV" thing.
I feel sorry for X-Kira if their cancellation has something to do with this.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
|
| | "Re(2):Blood and gore are back again" , posted Fri 14 Jul 11:28:
quote:
And looks like it's finally a non-censored Samurai Shodown V Special
Anything for what is ultimately the best SS, Examu's best game and SNKP's best published game, but that's some tasteless trailer if I've seen one.
Oh well, if it can convince some Mortal-Kombat kid to try it and experience what a real fighting game looks like...
MK kids have already seen a father turn his daughter's face into bloody pulp (Johnny and Cassie Cage... I considered linking the gif, but though I am no prude, in honesty I find it repellent). Now they can experience the visceral thrill of a 15-year-old girl, spattered in blood, having split the diminutive body of her own 12-year-old sister vertically in half, right down the middle.
Iterative sequels and universally applied game rules can (inadvertently or not) lead to some pretty gross situations, huh?
Man, if I were ever fighting against my own younger sibling like this, I would definitely try and kick them into merciful KOsville rather than have some grisly scene of fratricide burned into my mind. I would definitely not hit QCB +CD when their life was in the red.
What have you done, Nakoruru? May Christ Amakusa have mercy on your soul!
Actually, I think one the most interesting things about Mortal Kombat is that you have a deliberate choice between brutally executing your opponent or sparing them (or, you know, turning them into a baby). They never should have taken Friendship moves out, IMO. In another world, Friendships could have made it into SamSho. I mean, wouldn't it be better if Nakoruru had her falcon fetch her little sis a lovely bunch of flowers or something?
Ah, what a world. I weep for humanity. After that, though, I will probably buy SSV Special.
/ / /
[this message was edited by Mosquiton on Fri 14 Jul 11:30] |
| | "Re(3):Blood and gore are back again" , posted Fri 14 Jul 18:47
All this talk about Special has reminded me my only gripe with it: even though it's for sure overall really well balanced, it's sad one of the most intimidating bosses of all time, Rashoujin Mizuki herself, made her playable debut in such a sorry state... I wouldn't mind a fan patch that would add some punch to her moves and fix some of the holes she has in her game plan.
Zankurou and Gaou are not very interesting either, but at least they're not so bad, just boring to play as. Amakusa was nice.
It could have done with a playable Yumeji that would have played a riff on Ukyo's move, too.
... I was so excited at the prospect of Tenkaichi, back in the day... What a waste that game was.
So, yeah, Special still reigns supreme.
|
| PSN: Gojira_X
XBL: Gojiraaa
Wii: n/a
STM: n/a
CFN: Gojira
| "free destiny" , posted Fri 4 Aug 20:40
The first episode of KoF: Destiny released today for free on Steam (in the US anyway, but I'm assuming it's like this in most regions)
Is watching your destiny
Some thoughts:
-Yup, it's... still pretty ugly.
-Obviously not lip-synced to the Japanese voices, although everyone does have their official CVs.
-The story is off to a good start, and nothing seems too out of place. Seems to be based directly around KoF94 even though some of the outfits like Benimaru's are not from '94. Otherwise characters are well-established so far. Speaking of Beni I don't remember him being rich? Maybe it's just been too long since I looked at his profile.
-Action is exciting enough, lots of HnK-style freeze-frame "THIS MOVE KANJI" in the middle of the fights. Unfortunately the bad character models have some shoddy bone placement and bad joint deformations when they're doing exaggerated poses. I mean I wasn't really looking for it to nitpick, but when one shot is a close-up of someone's ankle bending weirdly as he's pushed back it's kind of hard to ignore.
-The way the scenes are directed I could totally see this being chopped up and thrown into a pachinko. The style is actually pretty similar to Garou PREMIUM, which makes me wonder if this is the same studio.
Finally, they listed all the characters in the credits - including ones that have yet to appear - which seems to further confirm that the story is based around KoF94. Though strangely enough, no Takuma to be found. And although Mature definitely appears there's no listing for Vice either. Other notables:
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
Iori
Goenitz
Rock Howard (as a kid)
End of Spoiler
Overall I'd say it's good so far. Bad modeling but good story setup with decent action, worth checking out.
|
| | "Re(1):free destiny" , posted Sat 5 Aug 06:51:
quote:
which seems to further confirm that the story is based around KoF94. Though strangely enough, no Takuma to be found. And although Mature definitely appears there's no listing for Vice either.
Mature was in KoF94. She even plays a minor role in the story, as she is the person who greets the winning team and brings them to Rugal's aircraft carrier.
Vice didn't appear until KoF95, from what I recall.
EDIT: Watched the episode, and it was better than I expected. It is decent enough for a free series.
Graphically, it makes me think of PS2-era CG, just played at a higher resolution than you got in that era. Terry's face looks strangely rather generically Asian, and as if they based his face on a real person. I'm a little surprise they didn't go for a "cuter" face for Yuri. (And somewhat disappointed if they actually tried but could only manage what they gave her.) She's not ugly or anything, just more "normal actual person" than I'd expected.
If this were another company, I'd expect tie-in DLC outfits to be released for the related fighting game. I'd kind of like KOFXIV Mature to have the outfit she wears in the first episode, though I admit I wouldn't pay for it.
It was a bit weird for all the posters and ads inside the airport to be images of Mai advertising King of Fighters W. I wonder if there is going to be a story acknowledgement of that. I expected either generic posters, or posters advertising other SNK properties (like a Last Blade movie or the like).
I like Benimaru. It feels like they had a bit of fun with Benimaru.
[this message was edited by Baines on Sat 5 Aug 07:30] |
| | "KOF Destiny" , posted Fri 18 Aug 09:51
With episode three out, the glaring question is: "How short can an episode of KOF Destiny become?"
The first episode was 20 minutes. The second was down to 18 minutes, which includes the addition of a recap at the beginning. The third episode has seen run time plummet to 13 minutes.
And that 13 minutes includes all the filler. The recap, the intro, the preview, the credits, and the KOF XIV ad. The actual "Episode 3" of episode 3 is only around six minutes.
I wonder if this was always the plan, or if SNK felt that it drastically needed to scale back the scope of the project midway. The 24 episode plan certainly looks a lot less grand and risky with these shorter episodes appearing, though.
Still, episode 4 looks to contain a bigger, fancier battle scene.
|
| | "Re(1):KOF Destiny" , posted Fri 18 Aug 14:05
quote:
With episode three out, the glaring question is: "How short can an episode of KOF Destiny become?"
The first episode was 20 minutes. The second was down to 18 minutes, which includes the addition of a recap at the beginning. The third episode has seen run time plummet to 13 minutes.
And that 13 minutes includes all the filler. The recap, the intro, the preview, the credits, and the KOF XIV ad. The actual "Episode 3" of episode 3 is only around six minutes.
I wonder if this was always the plan, or if SNK felt that it drastically needed to scale back the scope of the project midway. The 24 episode plan certainly looks a lot less grand and risky with these shorter episodes appearing, though.
Still, episode 4 looks to contain a bigger, fancier battle scene.
AFAIK, there was a scene that was cut in the international version compared to the Chinese version.
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
Angelina singing
End of Spoiler
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
|
| | "Re(2):KOF Destiny" , posted Fri 18 Aug 17:10
quote:
With episode three out, the glaring question is: "How short can an episode of KOF Destiny become?"
The first episode was 20 minutes. The second was down to 18 minutes, which includes the addition of a recap at the beginning. The third episode has seen run time plummet to 13 minutes.
And that 13 minutes includes all the filler. The recap, the intro, the preview, the credits, and the KOF XIV ad. The actual "Episode 3" of episode 3 is only around six minutes.
I wonder if this was always the plan, or if SNK felt that it drastically needed to scale back the scope of the project midway. The 24 episode plan certainly looks a lot less grand and risky with these shorter episodes appearing, though.
Still, episode 4 looks to contain a bigger, fancier battle scene.
AFAIK, there was a scene that was cut in the international version compared to the Chinese version.
So the elephant in the room; If Angelina is daughter in law, then who is the son? Does Rock have a half brother somewhere?
Or is it basically translation error for uncle or adoptive uncle or something?
|
| | "KOF XIV Destiny..." , posted Sat 19 Aug 13:50:
IGN Latin America interviews producer Yasuyuki Oda and gameplay director Hayato Watanabe about the future of KOF XIV
However, the interview is in Spanish. Can anyone here translate the interview in English?
Although IPlayWinner did some partial translated Summaries.
- Oda mentioned that XIV still has "room for improvments" but further updates are "up in the air".
- Additional content is only a "possibilty".
- KOF XV (which I often predict will come in 2019) "will be a reality"
- About balance, Watanabe mentioned that he tries to listen to players before making final decisions.
- Oda talks about the difficulties in either adding more content to KOF XIV or approving new projects, admitting that it's hard convincing SNK as a whole about such ideas.
- He did reveal that SNK is working on new fighting games, but refused to give details. (Samurai Shodown VII?)
Although not part of IPW's summary, I did read some stuff.
- Oda likes Antonov and he finds him "cute". Watanabe likes Luong.
- Oda often received phone calls from fans around the world. He prefers to talk to them via FaceBook instead. (Credit goes to Gatoray)
Update: A full translation from Dark_Tzitzimine from Shoryuken.
quote:
IGN: At a year from the game's launch, how it is its balance?
Yasuyuki Oda (YO): It was the first KOF on almost five years so the fan response was very positive. Even though there were some netcode issues and other issues at launch -which were fixed immediately, the response was very positive and the fans are pleased with the final product.
IGN: As Developers, are you pleased with the final product?
YO: The game isn't perfect yet, we believe there's still room for improvement but so far we've been able to do anything we've thought to improve it, so we're satisfied with the current version.
IGN: Can we expect a new entry for the series or more updates for KOF XIV?
YO: We can't deny nor confirm any of those possibilities at the moment, but we're convinced that KOF XV will be a reality. Right now we aren't sure if there will be a new patch for XIV but is definitely a possibility.
IGN: Any plans for Fatal Fury or Art of Fighting? Maybe more characters added to KOF or planning a new entry for these series?
YO: Of course we're always considering doing new entries for series like those, but since it requires the company's approval, there's a lot of people that needs to be convinced first which is no easy task, but of course that is something we'd like to do (laughs)
IGN: Within the competitive scene, what has been your experience regarding balance, players' feedback or there's someone at SNK that exclusively focuses on these area?
Hayato Watanabe (HW): Of course we're always listening the opinions from fans and competitive players but that doesn't mean we implement all the suggestions we get. We want the game to be accessible, not too hard and fun. We aways listen to players and general public feedback but we are very careful to implement it. There's no one in charge of this, so I personally do the balance changes, listening to the feedback and implement those changes.
IGN: KOF XIII is one of the most successful entries on the series, any chance it comes back on an improved version?
YO: No plans at the moment for something like that
IGN: There are talks about SNK support for eSports, how do you plan to do it?
YO: We've been offering support to tournaments for a while now, not only in Japan but worldwide.For major tournaments we're offered cash prize and we'd like to continue doing it, not only for KOF but for any other game we'll release.
IGN: There will be more EX Characters for XIV?
YO: We aren't sure yet if there will be more DLC or patches, but the players' response to the new characters back on April was really good, so if we do more DLC, we'd rather do new characters than costumes since players like them more.
IGN: What are your favorite characters?
YO: I've been an Antonov fan of late because I believe he's too kawaii
HW: Luong, she has been my favorite since the start and that hasn't changed.
IGN: There will be another world championship like the one on Japan? Can we expect something alike to the Capcom Cup?
YO: Obviously we'd like another WCS but there's a lot of regional events and we need to be careful with the schedules so they don't overlap. But if we do anything similar, We'd like to do it our way, not copying anyone else.
IGN: Do you really sit down and play the title, putting yourselves on the player's skin, not a developer's?
HW: We try to put ourselves on the player's place, not the advanced ones but the casuals, and we try to make the game more interesting and fun for that kind of audience as possible.
IGN: Anything else you might want to add?
YO: We're developing many more fighting games that we can't reveal yet but we'd like for you to keep an eye on us.
HW: We intend to keep updating and improving the game as long we keep getting feedback from the players, so we'd like to keep getting their opinions on our Facebook, Twitter and Steam pages.
YO: Another thing I'd like to add is that sometimes my phone rings and I get called directly by fans, I don't know from which country or language, but please; don't do it because most of the time I can't understand you Facebook is the best way to reach me. I don't know what are they saying but I can tell they're very passionate (laughs)
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Sat 19 Aug 18:58] |
| | "Re(8):Eiji Shiroi opens English FB account" , posted Sat 9 Sep 02:16:
I am not sure it has ever been made clear what happened with KOF'99 and Daraku Tenshi. The link with KOF'95 is obvious, as the mechanics of the game feel very close to pre-96 KOF. We know most of the staff at Steel Hearts had worked on 94/95, and therefore on Last Resort, and therefore some if not all of them probably started at Irem.
The link to KOF'99 is more ambiguous. There are waaaay too many coincidences between the characters from KOF'99 and those from Daraku Tenshi, but it's not clear whether Steel Hearts left SNK with some ideas which were already in development at SNK and made alternate version of the same work-in-progress characters in Daraku Tenshi, or if the staff went to do Daraku Tenshi then came back to repurpose those ideas inside KOF'99 after the failure of Daraku Tenshi. It's not entirely impossible because Daraku Tenshi came out in March 1998, but the usual development deadlines would rather imply the first theory. In her original character bio, Whip famously hates "corruption" (daraku), "angels" (tenshi) and "internet slandering" which would tend to imply some acrimonious relationship between the KOF'99 and Daraku Tenshi teams.
In any case, we know for sure that the director of the game, Mitsuo Kodama, stayed at Psikyo afterwards since he was involved in Sol Divide. However! Following the experiment at Psikyo, Mitsuo Kodama created his own studio in Osaka, K2 (he is one of the Ks). And K2 ended up making Samurai Spirits Sen on behalf of SNK some time later. So... ? Had enough water passed under the bridge? Was the rivalry all fine and tongue in cheek from the start? Had the people with whom he had issues at SNK all left? Who knows. Capcom ended up absorbing K2 to support the Lost Planet and (mainly) Monster Hunter teams. I believe Kodama is still to this day the Boss of K2 as a subsidiary of Capcom, unless he has retired recently.
Going back to Shinichi Morioka, he went on to draw the the cover art for Konami's Hybrid Heaven.
Même Narumi est épatée !
[this message was edited by chazumaru on Sat 9 Sep 02:18] |
New Customer | "Re(9):Eiji Shiroi opens English FB account" , posted Sat 9 Sep 19:03:
Speaking of Shinichi Morioka, although some of his designs were used as promotional materials during the development of Eternal/Skies of Arcadia, he hasn’t been credited in the game. Itsuki Hoshi is only credited as illustrator.
He still has a Flickr account but his posts are gone for long (you can find his concept art here though).
Speaking of Eiji Shiroi, she also has a Tumblr account where she posts the same stuff as on Facebook. She told me that the black and white SamSpi illustrations you can find in the manual of the first game were made by Violetche Nakamoto, front designer and character designer on the first game. Shiroi only did the color illustrations for the first game, which were based on the sketches made by Nakamoto.
Oh and while I'm sharing some links here...:
Eri Kohjitani / 糀谷 恵里, AKA Jitari
https://twitter.com/_jitari
King of Fighters 94 (Back designer) Mexico
King of Fighters 95 (Back designer)
King of Fighters 96 (Back designer)
KOF 97
Last Resort (designer)
Super Sidekicks (designer)
Top Hunter (Back designer)
Itokatsu / イトカツ
https://twitter.com/itokatsu1127
Garou - Mark of the Wolves (Neo-Geo) Hotaru (original chara-design)
Real Bout Fatal Fury (Neo-Geo)
Mitsuo Kodama / 児玉 光生
https://twitter.com/mitsumame1212
Air Duel (Arcade)
Daraku Tenshi (Arcade)
Ghost Pilots (Neo-Geo) Designer
Last Resort (Neo-Geo) Designer
R-Type
Tenchu
The King of Fighters 94 (Neo-Geo) Graphic director
Valhalla
Naohisa Yamaguchi / 山口 直久, AKA NaoQ
https://twitter.com/naoq7013/
Garou - Mark of the Wolves (Neo-Geo) Title designer
Metal Slug 4 (Neo-Geo) illustration
Metal Slug 5 (Neo-Geo) Title designer
Top Hunter (Neo-Geo) Designers, Cover art, manual illustrations
The Last Blade 2 (Neo-Geo) Title logo
The King of Fighters 2001 (Neo-Geo) Title designer
...and tons of logo designs for SNK.
Nobuyuki Kuroki / 黒木信幸
https://twitter.com/NobuyukiKuroki
Art of Fighting 3 (Neo-Geo) Ryo
Fatal Fury 3 (Neo-Geo)
Garou - Mark of the Wolves (Neo-Geo) foreground design
Real Bout Fatal Fury Special (Neo-Geo) Obj. Designer, Demo Designer
Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 (Neo-Geo) Design front
San Chang
https://twitter.com/San_Shang_2017
Mutation Nation (Neo-Geo) graphic design
Last Resort (Neo-Geo)
Robo Army (Neo-Geo)
Eight Man (Neo-Geo)
Senri Kita /北千里
https://twitter.com/senri_kita/
Takayuki Mizuno, AKA Kalkin Mizuno / カルキン
http://neogeo.freeplaytech.com/kof00/gallery/gallery.htm
http://neogeo.freeplaytech.com/svc/illust_2/illust_cont/illust_index.htm
King of Fighters 95 (Front Designer)
King of Fighters 96 (Front Designer) Kal Mizuno
King of Fighters 98 (Foreground Designer)
King of Fighters 99 (Demo designer)
The King of Fighters 2000 (Neo-Geo) graphic designer (Opening), illustrations
Tomoyuki Kotani / 小谷智之, AKA Styleos
https://twitter.com/Styleos_
https://twitter.com/styleos_fix
Yōichirō Soeda / 副田陽一郎 / Soe Soe
https://twitter.com/SOESOE_329
Art of Fighting 2 (object designer)
Fatal Fury (Character Designer)
Fatal Fury 2 (object designer)
Fatal Fury 3 (Object Designer)
Garou - Mark of the Wolves (foreground design)
Real Bout Fatal Fury (obj. designer)
Real Bout Fatal Fury special (object designer)
Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 (object designer)
The Last Blade 2 (Character design)
Yoshihiro Nakanishi / 中西ヨシヒロ, AKA Futatsu
https://twitter.com/FUTATSU24
Art of Fighting Gaiden / Art of Fighting (Neo-Geo) Karman and Sinclair
The Last Blade (Neo-Geo) Juzoh Kanzaki (with someone else), Yuki
The Last Blade (Neo-Geo CD) illustrations
The Last Blade 2 (Neo-Geo) Shinnosuke Kagami (basic shapes)
Cosmic Epsilon (Famicom) enemy design, graphic design
Dragon Defense (Android, iOS)
3 Count Bout (Neo-Geo) Front CHR Designer
Football Frenzy (Neo-Geo) Designer
Savage Reign (Neo-Geo) Gordon
Fūun Super Tag Battle (Neo-Geo) Rosa
Ganbare Neo Poke-Kun (Neo-Geo Pocket Color)
Garō Densetsu (Pachislot ) graphic design - Terry
Garou: Mark of the Wolves (Neo-Geo) foreground design
Yujirou Hayami / 速水融次郎
https://twitter.com/hayamiu/
The King of Fighters 94 (Designer) Yuri
The King of Fighters 95 (Front Designer)
Yukinari / Yukinari Z
http://neogeo.freeplaytech.com/kof00/gallery/draw-14.htm
The King of Fighters 2000 (Neo-Geo) Demo Designer
The Rumble Fish (Arcade) chara-designer
VGDensetsu
[this message was edited by Youloute on Sat 9 Sep 19:41] |
New Customer | "SNK or Neo-Geo related people on Twitter" , posted Fri 15 Sep 14:57:
You're welcome!
A few more SNK or Neo-Geo related people (but if you want info about people from other companies, please ask):
Akihiro Takanami, AKA HIROAKI FUJIMOTO, Powerudon
https://twitter.com/@powudon
http://powudon.com/
Battle Master (SFC)
Ragnagard (Neo-Geo)
Power Athlete / Deadly Moves
Eiji Kaneda / 金田榮路
http://www.din.or.jp/~c-o/
https://twitter.com/eijikaneda/
Samurai Spirits 0 (Neo-Geo) cover art
Rezel Cross (PSP) chara design
Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS)
Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi / Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (GBA) illustrations
Hiroyuki Andō / 安堂ひろゆき
http://www.flightunit.co.jp/
https://twitter.com/drunkenAndo/
http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?id=542692
Tengai Makyo Shinden (Neo-Geo) object (as H.Ando)
Kabao Kikkawa / 吉川かば夫
https://twitter.com/kabaotan_k
http://twitpic.com/photos/kabaotan_k
http://p.twipple.jp/user/kabaotan_k
https://web.archive.org/web/20070310025221/http://www.ax.sakura.ne.jp/~kabao/
Agressor of Dark Kombat (Neo-Geo) Sheen Genus
Ninja Masters (Neo-Geo) voice (Sasuke)
Tofu Adventure (Windows, freeware)
Twinkle Star Sprites (Neo-Geo) Sprites
Kouki Kita / 喜多 鋼毅
https://twitter.com/innothin
Waku Waku 7 (Neo-Geo) illustrations, flyer
Mario Vargas
http://mrvo.deviantart.com/
Rage of the Dragon (Neo-Geo) character designer
Masato Kaminari / 雷 将斗, AKA Yasumitsu Okuda / 奥田泰光
http://animex.jp/gw/profile.html
https://twitter.com/AnimexJP
https://medibang.com/u/animex
Aliving Body Armor: Elm Knight (PC-98) Character Graphics + mecha
Campaign Version Daisenryaku (PCE) graphic
Dragon Half (PC-98) character graphics
Fray in Magical Adventure CD: Xak Gaiden (PCE) Visual Design (boss)
Gōma Reifu Den Izuna 2 (DS) characters other than the main character
Illusion City: Gen'ei Toshi (PC-98) character graphic
Mystic Formula (PCE) Visual Graphics
Shadowrun (Mega-CD) background
Sonic Wings 3 (Neo-Geo) boss
Time Gal Flash
Toybox (Mega Drive? - proposal) graphic design
Minoru Suzuki / 鈴木 稔, AKA Miso Suzuki / 鈴木 みそ
http://www.misokichi.com/
https://twitter.com/MisoSuzuki
Stakes Winner (Neo-Geo) flyer
Stakes Winner 2 (Saturn) flyer
Roger Motzkus
http://www.motzkusart.com/
Basketbrawl (Lynx) cover
Doom (PS1, Saturn (JPN)) cover
Fatal Fury (Neo-Geo) US cover
Powerslave (PS1) cover
Streets of Rage II (Mega Drive) character illustrations for a US advert
Untitled cancelled game
Takumi Matsumae
https://twitter.com/fifth_coin/
Dragon's Heaven, AKA Darkseed (Neo-Geo - cancelled) graphic design
Money Idol Exchanger (Neo-Geo) graphic design
Tomokazu Nakano / 中野友和
(who recently won an Overwatch fanart contest but it seems that nobody remembered who he was)
https://twitter.com/nakkan
https://web.archive.org/web/20060803102343/http://www.backyardbuilt.sakura.ne.jp/
http://backyardbuilt.blog118.fc2.com/
Comicroad () CG Work
Eternal Chain (- cancelled)
The King of Fighters: Neowave (Arcade) Illustrations
Shin Gōketsuji Ichizoku: Bonnō no Kaihō (Arcade) Illustrations
Shin Gōketsuji Ichizoku Tōkon: Matrimelee (Neo-Geo) Illustrations
Tekipaki: Working Love FX () CG Work
Wachenröder (Saturn) chara-design
Tony Taka / Takayuki Tanaka / たなか たかゆき
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/i/taka_tony/
https://twitter.com/Tony_T2ARTWORKS
Blade Arcus: From Shining (Arcade - 2014)
Changsegijeon Oejeon 2: Tempest (Windows 95-98 - 1998) chara-design, illustrations
Cyvern (arcade - 1998) planner (as Tony)
Dunk Dream, AKA Street Hoop / Street Slam (Neo-Geo - 1994) graphics + illustrations for Gamest (as Takayuki Tanaka)
Dunk Dream '95, AKA Hoops '96 (Arcade - 1995) graphic
Exstetra (PS Vita, 3DS - 2013)
Flying Power Disc 2, AKA Windjammers 2 (arcade / Neo-Geo?, unreleased – 1995-96) Chara design
Ghost Lop (Neo-Geo, unreleased - 1996) Chara design (as Ukkari Tony)
Love Kanojo!! (Mobile/Gree)
Room with Lina (Windows 95-98 - 1999) chara-design, illustrations
Shining Ark (PSP - 2013) chara-design, illustrations
Shining Blade (PSP - 2012) chara-design, illustrations
Shining Hearts (PSP - 2010) chara-design, illustrations
Shining Resonance (PS3 - 2014) chara-design, illustrations
Shining Tears (PS2 - 2004) chara-design, illustrations
Shining Wind (PS2 - 2007) chara-design, illustrations
Valhellio (Windows - 2011) illustrations
Tsutomu Maruyama / 丸山勉
http://marutom.jimdo.com/
https://twitter.com/marutom1/
Gang Wars (producer, director, game design, graphic designer)
Ninja Combat (Producer, Director, Scroll Designer)
Crossed Swords (Special thanks)
Ninja Commando (Producer, Director, Character Designer)
World Heroes (Special Thanks)
World Heroes 2 (Graphic Adviser)
World Heroes 2 JET (Game Adviser)
Agressors of Dark Kombat (Producer, Action Plan, Game Director, System Planner, Sound Direction, Art Director)
Crossed Swords II (Special thanks)
Yoshihisa Tagami / たがみ よしひさ
https://twitter.com/TagamiYosihisa
http://taua1yosh2.blog39.fc2.com/
Ikari Warriors (Famicom) cover art
Red Fox
https://twitter.com/REDFOX_wf/status/592639701653196801
Fatal Fury: First Contact (NGPC) graphic design
And if you're looking for a composer : VGMDB
VGDensetsu
[this message was edited by Youloute on Fri 15 Sep 15:03] |
| | "Re(2):Neo Geo Battle Coliseum 2?" , posted Tue 3 Oct 22:03:
quote:
The roster seems a bit weird too. Mr Karate 2 for AOF? Wouldn't that be Buriki 1 Ryo? Speaking of which, no Gai Tendo either?
Yes, Mr. Karate 2 is likely Buriki 1 Ryo, just like he was named in NGBC1 (and that 3D Fatal Fury game... Wild Ambition, if I remember correctly). The "2" was probably added by whoever leaked the list just to specify that we're talking about middle-aged Ryo, rather than Takuma wearing his Tengu mask. Which means Robert would probably be in his middle-aged version of NGBC1, too.
...Which makes it a shame (if this rumor is true, of course) that middle-aged Yuri would be absent from this game. Then again, Japanese fighting game companies don't seem to be very supportive of middle-aged women, especially when their fanbases have already seen said women in their youth and fantasized with them...
Maybe I'm this person right in front of you... nah probably not though.
[this message was edited by Just a Person on Tue 3 Oct 23:56] |
| | "Re(3):Neo Geo Battle Coliseum 2?" , posted Thu 5 Oct 02:38:
Another "leak"?
quote:
Looks like SNK is leaking again, huh? Guess I don't have to feel guilty about sharing this.
Most characters from the first game are returning, these are the ones that aren't.
>Mudman
>Cyber Woo
>Asura
>Shiki
>Shermie
>Goddess Athena
>Chonrei
>Chonshu
>Mars People
>Tung
>Lee
>Hotaru
Now for new characters, that imgur post from earlier caught most of them, but it missed a few. This is the full list, as far as I know.
>Fio
>Andy
>Ash
>Krauser
>Joe Kusanagi (AoDK)
>Rimururu
>Ralf and Clark (Ikari Warriors style)
>Ukyo
>Hibiki (Last Blade)
>Sho, Rosa and Sue-il (Kizuna Encounter)
>Kagami (Last Blade)
>John Crawley (AoF)
>Kula
>Captain Kidd (World Heroes)
>G-Mantle
>Elta (Magician Lord)
>Kain and Grant
>New boss
Game is still 2 vs 2, this time with assists. Your assist's special is chosen on the select screen like in MVC. You can get "happy birthdayed" too so don't spam your assist. Every character has a "V-Trigger" like in SFV that powers them up temporarily. Kyo gets EX specials, Iori goes orochi, Geese gets his boss moves, Haohmaru enters concentaration one state and Genjuro enters rage mode.
Game uses an anime aesthetic instead of the realistic style from XIV. A good comparison would be that J Stars game on PS3 and PS Vita. Story mode is similar to SFV and MVC Infinite in terms of style and presentation.
Expect an announcement at Playstation Experience and a release some time around Summer 2018. There will be a DLC season pass with four characters and six costumes because SNK saw how successful this strategy was for other FG devs. I do not know
who these characters are or who the costumse are for.
For character stuff, Kyo is based on the Ash saga in both design and gameplay. He has both the fireball and rekka, including the new rekka chains from XIV. Instead of RED Kick he has the rising kick.
Iori uses the XII design but has his usual fire gameplay.
Ryo's design takes some elements from the 3D Fatal Fury Wild Ambition by giving him some stubble and removing his gi top.
Robert is the same as the last game but with an XIV styled goatee.
K' and Kula have new designs that make them look older, K' in particular wears a black trenchcoat and his intro has him throwing away a cigarette.
Mizuchi looks very different with scars and veins that seem to imply that the orochi power is overwhelming his body. His "V-Trigger" turns him into his boss form, with an animation that looks like he's in a lot of pain.
Goodman's playable version is closer to a puppet character like SFV's Menat, with the ability to position his ghost on screen and pressure with it.
The new boss is the leader of a terrorist hacking group trying to overthrow the world governments by obtaining the powers and techniques of all the Neo Geo characters. In the final boss fight he wears a suit that looks like a robotic gargoyle and uses various signature specials from the cast. He can also use techniques that kidnap your other character to prevent you from tagging, and when he kills one of your characters he brainwashes them to be his own personal assist. His ultimate is a transforming special like Yuki's, where he becomes the giant scythe wielding demon from Metal Slug 5.
In the story mode, Dr. Brown from World Heroes gathers the Neo Geo characters to assist Yuki and Ai's organization in the battle against the hacker's group, who have recruited a fallen Goodman and his corporation to their cause.
That's all you're getting for now. Be patient and wait for more details like good little boys and girls.
Got me a little excited, might be fake, but let's wait and see...
Then again, the original "leaker" objects.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Thu 5 Oct 02:44] |
| PSN: n/a
XBL: IAMDC1
Wii: n/a
STM: dc202styles
CFN: n/a
| "Re(5):Neo Geo Battle Coliseum 2?" , posted Mon 9 Oct 23:39:
Well that leaker brought in more info last week.
quote:
Hello again /neog/, I trust that you've all been good little boys and girls like I asked, yes? Then have some new info.
I see that the leaker from SRK is calling my info false. Based on what he posted, I believe that his source is legitimate, but I don't know why he's trying to discredit me. I guess that his info is outdated or he wasn't given all of it. I didn't want to have to do this, but I will test this leaker...if he is as informed as he claims to be, he should know the meaning of the phrase "Neo Shock Engine" and what it refers to.
First of all, I see a lot of anons asking about Mars People. I haven't seen this character in any playable capacity. Same for Athena, Kensou and General Morden. These characters could be the four DLC that I wasn't told about, or they could be scrapped in the planning stages. I'd also like to note that I haven't seen these "alluring woman" or "serious otaku" characters either. I'm not denying that they might exist, but they aren't in the build I've seen.
To elaborate on K' and Kula's new designs, K' is dressed similar to Liquid Snake, with a long black coat and shirtless beneath it. He still has the leather chaps, the glasses, the pendant, the gloves, everything else is the same. Kula wears a pink leather hoodie with black sleeves and a pendant similar to K's in the shape of her heart sigil. She pulls the hood down in her win pose to reveal that her hair is cut short.
Yuki can transform into characters from Shock Troopers and Sengoku now.
The music is tied to characters instead of stages like the first game. When a character dies it changes themes to the other character's theme just like in MVC. You'll probably be happy with the OST, it has a lot of variety in styles, some songs are heavy metal and some are techno dub-step style but there's also orchestra and traditional style music for the SamSho and Last Blade characters. If you're a longtime SNK fan, you can probably anticipate what characters get what themes.
Stages are based on iconic backgrounds from classic Neo Geo games, like the Esaka station stage from KoF95 and Ukyo's seaside stage from SamSho 2. The arena-styled boss stages from the first game return for the sub bosses, just in case you were wondering. The final boss's stage is similar to Apocalypse stage from the MVC series with all of the cut characters trapped in stasis pods in the BG and each of them reacting differently, ie Mudman is snoozing, Cyber Woo is banging his fists trying to escape, Hotaru is scared and crying, et cetera. I should note that Mars People is there, but obviously this doesn't rule him out from being playable.
And just so we're clear, I have no relation to JohnXuandou or any of the anons who leaked XIV shit. I'm just a guy who knows other guys.
I don't know a lot about the story beyond what I've already shared. If you've played SFV, you should know what to expect. Cutscenes that lead into fights that you have to win to see more cutscenes. I haven't seen much of it, so it's probably still in development.
As for the season pass, I was told that they saw how well those sell for companies like Capcom, NetherRealm Studios and Namco-Banbai, so they saw it as a profitable venture.
Yes, 2d with teams of two characters, tagging and assists. It's almost identical to the first game, but with assists.
Long Live I AM!
[this message was edited by Neo0r0chiaku on Mon 9 Oct 23:41] |
| | "Re(6):Neo Geo Battle Coliseum 2?" , posted Thu 19 Oct 15:22:
Something more... But I'm beginning to agree with Iggy about this...
http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/comment/11467041/#Comment_11467041
quote:
Don't expect a lot this time, I'd much prefer you got to witness most of the game with your own eyes. That, and the build I've played is nowhere near complete, so I fully expect a lot of changes.
I suppose I can share some details on how assists work. When you select a character, you can select between two different assists. Here are a few moves that characters use when assisting
>Kyo: 236K hopkicks and uppercut
>Iori: Projectile and sumagushi (hand swipe)
>Terry: Burn knuckle and round wave
>Mr. Karate 2: Zanretsu ken and short range projectile
>Haohmaru: Tornado and unblockable slash
Also, some characters have assist exclusive moves such as Jill's herb from MVC2 and Morrigan's meter buff from 3. I guess that this is so that there isn't much overlap considering how many chars there are that shoot projectiles, do uppercuts and do charging attacks. For example, one of Fuuma's assists places a seal of fire on the screen, if the opponent touches it they get burned into a crumple state that lets you continue your combo. Also, Kula can put a shield of ice on her partner that makes them temporarily immune to chip damage, but breaks after a few hits.
https://twitter.com/Diavlestein/stat...23435558576130
This is VERY accurate to their new looks, so kudos to the artist! However, there are two details that are incorrect. K's collar is slightly larger/higher than that, and Kula's hair is MUCH shorter. She's almost bald, so I guess a good example would be Charlize Theron's character from Mad Max: Fury Road. There is a story justification for this, but I'd rather not spoil.
I cannot wait for you guys to see this beautiful game that SNK has been hard at work on. I don't want to say too much more, because I want you to see it all with your own eyes and I think my sources might be getting savy soon, since this information has spread throughout the internet. But I am not opposed to answering specific gameplay-related questions.
Kula's reason to cut her hair
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
Early in the story, the hacker's group is shown capturing various Neo Geo fighters,
including the cut characters. Eventually,
they go after K' and his team, but they put up a fight. Just as they're about to be finished off,
Maxima jumps in to save them, but since he's a cyborg the hacker is able to crack into his body and force him to self destruct, killing him.
K' grabs Kula and they run for it. Kula is traumatized so she spends a long time shut in,
while K' joins up with Yuki and Ai to fight the hackers. A bit later, K' is confronted by Goodman, who mentions that he remembers K',with the scene strongly implying that he is Igniz under an alias. Just as Goodman is about to finish K', an icicle strikes him from the back, and Kula walks in to join K' with her new look and a new resolve. You then control K' and Kula fighting Goodman.
End of Spoiler
Unlike MVC, you cannot call assists in the middle of an attack. You must be in a state where you can act normally.
As mentioned before by other leakers, they are an animesque style. If you've seen the Dragon Ball, Naruto, etc type of games, you know what you're in for. The game looks absolutely nothing like XIV in any capacity.
This leaker is right on the money, "Neo Shock Engine" is the tentative name some are using for SNK's new 3D engine. I don't believe that it will be the final name for the engine, however. Of course, KOFXIV does not use this engine. It seems this leaker does have more credibility than I had previously assumed, which makes me question why he's attempting to discredit me so hard. Perhaps he's trying to prevent me from spoiling too much, or costing us our sources?
The cast are all in a playable state except for the final boss and the boss versions of certain characters, although specific move properties and balance are of course tentative. The story mode cuts off at a certain point, after only a couple of hours. There are no character endings for arcade mode currently, it just ends on a screen saying the game is in development.
The boss difficulty will vary for most players, but I would put Goodman and the new final boss on par with the likes of 94 Rugal, 96 Goenitz, 2001 Igniz, 2003 Magaki, especially the last boss who has various cheap tricks including some moves that break the fourth wall to mess with the interface. He can "hack" the game to alter life values, super bar, even altering your button controls or the properties of your moves, or tthe visuals/sound.
Most of the character abilities are pretty standard if you're familiar with classic SNK, but I suppose I can elaborate on the "V-Trigger" style mechanic. For instance, Mizuchi's playable form starts draining his meter and his partner's life to transform him into his boss form, so you temporarily get to control an SNK boss.
Cel shading is definitely not the right word for the visuals. It's more that the art style resembles anime rather than KOFXIV's realistic style. As I've said, look at the licensed anime games from Namco-Bandai.
King Lion plays identically to the first game. His "V-Trigger" gives him new techniques.
There are redesigns, but most of them are either ones you've seen before such as Kyo and Iori using different looks or are very subtle such as Ryo utilizing elements from Wild Ambition. Captain Kidd has a slightly exaggerated build like Antonov and Robert has his goatee, but very few characters have extreme makeovers like K' and Kula do. The most notable changes are to Yuki, Ai, Andy, and Mizuchi . Yuki and Ai wear tight body suits that resemble the characters from Ton. Andy fights in a new uniform with a classical ninja face mask and scarf. Mizuchi is perhaps the most interesting, in my opinion. His playable form has black hair with a white streak, and he has many lacerations and scars across his body, implying the Orochi power is exceeding his body's limits. During his idle animation, his hair will glow white and he doubles over in pain holding his head. His boss form is the same as it was in the first game. Aside from this, many female characters have more conservative outfits, Mai is dressed as she is in the Chinese port of KOFXIV and Rosa has her mid-drif covered. I can't say for certain if this will be the case in every region.
It's a very, very fast-paced game, on par with Guilty Gear XRD. It controls almost identically to the first game, save for the new mechanics, but it's much more loose and forgiving. Many difficult command inputs are changed to be easier. The game is very easy to pick up and play with your friends, in my opinion, assuming nothing changes.
The build I've played has arcade, story, versus, training and survival modes. That's it. I don't know what else may or may not be coming.
Yes, if you fail at any fight in arcade mode, you can use a continue service, like in most SNK games.
All normally playable characters are selectable in this build, but that may just be for testing purposes. Characters like Mizuchi, Neo Dio, King Lion, Kagami and Goodman have boss forms, but they are unselectable, as is the final boss.
I don't know much about how DLC is going to work, but based on what the other leakers have said I'm going to assume that Athena, Kensou, Mars People and Morden are the four DLC characters, since they don't exist in the build I've played. All I've been told is that there will be a season pass with four DLC characters and six costumes.
I have no idea if the censorship to the female characters will be region based or not, but I have been told that SNK is very aware of the complaints that Western gaming journalists and feminist activists have to their characters, and want desperately to amend their image in the US. That, and the build I've played is in completely translated English. I'm unsure if the censorship will be present in all versions of the game, but I can say with absolute certainty that unless something changes, it will be present in the North American release.
All I do know is that SNK's sales in the United States are abysmal, so it makes perfect sense that they would want to try anything they can to increase their sales. . Through my contacts I do know that many overseas developers think about these things often when considering the release of their games in the West.
If I had to make an estimate, I'd say that this is probably the first playable build. It's still very buggy and rough looking. Maybe it's been in this state for about 6 months? I don't know, I'm not a developer.
Training mode is extremely barebones right now. I assume, and hope, it will get more features later.
I don't want to spoil too many of them, but I want to reiterate that the stages are a serious love later to the history of SNK, instead of the random science fiction stuff in the first game. If you're a longtime fan, you WILL recognize many of them. I had a huge smile on my face every time I saw one of them for the first time.
The character select screen is similar to the first game with characters across from their counterparts, Yuki to Ai, Kyo to Iori, K' to Kula, so on and so forh. The boss characters are grouped at the bottom, and on either side of them are four empty boxes for the season pass characters.
Sounds crazy.
I guess we'll have to wait for TGS 2018 for some KOF XV Teaser.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Thu 19 Oct 15:24] |
| | "KOF Destiny" , posted Mon 30 Oct 08:30
I've changed how I'm watching KOF Destiny. Instead of watching the ten or so minutes of new content per week, I'm just waiting to watch a month of episodes at a time.
I don't know if I've just gotten used to the animation, or if it has actually improved. It certainly doesn't hurt that the last month of episodes were mostly fight scenes (as the tournament proper started), as that has been the stronger suit of the series. I do know that I've somewhat gotten used to the art style, because the faces haven't changed, yet they don't bug me quite as much as they used to.
Considering the story elements that have been changed, the series has remained surprisingly loyal to the KOF94 roster. The story has certainly been expanded, with Geese working with Rugal to harness Orochi's power, as well as incorporating the whole Bogard/Howard family conflict as a primary story line. We've seen Mature acting as more than a secretary, the US Sports Team turned into Orochi-infused fighters, and a brand new destined-to-die love interest for Terry. We've also seen Terry meeting kid Rock and flashbacks of both Jeff Bogard and kid Krauser.
At the same time, other than the various Bogard/Howard-related characters, there haven't really been any post-94 cameos? It felt like we were going to get stuff like that at first. We got rather a bit with Saisyu, and then we got the Jeff Bogard stuff (before it was obvious the storyline was going to focus so much on the Bogard/Howard stuff), and that was pretty much it. I admit that I expected to see stuff like Leona and/or Whip acting as support for Heidern's investigations, or to see Gang-Il and/or Luong watching Kim's match. It would have made sense to insert these post-94 characters into supporting, background, or even pure cameo roles. But it never happened. (Maybe they just didn't want to spend the money or time making cameo models that couldn't be easily recycled for crowd scenes?)
On a side note, it wasn't until I started thinking about this that I realized that Takuma was missing. He wasn't replaced; Ryo's team simply never shows a third member. The series never makes a point of this absence, and seems to actively try to not draw attention to the issue. While only Ryo and Robert attend the reception, that introduction itself comes only after Ryo has already started a confrontation with Yuri. As for their tournament match, the episode starts with the last round of their match (Mai vs Ryo, so we don't even see Robert fight.) I wonder what the show had against Takuma?
|
| | "Safe to say..." , posted Fri 10 Nov 18:21:
This "MUGEN Fanfiction" a.k.a, NGBC2 is officially fake with this recent rumors.
I'll just post this for the lulz, but I think we agree that the NGBC2 rumors are fake.
WARNING! If you want to read, Lasciate ogne speranza.
quote:
SNK are very aware of their poor reputation in the US, and they're extremely desperate to fix that. Putting Geese in XIV was a bid to throw the American fans a bone, since statistically he's known to be particularly popular in the states. Needless to say, that didn't work very well, because the game still drastically underperformed in America. They did some market research and have decided to tailor most of NGBC2's design and motifs around American tastes. This was a factor in deciding what characters wouldn't return, particularly Shermie and Hotaru, since they're not convinced Americans will like sexy or cute female characters. These characters will likely not be removed from KoF, but since NGBC2 is being developed with the American market in mind, they decided to scrap them here.
I was told that Kula's drastic change in appearance and personality is part of an attempt to rebrand the character as their "mascot" for the American region. They found that a lot of American gamers seemed to really enjoy cyberpunk elements and androgynous/masculine female characters so they based Kula's redesign around those elements and gave her a less cute, more aggressive personality to fit her new look. I was told that they were inspired to do this because of the success of similar dark reboots like the Devil May Cry one from Capcom. They're hoping that they can use the new Kula to promote the SNK brand in the US, and if she's popular they might consider altering Kula in the main KOF games to match, but only for the US version. I asked why they wouldn't just create a new character, and was told that they considered it but they wanted to do something new with a fan favorite and take advantage of their existing popularity.
Additionally, they altered or outright removed a lot of the sexual elements of other characters due to the reception that popular games like SFV and MKX had for cleaning up their female characters. They first thought of this when Capcom altered the camera angles on R. Mika and Cammy. Allegedly, they had no clue that American audiences were sensitive to these types of things until very recently. I was assured that these changes were not being made with eSports in mind, but rather because they've seen the various controversies over sexualized female characters from Western gamers and the outcry from the mainstream gaming media. They believe that they'll reach a bigger audience this way, because their core fans will support them no matter what, and with these changes the average American gamer demographic will be more likely to jump onboard.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Fri 10 Nov 18:23] |
| | "Re(2):Re(10):Eiji Shiroi opens English FB acc" , posted Mon 13 Nov 13:04:
No problem, adriano.
On a side note, it should be noted as like Chaz said-- Mitsuo Kodama of K2 was the director of Daraku Tenshi and he was also the graphics guy behind KOF94 before he moved to Psikyo. He used to be at Irem and worked on R-Type, the moved to SNK when Irem flopped. That's why KOF94 has that almost metallic glossy look to their characters, almost like a Shmup'. (So he worked at Irem>SNK>Psikyo>launched K2 corp.)
The thing about Kodama, he's been very critical and vocal about the later KOFs that SNK created after he left their development scene. While it's up to interpretation, he once made a Tweet saying "you shouldn't make a character that looks just like Daraku Tenshi's Cool which took so hard to create", which seems to be a jab at KOF99.
If we take his word literally and also look at the puns that KOF99's devs threw into their game, the relationship between Psikyo and SNK's developers might have been rocky.
(So while it's unknown whether Morioka went back and worked on KOF99, as far as my personal guess goes, I sort of doubt it)
[this message was edited by Professor on Mon 13 Nov 13:18] |
New Customer | "Re(3):Re(10):Eiji Shiroi opens English FB acc" , posted Tue 14 Nov 00:02:
Yeah, I want to thank Chaz as well for that information. I am sure most of SNK fans, like myself, love to know all this stuff.
What's interesting is that in KOF2000 Maxima and K' have winning poses that are extremely similar to Cool and Harry winning poses. It's so similar that you might think it looks more like paying homage to these Daraku Tenshi characters. It's so identical, you know? It has to be some kind of homage.
About Kodama's design characteristics: maybe it explains why I love the graphics of KOF94 so much, even today. That's the main reason I began to play SNK games. I was into Street Fighter, but when I first saw KOF94, everything changed, hahahaa. It is extremely beautiful. The most beautiful fighting game you could find back then in my opinion.
If he was complaining about Cool's design being kinda copied, I have a strong suspicion Morioka didn't work for SNK after Daraku Tenshi. With that said, SNK designers took Cool as an inspiration in almost every way possible for K'. I will try to ask him and Oda for more information about that.
My childhood memories is filled with me playing SNK games. So I think it's important to us to know these things.
Thank you again!
[this message was edited by adriano on Tue 14 Nov 04:29] |
| | "KOF14 getting new DLC char & Stage" , posted Mon 20 Nov 15:43:
While SNK has been silent on whether KOFXIV ended its product life cycle, fans will have something more to look forward to as the game will receive another update.
According to a release from the PR Times, SNK signed a contract with Saudi Arabia based company Manga Productions to release a new DLC character and Stage based on.. you guessed it, Saudi Arabia.
As some may have been aware, Manga Productions launched an art competition for KOF back in September, which according to press release, gathered over 300 entries from not only Saudi Arabia but neighboring countries including Baḥrayn, Iraq, UAE and Oman. The Winner wase decided by a group of 13 judges from Manga Production and SNK which included producer Oda, and art division's Ogura and Kuroki, and was awarded in November.
The Character competition was won by Mashael Al-Barrak (Saudi Arabia), who came up with a design for a female combatant from Najd. The stage competition was won by Zainab Al-Lawaty (Oman), who designed a battle coliseum based on the modern Masmak fort (Qasr al-Masmak) in Riyadh.
What's interesting is that both of the designers are women, as can be seen from the release. An English version of this release should be out by now.. but I couldn't find it at the time of this writing.
About Manga Productions (from corporate site):
Manga Productions is an affiliated company of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman “Misk” Foundation. It focuses on producing animations and developing video games with creative and positive content targeting all different local and international groups of society.
[this message was edited by Professor on Mon 20 Nov 16:10] |
| | "Re(6):KOF14 getting new DLC char,Stage&Manga" , posted Wed 29 Nov 22:24:
It'll certainly be interesting to see what sort of release plan SNK has for the character. Are they going to release her as a bundle with other SNK characters? Are they going to give her away for free with an update as a promotion for Manga Productions?
quote:
Actually, I was wondering: did the game manage to carve its place in the KOF fanbase (maybe pushing aside 13, or 02)? Or does it live on the side, with a different generation of players, like SF4 next to the old SF3 player base?
It depends on the region but it goes like this-
USA:
Although some players may state discontent about this, the general KOF fanbase played 13 by the time it was featured at EVO. When 14 came out, they've all shifted directly over to 14. However, the more famous top players have either left the scene, or they're trying to main in SFV because that's where the sponsorship is.
Europe:
Gunsmith should know better about this but I think they generally shifted to 14.
Japan:
In terms of fanbase, 13 was quite different from previous KOFs since it gained a new layer of players that were console-based. Leaving aside those who've retired, the 13 fanbase directly migrated to 14. So the scene right now is basically split between the 14 fanbase and the more traditional arcade-based 02UM fanbase. Over all, 14 probably carries the biggest player base that KOF has had in the past decade since it also has players that migrated from SFV. The general opinion by players seems to be that the game is balanced but too mild in comparison to previous titles.
Overall, it seems plausible that releases post KOF13 which marked the e-sports movement may not have the sort of playerbase that will stick to a certain release, albeit people may have fond memories with them that might bring a small faction of them back. Players tend to focus on the latest release of the franchise whether they like it or not because that's where the money, competition, and fame is (note: if they don't play the same title together, they can't pool and make the prize pot big).
[this message was edited by Professor on Thu 30 Nov 03:05] |
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| "Re(6):KOF14 getting new DLC char,Stage&Manga" , posted Wed 29 Nov 23:03
quote:
I'm really surprised they'd add the new character to KOF14 instead of adding her to their next game.
Did they think SS wouldn't get enough exposure (if they are indeed on SS)?
Or is the project so far off that they prefer to extend KOF14's life another year?
And in that case, will one character be enough, since it feels like outside of dedicated circles, the game is done?
I'm hoping she will come with other characters too, since solely making her and the stage seems kind of a waste? If they're extending KOF14, why not do an earnest attempt at that. And it's not like it has been really long since the last DLC+balance patch, which I feel was universally praised aside from like people who played day 1 K', Robert, and Nakoruru (there was that group who wanted to host a day 1 unpatched disc version of KOF14, with bad jumps, broken rolls, and all that, lol). As for SS, whether it has exposure or not, SNK probably needs to treat that as a companion game, I don't expect KOF players to all just move on to that, so they need to keep supporting KOF even with a new SS out, just like how Capcom does with SF & MvC, or Arc with GG & BB, or possibly Namco with Tekken & SC if they do it right this time.
Sadly, my guess, from looking at how that deal was struct, is that it will only be the character+stage. The deal does seem odd in how it's treating Saudi culture as almost an "intellectual property" that needed to be licensed. And it may just have been that the organizers just paid SNK to put SA representation in the game.
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
One of the co-signers is a close advisor to MbS (who is known to be a fan of One Piece, actually), so it may just be a PR move to connect with youth culture in the country and region
End of Spoiler
quote:
Actually, I was wondering: did the game manage to carve its place in the KOF fanbase (maybe pushing aside 13, or 02)? Or does it live on the side, with a different generation of players, like SF4 next to the old SF3 player base?
Probably too early to tell, since it is the most modern entry. Old KOFs I think fall into 2 categories: The basic solid games that and are just bread and butter KOF (98 & 02/02UM) and the broken crazy KOFs that are more fun than competitive (97, 2000, XI). XIII I fell was good enough to be a combination of the 2, maybe closer to the latter. But 14, while more well balanced than most (maybe any?) KOF, does feel a little stale and monotonous. I wonder if in the future, aside from 14 original characters, someone might say "why play XYZ characters in 14 when you can play them in a crazier, more exciting game"
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| "Re(7):KOF14 getting new DLC char,Stage&Manga" , posted Tue 5 Dec 10:34
quote:
I'm hoping she will come with other characters too, since solely making her and the stage seems kind of a waste? If they're extending KOF14, why not do an earnest attempt at that. And it's not like it has been really long since the last DLC+balance patch, which I feel was universally praised aside from like people who played day 1 K', Robert, and Nakoruru (there was that group who wanted to host a day 1 unpatched disc version of KOF14, with bad jumps, broken rolls, and all that, lol). As for SS, whether it has exposure or not, SNK probably needs to treat that as a companion game, I don't expect KOF players to all just move on to that, so they need to keep supporting KOF even with a new SS out, just like how Capcom does with SF & MvC, or Arc with GG & BB, or possibly Namco with Tekken & SC if they do it right this time.
Sadly, my guess, from looking at how that deal was struct, is that it will only be the character+stage. The deal does seem odd in how it's treating Saudi culture as almost an "intellectual property" that needed to be licensed. And it may just have been that the organizers just paid SNK to put SA representation in the game.
Maybe those datamined entries found earlier can become actual new characters to at least for a new 4-character pack. Many still want Blue Mary to be in. This DLC can keep the game and brand alive while SNK works on an actual new non-mobile game.
quote:
Actually, I was wondering: did the game manage to carve its place in the KOF fanbase (maybe pushing aside 13, or 02)? Or does it live on the side, with a different generation of players, like SF4 next to the old SF3 player base?
Well, in Brazil the game still has a barrier due to working only in modern PCs and PS4s while your old KOF2002 can run in any toaster and have even online matches through non-official ways.
XIII came during end of arcades here so people played for like a year and then the game was only available on consoles and later on PC with subpar online so it didn't build up a fanbase like older games. XIV at least has a far better netcode and actual lobbies so it's much easier to gather online friends but the graphics and speed (I think they mean walkspeed mostly) are still used as arguments for older players to stay on 2002(and not UM for some reason). In the end I think it's too early to tell.
Other than that, Taito is running a tournament of the arcade version starting this month and many think it's a new version with maybe balance changes. I don't believe we'll get anything before Najd is done and it's a little early for that.
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| | "Re(2):" , posted Tue 19 Dec 04:22:
quote:
I don't think "one of them will be taken down" and more like that we might get 4 characters again in a pack with Najd, probably Oswald and a pool of Jubei, Blue Mary, Hinako, Heidern and Shingo. If we get lucky we can get another pack of 4 characters again by the end of the year.
So I guess we'll get Najd, Oswald, Jubei and Hinako (somehow SNK is giving her attention). A new character and Oswald might carry this pack while people care less about Heidern than Whip but Blue Mary and Shingo can end the support of XIV pleasing the most fans.
I didn't know Hinako had any following at all, but at least she is a lot more pleasant than Malin, I can't stand her design.
Personally I would love Kasumi Todoh and Blue Mary for actually possible characters, for actually impossible characters, the only one I want is Hibiki (Last Blade 2)
quote:
I wish they explored more Nameless and his waifu than just being some sort of weird sci-fi take on "Tristan and Isolde" from his bio.
I haven't played '02 UM, but recently I stumbled upon his amazing theme and I was mesmerized by it.
[this message was edited by Lord SNK on Tue 19 Dec 04:28] |
| | "Re(3):" , posted Tue 19 Dec 07:18
quote:
I don't think "one of them will be taken down" and more like that we might get 4 characters again in a pack with Najd, probably Oswald and a pool of Jubei, Blue Mary, Hinako, Heidern and Shingo. If we get lucky we can get another pack of 4 characters again by the end of the year.
So I guess we'll get Najd, Oswald, Jubei and Hinako (somehow SNK is giving her attention). A new character and Oswald might carry this pack while people care less about Heidern than Whip but Blue Mary and Shingo can end the support of XIV pleasing the most fans.
I didn't know Hinako had any following at all, but at least she is a lot more pleasant than Malin, I can't stand her design.
Personally I would love Kasumi Todoh and Blue Mary for actually possible characters, for actually impossible characters, the only one I want is Hibiki (Last Blade 2)
I wish they explored more Nameless and his waifu than just being some sort of weird sci-fi take on "Tristan and Isolde" from his bio.
I haven't played '02 UM, but recently I stumbled upon his amazing theme and I was mesmerized by it.
I wish Nameless was as interesting to play or watch being played as his theme.
Watching tournament matches won by Nameless is the most disheartening thing about 2k2UM for me. I'm ok with straightforward characters, but Nameless is just dumb.
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| | "Puzzles and Dragon collaboration" , posted Fri 22 Dec 22:09:
As if SNK's tie-in with Granblue Fantasy wasn't big enough, KOF now has a collaboration coming up with Puzzle and Dragons, one of the world's top grossing smartphone game for a few years in a row. You can check out the characters via their official Twitter account here.
Now, what should be noted about Puzzle and Dragons is that the game attacts more of the younger age group, and some of their reactions to this KOF collab are just stomache-cringingly funny. They're being honest, but the generation gap is hilarious given that these are Tweets coming from kids that don't know the Neo Geo, haven't really seen pixel art, nor really seen games in any form except digital or disc.
So here you go, feast your eyes on some of the wackier comments from the new generation of gamers that are sure to make you feel like a grandpa--
"That dude looks like an overgrown Hiroshi [from Pokemon]"
(Pointing out to the videogame cartridge) "What's that thing supposed to be?"
"What happened to her face (jaw)?"
Some kid thought Mai's fan looks like cutlet sandwiches
"Is this a [continuation of] Hunter x Hunter collaboration?"
"Are the developers of [Puzzle and Dragon] sick or something? Why did they give the move such a violent quote?"
-- A reaction to Iori's DM quote - "Cry, scream and die!"
(Reacting to King's label that says 3P color) " 3P . . . she's so horny, lol"
Note: 3P means "threesome" in Japanese
"I'd love to '2P' with Athena-chan"
"They look so alike"
"Is this guy a Super Sayan?"
[this message was edited by Professor on Sat 23 Dec 02:02] |
| | "Re(1):KOF Destiny" , posted Mon 25 Dec 11:12:
I'm still watching KOF Destiny in batches, and I'm honestly not certain that I'm going to make it to the end of the series.
Looking back, my previous batch watching was in late October. At that point, I'd watched through the tournament episodes, and had become fairly positive about the series. It wasn't just a case of lowered expectations, it looked and felt that focusing on the tournament fights had upped the animation quality and direction. At the time, I was looking forward to the Terry/Geese fight.
Having watched episodes 14-19, that has all been wiped away. Animation quality in general has dropped back down, moves are more awkward that ever, and the fight direction is disjointed. The story itself is falling apart with absurd elements.
For a series that paid so much attention to KOF'94, we have KOF'95 Rugal complete with his red cybernetic eye. Unsurprisingly, Rugal has a new plan, but that was foreshadowed with the beginning of the first episode. Even though Geese was shown to be alive in KOF'96, Destiny's inclusion of the Bogard/Howard story concludes with Terry knocking Geese off of the roof top. (Destiny's Geese also panics as he falls, rather than falling defiantly.)
Rugal has a cruise ship that can for no discernible reason very slowly transform into a flatter cruise ship? It also contains an entire floor seemingly swiped from a virtual reality maze, not just being comprised of glowing red lines, but because walls can be formed from and reverted into thin air.
As is common for such stories, the artificially Orochi-powered characters see a downgrade in fighting ability. The story wants to pretend that they are still major forces, it just fails to actually present them as such anymore. This is made much worse by bad plotting. In a couple of must-win fights, rather than give the heroes a numeric advantage or even equal numbers, the writer(s) for some reason gave the numeric odds to the converted sides. Kyo, who struggled to win 1-on-1 matches against the Sports Team, has no trouble holding off the combined duo of Benimaru and Goro, while Kensou and Chin have little trouble suppressing the trio of Kim, Chang, and Choi. I honestly wonder if some of the bad fight direction in this area is actually intentional, as anything more coherent would have made it much more obvious that the "vicious" converted fighters had to have been patiently taking turns to fight. (Also of note is that, while the converted people are again supposed to be vicious fighters, a converted Mai decides to spend several minutes leading Andy on a pointless chase.)
Kyo magically realizes that the only way Benimaru and Goro can be controlled is if there is a control device inside the same room. (To be fair, Kyo presumably learned this from Heidern, though the viewers were never told this information until it was necessary for Kyo to use it.) This implies that there is a short range limit on the device, as otherwise Kyo wouldn't have been certain it would be in a reachable location (as opposed to being on the other side of a wall or 30 feet down a ventilation duct). At the same time, the similarly controlled Team Korea is fighting in a gigantic room. Soon after, a similarly controlled Mai is running around inside a gigantic maze.
Other bits include: Team Fatal Fury dramatically rappel from a helicopter to a helipad, seemingly because Heidern doesn't want to land the helicopter. At first I thought Heidern was going to go elsewhere, while the Fatal Fury team enter the front entrance, but in the next episode he is on the helipad as well. Heidern blows up the entirety of Geese's office room with a single hand grenade. Terry tells Joe to stay together, then ditches Joe a few minutes later to chase after Andy. When Kyo and the Psycho Soldier team split up, rather than logically splitting up into groups of two, Kyo goes off on his own. Rather than capture all the fighters together (where he then could have done whatever he wanted with everyone), Rugal lets Kyo and the Psycho Soldier team wander off first. The way the fighters are gassed is entirely done to look "dramatic" to viewers, and instead just looks silly. (And just how does Ryo receive a face full of gas when the door does open, considering the hallway is clear of gas?)
I couldn't even be bothered to watch the next few episodes. (The US release has a King side story and another main story chapter available atm.)
[this message was edited by Baines on Mon 25 Dec 11:24] |
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| "Re(2):KOF Destiny" , posted Mon 25 Dec 17:18
quote:
I'm still watching KOF Destiny in batches, and I'm honestly not certain that I'm going to make it to the end of the series.
Looking back, my previous batch watching was in late October. At that point, I'd watched through the tournament episodes, and had become fairly positive about the series. It wasn't just a case of lowered expectations, it looked and felt that focusing on the tournament fights had upped the animation quality and direction. At the time, I was looking forward to the Terry/Geese fight.
Having watched episodes 14-19, that has all been wiped away. Animation quality in general has dropped back down, moves are more awkward that ever, and the fight direction is disjointed. The story itself is falling apart with absurd elements.
For a series that paid so much attention to KOF'94, we have KOF'95 Rugal complete with his red cybernetic eye. Unsurprisingly, Rugal has a new plan, but that was foreshadowed with the beginning of the first episode. Even though Geese was shown to be alive in KOF'96, Destiny's inclusion of the Bogard/Howard story concludes with Terry knocking Geese off of the roof top. (Destiny's Geese also panics as he falls, rather than falling defiantly.)
Rugal has a cruise ship that can for no discernible reason very slowly transform into a flatter cruise ship? It also contains an entire floor seemingly swiped from a virtual reality maze, not just being comprised of glowing red lines, but because walls can be formed from and reverted into thin
-- Message too long, Autoquote has been Snipped --
You have valid points and I agree. But I don't feel upset as I feel as though this is geared towards new comers of the series. Mainly so they can catch up to the latest story lines in KOF. So I can't complain, although I want to as you mentioned. Animation wise, well I see it as freestyle and practice for the designers foe future KOF games. As a result, the next game should be wayyyyy better then the current. All we can do is wait and see.
Long Live I AM!
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| | "Re(3):KOF Destiny" , posted Tue 26 Dec 07:03
quote:
You have valid points and I agree. But I don't feel upset as I feel as though this is geared towards new comers of the series. Mainly so they can catch up to the latest story lines in KOF. So I can't complain, although I want to as you mentioned. Animation wise, well I see it as freestyle and practice for the designers foe future KOF games. As a result, the next game should be wayyyyy better then the current. All we can do is wait and see.
I don't mind the story being different; I just wish the story was better.
It isn't like Rugal had a great plan behind the KOF'94 tournament. Destiny gives him a plan that still fits his style, but which also ties more directly into Orochi and connects him with Geese Howard. That's fine. It helps that the writers made Geese an equal associate of Rugal, not a lackey or dupe. Heck, the partnership even gives a reason for how Rugal could just take control of KOF tournaments even though Geese was alive.
I don't mind Mature being elevated to the role of a more active agent for Rugal, instead of just playing the part of a secretary. It helps here as well that she wasn't just turned into an agent; she is still clinging to Rugal (which fits with the idea that she is working for Goenitz.)
I was originally disappointed with the oft-neglected US Sports Team being turned into Orochi-brainwashed drones, but their actual performance in the tournament reversed that opinion. Rather than being story-irrelevant fodder, Destiny sent them out with a bang. Even with borrowed power, who really expected the US Sports Team to be treated as an unstoppable powerhouse. And even here, you can create benefits for the future, as you've got a ready-made explanation for why the Sports Team never appeared in a future tournament. (Being turned into mindless killing machines, Lucky having his leg broken, Brian having his neck broken... Would you return to KOF after personally experiencing that?)
All that stuff, and more, is fine.
It is just the other stuff outweighs the good. Including Geese is fine, but why use a cowardly Geese when he falls? Why kill Geese at all, when he remains alive in the KOF universe? (If you absolutely have to have the rooftop battle and fall, then at least use defiant Geese and show him managing to survive, even if he ends up injured.) Why write battles that make the supposedly super deadly Orochi-infused fighters look so incompetently weak? Why stick a "real" virtual reality maze inside Rugal's cruise ship?
And why seemingly tow a tight line to KOF'94 canon, only to diverge so much later? I believe I mentioned before that SNK missed the boat in tying some post-94 characters into events or at least putting them into cameo roles. Though, as before, I wonder if part of the issue here was just the budget of the series, and they just felt it wasn't worth the resources.
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| | "Re(2):KoF Manga Chapter 1-2" , posted Tue 9 Jan 04:43:
quote:
I finally got KOFXIV on a Steam sale, and it has confirmed to me that I never knew how to play KOF. But I'm also wondering how much I like playing KOF in the first place, since KOF characters by design have a lot of common tools... and while this makes learning any character in general easier once you have a grasp of that, it also makes a lot of the characters feel very similar to each other. The characters which are really different somehow wind up feeling "annoying" rather than "fun" in their uniqueness.
In terms of competitive play, because of the universal-tool design, a lot of higher-level players (at least those in Japan) consider characters as tools/functions for seeing who's better at playing at KOF-- as in, you're not playing the characters, you're playing "KOF".
Because of that, there's very few character loyalists and the players tend to drop characters per every release of KOF; they pick whoever's the best for each iteration. And even character loyalists often tend to pick one character of their choice and two strong characters-- a method often called "the favored character and the two Yojinbos(bodyguards)".
And eventually when they realize their favorite character is pulling their leg on wins, they drop the character and it ends up being three strong characters. It's kind of heart-breaking to see how character-centric fans start dropping their characters once they start getting into the game more seriously, but it's a norm.
Or put it another way, the player's favorite characters and the characters which they chose to play can often be separate in KOF.
[this message was edited by Professor on Tue 9 Jan 05:30] |
| | "Re(2):Want more KOF episodes? They're coming" , posted Tue 9 Jan 18:49:
quote:
I tried sticking with XIV as long as I could but the netcode killed it for me. While everyone else is seemingly ecstatic about how great it is all I ever got was lag, slowdown and/or stutter central.
I've heard of that-- for some reason, the netcode seems to be pretty bad for certain people due to unknown causes. For others, it actually seems to work better than SFV (well, then again SFV's netcode isn't all that great).
In the old arcades days, being able to play three characters for the price of just one credit was a great bang for your buck, but those days are over in the modern console era. That's certainly one of the issues which KOF faces in the modern day. Personally I'm fine with the game mechanics and damage (or rather, I feel SFV and Xrd's damage to be a bit too low), but it's quite understandable to get criticized.
Guilty Gear has a strong universal system too, but it also has a lot of subsystems for characters which helps in giving them a unique feel. However I don't think that sort of solution will work well for the KOF franchise-- too many characters to deal with.
I too wish that SNK revives or makes a new fighting game to complement the KOF series. It's been so long.
[this message was edited by Professor on Tue 9 Jan 19:44] |
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| "Re(4):Want more KOF episodes? They're coming" , posted Wed 10 Jan 01:07
quote:
Personally I love KOF and KOF XIV and put a ton of time almost into the entire cast, later playing mostly random select. The online was great for me too, I'm in Canada and played a ton of matches against people in the US and Japan.
Huge fan of SNK characters so KOF being centered mostly around learning KOF instead of learning a character (unless it's my girl Angel etc.) is a big plus. Skills learned with one character easily carrying over to many others feels so good.
I too wish that SNK revives or makes a new fighting game to complement the KOF series. It's been so long.
I've been playing a bunch of Last Blade 2 and Art of Fighting 3 recently and I definitely have to agree with you there, the games are so innovative and forward thinking. Especially Art of Fighting 3, not just it in particular but the series in general. It had fireball parrying and a dedicated parry command before SF3 was a thing, even had Ultimate KO before Guilty Gear and its Instant Kill were anywhere in sight. And the combat flow feels pretty close to Virtua Fighter/Tekken.
Looking at LB2 and AOF3 though and then thinking about KOFXIV and its gigantic roster and big stage count, it felt like it really wouldn't be that hard for SNK to make a new LB, AOF or something of the like with their much smaller roster etc.
I mean if it took them something like 2 years to make XIV from scratch (and that included them building their team and engine from scratch) then it shouldn't take them mu
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It’s good to see them continue the series. I personally enjoy it as something I always wanted since SNK only gave us Fata Fury and Samurai Shodown the motion pictures. Even though its not big in USA, EU, and Japan, the china market is helping them a lot. And if they can do what they always wanted to do with China backing, I say do it. It’s better that way then get nothing and they end up bankrupted and closed down. That would have happen for sure 10 years ago.
I never had much netcode problems on XIV. However, it does seem that some character do feel cheap and/or overpowered where players abuse the play and you get screwed. Even when you constantly face Kyo, Iori, and not jobs like Athena. in XII and XII, people use Joe and he was by far the most cheap, overpowered, and abusive character in the game. I hated people choosing him and I lose for the dumbest of ways. But that how it is and I guess it’s best to play in a community that there to play for fun if you can find them.
It sucks how it’s still getting not much love like I wish it would and no one is talking about it nor having us meet up to play online. I was saying released XV already. Let see some more story progression at least or some kind of new single player adventure like World Tour in SFA3.
Long Live I AM!
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| "Re(7):SNK Heroines - Tag Team Frenzy!?!??!" , posted Fri 12 Jan 02:06:
quote:
The pre-orders for the Switch and PS4 versions are already up. It's only 120 damn dollars so you should probably buy it for both systems.
  What... WHAT'S IN THE BOOOXXX
That's really not a lot of characters... I hope they milk the franchise for all it's worth, with or without horrible puns.
I want to think the 5th pin on the second row is Mina. Bow shenanigans!
Two of them seem to be using guns... Fio and Eri?
Egads... well at least they're promoting fitness
Also here's the Japanese trailer. Different from the English one, shows off other outfits such as Athena's Goddess outfit as well.
Edit: My best guesses for the remaining pins, starting from Leona and moving left-to-right:
Hibiki (based on sword), ???Mary plz???, Whip (since it looks like she's stretching her whip), Akari (I think the weird shapes are her talisman minions), Eri/Fio?, Nakoruru (Mamahaha on her shoulder), Mian (or Mina, but Mian seems more likely and the hair matches), Miss X?, Kukri?
[this message was edited by Gojira on Fri 12 Jan 02:39] |
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| "Re(7):Re(10):SNK Heroines - Tag Team Frenzy!?" , posted Mon 15 Jan 06:54
This really came out of nowhere. I think it might be a fun silly game. People are reporting it might have 4 buttons plus one for special moves or simply directional+button input.
My only concern is what Professor said about the "in game currency" stuff and the gambling stuff that can be tied to a monetization program since if this was a big IP in the west by the hands of EA or other big publisher, this would scream microtransactions with those customization options.
As for characters in the silhouettes, I think where it looks like ChamCham it might be Sylvie doing some kind of cosplay. I think they'll reuse a lot of stuff since maybe it's only 14 characters and there's like 19 in KOFXIV. Unless they are really cooking up a new Samurai game this year too and use this game to introduce them and maybe future KOFXIV DLC characters like the so requested Blue Mary. And if they already gave us team members in the background and more costumes, MissX is a must in this new one.
By the way Professor and others that might have more knowledge on this. Love Heart is one of the main heroines of the silly webmanga but wasn't her IP sold still in 2015 or maybe 2016? And maybe she has at least some items named after herself or even be the cap-wearing silhouette girl. MuiMui and Sylvie are my favorite newcomers in KOF since like 1997. It would be sad to lose the Dragon girl in future games just because she has a pachislot background. I see a lot of fanart of Sylvie, Luong besides the new boom of Kula and Angel stuff. But how was the the acceptance of the new characters?
Speaking of XIV and recent fighting games said earlier, I really liked what they did to XIV. Yeah, the netcode wasn't better than a matchmaking service running old ROMs emulated or Skullgirls but I can have good matches in my country/region just fine. Liked how they toned down the long combos from XIII to a more simple and easier system to play along with EX moves restricted instead of having the feeling of regular moves and Supers be "a bad version/option" of the EX version. Unlike Baines, I never really feel "cornered" while in the corner given how many defensive options KOF has in general compared to more "character system driven" games like Injustice and Blazblue or feel the need to only play said character as a "battery" if in the round I have the opportunity to spend meter to do some actual damage. In fact, I usually make my teams of well rounded characters so I can simply change the order if someone tries to counterpick me not needing to completely change my playstyle.
I just wish 3.0 give more love to Raw MAX activation because some characters could really shine using that instead of the usual optimal move-canceling to extend/start combos like Iori's infamous far kick. And of course, give some old moves back because characters like Maxima and even Mai feels lacking still compared to their old versions be it they are good or not in XIV. I don't really feel the need of a new game and some proposals like the Cyberfanatix crew did with many grooves and 60+ characters might be a balancing nightmare. Not that KOF is known for that aspect. But I liked the story and "atmosphere".
quote:
One more quick note for the day-- in NA, the physical version for PS4 will only be available in limited edition via upcoming American SNK shop. If you just want the game you'll need to get it digital. Physical copies for Switch will be regularly available though.
https://miketendo64.com/2018/01/11/snk-heroines-tag-team-frenzy-coming-2018/
It's a good business decision with their limited resources. Cutting of the middle man. They should do this for future sales. Cut down on manufacturing cost and shipping to retailers. They don't produce millions like capcom and other companies. So yea buy directly from them! That's what you call first class support!
Yeah, the american store is now up but it doesn't ship to Europe and Australia/NZ
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| | "KOF XV - Proposal Frenzy!?" , posted Mon 15 Jan 16:18:
quote:
This really came out of nowhere. I think it might be a fun silly game. People are reporting it might have 4 buttons plus one for special moves or simply directional+button input.
My only concern is what Professor said about the "in game currency" stuff and the gambling stuff that can be tied to a monetization program since if this was a big IP in the west by the hands of EA or other big publisher, this would scream microtransactions with those customization options.
As for characters in the silhouettes, I think where it looks like ChamCham it might be Sylvie doing some kind of cosplay. I think they'll reuse a lot of stuff since maybe it's only 14 characters and there's like 19 in KOFXIV. Unless they are really cooking up a new Samurai game this year too and use this game to introduce them and maybe future KOFXIV DLC characters like the so requested Blue Mary. And if they already gave us team members in the background and more costumes, MissX is a must in this new one.
By the way Professor and others that might have more knowledge on this. Love Heart is one of the main heroines of the silly webmanga but wasn't her IP sold still in 2015 or maybe 2016? And maybe she has at least some items named after herself or even be the cap-wearing silhouette girl. MuiMui and Sylvie are my favo
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I can shed some light to the proposal I made (I am one-half of the makers of that proposal).
As for the KOF XV Proposal we made months ago, well, the battle system was so heavily debated by fans in Twitter. (AFAIK, some wants '98, some wants 2002, some wants XIII, etc.) I know it may be discarded, I just put it to settle some of their wanted battle system. I added the 2000 and XII systems for "variety". However, I leave it to SNK on which battle system they will implement in KOF XV.
As for the roster, since SNK gave us 50 initial characters in KOF XIV, it's quite difficult to go lower than that. Though, I predict that KOF XV might character count is (almost) as many as the characters in KOF 2002 Unlimited Match. Unless they want to go the Cross Tag Battle route and cut 1/3 of the roster and put them as paid DLC. (I hope not)
On the choices of characters, 7 of the 8 teams in KOF '94 are there (Kim Team cannot reunite because of the ongoing story). Since I assume they might release KOF XV in 2019 just in time for KOF's 25th Anniversary. That's why I made KOF XV a "KOF '94 mini-reunion" of some sorts. Rugal was added for a special "KOF '94" mode, he has no bearing with the ongoing story yet.
As for Leona with Mature and Vice, it was foreshadowed way back in KOF XIII. Also, I felt that the KOF XIV Ikari Team Ending looks like a non-death example of an anime death flag to me. For Mature and Vice's part, they probably regained their physical bodies at some point, they cannot haunt Iori anymore because of that. Also, they are probably aware that Iori decided to re-seal Orochi again in the KOF XIV Ending. Probably, Mature and Vice sees Leona as a "replacement" to Iori in their plans.
On the Samurai Shodown and Last Blade characters. (WARNING: Last Blade 2 Spoilers)
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
All, but Yuki, traveled to the present like Nakoruru in XIV. Yuki is probably one of the souls revived in the Verse incident.
End of Spoiler
It appears SNK's new owners are making Haohmaru and Ukyo as Nakoruru's "teammates" not only in KOF '98 UM OL (which is licensed by SNK), but also in the newest mobile Samurai Shodown game.
Also, this was made before we got the Female Arab Fighter. With her inclusion, there might be changes on what we have originally thought.
Somewhat related, I think SNK is using Mui Mui and Love Heart like no tomorrow because they might eventually lose them once the SNK support of KOF XIV ends. Once it ends, they cannot use them anymore. I dunno why a costume of Super Oto-san ended up in the Sister Quest pachislot by Highlights Entertainment despite it's still listed in SNK's licensing list. All I know an old interview mentioned that Highlights Entertainment has acquired SNK Pachislot IPs after SNK ceased their pachislot business. (I am not sure if it was limited to Sister Quest and Sky Love though)
I speculate that it's KOF XIV's support by SNK is somewhat keeping anchoring them to SNK (and probably Highlights Entertainment not announcing Sky Love yet after acquisition). Love Heart cannot be marketed by SNK anymore though because it was revealed that Highlights own the IP already. She can still show up in SNK-related media (as long as SNK supports KOF XIV), but cannot be marketed by SNK anymore outside the game she appeared in(In Nariyuki Quest though she has an 8-bit sprite hidden.)
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Mon 15 Jan 16:29] |
| | "Re(1):KOF XV - Proposal Frenzy!?" , posted Tue 16 Jan 04:51:
So Mondays are going to be the day when the KOF14 manga gets a new episode.
https://pocket.shonenmagazine.com/episode/13932016480029270398
KensouADV--
Regarding the stuff with Pachislot, this is as much as I know.
- Highlights Entertainment made an offer to SNK[Playmore] and in January 2016 officially bought out their pachislot assets. This included remaining stocks of SNK's pachislot cabinets, pachislot parts, metal molds, as well as the trademark and rights for Sister Quest and Sky Love. (Note: I'm not sure about the rights for Dragon Gal, which is where Mui Mui comes from. Afaik, it wasn't sold.)
If Love Heart does appear in the new SNK Heroines game, it would be interesting to see if the game has copyright notes for Highlight Entertainment.
- Highlights Entertainment is a relatively new company.. sort of. They were originally a pachinko company named Ai Denshi that was established in 1973, and they got acquired by a financial firm named J Trust in October 2014 and relaunched under the new company name ten months later. Ergo, their new Sister Quest Pachislot from last January was their debut machine. They're planning to buy out more IPs from other companies in the future and to also become an investor in the anime industry to expand their business into the content market.
- Their new parent company J-Trust is also the parent company to Adores, a major arcade operating chain in Japan. Similarly to SNK, Adores was a victim to the infamous company Aruze, until they cut their ties in 2007.
YukiYagami--
The 50 page proposal was nice but also very heavy that I halted the load around halfway because it's too much for my laptop. Nevertheless, I was able to glimpse through the stages part, and the proposed sceneries were nice choices. I didn't get up to the systems part, but my personal two cents, trying to come up with a system that all three major series players will love (98, 02UM, 13) is exactly what the devs at SNK tried to do with 14, and failed.
There aren't ideas I can contribute for a KOF sequel; I would perfer being surprised by what sort of innovations the devs at SNK can come up with, especially given that the staffs that've returned don't have that many years before they hit retirement.
Neo0r0chiaku--
I'm not sure what you mean by ' "secret" gambling algorithms ', but to clear things up, the SNK Heroines games will let spectators bid in-game points on who they think will win. The points can be traded for character customization items.
[this message was edited by Professor on Tue 16 Jan 06:53] |
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| "Re(2):KOF XV - Proposal Frenzy!?" , posted Tue 16 Jan 13:00
Thanks Professor for the explanation and... Japanese pachislot history? I really don't understand how these copyright works but if they bought Love before XIV was released, shouldn't be referenced in the credits of the game? Or at least in the PC version that came in 2017? Maybe it'll become a Strider Hiryu situation where both parties must be in good terms to use the character? I don't get the "she cannot be marketed by SNK" Yuki said when, while not be promoted on main art on the website (and a hidden icon that maybe wasn't meant to exist at all), she's a regular character in the webmanga with more appearances than Mai, Kula, Leona and Athena who are the poster girls of the new game.
Also Yuki, were you the guy I was talking to yesterday on a brazilian FB group (KOFXII groove, I like KOFXI roster and stuff)? Like I said there, roster is subjective. For example, I would never make a new KOF without Blue Mary after XIII and XIV nor would separate Sylvie and Mian who seems to be comfortable with Antonov making an obvious team to me in a next game. I know Rock is more popular but I would rather have Kasumi as the "counter function" if Geese is not in and is easier to find teammates for her. Since there's so little known of Najd, just put her in the Women Fighters along with Mai? I know the "'94 theme" might make teams be more conservative but if you're already willing to give on Korea/Kim, why not keep the teams but remix the members? Make Takuma and Robert take care of the restaurant, put Marco in along with King and let Yuri be in the Women Fighters because she was "left behind". Bring back Momoko or Bao since I don't think SNK has any idea that to do with Chin in more recent games. But even if Ukyo and Last Blade characters are popular, I don't know how Sylvie with her short limbs would deal against Haomaru's heavy slash when Nakoruru is already a monster in neutral in XIV. Maybe just bring Lee (along with his pal MuiMui, of course).
But honestly, I'm fine with XIV as it is, SNK fine tuning its systems and adding new characters. The grooves after an attempt to blend '98, 2002 and XIII don't really pass to me the impression that the series is "moving forward". So, like Professor, I want to be impressed with maybe something new but keeping the "core gameplay" even if KOF fans are so hard to please giving the reception the fanbase had on the last two games. And maybe it would be better for Haohmaru and Ukyo to be back in their own franchise since Samurai is the only fighting game IP that I can see having a new chance in this market of today.
quote:
Wait, I thought this "secret" gambling algorithms are only ties to PC and mobile games. Have they been on console games also???
What "secret" gambling algorithms? Betting earnable income in special goods that you might or might not get something you want it's been around for a few years but the backlash just exploded with the recent Battlefront 2 from EA.
But yeah, for now it's just another way to get more points to unlock stuff by not actually playing the game. By the way Izek, the new AE version of SFV will feature some kind of high-risk investments to unlock exclusive costumes during a timeframe. But it's all single player so you can't really put the blame on others other than yourself and Capcom for the losing the challenge or the costume.
About the KOFXIV manga:
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
By the way Professor, the 1-4 chapter is already out in non official online readers so I guess the prints are released a little earlier than the in the website? I don't know if I should put the link here but let's just say Luong is not that much of a prude woman
End of Spoiler
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| | "Re(3):KOF XV - Proposal Frenzy!?" , posted Tue 16 Jan 14:25:
quote:
KensouADV--
Regarding the stuff with Pachislot, this is as much as I know.
- Highlights Entertainment made an offer to SNK[Playmore] and in January 2016 officially bought out their pachislot assets. This included remaining stocks of SNK's pachislot cabinets, pachislot parts, metal molds, as well as the trademark and rights for Sister Quest and Sky Love. (Note: I'm not sure about the rights for Dragon Gal, which is where Mui Mui comes from. Afaik, it wasn't sold.)
If Love Heart does appear in the new SNK Heroines game, it would be interesting to see if the game has copyright notes for Highlight Entertainment.
- Highlights Entertainment is a relatively new company.. sort of. They were originally a pachinko company named Ai Denshi that was established in 1973, and they got acquired by a financial firm named J Trust in October 2014 and relaunched under the new company name ten months later. Ergo, their new Sister Quest Pachislot from last January was their debut machine. They're planning to buy out more IPs from other companies in the future and to also become an investor in the anime industry to expand their business into the content market.
- Their new parent company J-Trust is also the parent company to Adores, a major arcade operating chain in Japan. Sister Quest Pachislot from last January was their debut machine. They're planning to buy out more IPs from other companies in the future and to also become an investor in the anime industry to expand their business into the content market.
- Their new parent company J-Trust is also the parent company to Adores, a major arcade operating chain in Japan. Similarly to SNK, Adores was a victim to the infamous company Aruze, until they cut their ties in 2007.
quote:
Thanks Professor for the explanation and... Japanese pachislot history? I really don't understand how these copyright works but if they bought Love before XIV was released, shouldn't be referenced in the credits of the game? Or at least in the PC version that came in 2017? Maybe it'll become a Strider Hiryu situation where both parties must be in good terms to use the character? I don't get the "she cannot be marketed by SNK" Yuki said when, while not be promoted on main art on the website (and a hidden icon that maybe wasn't meant to exist at all), she's a regular character in the webmanga with more appearances than Mai, Kula, Leona and Athena who are the poster girls of the new game.
With Zeku being Strider-esque (along with his groovy theme), I wonder if this is a sneaky way for Capcom to bypass the Moto Kikaku copyright? But that's another story.
AFAIK, the KOF XIV roster was decided way before SNK was acquired by Ledo Millennium, and later decided to pull out from pachislot market. Remember the infamous KOF XIV roster leak came out around February 2015. The leaker stated that the Ledo buyout was an isolated case while planning the roster, AFAIR.
Based in a Famitsu interview, Oda mentioned that SNK pulling out from pachislot was the most unexpected event in KOF XIV's development. I understood that the roster was finalized before what I mentioned above. Probably, they planned to have them in the current saga, but because of things, things might have changed since then.
With Sky Love acquired by Highlights Entertainment, By that time, first question came into my mind was, Who will fill in for Love Heart?
Coincidentally, whoever is handling KOF '98 UM OL, decided to add Samurai Shodown characters Haohmaru and Ukyo (who has yet to appear in KOF) with Nakoruru (I am not sure if they are aware of Nakoruru being already in KOF XIV) in KOF '98 UM OL (Haohmaru and Ukyo were suppose to appear in the Chinese version, but is suddenly on indefinite hold. However, they are available in the Japanese and Taiwanese versions). Then that's where I thought they'll probably drop Mui Mui and Love Heart in the future in favor of Haohmaru and Ukyo. Although it's a "collaboration", I felt there is a further agenda to it. Since there are no further KOF '98 UM OL "collaborations" from other SNK games (like Last Blade) so far (Probably, XI Guest characters do not count if they finally appear). The closest thing is NGBC Ryo, which he has his hidden D-Assault from NGBC (if paired with NESTS Robert).
(Unrelated: Prior to the KOF '98 UM OL Samurai Shodown Team stuff, my original choice for the third member of the Samurai Shodown Team, in case they will appear as a team in KOF, was Genjuro Kibagami.)
For the remaining SNK pachislot IPs (Dragon gal included), they are listed in their licensing catalogue, but...
I dunno why there was a Super Oto-san costume cameo in a Sister Quest pachislot by Highlights, despite still being listed in SNK's licensing catalogue. Like my comment in the Highlights interview, I am not sure if the SNK Pachislot IPs they acquired were limited to Sister Quest and Sky Love (which were publicized later). But with this Super Oto-san costume cameo, I personally think it may be a possible sign of the fate of SNK's remaining pachislot IPs.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Tue 16 Jan 14:50] |
| | "Re(3):KOF XV - Proposal Frenzy!?" , posted Tue 16 Jan 14:36:
quote:
Thanks Professor for the explanation and... Japanese pachislot history? I really don't understand how these copyright works but if they bought Love before XIV was released, shouldn't be referenced in the credits of the game? Or at least in the PC version that came in 2017? Maybe it'll become a Strider Hiryu situation where both parties must be in good terms to use the character? I don't get the "she cannot be marketed by SNK" Yuki said when, while not be promoted on main art on the website (and a hidden icon that maybe wasn't meant to exist at all), she's a regular character in the webmanga with more appearances than Mai, Kula, Leona and Athena who are the poster girls of the new game.
Yes-- to be frank, I'm not sure since the rights for Sky Love was already Highlight's Entertainment's property by the time KOF14 was released. I'm sure that SNK made agreements with Highlight's during the sellout process so that there wouldn't be any issues with KOF14, and perhaps even its derivatives. But that's between the two company's legals and hasn't been disclosed to the public. It also doesn't nessesarily mean that the characters can't be used in the future, just that, generally speaking, if agreements have expired, they'll need to re-negociate. Either way, the character(s) being often used probably has nothing to do with the legal standing. My assumption is that the dev team just has an attachment to them since they worked hard on them.
The KOF14 manga, I think it gets released a week earlier on the magazine's official smartphone app. The reposts to the web by fans aren't legit though, so I'll just keep posting up the official url.
Yuki Yagami--
In the case of Zeku, Capcom can technically say that it's a parody and try to get away with it by Japanese law. However, whether they'd actually want to do that and piss off Moto Kikaku is another thing. I'd think/hope Capcom had enough sense to give Moto Kikaku a heads up on it, lol.
[this message was edited by Professor on Tue 16 Jan 15:04] |
| | "Re(4):KOF XV - Proposal Frenzy!?" , posted Tue 16 Jan 17:21:
quote:
Thanks Professor for the explanation and... Japanese pachislot history? I really don't understand how these copyright works but if they bought Love before XIV was released, shouldn't be referenced in the credits of the game? Or at least in the PC version that came in 2017? Maybe it'll become a Strider Hiryu situation where both parties must be in good terms to use the character? I don't get the "she cannot be marketed by SNK" Yuki said when, while not be promoted on main art on the website (and a hidden icon that maybe wasn't meant to exist at all), she's a regular character in the webmanga with more appearances than Mai, Kula, Leona and Athena who are the poster girls of the new game.
Yes-- to be frank, I'm not sure since the rights for Sky Love was already Highlight's Entertainment's property by the time KOF14 was released. I'm sure that SNK made agreements with Highlight's during the sellout process so that there wouldn't be any issues with KOF14, and perhaps even its derivatives. But that's between the two company's legals and hasn't been disclosed to the public. It also doesn't nessesarily mean that the characters can't be used in the future, just that, generally speaking, if agreements have expired, they'll need to re-negociate. Either way, the character(s) being often used probably has nothing to do with the legal standing. My assumption is that the dev team just has an attachment to them since they worked hard on them.
Pretty much this (highlighted in bold)...
As for the renegotiation part, it's up for both companies.
quote:
My assumption is that the dev team just has an attachment to them since they worked hard on them.
I think it's possible and SNK Heroines could be their "Last Hurrah" to the character(s) in question, depending on the circumstance. There's also a possibility they will appear in the KOF manga as well.
Also a funny-case scenario:
Going the Nameless route. Creating new characters with "functions" of the characters in question.
BTW, in Nariyuki Quest, Alice made an appearance, but they never gave her an 8-bit Icon. Though I still think SNK still owns Alice regardless of the situation going on with their pachislot properties.
"Lasciate ogne speranza"
[this message was edited by Yuki Yagami on Tue 16 Jan 17:48] |
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