By Kevin "Berserker" Hall
Player(s): 1-2
Memory: 65 KB
If you went to the arcades in the mid '90s then you most likely remember
SNK's King of Fighters (KoF) series. For each year another King of Fighters game
is now made which started back with King of Fighters '94. The KoF series has
always distinguished itself with its three-on-three matches and multitude of
characters to choose from. Each game in the series has brought in quite a few
characters from other SNK games and has managed to bring in several new faces as
well that are exclusive to the KoF series.
The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga actually contains more KoF
games than just those dealing with the Orochi Saga ('95, '96, '97). This
compilation actually contains KoF '94, '95, '96, '97, and '98 for a total of
five complete fighting games in the KoF series. Previously only KoF '94 has been
released in North America in the SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1 compilation, so
KoF Collection is a much-needed bundle of fighting games for the KoF fans out
there and one that does not disappoint I might add!
Upon first turning on the game and watching the full motion video opening
sequence to the collection, you'll be welcomed to a screen with a dial that can
be used to easily select from the different KoF games in the compilation. After
starting each one, you'll have the option to enter a training mode or simply
play the original game via the arcade mode. While playing in either mode a menu
can be pulled up by pressing select that will allow you to easily bring up your
current fighter's move set, manage controls, or exit the game. In training mode,
you can simply press the start button to have easy access to your current
fighter's move set, which is a very handy little feature for a training mode;
too bad there is no way to reset the playing field however, instead of having to
throw opponents out of corner.
Each game plays basically like the arcade game that it is based off of, but
there are some slight sound glitches every now and then that usually occur
shortly after a match begins. The most common sound glitch is for the announcer
voice to cut off slightly early before the announcer finishes the word "Go!" in
KoF '98. Sometimes sounds from the previous round make it into the next battle,
such as a shout of "Winner". The games are emulated extremely well for the most
however. These little sound issues are basically only nitpicks to an otherwise
flawless emulation. Load times in between each set of rounds can be rather long,
clocking in at about 10 - 15 seconds. There is no extra loading time in between
rounds though.
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