World Heroes Perfect

"Perfect? Not Really"

SNK has had a long reputation of creating and crossing over various fighting games. While many have been popular with fans like the virtually flawless Samurai Showdown 2; There have also been some, for whatever reason, have never caught on with fans, like the impressive Mark of the Wolves. This brings us to one that many have passed over for good reason, the World Heroes franchise.

My first experience with this game was at a local blockbusters. My personal favorite at the time, MK II was nowhere to be found. Neither was its close runner up, SF II. Desperate I look for something resembling a fighting game. That is when I saw World Heroes 2 for the SNES. For the few days I had it I filled my fighting game fix, but by the time I was done with it I wanted something with more substance.

That's the best way I can describe World Heroes Perfect. Everything in the game is just standard. Standard characters, Standard music, and Standard graphics makes this game just that.

I never really understood the premise of WHP. I just took as heroes from respective countries fighting to see who's the greatest. That seems to be the basic story to most fighting games. Just take heroes and replace it with whatever fits like samurais,dinosaurs, street fighters ect.

The graphics are just bland in comparison to the games SNK released during the time. There is simply no uniqueness, or anything interesting about the graphics. The only noteworthy element are the some of the character designs, which provide a bit of laughter for a little while anyway.

The sound also didn't help much either. the stereotypical bad music and announcing may add some nostalgia to some, but it just took more away from the experience for me.

To imagine the combat system of WHP, think of any SNK combat system, strip anything that makes it different from the other 20 SNK fighters and in essence you have the WHP down. You have supers, throws, and anything else that's basic in an SNK fighter.

There are two things that really bring this game down. The fact that it has been done before, and that it has been done better before. You're better off sticking to the road than turn down this part of memory lane.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 10/31/05