King of Fighters: Maximum Impact

"A great translation of the 2-D KOF games, and a great start for a new 3-D fighting franchise."

The latest King of Fighters game, Maximum Impact, is the first KOF game in 3-D, yet not the first polygon 3-D brawler. Thankfully, unlike Samurai Spirits 3-D and Fatal Fury Wild Ambition, KOF:MI is a pretty playable and fun fighter.
Unlike previous KOFs that had more fantastic storylines involving global threats and mystical menaces (NESTS, Orochi). MI deals with a simple gangwar and a story of revenge. The plot centers on the brothers Alba and Soiree Meira, sons of the gang leader Fate, who died after trying to assassinate Duke, the leader of the reigning Mephistopheles gang. For some reason, a tournament is held after and fighters from all around are invited to join.
Introduced in MI are four original characters- Alba is a goth-dude with mystical moves, while Soiree is a capeoria fighter. Lien Neville is a voluptuous assassin with strange energy attacks, while Mignon Beart is a cutesy mascot girl who has a penchant for outlandish cosplay. Female taekwondo fighter Chae Lim is also new, but is more or less just a clone of her master, the absent Kim Kaphwan.

GRAPHICS and SOUND
MI's graphics are quite good; the character models are detailed and welll-done, and animate well, albeit not as smoothly or as realistically as other games due to the game's need to adhere to the series' faster attacks and special moves. I'd put the game below say, DOA2 and Tekken Tag Tournament (PS2) and VF3, but far about the Streetfighter EX games. Special moves are flashy and suitably reproduce their 2-D counterparts. Voices and sound effects are well done, with lots of familiar voices returning. The music is rocking and suitable for the fast-paced fights.

GAMEPLAY
MI has some elements which seem to make it friendly to button-mashers... it's easy enough to bust out an impressive-looking combo simply by jamming on variious buttons. However, a skilled player who knows the proper moves and strategies, as well as proper combos and desperation moves and awareness of how to use the (somewhat) small stages will always have an upper hand.
Getting knocked on your back is dangerous as well, since enemies can still hit you with various moves while you're horizontal. Knowing what to do is key to avoiding getting hammered again and again by cheezy attackers, especially by the ULTRA-cheap end boss, who has a full maximum energy bar all the time. Well, at least THAT particular aspect of KOF games is retained, for better or ill.

EXTRAS and REPLAYABILITY
MI has about 19 or so fighters, with an unlockable end boss, extra colors and 'Rigging Models' (modified character models for your characters) hidden in the various modes. The game has Time Attack, VS, Profile (which lets you look over your character), Training and Challenge Modes to occupy your time.

OVERALL
KOF: MI is a fun game. I've always liked the KOF games, and this is probably the most accessible for anyone who can't get into the less-forgiving 2-D hardcore fighters. The fighting is fast, furious and made enjoyable to watch by exceptionally good character models and graphics. It's a great translation of the 2-D KOF games, and overall a good start for a new 3-D fighting franchise. Here's hoping that this series continues and grows even better to challenge the big boys of 3-D fighting.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/05/04