King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2
Some resent the spin-off - are they right to?
 | Version PS2 | Developer SNK | Publisher SNK Playmore / Ignition / Atari | Genre Fighting |
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No-one can accuse SNK Playmore of doing things by halves. Faced with the unenviable task of either alienating its loyal and die-hard fanbase by updating the flagship King of Fighters franchise and moving into the 3D arena, or to remain resolutely 2D at the risk of seeming last-gen to the more casual gamers and would-be purchasing public, SNK took the bold step of doing both. Thus, the KOF franchise was splintered into two paths - Maximum Impact for 3D, and the regular KOF series for 2D.
"It's easy to see what KOF has taken from Dead or Alive - the titillation."
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And compete they have, taking the best bits of existing titles and blending them around their esteemed KOF franchise. But even with the right ingredients there's no guarantee you'll make the nicest cake. So, what do we have? A lemon meringue pie or a dog's dinner?
First thing's first, and it's easy to see what KOF has taken from Dead or Alive - the titillation. Yes, the big-bosomed ladies' breasts now move in a lifelike fashion. Probably. At least they move how we image a double D-cupped expert ninjitsu fighter dressed in a bunny uniform and kicking the stuffing out of us would move. OK, so we made the bunny uniform up, but the outfits are only slightly less outrageous and the rest still stands... or at least, jiggles. And with that out of the way, what about the game?
"Character models are chunky and heavyweight, lending a gravitas to the fights."
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The backdrops are consistently excellent, adding a sense of atmosphere with arena boundaries that are deformable, should you land a particularly heavy blow on your opponent and send him flying. There's also a surprising number of characters on offer - 24 initially, and several more to be unlocked. Each character also comes with an alternate version of themselves plus several colour options.
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