The King of Fighters 02/03

King of Fighters 02/03 is a quite unusual set, which should appeal to lovers of classic fighting game. The Kings of Fighters series enjoyed great popularity particularly in the nineties. It was then that the most noteworthy games from the series were released. This set contains two titles that were originally created exclusively for arcade salons - The King of Fighters 2002 and The King of Fighters 2003. At the same time it is worth mentioning that we are dealing here with quite faithful ports, in which no big changes were made.

The King of Fighters 2002 in many respects resemples its predecessors. We are dealing with a two-dimensional fighting game, largely modelled on Street Fighter. The game gathers the best warriors from several previous games of this series. In total, we can choose between 44 playable characters. In addition, thirteen teams appear in the game, as well as five hidden warriors who have to be unlocked. Character controls are extremely complex, as the system offers powerful and at the same time very complicated moves, prepared especially for veterans of the genre.

The King of Fighters 2003 introduces a few revolutionary ideas for this series. Particularly noteworthy in this case are the arenas, in which the duels are being fought. In total there are ten of them. When it comes to warriors, we can choose between 35 characters and eleven teams. As in the case of the 2002 edition, there are also hidden characters (mainly bosses). This version also offers an innovative system called Multi-Shift, thanks to which the fighters can change switcho out the fights. This is done in an instantaneous way. Visually, the 2003 edition looks much better, but we are still dealing here with a title that significantly stands out from what is offered by the best three-dimensional fighting games.

Last updated on 10 December 2007