The King of Fighters 2006(a.k.a.; Maximum Impact 2)
2006 SNK/Playmore

In a nutshell; With an improved roster, graphics and overall palatability, 2006 is fun enough to make me realize how much Maximum Impact really did suck.

You know, it’s getting harder and harder to get people fired up when dealing with a series of more than ten installments, excluding spinoffs. I was in IRC a few days ago talking about this game, to one of the people who originally got me into the series. The exchange went roughly like so:

“So, KOF 2006/Max Impact 2 isn’t too bad.”
“What could possibly have been added to the system to make it stand out from the other twenty installments?”
“Uh… there’s a parrying system… a freer combo system… Fio from Metal Slug’s in it?”

So I admit; KOF seemingly peaked with the ’98 installment, plotwise with the conclusion of the mystic Orochi storyline and subsequent ‘reunion’ dream match game in ’98. Former fanboy turned series honcho Falcoon sure could draw an interesting interpretation of the existing cast, but left to his own ends creates mainly strings of swishy metrosexual men and girls who caper about in the latest raverware. But the series still carries some old-school clout with the name, and remains a persistent source of 2-D low-res battling without getting stuck in the “can’t count past 2” phase like Street Fighter and Guilty Gear.

Maximum Impact wasn’t the first 2-D foray by SNK, but it was much more successful than Fatal Fury’s Wild Ambition. Even so, it was pretty much plagued by a stiff adaption of the old battle engine into 3-D. There was also a series of Stylish Moves, an autocombo/chain system added to make it vaguely more Tekkeny or something, but ultimately those served to make the whole affair more masher-friendly. Knockdowns tended to be annoying and debilitating too, given the amount of damage you can have piled on while on your back.

While the knockdown thing is still a problem (it seems like way moves can hurt you there than they should, like Ralf Tackle,) for the most part the controls feel a bit more tuned. While the system still feels more like 2-D against a 3-D backdrop, it’s a bit easier to dodge and pull moves off. Stylish attacks segue neatly into special and super moves. And probably best of all, the roster doesn’t completely suck.

One of the problems of Maximum Impact was with all of the new blood, none of them were especially outstanding, save maybe Alba. Though losers like Lien are still around, they’re mercifully marginalized by the presence of classics like Billy Kane and of course, nearly a dozen unlockable fighters (sadly a good chunk of them are play-alikes or alternate versions as opposed to new fighters, but that’s beside the point.)

In addition to the obligatory Classic Kyo and MOTW-flavor Terry Bogard, Metal Slug’s Fio Germi and Samurai Shodown’s Hanzo represent classic SNK in this hood, whilst the unexpected but welcome Armor Ralf changes everyone’s favorite rough-around-the-edges mercenary from overpowered thug to SNK Boss-like cheapness. Needless to say as much as I love playing Normal Ralf, I’ve been abusing the daylights out of Armor. In addition is Billy Kane’s sister Lilly in her first playable appearance, Kim Kaphwan the Tae Kwan Do maniac, and Ninon, the angry Goth counterpart to that aggravating little witch Mignon. Oh, and one of my personal favorite newbies is the sexy pirate chick, B. Jenet from Mark of the Wolves. Nice and mildly obscure! The transition to 3-D also finally puts to rest the rumors she fought without underpants- she does in fact sport a g-string.

This is relevant how? Eh.

Rigging models, the annoyingly pointless costume add-ons from Max Impact have been replaced by alternate costume schemes which not only change colors but often add (or remove) from the overall outfit. Each character thusly ends up with their normal, and “Another” costume, with up to 8 variations for each. Needless to say, it beats the old option of having Yuri Sakazaki fight with a huge, ungainly wooden wheel on her back.

I suppose I should go ahead and mention the plot, as it is. A year after the defeat of Duke and his Mephistopheles gang (cripes, isn’t that a tad grandiose?), a gaggle of scientists go missing at the hands of another gang called Kusiel, that’s hoping to use their knowhow to advance the human race in some form. The mastermind is a strangely-accented alien(?) named Jivatma who has extendable arms that turn into blades for a typical array of cheap boss moves. Seriously, he looks every bit as much like a failed draft of Nooj from FFX-2 as Luise Meyrink looks like a failed attempt at a Shiva summoning. Ok, so that’s a bit unfair- she has a cool look, what with the butterfly motif, she just looks more like she should be selling fishnet bras at Hot Topic than fighting to the death. (Actually, given the massive delays on most of her moves, her fighting style says it too.)