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Bankruptcy and full studio closure beckoned time and again for an entire decade, and SNK had to be seen to be “moving forward,” especially in the eyes of investors. SNK would not have found the cash, the backers, or the non-dedicated fan eyes necessary to continue producing its gorgeous hand-drawn 2D fighters. The simple fact is that The King of Fighters only continues to exist at all because it made the transition to “modern” visuals. And do I wish the beautiful, hand-drawn visuals of KoF XIII would return? Absolutely. Do I prefer the pixel stylings of yesterday? Of course I do.
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To immediately address the polygonal elephant in the room, I personally don’t have too much of an issue with the series’ move to 2.5D gameplay, as well as slightly janky 3D models. I jumped into this highly truncated edition (eight characters, three stages, and a mere handful of modes), to see how KoF XV might square up in the ninth generation of fighting games… REEEADDDDY?… GO! Coming after a lengthy delay of over one year, the new sequel promises to be the biggest, best, and most feature-filled entry in the series to date.
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Regardless, I thought it important as a lifelong KoF player - and an internet scribe - that I jump on the weekend’s beta for the newest entry in the now 27-year-old fighting game franchise, The King of Fighters XV. You might also know that, after literal decades of dedicated 100 MEG SHOCK! support, developer SNK and I are unfortunately going through something of an extended separation… And honestly, I don’t how it’s going to end. Additionally, my oft-used online pseudonym of “OrochiLeona” is based on one of my “most-played” video game characters of all time, the inimitable Leona Heidern. As some of you fine followers may know, yer boy Moyse is a long-time King of Fighters player, dating all the way back to the heady days of 1994.