Lacking in graphics, 'King' still holds rank with 'Fighters'

King of Fighters Dream Match 1999

SNK

Classic arcade fighter game company SNK has produced a classic game in a classic genre. But above all else you need to realize that "King of Fighters Dream Match 1999" is, and there's no nice way to put it, technologically inferior to most other gam es on the Dreamcast. If you think this fighter is going to have figures that look amazingly realistic or have complex visual effects, you will be disappointed. "KOF99" is more on the order of the greatest 2D fighting game from the last generation of machines.

The surviving 2D fighters seem hell bent on combining old rosters from different areas and pitting them against each other in some kind of post modern cock fight. Here, you can fight as a team, and even get help from the characters you'll be fighting with when the current fighter is unconscious. Unless the other fighters hate the current character, in which case they're happy to stand around not worrying about the closeness of his unconsciousness.

With 36 characters ready from the get go, "KOF99" has an obvious character advantage over all the 3D fighters on the Dreamcast; complex polygon figures may look good, but they munch the disc space. The game also has straightforward traditional controls. Sure, it may be due to the fact that there are significantly fewer places for you to move in than if that pesky third dimension was present, but an advantage is an advantage.

The animation is pretty good, but looks strange with the rendered backgrounds. Like those "Popeye" cartoons with the nice models of hills and cliffs and palaces that just didn't fit with Segar's sailorman. And it just isn't as crisp as you might want it on the most advanced home console in the world.

"KOF99" gets extra points for being the first Dreamcast game that can be linked to the NeoGeo Pocket Color. Requiring "KOF99," "King of Fighters R-2" for the NeoGeo and the NeoGeo Pocket-Sega Dreamcast Communications Connector Cable, you can transfer data between the games. The results are being able to see secret images and gain points in "KOF99" or get special skills in "R-2."

The Cable Connector has a lot of promise. In addition to being a great idea for a peripheral, it will hopefully encourage development of games for the NeoGeo Pocket. The stylish little handheld system, already blessed with a forthcoming "Sonic the Hedgehog" game, is worthy of support. The functionality for "King of Fighters" is hopefully just a down payment.

- Ted Watts

11-29-99