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General: KOF: Maximum Impact is the first ever KOF in 3D... And it's most definitely a disappointment. First off, the character voices are "dubbed" in English. That kills the whole game itself... The characters just don't sound or act like themselves. And it's even a bit "disturbing" to see how they made old time favorites like Kyo and Terry speak... What a terrible terrible mistake.
    The gameplay actually does feel somewhat like KOF, but that's not necessarily a good thing, considering this is a 3D fighter. Some of the animation is a bit too stiff, and while those frame counts might have worked in a 2D fighting game, that's not to say they'll work the same in 3D... And they don't. But some moves look "okay."
    The game engine is "somewhat" fun due to it's fast nature, but I think serious fans would rather play KOF in 2D than in 3D. This game does KOF no justice what so ever. The story mode is retarded, due to the fact that a weird, no-name freak in a lime green suit gives you orders and tells you who to fight next... Did that ever happen in a KOF game? No.
    The new characters aren't that exciting in my opinion. And leaves so much to be desired. The line-up is just a bit-uninsipiring. But at least SNK threw in a few extras besides your basic arcade mode, like mission mode, which is a challenge at least, and a mode where you can select a "rigging model" for each character... which changes your characters appearance by adding a few items to their outfit and/or changing it all together. The alternate and bonus costumes are also worth a look... but the game could have been so much better.
Manufacturer: SNK Neo Geo USA
Platforms: Playstation 2
Year: 2004
Characters: Alba, Lien, Soiree, Chae Lim, Mignon, Kyo, Iori, Terry, Ryo, Ralf, Clark, Yuri, Athena, K', Mai, Maxima, Rock, Leona, Seth, Duke
Comment: Not a bad effort, but it was still disappointing in more ways than one. The roster should have been much bigger, and better.
Rating: 5.5