The King Of Fighters: Neowave
Verdict: A purists pinata.
Platform: PS2
Rating: 3½/5
If you’re into 2D beat-em-ups you’re either a fan of Street Fighter or The King of Fighters. Mortal Kombat doesn’t even come close and shame on you for even suggesting it. From a once glorious and crowded past these two heavy weights are the only ones loved enough to truly survive the de-pixelisation of 3D’s dominance.
Born from a fusion of SNK’s Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury games, the modestly titled KoF features a recognisable play style to anyone familiar with the more popular Street Fighter series. With two buttons for punch and two for kick it initially appears simpler than its peer but what it lacks in buttons it more than makes up for in complex special moves.
KoF: Neowave is SNK Playmore’s flagship title for new arcade hardware - the Atomiswave board. Utilising the increased power of the system it introduces hi-res backgrounds and improved music to the series. Beyond that though it seems to do little more and on a console, adds even less.
Featuring re-drawn sprites, KoF still looks dated in this age of cell-shading, with it’s rough, pixelated edges paling in comparison to the modern, smooth lines of Guilty Gear and the high frame rates of Street Fighter 3. What it lacks in aesthetic sophistication it makes up in style and character, featuring a cast of individuals full of charm, attitude and a particularly Japanese fashion sense.
Bringing back the old three-a-side team battles last seen in KoF: 2002, the large character roster is mainly composed of teams taken from each iteration of the series and it’s this that is most likely to please the fans as Neowave acts as more of a greatest hits compilation than a true sequel.
Without offering anything new beyond improved background visuals the same action can be found elsewhere in past iterations. For the purist who knows the character roster of the entire series there may be something to glean but for those of us with a passing interest there is the far superior Capcom Vs SNK 2, combining characters from Street Fighter and KoF into one almighty package.
So, are you a Kyo or a Ryu?

Shinobido: Way Of The Ninja
Verdict: A ninja dog of a game.
Platform: PS2
Rating: 3/5
There’s nothing meaner than being bestowed with super powers that are rendered impotent by a crushing weakness. Achilles has been there - practically invincible yet held back by a gammy ankle that could be attacked for massive damage. Shinobido has a similar weak spot, if games had ankles that is, which proudly holds its head high in the shape of one of the most unwieldy cameras thrust upon mankind’s furtive steps into 3D gaming.
Beyond the crippling, glitchy, wayward camera that hearkens back to 3D’s dark age, there lies a game with much ambition. Made by the original team that created the PS1’s flawed classic Tenchu, Way of the ninja is its spiritual PS2 successor. Retaining all that made the original great - the free form missions, the fusion of feudal history and fantasy, the ninja styled stealth and grappling hook action, Shinobido attempts to blend the deeper aspects of the Way of the samurai series (their previous PS2 titles) via the game’s evolving story and mission structure.
As a lone assassin with amnesia you find work with warring clans as you attempt to literally piece together your mind from glowing stones (happens to the best of us). Allowing you to pick and choose which missions you do affects the success of each clan and their attitude towards you. It also allows you to play them off against each other, utilising their weaknesses to further your own gains.
Adding to the game a sense of interaction normally lacking from action titles, Shinobido allows you to see immediate results varying on the success of your mission. Unfortunately it does little to bolster the rest of the in-game experience.
Combat is made up of a restrictive lock on system and dated moves that are supported by usable items like poisoned rice and the obligatory stealth abilities and silent assassinations. The grappling hook has lost its immediacy, buried behind a slow menu and while Tenchu’s stealth action was lauded at the time, compared to Sam Fisher and Agent 47’s antics it’s rather quaint.
Ancient chinese warrior say ‘ninja with bad camera suffer many restarts and gnashing of teeth’.