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Original one-on-one fighting games are slowly and steadily going the way of the dodo, New Coke, and the career prospects of Mel Gibson, which means the only titles left to duke it out are crusty old franchises. While it has never enjoyed the box-office success of a Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, or Tekken, SNK's King of Fighters series is one of the few original properties still going strong after more than ten years of trouncing, flouncing, and bouncing. It is also a series that has made the transition to 3D with 2004's Maximum Impact, much to the chagrin of 2D purists.

Public Defenders

The fighting engine is similar to Maximum Impact's, but with subtle refinements to take the cheapness out of the combo system, where it was possible to decimate an opponent within seconds if you managed to land the first blow. In King of Fighters 2006, the pace and damage have been tweaked and new defensive moves have been added. Once again the majority of attacks involve full use of the D-pad's eight directions along with quick taps of light or strong kick and punch buttons. Now there is a parry (sabaki) button, which deflects a blow and causes the instigator to be stunned for a second. Super cancel moves are also available to turn the tables on an attack, and chaining together powerful combos from normal strikes results in a "diminishing returns" system that reduces damage and the frustration of being batted around like a Hacky Sack.

Mai Oh Mai

The visuals are a slight step up from the first 3D game, with much of the attention spent on the characters. The stages are not nearly as detailed, however, with precious few distinguishing features or interactive elements that would have elevated King of Fighters to the level of its 3D contemporaries. You'll witness a few leaves drop or a helicopter fly in the distance, but nothing that will elicit "oohs" and "aahs" or make you glance away from the fighting. Nice touches like a stone floor cracking and buckling under the pressure from body slams are, sadly, few and far between. Of course, when you have ridiculously proportioned characters like Mai Shiranui or Luise Meyrink, few will be gawking at the scenery.

Missions of No Mercy

Those who felt Impact's roster was a bit sparse will be pleased to know that King of Fighters 2006 offers a staggering 38 characters to unlock, including Billy Kane, Kula Diamond, and "Nightmare" Geese Howard. Play modes include the usual suspects in fighting games, with the requisite story mode, replete with awkward dialogue and cheesy one-liners throughout its seven stages, as well as both versus and practice options. The game also includes a challenge mode, which presents a surprisingly wide array of melee-oriented mini-games and arcade-style slam sessions. The bulk is divided into a series of easy, hard, and "extra" missions for more than 200 individual tasks to complete.

Challenge Everything

While many of the tasks are a simple matter of performing a certain move on a computer opponent, some can be maddeningly difficult, such as having to defeat an opponent at 10% health. More entertaining are the extra missions, which range from smashing cars to battling a Metal Slug tank to pushing back a steamroller. Also included is a quest survival mode, where the goal is to defeat 200 opponents in succession. Points earned during each bout can be spent on healing in between matches, increasing the character's power gauge, or improving attack power. The challenge mode also includes a standard time attack option, and nearly all of the events unlock rewards such as additional costume colors for each character.

More than Meets the Eye

Even the versus mode is a cut above most fighting games, as players can compete in matches against up to three computer opponents (tag-team style instead of simultaneous) or a party mode that randomly assigns players a bonus or handicap to keep things from becoming too predictable. While the replay value is higher than in previous King of Fighters games, 2006 still isn't in the same league as Tekken 5 or Soul Calibur II. There are still some balancing issues, and while the computer AI is generally a competent fighter, it seems to have trouble when pinned against a wall. For the most part, however, it counters moves when it should and mixes up special attacks to keep players on their toes.

Crowning Achievement or Royal Disappointment?

King of Fighters 2006 is neither the best looking 3D fighting game on the market nor is it the most innovative, but the characters ooze with personality and the move lists are impressive. Online play is almost a must for the next installment, the environments could use a complete makeover, and a better implementation of 3D movement other than sidestepping left or right would be a welcome addition. King of Fighters 2006 should be regarded as an improvement over 2004's Maximum Impact, offering enough variety and offbeat humor to make up for its technical transgressions.

Article by: Scott Alan Marriott
Video produced by: Jonathan Solin