Kombo : : : PS3 | 360 | Wii | Cube | Xbox | PSP | DS | Forums | Podcasts

AROUND KOMBO:
REVIEW
MAG Review
Massive, action-packed shooter experience.
BLOG
The Moody Gamer
Do you have gaming ADD?
The King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga
Console
PSP
Publisher
SNK
Genre
Fighting
Developer
SNK
Release Date
10/28/08
8
ESRB Rating
Teen
StumbleUpon Toolbar  
Posted by:
Ryan Olsen
Reviews Director
REVIEW
The King of Fighters Collection: Orochi Saga
November 10, 2008 | 4:29 PM PST

Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga is a collection of past KOF games. With five titles in the package, you get the 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 editions of the often forgotten KOF series. The KOF concept is like a "dream fight" collection of all the past SNK fighting games on the NeoGeo and Arcade cabinets. It's like SNK rounded them all up for a tournament to end all tournaments. With the arrival of Collection, you have access to tons of fighters and tons of unlockable content.

What's Hot
Fighting games went under the radar when during the PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 days, developers were hellbent on making everything 3D. What developers and gamers learned from that period was that some genres needed to be either re-imagined or stick with the classic formula. While this isn't a new KOF game, it is a collection of the best. The fighters are drawn with unique characteristics and the animations are smooth. It doesn't get much better in 2D fighting than what Collection. Older gamers will see many old faces who will bring up memories of trying to memorize special move charts and younger gamers have the opportunity to see into a window of the 1990's that they might not be familiar with.

One cool thing Collection has is a challenge mode. You have to meet certain conditions to unlock bonus material. While it would be nice to have full access right away, it adds a new spin on games that have been around for a decade or more. Some challenges are easy while others are hard so it gives players of all skill levels a chance to dive in and expand their 2D prowess. This ingenious feature makes Collection much more than a rehash of dusty games.



What's Not
Collection suffers from some technical problems. Alas, the controls on the PSP aren't well suited for a fighting game with special attacks. While it can't be blamed on the developers -- they did the best they could with the available hardware -- it should be pointed out that the fighting genre on the PSP still needs some tweaking before it is just right. What could have been helped is the load times. You'll frequently watch loading screens and depending on your skill level, the loading screen might be longer than the time you are in combat.

The PSP is a widescreen device and the KOF games were created for SDTV sets. The problem is obvious; the game doesn't take up the full screen when you play. It makes the characters appear smaller than they should and some of the detail is lost in the process. Redesigning the game entirely for the PSP wouldn't preserve the integrity for purists, but it would have been nice to see the game take advantage of the PSP's beautiful screen.


Final Word
Collection provides an exceptional value for your money. You get five full games, multiplayer and a brand new challenge mode that opens up a new perspective and unlockable features with all kinds of factoids and files to browse through. Collection is a fine fighter to add to your collection.

Visuals
The 2D sprites look great but tiny on the PSP.
8.0
Sound
Classic sounds remain unchanged.
7.0
Control
The PSP hardware isn't ideal but Collection does a nice job.
7.0
Gameplay
Five great games, one package.
8.0
Lasting Appeal
The new challenge mode is really cool for fans of the game.
8.5
Verdict
A finely ported fighter for the PSP.
8.0
[not an average]
Review Scores Guide
Screenshot Gallery

October 28, 2008

October 28, 2008

October 28, 2008

October 28, 2008

Got something that we should post on the site? Send it to us!
February 8, 2010
Twenty more winners to go for our Game a Day Giveaway! Don't hesitate... enter today! Also, make sure you become a fan of Kombo on Facebook!!!

-- Ken Cauley, Editor in Chief

Kombo Breaker
FTW
Kombo's Game a Day Giveaway!
We're giving away a new game EVERYDAY throughout all of February!

Official Contest Page!

WINNERS:

  • February 2: John Riemer, Virgina
  • February 3: Jonathan Dowell, Pennsylvania
  • February 4: Chris Ryan, Florida
  • February 5: Chris Foster, Michigan
  • February 6: Adam Cuevas, Florida
  • February 7: Josh Minar, Kentucky
  • February 8: Bradley Mosbacher, Missouri
  • If SEGA made Shenmue 3, would it SELL?
    Vote!
    (02/09/10 | 12:41 PM PST)
    February's Xbox LIVE Marketplace Updates
    (02/09/10 | 12:21 PM PST)
    It May Be The End for Nippon Ichi Software
    (02/09/10 | 11:13 AM PST)
    Headaches and Sickness Induced by 3D
    (02/09/10 | 5:56 AM PST)
    HDTV vs. SNES
    DiRT 2!!!
  • DiRT 2 for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3
    Enter to win!
    E-mail us and include your full name, age and mailing address to enter.

  • Software
    Hardware
    All Time
    Weekly
    9.89m Japan
    31.48m America
    25.90m Others
    67.28M 
    1.25m Japan
    21.76m America
    14.63m Others
    37.64M 
    4.74m Japan
    12.71m America
    14.31m Others
    31.76M 
    29.79m Japan
    44.83m America
    50.20m Others
    124.81M 
    14.02m Japan
    18.98m America
    20.85m Others
    53.85M