The King of Fighters 2002/2003

The King of Fighters 2002/2003 is a two-disc set that gives you both the 2002 and 2003 entries in the long running King of Fighters series. For a mere $40 you get two solid 2D fighters, both will full online capabilities, so it is a pretty good value. King of Fighters fans and newcomers alike will find a lot to like in King of Fighters 2002/2003.

King of Fighters 2002

Of the two games included in the set, King of Fighters 2002 is the more traditional one. It is what is known as a “dream match” game where basically every KOF character ever is brought back into one game to please the fans. It features more than 40 of the best characters the King of Fighters universe has to offer and if you are a KOF fan, this is an awesome game. The gameplay is traditional KOF 3 vs 3 matches where you use a fighter until they are defeated and then the next one jumps in. King of Fighters 2002 is pure, sweet KOF that both longtime fans and KOF newcomers should really be able to enjoy.

Unfortunately, the online play in KOF 2002 isn’t so hot. The game is very laggy and unresponsive online which makes for a pretty cruddy experience. The game also lacks a rematch feature and after a match you are booted back out to the Xbox Live menu. In other words, the online play in KOF 2002 is bad times.

King of Fighters 2003

King of Fighters 2003 is pure KOF gold as far as the core gameplay is concerned (you know quarter circle down to forward is going to do something good) but it adds a new feature that makes is very different from the rest of the series. Similar to Capcom’s Vs. series, you can now switch between your three characters on the fly. Tagging gives the matches a much faster pace and a very different feel from a traditional KOF game. The roster isn’t as big as KOF 2002, but all of the KOF mainstays are included along with a handful of newcomers so it is pretty good overall.

Playing online in KOF 2003 is a much better experience than in KOF 2002. The game is smooth and lag free online and a rematch option was included. Tagging keeps the online matches fast and furious and it is just a lot of fun. Thanks to the smooth play and accessible gameplay, KOF 2003 is one of the better online fighters on the Xbox.

Graphics and Sound

It isn’t really fair to judge these games based on their graphics and sounds since they are old games created for the ancient Neo Geo hardware. Don’t expect super detailed sprites and silky smooth animation like we have in Guilty Gear X2 or Street Fighter 3 Third Strike because you aren’t going to get it here. The games still look decent but are far from impressive. What bothers me most about the presentation is the absolutely horrid text menu system. SNK did the same thing in SVC Chaos earlier this year and I couldn’t stand it there either. Come on folks, put some effort into it.

The sound is similarly lackluster, but works well overall, KOF 2003 has a very nice CD quality soundtrack that is actually pretty good while KOF 2002 offers more traditional music. The sounds of fighting are as solid as you’ll find and all of the characters have a ton of voicework for every move and taunt.

Bottom Line

For just $40 you are getting two solid fighting games in one package so it is pretty hard to beat the value you’re getting in King of Fighters 2002/2003. What is nice about this set is that the two games offer very different experiences so it isn’t as if one is hands down better than the other and you’re only going to ever play one of them. You’ll spend a lot of time with both of these games. Both games offer online play, but for whatever reason the online play in KOF 2002 is pretty much horrible. KOF 2003’s online play is very good, however, and is actually among the best online brawling available. Something else that I really like about this set is that it is actually fairly newbie friendly since you get a tag game that is incredibly fun to play (KOF 2003) and a game that gives you traditional KOF gameplay with all of the characters from the series (KOF 2002) so this is a great way to jump into the King of Fighters universe if you aren’t already a fan. For fighting game fans, King of Fighters 2002/2003 is a solid purchase and I highly recommend it.