SNK

As you may have noticed, Disposable Media likes versus fighters, although I haven’t really played a whole lot of KoF. Blame it on growing up with 16-bit games and not getting a whole lot of opportunities to visit arcades and see what the new coin-ops were. Happily, various re-releases and compilations (not to mention sequels on more recent consoles) have made it easy for anyone to at least take a look at the King of Fighters universe, even if it’s slightly more demanding than other, more accessible fighters. And even if I’m no good in a match I still love that universe – the characters, the backstory, the locations, the atmosphere. I even have that 2011 movie with Maggie Q thanks to fellow gaming acquaintances who recognise my admiration for versus fighters. And now, The King of Fighters Destiny has arrived, bringing the characters and world back to a new audience who may have overlooked the games.

The King of Fighters Destiny – a new animation

The King of Fighters Destiny is a new animated series by SNK that follows the adventures of Terry, Kyo and the others over several episodes. If you visit the SNK Playmore YouTube channel then you will find trailers for the series as well as some of the first episodes. (We’ve since discovered that you can find it on Steam as well.) At the time of writing there are two episodes of the King of Fighters Destiny series in the dedicated YouTube playlist, and each one is around twenty minutes long. They feature 3D CG characters, Japanese voices and English subtitles, and largely begin by establishing the characters and the arc of people making their way into the King of Fighters tournament. The second episode establish’s Terry’s backstory with flashbacks to the death of Terry and Andy’s father, then cuts back to the present, with introductions of Billy Kane, Benimaru and more.

The King of Fighters Destiny – a promising start?

Whilst I’m not the best person to talk about the lore of the KoF universe, I still love the characters of the games, and upon seeing the introductions of these characters in KoF Destiny… well, I thought they were goofy but still quite endearing. Anyway, I’ll definitely keep watching if SNK Playmore continue to publish more episodes on their channel, and I’ll be keen to find out what other fans of the series think. Of course, if you’ve watched the King of Fighters Destiny episodes and have some thoughts that you’d like to share, leave a comment below.

You can watch episodes of The King of Fighters Destiny on the SNK Playmore YouTube channel or on Steam

“Certainly they existed; those devs blinded by ambition… those ports consumed with vengeance. But here, they do not exist. Only winners (Mark of the Wolves fans and Fatal Fury fans in general) and losers (gamers without supporting consoles) here. For here, the mighty SNK rule.”

Earlier this week it was revealed that SNK would be working with Code Mystics to bring the classic Garou: Mark of the Wolves to PS4 and PS Vita. Part of the Fatal Fury family, Garou: Mark of the Wolves was released in 1999 on the Neo Geo arcade hardware, later making its way to sixth-gen home consoles and eventually Xbox Live Arcade. Boasting strict inputs (compared to modern Street Fighter games, at least) and interesting gameplay mechanics such as Just Defend (like SFIII’s parry, you get benefits for defending at the last moment – unlike SFIII, however, you can push back to do this) and T.O.P mode (this activates within a player-defined portion of the lifebar and offers benefits such as enhanced damage and quicker meter gain), Garou: Mark of the Wolves is much less immediate than the likes of Street Fighter V, but still boasts rewarding gameplay, great 2D presentation and fun characters.

In my ongoing mission to recollect all of the MAME classics I used to enjoy years ago, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is one of the most played games in my current collection, and whilst I’m not skilled enough to trouble online opponents (as I type I already have bad flashbacks of netplay sessions on MAME and Kawaks that went awry) I can still appreciate the game on a more general level. According to the PS Blog update, this new release will come with a gallery mode, sound test and netcode from the previously-released Last Blade 2. More than anything, I’m happy that this is coming to Vita as well – I’ve often told people that the handheld seems like it would be a great home for 2D beat ’em ups, and having Garou: Mark of the Wolves on a handheld would offer a great way to while away those long train journeys.

A release date had not yet been confirmed in the PS Blog update

The King of Fighters Destiny brings KOF to the small screen

The King of Fighters Destiny – a new animation

The King of Fighters Destiny – a promising start?

Garou – Mark of the Wolves coming to PS4 and PS Vita

The King of Fighters Destiny – a new animation

The King of Fighters Destiny – a promising start?

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