KOF: Maximum Impact

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KOF: Maximum Impact

Developer(s)	SNK Playmore
Publisher(s)	SNK NeoGeo
Designer(s)	Noise Factory
Release date(s)	August 12, 2004 October 12, 2004 March 4, 2005
Genre(s)	Versus fighting
Mode(s)	Team Battle, One-On-One; Up to 2 players simultaneously
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox

KOF: Maximum Impact is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, produced by SNK subsidiary Noise Factory published by SNK Playmore in 2004-2005. The port to the Xbox is known as KOF: Maximum Impact - Maniax. Although marketed as a spinoff of SNK's major fighting series The King of Fighters, from whence many of its characters originate, Maximum Impact is actually intended as a continuation of the Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting series, to which the game owes much of its look, feel, and style. KOF: Maximum Impact is the first 3D fighter made by SNK since Samurai Shodown: Warriors' Rage for the Playstation, which was released in 1999. The game was followed by KOF: Maximum Impact 2.

Some players have criticized the game for an inferior hit-detection grid, several bugs and exploits, awkward English voice acting (however, the Xbox version included an option to use the original Japanese voice tracks), and a limit on combo damage. Others acclaim the game's originality and depth, and find that the combo limit adds balance and reduces one-sided matches. Further releases (PAL PS2, all regions Xbox) have added a choice of language options. Xbox version also includes an online match mode where you can play other players via Xbox Live.

1 Modes of Play
2 Story
3 Online Mode
4 Characters
- 4.1 Characters From Previous Games
- 4.2 Original Characters
5 Continuity
6 External links

[edit] Modes of Play

[edit] Story Mode

The story mode is experienced as a single character through the Mephistopheles Fighting Tournament. For most characters, this consists of fighting six characters only, with Duke's cronie / consigliere Hyena announcing the next opponent between matches. For the final match, one faces Duke himself. However, for a few certain characters ( Alba Meira ) The Main Character, ( Soiree Meira ) The Co Star and ( Lien Neville ) The Female Co-Star, the story is more intricate and fleshed out.

[edit] Versus Mode

In versus mode, a single match is fought, either against the computer or another player in a single fighter battle or a 3 vs. 3 battle.

[edit] Mission Mode

Mission mode has the player complete four levels of 10 missions. Each mission has settings and conditions to be completed. Most of the game's unlockables come through this mode.

[edit] Time Attack Mode

In time attack mode, the player has to defeat a number of characters as quickly as possible.

[edit] Story

Addis was the most powerful gang in Southtown. Its leader, a man known only as Fate, was considered a modern-day Robin Hood to the poor and downtrodden. He himself had adopted two twin brothers, Alba and Soiree Meira, and trained them to be successors to his legacy.

Six months before the in-game events, Fate is killed by Duke, the leader of the up-and-coming Mephistopheles gang. Duke then proceeds to exploit the poor to serve his own twisted thirst for power.

In the present day, the Mephistopheles Fighting Tournament is beginning, with the venue being all of Southtown. The participants ( Minus the Meira Brothers and Lien.) believe that the tournament is being sponsored by a charity organization known as the Metatron Foundation, but they soon learn that its true sponsor is the Mephistopheles gang. However for Alba Soiree and Lien they are contacted directly by Hyena so they know Metatron has nothing to do with this.

[edit] Online Mode

This mode is available only on the Xbox version. You can play with other players online via Xbox live with this option. (FYI) KOF Maximum Impact 2(JAP)/KOF 2006(USA) for the ps2 does have the online mode also.

[edit] Characters

KOF: Maximum Impact has twenty playable characters. Most of the roster, aside from the original characters, is inherited from the King of Fighters series. One noteworthy exception to the rule is Rock Howard, brought in from the most recent Fatal Fury chapter, Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Six additional characters were created for the game, four of whom have a deeper connection to the main plot than the others.

The characters' alternate costumes were conceived as alternate personalities, but little is made of this in terms of gameplay, as their move lists and dialogue remain the same. Some alternate costumes are radically different from the defaults, such as Terry's Garou: Mark of the Wolves look, Clark's professional wrestler persona, and Leona's outfit that makes her resemble a ninja. In addition to the alternate costumes, characters can be modified with unlockable "rigging models," which add details to the available costumes, such as a wolf mask for Terry, a Mr. Karate mask for Ryo and Yuri, and a party hat and banner for Seth.

[edit] Characters From Previous Games

From The King of Fighters (Orochi)

From The King of Fighters (NESTS)

From Fatal Fury

From Art of Fighting

From Ikari Warriors

From Psycho Soldier

Athena Asamiya

[edit] Original Characters

Alba Meira - The star of Maximum Impact who earned the nickname "The Devil of Daybreak" due to his devil tattoo which can be seen in the intro to the game. Alba is a former soldier and prodigy of Fate, the former boss of the Southtown gangs, who enters the tournament so he can contact (and destroy) Duke to basically rule Southtown in Fates stead.

Soiree Meira - Alba's younger twin brother, who is more brash than his cool-headed older brother. He is determined to help Alba dispose of Duke by any means necessary. Thinks the only power in southtown should be Alba's Power

Lien Neville - An assassin who Duke hires to enter the KOF tournament and dispose of any insurgency. But what are her true aims?

Duke - The leader of the Mephistopheles gang that controls Southtown. Earned the nickname "Hell's Executioner" because of the prominent scar across his neck. (Note: Duke is playable ONLY after beating the game as both Meira siblings.)

Mignon Beart - A young witch-in-training who enters the KOF tournament to test her own might and help create world peace. She also speaks in third person.

Chae Lim - Star pupil of Fatal Fury and King of Fighters character Kim Kaphwan, who enters the tournament in his place.

[edit] Continuity

The Maximum Impact series was mentioned as being a spiritual followup to SNK classics Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and Mark of the Wolves, and indeed, Maximum Impact does resemble those series in many ways, especially with the story structure and the setting. But judging from the original storyline of the first Maximum Impact game, probably cannot be placed in the same continuity as the aforementioned games.

One plothole that this creates is that Rock Howard has previously been shown as a young child in the main series, while he is a teenager and one of the fighters in Maximum Impact. However, due to a persistent problem with age depiction in the main series anyway, this should probably not be considered a major issue. Also note that Akihiko Ureshino also stated that the difference of age between Rock and Terry in MI series is shorter than FF series. [1] (In MI, Rock and Terry are 17 years old and 24 years old, respectively. While in MOTW Rock is 17 years old and Terry is 35 years old.)

Another point is Ryo and Yuri still in their young age in MI series, While Ryo is age properly in Fatal Fury Wild Ambition. [2]

Not to mention that Ureshino also indicated that MI universe is separated from Fatal Fury universe and Regular KOF universe. [3]

The Maximum Impact series has been confirmed to be set in an alternate universe by Falcoon. This does mean that they can take liberties and bring back dead characters from the main 2D series, but these changes will not be reflected back on to the 2D series (Alba and co will not appear in the next 2D KoF for example). Falcoon has mentioned that his intentions with MI are purely to create a fun game.