PlayStation

The King of Fighters '99

The mode simply doesn't fit in the King of Fighters series, though, and is more of a novelty than a game mode. The sounds and animations of the Neo Geo were apparently too much for the PlayStation to handle, and the quality is significantly lower. Load times also bog down the PlayStation version, making an excellent arcade fighting game a PSX rental, at best. Hardcore fans should note it includes an art gallery and color edit mode which are really nice bonuses for SNK die-hards.

The King of Fighters '99 for the PlayStation is a fairly good port in and of itself, especially considering the limitations of the aging PlayStation hardware. It features all of the background stages of the original game, as well as the full arranged soundtrack. Unfortunately, the game's voice samples are distorted and the animations are short a few frames. Otherwise, it's a decent port - but it's a decent port of an inherently disappointing game.

There is a certain charm to the old-school fighters. Maybe it's just that once you become intimately familiar with a fighting game, you never really lose your mastery when the next sequel comes around the bend, no matter how many new moves and characters it has. Unfortunately, I can't recommend King of Fighters '99 to anyone but the most dedicated KoF fan.