Well! I just got my copy of KoF2002 DC.

It’s got really nice packaging. I’m surprised, as the cover art — in recent Playmore style — is only so-so. I don’t know who their new promo and cover artists are. I don’t know why they persist with pushing this stuff on their poor fans when they’ve got Hiroaki, Tonka, and Nona on the bankroll. What, are they all too busy drawing K’ / K9999 doujinshi? Where are they?

So. The packaging is highly decent. The game is… more polished than it is in its more-familiar-to-me emulated form. All of the voice samples and sound effects have been resampled at a really high rate. The music isn’t arranged, nor did I expect it to be. As with 2001, its samples seem of a higher quality than before.

There seem to be a few nice extra modes, though I’ve yet to unlock them. Then there are King and Shingo, again whom I have yet to find.

The reason? I’m still apathetic.

This game… just isn’t that great. Especially not following 2001, which — while a little scuzzy at first glance — is by far one of the best fighters I’ve played.

The engine seems solid enough. But… the game’s just been thrown together. No interaction amongst the characters. They all just… happen to be in the same game. As if the compromised cast listing were really that rosy a start. No solid, coherent world. Barely any intro animations. Terry vs. Andy? Nope. Kyo vs. Iori? Nope. The hell?

And I just miss the strikers, frankly. It’s sad that there’s not even an option for them. The game feels outdated. Frustrating. Incomplete.

Hollow is my word. That works.

I wonder what happened to all of Terry’s move names.

I got it to support Playmore, and to complete my collection. And because it’s for the Dreamcast. And to assuage my emulation guilt. All… some variation of posterity, rather than actual desire.

I don’t think I’m going to play it much.

Dum dee dum.

Ah well. I presume that Playmore is taking the series back internally, this year. Those who once were Brezza, then were part of Sun, which is now SNK NeoGeo, are technically responsible for the grunt work on the past two games, but Eolith has supposedly done most of the design. We’ll see what SNK has to say — officially — about the new Dragon Power story arc. I do hope that it’s novel. I’m not sure I can take another mediocre KoF. One is sad enough for a lifetime.