Yeah I distinctly recall using Maxima's Vapor Canon in KOF2k1 for Wallbounce shenanigans.
Vapor Cannon counter-hit wallbounce was so fun, but I'm glad he actually got the ability to basically do it himself with EX Vapor in XIII. It took it from being a nice bonus, to a true part of his gameplay.
Also the final kick in Robert's Kyokugen Kick Dance launched the opponent across the screen and result in a bounce which I lead into an easy 5 hit SDM combo when ended with the Haoh Sho Koh Ken.
I think even some of this stuff carried over even into 2k2 UM.
I don't remember the Robert part as well, but I hope he has such tools in XIV. I really wanted to like him more in XIV, as I've always been a fan of the Zanretsuken / Genei'Kyaku stuff, but he just missed out on a few points that'd make him more solid...
There are some pretty big changes going on for sure.
The drive cancel system may have been removed but now ground bounce and the universal wall bounce (which functions differently from the Counter Wire that just a few characters in XIII had) have been added. These systems should make combos interesting both outside of and while in max mode. Wall bounce max mode combos should be pretty sweet, especially when combined with ground bounce, Advanced Cancels etc.
It's weird, because I really liked the Drive cancels in XIII... they flowed so well. it was beautiful. But putting in more obvious transition points like this is probably a great way to make such things congeal for the average player.
What's really interesting about the system changes in XIV is how the overall flow of battle and damage will change due to how meter usage works now.
There is quite a bit that you can do with just 1 power bar now:
1. Guardcancel rolls and blowbacks.
2. Max mode combos.
3. Raw activation for up to 5 or so EX moves.
4. Super.
5. Super cancels.
It might actually be too crazy. SRK peeps are wondering why you wouldn't just use MAX all the time with the power it looks like it gives now. The idea of locking EX's behind a power mode seems really unique for a fighter in general.
I feel like I enjoyed XIII's meter meta more than most KoF's, personally. I never got much out of BC cancels in 2k2UM, because the system honestly felt a bit convoluted and like it favored a small portion of the cast. But with the power being so wide-spread in XII, I felt like it was something I needed to get better at for any character I had in my anchor position.
98's max mode was a thing that existed when I wasn't all that deep into extraneous systems like it, so even now, I don't focus on it as well as I should. Even so, it still feels so much like the normal fighter "Save meter for round ending supers!" system, that I don't find it as memorable as meter being a multi-faceted resource like it was in XIII, and now XIV.
Rush combos will mostly be used by beginners, for anyone above that level it would be a complete waste of meter. This is how I expect players to use 1 power bar:
Beginner: Rush combo
Intermediate: Normals > special > super
Advanced: Normals > max mode > normals > EX moves > super
That is quite the difference in damage. What the advanced player in particular can do is pretty beefy for just 1 power bar.
So overall due to the removal of cancel systems and due to the way meter consumption now works, it seems the long combos from XIII will be gone and instead replaced with more abundant mid-sized combos.
Do we know if rushes can be canceled halfway through? I can see them being worth using to right before the meter portion for many characters, if so. Since they give access to what looks to be unique normals, if any of those leave an enemy at frame disadvantage or at neutral with you, it might be useful as even an advanced tactic.
A very important change with the change in cost of super cancels (i.e. there is no additional cost aside from needing 1 bar for the super) is that raw super canceling has become a whole lot more dangerous.
In particular, the risk of jumping has been increased by quite a bit. In XIII the risk/reward favored the jumper (if he hits then he gets a big combo, if he gets anti-aired then he usually eats very little damge) but in XIV the balance has shifted with the defending player being given a bigger opportunity to punish. Imo invincible anti-airs/reversals into super cancels will be a pretty big factor in XIV.
And with jumps being "slow" and easier to read, this could be very dangerous indeed. Of course, we still have hops, but still.
People on SRK won't stop talking about how weak AA normals were in XIII. It's funny, because I think that's the game that really helped AA weak normal as hop guard really click for me. JP players do a lot of instant-leap-back jump normals, and throw out best AA normals during dead time because of their strength. But while there were a lot more trades rather than pure dominance of C / D anti-airs in XIII, I didn't really mind this.
I more dislike the lack of fresh normal animations for the situations at times. Such as Vice's Cr.C being a shoulder, rather than her 98 style uppercut. Or how much weaker her Far C. Range was, since she didn't nearly shoot off her arm as she does in 98. Instead it was a more standard-range punch, not particularly special.
They post daily screenshots on Twitter and Facebook, and on at least one occasion that included a hint of a character that was revealed via video on the very same day (Tung).
So it's not complete silence, but who knows what can be extrapolated from well-chosen screens...
I hope at some point we graduate to "Matchplay of the day", heh. This was the "screen" for today, BTW:
