I made a thread about the PS2 version last July.
I would have gotten the Xbox Neowave, not to mention KOF 2003, but I don't believe they are compatible with the 360. And while I still like Neowave, since that time, I've been playing KOF XI, Neo-Geo Battle Coliseum, and Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi Kenkakuten, which are better fighters IMO.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57446&highlight=neowave
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The King of Fighters Neowave
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Platform: Playstation 2
Developer: Sammy/SNK Playmore
Publisher: SNK Playmore
Genre: Fighting
# Of Players: 1-2
Price: 6800 Yen
Released: 07/21/05 (Japan only)
Other: Online Play using KDDI Service (Japan only)
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--Game Info--------
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The King of Fighters Neowave was the first SNK title to be released on Sammy's Atomiswave arcade hardware rather than the Neo-Geo MVS. The game is essentially an upgrade to The King of Fighters 2002, and while the arcade version altered the line-up by removing several characters or making them unlockable hidden characters, the Playstation 2 version receives an additional five extra characters (Angel, Seth, May Lee, Omega Rugal, and Kusanagi), giving Neowave all of the original 2002 cast (minus K9999) plus Saishyu, King, Shingo, Jhun, and the game's new boss, the younger version of Geese Howard from Art of Fighting 2, making a total of 47 playable characters. Like KOF 2002 and KOF '98 before it, Neowave is a "Dream Match" game, meaning there is no storyline whatsoever.
What's new to KOF Neowave lies in the game play. The game system has now been changed; there are five buttons rather than the standard four; the new fifth button activates your character's Heat Gauge. Going into Heat mode makes your character temporarily stronger, but causes your lifebar to drain until the mode is turned off.
The game play system has now been split into three separate selectable types of modes:
Super Cancel allows for up to three super bars, and the ability to cancel special moves into other special moves. Doing this will use one super bar, and you can also cancel into DMs, SDMs, and HSDMs (must have 1/6th life left) with two or three stocks stored.
Guard Break mode allows for Just Defend parry attacks a la Garou Mark of The Wolves. You get two super bars, and can also do unblockable guard break attacks which use up one of your super meters.
Max2 Mode has your character's super meter increases automatically, however, you lose the ability to roll or evade attacks (although you can do recovery rolls when you get knocked down). HSDMs can be done with 1/4th of your lifebar remaining.
Although KOF Neowave's sprites are the same as KOF 2002, Neowave has a noticeably more colorful and smoother look compared to the Neo-Geo KOF games. You can choose from six levels of sprite filtering, as well as edit two of the character's four color schemes.
The backgrounds, high-res 2D in the arcade, and made 3D for the Playstation (both versions are selectable) with added day/night variations, are of a much higher quality than past games, although they do tend to look empty or are devoid of animation for the most part.
Neowave also has a brand new soundtrack, with both the original arcade and a new arranged version available, and both sound immensely better than the soundtracks found in the KOF games that were released after the old SNK shut down back in 2001. While not quite the same, the music reminds more of the older KOF games with mostly jazzier tunes and some tecnho thrown in.
KOF Neowave offers the usual array of play modes, including Team Play, Single Play, Practice, and Endless (survival) mode. Playing through the Endless mode will unlock bonus characters as well as character artwork in the gallery mode.
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--Overall----------
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Graphics: 8/10- The filtering options give the characters a smooth, colorful look, but these are still the same old sprites (some dating back to 1996) that are being reused over and over again. The detailed backgrounds really help to enhance the experience and make Neowave stand out from the other KOF games, but they come off as sparse and empty compared to some of the other KOF titles. Presentation is very bland, although none of it means much once you start fighting. Character artwork looks fantastic.
Sound: 8/10- Great music that sounds much better than the soundtracks found in KOF 2001-2003, but still not quite up to pre-2000 standards.
Game Play: 10/10- A bit tighter compared to KOF 2002. The new Guard Break mode in particular makes an already in-depth fighter play even better and allows for even more types of game play. If you like the way KOF 2002 plays, chances are you will love KOF Neowave.
Replay Value: 8/10 (Not counting online play as I am unable to try it)- You can always spend countless hours going head to head with friends, but for single player, It's always nice to have more than just the standard practice and survival modes. Where are the time attack/challenge modes that KOF 2002 had?
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The King of Fighters Neowave offers offers no (real) new characters or content, but there's no denying that this is easily one of the best KOF games in the series, and the new game play systems add more depth and new game play options that really help to enhance the overall experience. Reccomended for fans; casual players will likely want to pass on this and get The King of Fighters 2002/2003 two pack instead.
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