For almost every product there is usually an originator and a duplicator. The originator is usually the product that comes out first to market and grabs the attention of consumers. The “duplicator” or “copy-cat” is the product that comes out after the originator and is usually just released to hopefully attract consumers willing to purchase the same or similar product. 

This is a common cycle with most businesses around the world because it’s a way to make a quick buck for the company. Why worry about inventing a new product (and the cost associated with developing a new innovative product) when you can take the idea someone already and make money. Brilliant! For those of you that are bored with my elementary level analysis of Business 101, just think about a few examples. It shouldn’t be hard to come up with a handful of examples of products you’re using right now. In fact if you’re reading this review then you’re already aware of a copy-cat/duplicator product, The King of Fighters.

Now, wait a minute, before I get hate mail from the SNK faithful you have to hear me out first. The King of Fighters series by SNK was born out of the explosion that was Street Fighter II. Street Fighter II (SFII) was a ground breaking and revolutionary 2D -game that spawned countless number of sequels. SFII was so popular that literally most gaming companies were releasing 2D fighting games in the arcades and home consoles. SNK was one of the companies competing with Capcom in the arcade industry with games such as Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury. While these games were well made fighting games they always remained “under the radar” so to speak. For every 10 people playing SFII you would have maybe four to five playing Art of Fighting or Fatal Fury. But because fighting games were so popular it always seemed as if a new version of SFII, Art of Fighting or Fatal Fury was being released every few months. SFII might have been more popular there was still plenty of people playing the SNK-developed fighting games.

At one point there were so many fighting games released that it became hard to please the fans with sequels. It seemed that for every new character added a former fan favorite was omitted. SNK had a brilliant idea of trying to include an assortment of characters from their other fighting games in one game. Out of this was born the King of Fighters series. The first King of Fighters game released in the arcades was King of Fighters 94 (KoF94). In fact up until 2004 there was always a yearly update to the King of Fighters series. With each year new characters were created, old characters added (or removed), and the game was always released for the same system, the Neo Geo AVS system. The Neo Geo AVS system was one of the longest-lasting gaming systems every released. In fact if you visit five arcades today there’s a good chance three of those arcades will still have a Neo Geo AVS system playing.

But enough of the business and history lesson, let’s talk about a PS2 game. King of Fighters 2002/2003 is the latest edition of the KoF series available for the PS2. Similar to the previous version released on PS2 (2000/2001) the latest version includes two different games from the King of Fighter series. KoF 2002 and KoF 2003 are two different fighting games that were previously available only for the Neo Geo home system. But take into consideration that purchasing a copy of the home version of either KoF 2002 or KoF 2003 for the Neo Geo home system would cost you at least $200.00 each. But for us lucky PS2 owners a little patience paid off very well. Both versions included in this collection include some additional features not found in the original arcade or home versions.

The same great playing and controlling fighting games are included. There isn’t a difference between how the original arcade version play compared to the PS2 versions. All of the same moves are included in both versions and if you played either version in the arcade then you won’t have a problem duplicating the moves on the PS2 version. The only issue with the controls is due to the PS2 controller. The controller works well but still isn’t the best choice for a 2D-fighting game. A tight and responsive arcade style control stick will always work better for any of the SNK or Capcom fighting games. If you’ve played nothing but Street Fighter games then you will have to spend some time getting used to the different moves of the SNK characters. The game includes a built-in skill set list that you can view at any time when you pause the game.

The graphics for both versions are almost identical to the arcade versions. Now remember these games were designed on a system that is almost 16-years old. So while you still get great animation and detailed graphics for the characters and stages, the out-of-date look of the graphics might turn off some players. These are low-resolution character sprites simply because of the technology the games were designed on. The game does include some 3D updates to the backgrounds, which fit in very nicely with the rest of the game. Some of the new 3D updates do stand out a little compared to the rest of the background but it’s nothing that’s a shock to your eyes. If you want both games include the ability to turn off the 3D updates and play the games in the standard arcade mode. Give it a try and you’ll probably stick with the updated backgrounds.

Since these are two different games then there is obviously a difference between both games. In the previous King of Fighter games (up until 2002) the concept was usually a team-match setting. You selected up to three characters for your team and battled it out against the other fighters. When one of your characters went down, the round would be over. The next fighter on the team would play the next round and this would repeat until either you or the computer was the last one standing. As I mentioned, this is the same setup in KoF 2002, but KoF 2003 changes it up. In KoF 2003 you still select three fighters for your team but you can now “tag in” another fighter at any time by pressing the R1 or R2 button. Instead of matches dragging on for a while, KoF 2003 had a quicker and (at least to me) more enjoyable pace to game.

The other difference between both games is the number of fighters available for you to choose from. In KoF 2002 there are over 40-plus characters to choose from while in 2003 this number is reduced considerably. If you’re a fan of the SNK fighting games then you will find more of your favorite characters in 2002. If you’ve never played a King of Fighters game then you will probably enjoy the faster-paced action in 2003. But if you want to go it old school, then you still have the option of single play in both games. Single play is where you select just one character to play in the game. Both games offer the Team play or Single Play option. In KoF 2003 there is a survival option for both Team and Single player that allows you to see how long you can last with the same characters with no continues. Both games also include a Practice mode and a Gallery mode.

Both games included in this collection are classic 2D-fighting games that shouldn’t be overlooked. If you’ve grown up on Tekken or Virtua Fighter then these might not be the games for you. However, if you really want a challenge then you shouldn’t overlook the King of Fighters 2002/2003 for PS2. Classic games are always great to have but getting two classic games in one collection is even better.

Gameplay: 8.7
Gameplay is always the bread and butter of any fighting game. KoF 2002/2003 will not disappoint the arcade purist or the hardcore fans of the 2D fighting genre. All of the moves and controls are replicated with perfect precision. The computer AI can be frustrating at times because some of the boss characters will perform an endless array of special moves repeatedly. If you play with an arcade-style control stick then you can add an additional ½ a point to the gameplay score.

Graphics: 8.3
The 2D-old school-style graphics might not be for everyone. Fans of this genre will have no problems with detailed graphics and animations of the characters. The standard background graphics are nothing to amaze you with but the updated 3D graphics add a nice shine to the graphics.

Sound: 7.7
The sound effects and music in the game will not blow you away. In fact I could barely hear the music while I was playing the game; the sound effects seemed to drown out the music. What I did hear wasn’t memorable or catchy enough to sample the background music in the option menus. The 2002 version includes the original arcade sound track while the 2003 version includes a remixed version of the soundtrack (along with the arcade soundtrack). The sound effects were well done and fit the game perfectly. All of the same crushing sound effects from the previous games are included.

Difficulty: Medium
The key to any fighting game is practice. If you don’t practice the moves and character enough then it will always seem as if the computer is cheating. But after practicing for a while you shouldn’t have any major issues with the difficulty. Sometimes the game does seem to cheat from time-to-time but this is usually to keep you on your toes. Don’t expect to be able to button mash your way through this game.

Concept: 8.0
Two different games in one package is always a great idea. While both games are similar there is still plenty of differences between both games. The larger amount of characters in 2002 will please the hardcore KoF fans. The improved tag team system in 2003 will give newer players a fast paced challenge. The updated 3D background do help in providing a modern touch to both games.

Multiplayer: N/A
Sadly the PS2 version of King of Fighters 2002/2003 is lacking an online multiplayer component. The game does offer a two-player option for you and a friend. The Xbox version will support Xbox Live but that version isn’t due out for several more months. I know we can’t have online multiplayer in every game, but it’s always a nice feature for fighting games.

Overall: 8.2
Just like everything else the end has to come up sooner or later. In the case of the King of Fighters, the 2003 series was the last version released for the Neo Geo AVS system. It was a long and strange journey for the system and the KoF series. PS2 owners are lucky that both 2002 and 2003 are included in one package at an attractive price of $39.99. The great gameplay, good graphics and inclusion of both games is enough to make this a must-have for fighting-game fans.  If you’re looking for another fighting game to add to your collection then look no further than King of Fighters 2002/2003 for the PS2.