Sometimes doing a review of a game you’ve already played can be a challenge. How do you go over parts of a game again that are virtually the same regardless of the platform? What can you mention that you didn’t already cover since the games are almost identical? This is the dilemma I’m facing with the Wii version of the King of Fighters Collection. Both versions are almost identical with only a few minor differences. Yet these differences are really only dependent on which platform you own or currently play.

The PS2 version earned a positive review by me with a score of 7.5. The game is a solid collection of older King of Fighter games that is starting to show its age after almost eighteen years since the first game was released. The Wii version is fundamentally exactly the same game, with same games bundled in the collection. So then what are the differences between the Wii and PS2 version? First let’s review a little bit more about the King of Fighters series. Below are excerpts from the PS2 version that can be located here. 

Instead of being just another fighting game King of Fighters (KOF) was a dream match for SNK fans. The game included many of the same characters they’ve played before in Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury and other SNK games. The core gameplay was no longer just a one on one battle; instead KOF offered something new, a 3-vs.-3 setup. You selected a team that was composed of three fighters who could compete against other teams across the globe. One fighter would battle against another fighter from the other team. The defeated character would then be replaced by one of the remaining characters left on the team. For a fighting game in 1994 the huge collection of characters and 3-on-3 combat really was something unique and it did create some considerable buzz for many of us addicted to 2D fighters at the time.

Now here we are in 2009 and SNK Playmore has graced us with The Orochi Saga Collection. This collection contains KOF 94, 95, 96, 97 and 98 all on one disc. For gamers today that might not seem like a big deal but for me it’s almost unimaginable that all of these games could be squeezed onto one disc. The Neo Geo system was the system at the time when it came to games that were unbelievable large in size. It was the only system that provided gamers an opportunity to play the same exact game as the arcade version. There wasn’t a difference between the arcade version and the home version, no ports; these were 1:1 games. Now in 2009 we get all of the games stuffed onto one DVD disc; Ahh….the marvels of technology.

What we get with the Orochi Saga is a very spot-on reproduction of the original games. The entire signature moves and characters you might remember are all included. Each version offers improvements from the earlier version, with most of the improvements being very minor details. The team rule introduced in the 94 version was expanded in KOF 95 by allowing you to select from any three characters to form your team. Old and new characters were constantly introduced and rotated from version to version. Graphically the games are all very similar but the visuals do seem cleaner and with smoother animation starting with KOF 96.

Ok, so now after all of that just what are the differences between the PS2 and Wii version? Well, for me the only really big difference was the controls. Since the Wii is a chameleon of control schemes you have several different choices in how you can play the game. The standard controls allow you to play the game with just the Wii Remote by holding it sideways. You punch and kick commands are executed by pressing the A, B and 1 & 2 buttons. Moving is done with the directional arrow. Sounds simply enough but in functionality the Wii remote does not have the idle layout for a 2D fighter. Extending backwards to press the A button or getting use to pressing the B button on the back of the controller never felt great to me. The game does support left handed gamers with a Left Hand Wii remote control option.

Then you have the Wii remote plus nunchuk setup that was a little better. Movement is done with the nunchuk stick while the attack buttons are mapped to two buttons on the nunchuk and the A & B buttons on the Wii remote. This felt better but having the controls spread out among two different controllers still felt awkward. Then you have the GameCube controller option which is Ok, if you’ve done any fighting with the GameCube controller. For me the best option was the classic controller configuration. The response of the classic controller felt much more conducive to my moves and played more like a classic 2D fighter I grew up. After just a couple of minutes with the classic controller I felt that same kind of competitive juices flowing within as I kept making my way through the games. For me the classic controller setup is where the game can really shine since it offers a more accurate controller response that reminded me of the great SNK fighters of the past. 

The other difference between the PS2 and Wii version were the visuals. But I have to be honest the visuals are the same, it’s just the setup I’m using is different for my PS2 than my Wii. The PS2 is hooked up to a 27-inch HDTV while the Wii is hooked up to a 40-inch HDTV. A game from 1994 or even 1998 was never designed to be shown on a 1080P 40-inch HDTV and it really shows on a big screen. All of the games were extremely pixilated since the games are blown up to a size they were never developed to be seen at. While these visuals might have looked great 10 years ago on a standard definition 19-inch television they look very dated on a modern big screen television. There are no remixed or enhanced graphic versions of the games hidden within the collection.

The Wii version of The Orochi Saga is still the same great playing collection available for the PS2. For gamers looking to relieve their arcade glory days they will probably have a blast with the gameplay, but will probably be initially repulsed by the visuals. But visuals are only part of the game and thankfully these games can still withhold the testament of time when it comes to gameplay. This collection is all about the gameplay and the gameplay is very strong with the Wii version, with the right control setup of course.

Gameplay: 8.0
Everything you played from years ago is still intact with The Orochi Saga. For anyone that never played a SNK fighter before should be warned that these games do not control the same as a Capcom fighter. Please understand this and don’t have the same expectations I did when I started playing these games years ago. Spend some quality time in the training mode to get use to the sometimes extravagant maneuvers you will need to perform. Make sure to try out each control scheme to find one that works best for you.

Graphics: 7.4
Visually these games look identical compared to their original versions. Yet keep in mind that we are talking about games almost 10 years old so don’t expect any modern day 2D visual treatment we see now.

Sound: 7.0
The game includes the all of the vintage tracks and voiceovers you might have purged from your memory years ago.  Yes some are great while others are not so great.

Concept: 7.5
The training mode and challenge mode are great features to spruce up these games. Unfortunately the core game mechanics are still the same 2D fighting we’ve been playing for years now.

Multiplayer: N/A
I’m only grading this on the lack of online multiplayer. Of course the game still supports two players so you and a buddy can relive your glory days together.

Difficulty: Medium
Even on the level 1 difficulty I was having a hard time getting used to just how precise (cheap?) the computer was in certain battles. Some games in the collection I would lose at the first battle while others I would get near the end without losing once.

Overall: 7.5
The first five games in the KOF series are faithfully duplicated for the Wii in all of their glorious, if not aging, splendor. But gameplay is really the key for any fighting game and this collection will not disappoint in that regard.