First of all let me wish a happy new year to you all. And quite a year it has been, 1998 marked with a very interesting crop of new games.

While most gamers play SFzero3 and wonder were the hell is this going to end, most of us are happy that KOF 98 and SS4 outlived most of our expectations.

In the case of the KOF series, I have to admit that ever since 96 hit me I've discovered that you can make a game better, not just by adding stuff, but by improving; is all in the details of the game you see, since the KOF tried-and-succesful engine hasn't changed very much. KOF 98 has indeed superbly marked the year with its graphics, animation and ever growing crowd of characters.

SS64 II seems to have ended the experiment. SNK should be rewarded for taking such a risky move, and even if the product failed to achieve it's goal (seek a 3D fan crowd) I can honestly say that it's best to live and let go. We now know that a 2D SS5 game IS in the works and we hope, EXPECT, to see, to feel, to hear and to be completely blown away by it, all in hopes to show the KOF crowd that SS is truly a gamers dream: it is very original and innovative.

I call the SS64 series experiments because that's what the seem to be. I know the game didn't get massively shipped to the US, it didn't go very far from the Asian countries and certainly it didn't go anywhere near where I live, so I must be careful to speak of it, because I haven't played it (damn!)

Whatever be the case, rest assured that I will give it time; SS5 has a high chance to "wear" a new look and feel (gameplay) and if that be the case I think we shouldn't let what happened with SS3 happen again. I am 100% sure that the MAIN reason SS3 derived from SS2 is because at that point the game aquired it's own look, it's own feel, it's own "personality". I like SS2, but I still find it very "Street Fighteresque" . SS3 was very different and THAT was a cue. That point made the difference. Those who love SF stuck with SS2 and those who stuck with SS3  found indeed a very cool, missinterpreted and new game ( I hated it firstly, how sorry I am now...) Then SS4 came sporting the same SS3 look, meaning that the game had found itself and could be distingushed from all of the other SF clones.

And that why I think SS4 outlived it's expectations. Many people still play it, 2 years after it's release.

I know SNK won't let me down, and even if it did, I would know how to make the game work, I would play it and I would boast how good it is.

All because I like Samurai Shodown. That much.

Next, on the failed games' channel, the King of Samurai.... )=P