The King of Fighters 2000
    

 
   
STORY:  After the incident at the previous tournament, the commander of the Ikari Team, Heidern, is determined to figure out the objective of the NESTS cartel so that he can stop them from achieving their ruthless ambition. A fellow commander and long-time friend of Heidern, named Ling, tells the veteran fighter that K' and Maxima were once operatives of NESTS and that they may hold the key to locating the whereabouts of the mysterious organization. Using this information, Heidern decides to focus his efforts in using the next KOF tournament as a way to lure both K' and Maxima out so that they can be captured and interrogated into telling the authorities about the NESTS cartel. Unknown to Heidern however, Ling has his own agenda.
 
 

The King of Fighters 2000 character select screen.

   
REVIEW
King of Fighters 2000 is the seventh game in SNK's long-running series. The 2000 edition's gameplay engine builds upon the striker system introduced in KOF '99. The game now features an Active Striker System, allowing players to summon the Striker member at any time during gameplay (even when jumping or knocked down). Strikers are most effectively used in the midst of combos for longer and more damaging combos!
 
 

Master the power of the flame and the assist attack. . .

 

After players chose their 3 team members from a selection of SNK icons (and some newcomers), they then pick their fourth team member (striker). This time, players can either choose to use the default fourth character they selected or an alternate character known as "Another Striker" — used exclusively for assist attacks. An impressively wide variety of SNK characters spanning many different franchises make their debuts as KOF strikers, and there's one per each playable fighter in KOF 2000! The alternate strikers range from Fatal Fury veterans like Geese Howard, to Samurai Shodown's Nakoruru, to Fio from the Metal Slug series, and many others worth discovering representing classic SNK games. There are even some secret "Maniac strikers" hidden in the game. See our Alternate Strikers gallery for more!

 

KOF 2000 has great newcomers!

 

The gameplay of KOF 2000 is as solid as you'd expect from the series, with the striker system enhancing and speeding up KOF's traditional 2D gameplay. The "Emergency Evasive Action" from King Of Fighters '98 also marks it's return in KOF 2000. Graphically, KOF 2000 isn't anything groundbreaking, but is one of the best looking KOF titles to date. Some characters sprites are certainly beginning to look aged, but there are a great selection of new 2D sprites & characters to remind you you're playing a new and unique KOF game.

 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  View more products at TFG Shop

 

Page Updated: January 21st, 2024
Developer(s): SNK
Publisher(s): SNK
Artwork by: Shinkiro      Character Art / Posters
Hiroaki
        Promo Art / Posters
Yukinari
      In-Game Character Portraits
Platform(s): Neo Geo, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, PS4, PSN
Release Date(s): July 26th, 2000         Arcade
Feb. 18th, 2015          PS2
May 3rd, 2016             PS4
Characters Kyo, Benimaru, Andy, Terry, Joe, K', Maxima, Whip, Bao, Kasumi, Jhun, Ryo, Robert, Hinako, Vanessa, Ramon, Seth, Lin, Mai, King, Yuri, Ralf, Leona, Clark, Athena, Kensou, Chin, Iori, Chang, Kim, Choi, Blue Mary, Takuma, Shingo, Kula, Zero

Featured Video:

Related Games: KOF '94, KOF '94: Re-bout, KOF '95, KOF '96, KOF '97, KOF '98, KOF '98: Ultimate Match, KOF '99, KOF 2001, KOF 2002, KOF 2002: Unlimited Match, KOF 2003, KOF XI, KOF XII, KOF XIII, KOF XIV, KOF XV, KOF: Maximum Impact, KOF: Maximum Impact MANIAX, KOF: Maximum Impact 2, KOF: Maximum Impact Regulation A, KOF: Neowave, KOF EX Neo Blood, KOF EX2 Howling Blood, KOF R1, KOF R2, KOF Collection: Orochi Saga , Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, SFIII: 3rd Strike, SNK Vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash, SNK Vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium
  

Gameplay Engine

 8.5 / 10

Story / Theme

 8.0 / 10

Overall Graphics

 8.0 / 10

Animation

 7.5 / 10

Music / Sound Effects

 8.5 / 10

Innovation

 8.0 / 10

Art Direction

 9.5 / 10

Customization

 9.0 / 10

Options / Extras

 9.0 / 10

Intro / Presentation

 9.0 / 10

Replayability / Fun

 8.5 / 10

"Ouch" Factor

 8.0 / 10

Characters

 9.5 / 10

BOTTOM LINE

 9.0 / 10

 Review based on Arcade version  

 

Final Words:

For some reason or another, KOF 2000 happens to be one of my personal favorites of the entire KOF series.... Why? Awesome character roster, tons of cameos & throwbacks, memorable music & stages, and the Active Striker system - which makes KOF's classic gameplay formula flashier and more fun, in my opinion. With the vast number of strikers, there are tons of combo possibilities, gimmicks and strategies, offering a unique type of gameplay experience to each individual player.

Considering hot 2D fighting games like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike were out at the time of KOF 2000's arrival, I actually think SNK did a pretty good job keeping up with trends in the genre. While not a true "tag" mechanic, the Stryker system definitely added variety and personality to the game, while making KOF seem more modern.

KOF2000 wasn't the most balanced or most polished KOF, but has a certain charm not found in other installments. In retrospect, the fan service of old school SNK characters appearing in KOF2000 is worth a return to the game every now and again. I'd say the biggest flaw of KOF2000 is a lack of stages. Most stages in the game are pretty bland and have a "lonely" feeling about them. A return of some classic KOF destinations would've given the game a more festive feel (even if they reused some older ones). Considering the hardware limitations and the time period of its release, KOF2000 was a pretty solid and interesting 2D fighting game of the era.
~TFG Webmaster | @FIGHTERS_GEN  
 
 

   
baijang-k2k.gif (16879 bytes)             athena-k2k.gif (16915 bytes)             chang-smart-k2k.gif (17793 bytes)             choi-cool-k2k.gif (18683 bytes)
 
dong-k2k.gif (15502 bytes)             duckking-k2k.gif (17658 bytes)             fio-k2k.gif (13667 bytes)             gmantle-k2k.gif (15529 bytes)
 

Click here for all Striker Sprites!

 
 
 
FOLLOW    ON:                            
TFG NEWS CHARACTERS GAMES

 


.