Review: The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition

The King of Fighters XIII's console online mode was the stuff of nightmares. While players could technically play each other online, the netcode was bad enough to render all online games unusable for people looking to further their competitive play. It was so bad that people labeled KOF XIII a dead game almost immediately on its launch, believing the offline community alone could not carry the game. Two years later, however, and The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition arrived to create the definitive version of the game and improve on the problems of its console release. The version for Windows computers is definitely the best version of KOF XIII to date, but it's still not a flawless package.

For those who have never played KOF XIII, it is a game that tries hard to please both new and old players alike. For every instance of SNK Playmore rebooting the franchise in the game, whether it be through redesigned and updated graphics; easier gatling-style combos and other beginner-friendly options like trials mode; or the HD combo system, there is always a gameplay quirk of older SNK games left alone. Some of these quirks include input shortcuts and alternate guard, two exploits found in older KOF games that became “features” during the years. What then emerges from that development mentality is a game that is not really new, except in looks, but that doesn't play exactly like the older SNK games either.

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The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition Now Available

The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition is now available for purchase on Steam!

The game's user interface is based on the Xbox 360 version with all gameplay tweaks based on the arcade version, Climax. Thoroughly tested during the game's beta period, Steam Edition also features an optimized online code.

If you're new to KOF and want to get up to date you can find a series of guide videos from SNK Playmore, translated by Korean player Gato Ray, after the jump! Stay tuned for more info on The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition on IPLAYWINNER!

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Siliconera Interview With SNK Playmore About The King Of Fighters XIII Steam Edition, Console Netcode Update Unlikely

Spencer of Siliconera was able to communicate with SNK Playmore about the upcoming PC version of The King of Fighters XIII.

The small interview with SNKP as well as internal programmer Jason Varlet revealed the developer/publisher's interest in the PC gaming industry as well as information behind the netcode development for Steam Edition. Varlet added that the console version netcode might not recieve the same treatment given in KOFXIIISE.

"Console versions will most likely not get an update, unfortunately," Varlet said. "So those wishing to take advantage of the improved netcode will have to pick it up on Steam."

You can find the full interview here as well as the launch trailer after the jump! The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition is available Sep. 13, 2013!

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The King Of Fighters XIII Steam Edition Online Beta Test Extended Until Launch Day

The online beta test period for the Steam build of The King of Fighters XIII has expanded once more.

Users capable of playing the online beta test for KOFXIIISE can now play more up until release day. "The feedback we are receiving from you all have been invaluable," SNK Playmore programmer Jason Varlet said. "So we wish to continue testing and improving with you all!"

Players who pre-order the game now up until release can participate in the beta test to help provide feedback in the game's Steam Community Forum. The game is currently at version 9.7 where SNKP had to remove support for monitors with refresh rates over 60hz to investigate bugs for users who own said monitors.

The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition will be available on Sep. 13!

The King Of Fighters '98 China National Convention 2013 Grand Finals Archive, Xiaohai Vs. Laohei

The biggest tournament for The King of Fighter '98 this year was in China with the grand finals featuring a familiar compeitor and one of the best players in the nation.

This KOF'98 National Convention tournament grand finals featured very strong player Laohei going against top competitor Xiaohai. This grand finals was structured as a first to 15 matches format. The winner of the tournament took 20,000 Chinese Yuan ($3268 USD).

The whole first to 15 grand finals took almost two hours, going down to the wire and you can find it after the jump!

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The King Of Fighters XIII Steam Edition Online Beta Test Expanded To Pre-Order Users

The beta for The King of Fighters XII expanded its testing phase as well as opening its entry to more users.

Originally limited to 300 participants through redeemable code, people who have pre-ordered the game are now able to participate in the online testing. Much like existing participants before, the pre-order users can load up content and examine the online performance of KOFXIIISE. Make sure to help out in the development feedback at the discussion forums!

If you have pre-ordered the game, make sure to log in to your Steam account and enjoy the beta before its closure on Sep. 6 and the final release on Sep. 13!

Super Desperation Radio Episode 228, Win One Of Two The King Of Fighters XIII Steam Edition Beta Testing Codes

Monday is Super Desperation Radio night on IPLAYWINNER. You should tune into this one especially!

The episode featuring the usual hosts of Arcade Shock's Giby and Hellpockets, SuperFX, LordWalkman and Sanchez discussed extensively about The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition online beta test.

This episode, two lucky people recieved codes for The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition online beta test. Congratulations to them and we hope you help out SNK Playmore with appropriate feedback!

SDR is on every Mon. at 6:30pm PST through our YouTube and Twitch channels! You can find this episode after the jump

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Online Multiplayer Video Of The King Of Fighters XIII Steam Edition

With The King Of Fighters XIII Steam Edition coming close to its Sep. 13 release, here is a video showing off its online mode.

The video goes through a small bit of the game's user interface different from the console builds including control navigation and the addition of friend matches through use of the Steam's friends list system. Following is a full match through the online mode that looks pretty consistent pace-wise. While not much of the netcode is explicitly revealed at the moment, the lucky 300 participants for the upcoming closed beta will be able to try out the online mode themselves!

You can find the video here!

The King Of Fighters XIII Steam Edition Coming Sep. 13, Pre-Order Deal, Closed Beta Opportunity

Get ready as The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition is now finally dated with some interesting things to look out for!

After months of silence, KOFXIIISE is now dated for Windows platforms on Sep. 13. For those interested in getting the game, a pre-order deal is now available which is 17% off the original $29.99 deal. Publisher and developer SNK Playmore also announced a special closed beta drawing for 300 lucky registered applicants.

Although news that KOFXIIISE wont be recieving the GGPO netcode, SNK Playmore declared this version to have a code "vastly improved" over the console iterations.

You can check out the official Steam page, which includes system requirements, here and the form to submit your closed beta application here!

Juicebox Explains The King Of Fighters XIII's System Mechanics In Juicy Bits

With new info in regards to The King of Fighters XIII Steam Edition, here are some tutorial videos for those new to the game or the series altogether!

Juicy Bits is a series of videos by Juicebox for those trying to learn The King of Fighters XIII. Here is a series of those editions focusing on understanding the general system. This includes tools found in many of the games including blowbacks, rolls and quick recovery as well as aspects special to XIII such as the drive bar and the utilization of HD mode when said bar is full.

You can find four videos explaining these system mechanics after the jump! Also follow Juicebox's YouTube for past and future Juicy Bits editions!

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Xuan Dou Zhi Wang Move Videos With The King Of Fighters' Terry & Benimaru As Well As New Character King, Coming Aug. 5

The anticipated additions of Terry and Benimaru from The King of Fighters are about to arrive soon to Xuan Dou Zhi Wang/King of Combat!

After a partnership with Tencent, XDZW developer Jade Studio and SNK, Terry and Benimaru from KOF, with moves from their '98 iterations, will be playable on Aug. 5 for those who are currently in the closed beta. Also included with the familiar faces is a new character named King. His various moves are influenced by moves popularized by hero-type characters from many fighting games including Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter.

You can check out the movelist overview videos after the jump! Make sure to visit English community site King of Combat on how to install the program and a chance to get into the beta!

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QQ Games Bringing SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters '97, '98, 2002, & '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition

Taiwan fighting game community group NESTSZERO, home to The King of Fighters XIII player Yang Yao Ren, have a tip that SNK Playmore is authorizing some of its fighters onto the QQ Game platform.

Testers have early access to KOF '97, '98, 2002, and '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition which will go public at an undisclosed date. '98UMFE has been a NESiCAxLive exclusive game, once only playable in Japan, up until now, so now the latest rebalance of '98 will be available to international players.

This info came following SNKP's partnership with Tencent, who owns and operates QQ, for providing both Terry Bogard and Benimaru from The King of Fighters series to be playable in Xuan Dou Zhi Wang/King of Combat.

KOFXIII: Post-KCE And V-1 Cups Korea Vs. Japan Team Casuals

The CafeID team were in Japan during the special V-1 Final tournament and the KOF Crazy Encyclopedia Cup. Even after their national team victory against Japan, they engaged themselves in more KOFXIII matches.

They went to Shinjuku Playland Carnival to attend another nation vs. nation team battle against the best players of Japan. While not named, some of you guys who follow the CafeID team will know who played. The game sound is missing, replaced by various music from the series.

You can check all seven parts after the jump! You can follow ImbuedGold for more KOF, including some recent KOF98 and KOF98 Unlimited Match matches, and SNK related videos.

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Rumor: KOF Coming to Steam

Steam's game database which lays the groundwork for upcoming releases has been leaked on multiple sites. The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match, The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match, and the recent The King of Fighters XIII all surprisingly appear within the data mined.

This would mark a huge step forward for SNKPlaymore to finally support PC gaming and could be a major breakthrough for KOF players if the release includes an improved netcode over their console counterparts, which are unplayable online as of the present. There's also the possibility that Steam releases could included the most recently updated version of KOFXIII: Climax and '98 UM Final Edition which have been NESiCA exclusive.

The entire game list can be found here via NeoGAF.

KOF: XI "Training Camp" Sessions From 2009

Another blast from the past courtesy of ImbuedGold. The King of Fighters XI was the last KOF game to utilize a tag system before reverting back to the traditional elimination style for XII and XIII.

IMBUEDGOLD ON YOUTUBE

This video traces back to 2009 where a group of Japanese players spar with each other in series of matches against each other. Along the way, you will see some high level pressure, team tag combos and music that appeared on KOFXIII.

Make sure to check out all the parts after the jump!

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Japanese Art of Fighting Video Featuring Ryo Arcade Mode Playthrough & Match Footage

YouTube user ImbuedGold uploads footage from a variety of games including The King of Fighters XIII Climax and Garou: Mark of the Wolves. This time he has uploaded a special blast from the past.

IMBUEDGOLD ON YOUTUBE

The video after the jump is from Ryuuko no Ken aka Art of Fighting for the Neo-Geo. This was ripped from a special gamest VHS, a video that features character overviews, various high-level matches and even some bonus content. For this video a full arcade mode playthrough of Ryo Sakazaki is one of the many featured sections. You get to see some other characters including King, Robert Garcia, and Mr. Karate who are featured in KOFXIII.

Along with The Shend, I will be posting weekly content from ImbuedGold including Japanese KOFXIII Climax match footage so check back regularly for updates!

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KOFXIII King Guide Update by Sparkster

Our KOFXIII King guide has been updated by the latest member of the IPW family, Sparkster. Expect regular updates to the guide, at least one every week.

Sparkster is well known in the KOF scene for writing infomative guides and being one of the heads behind QuickMax, a video tutorial series for KOF XIII. Sparkster has also contributed a very large chunk to the SRK Wiki. Keep an eye out on the XIII guide for regular updates. 

KOFXIII: Kyo's Instant Air Orochianagi & Combo Tutorial

For those who want to get into Kyo in The King of Fighters XIII, one of the things that makes him very effective is his Instant Air Orochinagi. When used, he can provide very effective combo opportunities. The video by Don't Drop That Combo compares motions of the air Orochinagi and how useful both are. Following on how to perform the IAOs are combos that you can learn with the super. There isn't a transcript of the combos but if you are familiar with moves from Kyo, you will be able to learn these easily.

Check the video after the break!

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Ten Minutes of THE KING OF FIGHTERS-i Gameplay

The King of Fighters-i kind of came out of nowhere, hitting Apple OS devices like iPhone with little warning.  If you are curious about the game, which is available now on iPhone for $7.99, we have a new video which has over ten minutes of direct feed gameplay footage!  Having played Street Fighter 4 on iPhone and being impressed by that title (for it being on a phone!!), I would expect this game to play equally as well. 

If any of you have purchased the game, please share your thoughts on the game! Anyway, video after the break, and it comes courtesy of TheGameTrail.

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SNK Brings NeoGeo Classics to PSN and PSP: Initial Lineup Includes Fatal Fury, King of Fighters '94 and Samurai Showdown

Andriasang reports that SNK Playmore is bringing a new "NeoGeo Station" service to Playstation Network and PSP which will allow you to play NeoGeo classics on those platforms. 

Ten titles will be available to start and these include Fatal Fury, The King of Fighters '94, Samurai Showdown and Art of Fighting.  Separate versions of each title are being sold for the PSP and PS3 (with PS3 versions costing a bit more), but they have some impressive features for an emulation service like this. 

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