Software:KOF: Maximum Impact

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Short description: 2004 video game
KOF: Maximum Impact
Japanese PlayStation 2 box art for KOF: Maximum Impact — Maniax, featuring Soiree, Alba Meira and Lien Neville
Developer(s)Noise Factory
Publisher(s)
  • NA/JP: SNK Playmore
  • PAL: Ignition Entertainment
Producer(s)Masahiro Maeda
Programmer(s)Kazuaki Ezato
Hiroshi Hishikawa
Yasuhiro Kurahashi
Nobuhisa Shinoda
SeriesThe King of Fighters
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • JP: August 12, 2004
  • NA: October 12, 2004[1]
  • AU: February 10, 2005[2]
  • EU: March 4, 2005[3]
Maniax
  • JP: March 23, 2006
Xbox
  • JP: June 23, 2005
  • NA: June 28, 2005[4]
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

KOF: Maximum Impact is a 2004 fighting game developed by Noise Factory and published by SNK Playmore for the PlayStation 2. An enhanced version was released in 2005 for both the Xbox and PlayStation 2, subtitled Maniax. Marketed as a spin-off of SNK's major fighting series The King of Fighters (KOF), whence many of its characters originate, Maximum Impact also contains elements of the Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting series. Maximum Impact is the first 3D fighter made by SNK since 1999's Software:Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition and Software:Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage.[5]

While the version released in the U.S. featured an English dub that was met with much derision (with IGN's Jeremy Dunham going so far as to label it "piss poor"),[6] further releases for the Xbox and PAL PS2 add a choice of English and Japanese language options. The Xbox version also includes an online match mode where matches could be fought between players via Xbox Live. The game was followed in 2006 by Software:KOF: Maximum Impact 2.

Gameplay

Unlike the 2D games from the series, Maximum Impact breaks the team system, causing all the fighters to fight alone (as it depicted in Art of Fighting 2, Fatal Fury 2/Special and Software:Garou: Mark of the Wolves). The story mode is experienced as a single character through the "Mephistopheles Fighting Tournament". For most characters, this consists of fighting six characters, with Duke's cronie / Consigliere Hyena announcing the next opponent between matches. For the final match, one faces Duke himself. For a few "featured" characters (Alba Meira, Soiree Meira, and Lien Neville), the story is more intricate and fleshed out.

The gameplay is similar to those of Tekken, Street Fighter and Bloody Roar series, such as having a more combo command moves system and players being capable of executing juggle combos freely.

In Versus Mode, a single match (be it a one-on-one fight or a 3 vs. 3 battle) is fought against either the computer or another player. In Mission Mode, the player is faced with four levels of ten missions each. Each mission has settings and conditions to be completed. Most of the game's unlockables come through this mode. In Time Attack Mode, the player has to defeat a number of characters as quickly as possible. The online mode is available only on the Xbox version, and features online matchmaking for play between two players.

Plot

It is a spin off of the original line set 2 years after the events of N.E.S.T.S. saga in 2004, an alternate saga to the Ash.

Addis was the most powerful gang in Southtown. Its leader, a man known only as Fate, was considered a modern-day Robin Hood to the poor and downtrodden. He himself had adopted two twin brothers, Alba and Soiree Meira, and trained them to be successors to his legacy. Six months before the in-game events, Fate is killed by Duke, the leader of the up-and-coming Mephistopheles gang. Duke then proceeds to exploit the poor to serve his thirst for power.

In the present day, the "Mephistopheles Fighting Tournament" is beginning, with the venue being all of Southtown. The participants (minus the Meira Brothers and Lien) believe that the tournament is being sponsored by a charity organization known as the Metatron Foundation, but they soon learn that its true sponsor is the Mephistopheles gang. Alba, Soiree and Lien are contacted directly by Hyena, so they know Metatron has nothing to do with this.

Characters

KOF: Maximum Impact has twenty playable characters. Six additional characters make their debut in this game, and most of the remaining roster is inherited from The King of Fighters series, in which only half of the roster made it into the final game. One noteworthy exception to the rule is Rock Howard, brought in from the most recent Fatal Fury chapter, Software:Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

Each character features at least one alternative costume. Some alternate costumes are radically different from the defaults, such as Terry's Garou: Mark of the Wolves look and Clark's professional wrestler persona. In addition to the alternate costumes, characters can be modified with unlockable "rigging models," which add details to the available costumes, such as a wolf mask for Terry or a party hat and banner for Seth.

Newcomers

  • Alba Meira – The star of KOF: Maximum Impact, Alba is a former soldier and prodigy of Fate, the former boss of the Southtown gangs, who enters the tournament so he can contact (and destroy) Duke to basically rule Southtown in Fate's stead.
  • Soiree Meira – Alba's younger twin brother, who is more brash than his cool-headed older brother. He is determined to help Alba dispose of Duke by any means necessary. He also seems to like Chae Lim
  • Chae Lim – Star pupil of Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters character Kim Kaphwan, who enters the tournament in his place
  • Duke – The leader of the Mephistopheles gang that controls Southtown. Earned the nickname "Hell's Executioner" because of the prominent scar across his neck. Duke is the final boss of the game.
  • Lien Neville – A buxom assassin-for-hire who currently has Duke as her client, ordered to enter the KOF tournament and dispose of any insurgency.
  • Mignon Beart – A young witch-in-training who enters the tournament to test her own might and help create world peace.

Veterans

  • Athena Asamiya
  • Clark Still
  • Iori Yagami
  • K'
  • Kyo Kusanagi
  • Leona
  • Mai Shiranui
  • Maxima
  • Ralf Jones
  • Rock Howard
  • Ryo Sakazaki
  • Seth
  • Terry Bogard
  • Yuri Sakazaki

Development

Several of the new characters from the game were designed to be the counterparts of other KOF characters. Both Meira brothers were initially conceptualized to be the counterparts to Fatal Fury stars, Terry and Andy Bogard, given the game's setting is the same as their predecessors. Lien conceptually began as a contrast to fellow KOF participant Mai Shiranui. While Mai represents a "sexy and beautiful kunoichi", Lien represents another counterpart: the "sexy Western femme fatale". Her outfits are purposely designed to be "tight and constricting" to contrast Mai's clothing, which is made to allow for easy and quick movements.[7] To further the contrast between the two assassins, efforts were made to make Lien more serious and darker than Mai, despite being one of the heroines in the series.[8] Similar to how Lien contrasts Mai, Mignon was designed to be the rival to Athena. Her magical powers were created to counter Athena's Psycho Powers, which is interpreted by Falcoon to be akin to witchcraft.[7]

Originally, Kim Kaphwan was going to enter the first entry of the Maximum Impact series under the pseudonym "Mr. Taekwondo" – in the same fashion as Art of Fighting's Mr. Karate. Due to veteran designers' complaints and other difficulties at the time, it was finally decided to leave Kim out of the game's lineup but add another character like him to replace his absence. While several other characters were considered for the spot – including other SNK characters such as Jhun Hoon, May Lee, and Buriki One character Seo Yong Song – a fellow developer voiced interest in creating another female Taekwondo fighter with the same "professional" manner as Kim, which eventually formed the basis for Chae Lim.[7]

The updated version Maniax's PS2 version was only released in Japan, and the Xbox version was not released in PAL territories.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(Xbox) 70.42% (32 reviews)[9]
(PS2) 68.04% (48 reviews)[10]
Metacritic(Xbox) 69/100[11]
(PS2) 64/100[12]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameSpot7.0/10 (Xbox)[13]
6.7/10 (PS2)[14]
IGN7.8/10 (Xbox)[15]
7.4/10 (PS2)[16]

Prior to its release, KOF: Maximum Impact was a finalist from GameSpot's "Best of E3 2004" in the category Best Fighting Game. However, it lost to Software:Mortal Kombat: Deception.[17] Ben Herman, president from SNK Playmore USA, commented that although he received complaints about the English voices for the game, Maximum Impact sold over 100,000 units as of May 2006.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Kohler, Chris (October 12, 2004). "Brace for KOF: Maximum Impact" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/brace-for-kof-maximum-impact/1100-6110297/. 
  2. ↑ "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact". http://www.gpstore.com.au/Games/1470089.html. 
  3. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (March 4, 2005). "What's New?". https://www.eurogamer.net/whatsnew-040305. 
  4. ↑ Surette, Tim (June 28, 2005). "KOF: Maximum Impact - Maniax hits stores" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kof-maximum-impact-maniax-hits-stores/1100-6128263/. 
  5. ↑ "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact PS2 Video Game Review". Kidzworld. http://www.kidzworld.com/article/5046-king-of-fighters-maximum-impact-ps2-video-game-review. 
  6. ↑ "IGN King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review". 14 October 2004. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/554/554861p1.html. "What really brings it down severely, though, is the terribly bad voice acting. The original Japanese tracks have been removed completely in favor of some truly piss-poor American dub work. It's kind of reminiscent of Spike TV's Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, actually only without the (intentional) humor." 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Falcoon. "February 2006 Entries" (in ja). Falcoon Blog — KOF Maximum Impact 2 Develo-Diary. http://www.snkplaymore.jp/blog/falcoon/archives/2006/02/. 
  8. ↑ Akihiko Ureshino. "February 2006 Entries" (in ja). Ureyusa Blog – KOF Maximum Impact 2 Develo-Diary. http://www.snkplaymore.jp/blog/ureshino/archives/2006/02/. 
  9. ↑ "The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact — Maniax". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/926706-the-king-of-fighters-maximum-impact-maniax/index.html. 
  10. ↑ "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/919020-king-of-fighters-maximum-impact/index.html. 
  11. ↑ "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Maniax". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbx/kingoffightersmaximumimpact?q=maximum%20impact. 
  12. ↑ "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps2/kingoffightersmaximumimpact?q=maximum%20impact. 
  13. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (2005-07-07). "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/kofmaximumimpact/review.html. 
  14. ↑ Kasavin, Greg (2004-10-15). "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/kofworkingtitle/review.html. 
  15. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (2005-07-07). "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review". IGN. http://xbox.ign.com/articles/632/632154p1.html. 
  16. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (2004-10-14). "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review". IGN. http://ps2.ign.com/articles/554/554861p1.html. 
  17. ↑ "Best Fighting Game". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/features/6098994/p-8.html. 
  18. ↑ Jursudakul, James (2006-05-13). "E3 2006: Interview with SNK Playmore USA President Ben Herman". Kombo.com. http://360.kombo.com/article.php?artid=7430&pg=3. 
  • KOF: Maximum Impact official Japanese website
  • KOF: Maximum Impact- Maniax official Japanese website
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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