#822

Gameplay of the hidden character Classic Kyo Kusanagi in SNK’s King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2/King of Fighters 2006.

Classic Kyo as a hidden character in a KOF game. Yeah, this one is both a no brainer, and no real surprise. Classic forms of Kyo being hiddens go all the way back to KOF 97, where this classic version of Kyo was playable by highlighting Kyo and holding the start button before selecting him. Otherwise known as ’95 Kyo, this is the projectile-using Kyo Kusanagi from KOF 94 and 95. After the series was heavily retuned in KOF 96 he was changed to be less of a shotoclone, but his classic form has reappeared in tons of future games to date, be it as Kyo himself or in the form of some kind of clone. Other noteworthy things about him are that he also retains the rising 3-hit kick which he had as a part of his classic moveset, and also that his alternate outfit is actually the one he first wore as a hidden character in KOF 99. He’s a very meta hidden character it must be said, right down to being called “Kyo Classic” outright like he was some kind of limited edition beer.

I actually found Kyo a little more difficult to use than the other characters. His projectile is pretty useless (as most of them are in this game), and his combos flow in a rather awkward fashion, requiring some tricky timing on the player’s part. Indeed, he definitely reminds me of playing a classic KOF title, so I suppose he’s served his job in that way. Classic Kyo here is as a decent as he usually is, but for me always acts as a reminder of why Kyo’s moveset change was so necessary. There’s just something a little bland about this moveset on the whole, though it is nice to be able to use it if I want to. Choice is a huge part of the KOF series in general, so he’s still by all means a fitting character.

Next up, a character from yet another dormant SNK series.