More King of Fighters 2003 details

TOKYO--Additional details on The King of Fighters 2003 have surfaced from the beta test currently taking place in Osaka, Japan.

The King of Fighters 2003 will be the 10th installment in SNK's King of Fighters series. While KOF 2003 will still adopt a three-on-three battle format, there has been a major addition to the game's combat system. In previous releases of KOF, the game ran an elimination-style battle system where the order of team members could not be changed once they had been chosen. KOF 2003 will have a tag-team match system, where the player can freely switch between the fighting character and the awaiting team members during combat.

In another major change, each match in KOF 2003 will consist of a single, 60-count round for the player to beat the opponent's characters. Veteran fighting game players involved in the beta test have acknowledged that the new system in KOF 2003 is similar to that in Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom 2, but they have debated whether or not the time count is too short to make for satisfying gameplay.

KOF 2003 also features new story elements, a new character named Ash Crimson, who uses flames as a weapon, and other new characters, Sheng Woo and Duoron. There are other notable changes to the character roster: Griffon Mask (Tizoc in English) from Garou: Mark of the Wolves has replaced Andy in the Fatal Fury team, Shingo has returned to the Japan team, and Choi has been replaced by returning character Jhun in the Korea team.

In addition, two new teams will be appearing in the game. One is the Outlaw team, which consists of Gato from Garou: Mark of the Wolves and the returning characters Billy and Yamazaki. The other new team, whose name is unknown, will consist of returning character Hinako, a new character named Marin, and returning character Athena, formerly of the Psycho Soldier team, which is gone. The default roster for the game is listed below.

The King of Fighters 2003 is scheduled for release in Japanese arcades this December. The team lineups are as follows:

Main Character Team:

Ash Crimson

Duoron

Sheng Woo

Fatal Fury Team:

Terry Bogard

Joe Higashi

Griffon Mask (Tizoc)

Art Of Fighting Team:

Ryo Sakazaki

Robert Garcia

Yuri Sakazaki

Korea Team:

Kim Kaphwan

Chang Kohan

Jhun Hoon

Ikari Team:

Leona

Ralf

Clark

Outlaw Team:

Gato

Billy Kane

Ryuji Yamazaki

Female Fighters Team:

King

Mai Shiranui

Blue Mary

Japan Team:

Benimaru Nikaidou

Shingo Yabuki

Daimon Goro

KOF 99' Team:

K'

Maxima

Whip

Mystery Team (name unknown):

Athena Asamiya

Shijou Hinako

Marin

Individual Entrees:

Kyo Kusanagi

Iori Yagami