King of Fighters-i by SNK packs a major punch. It is one of the few games that have taken advantage of the virtual controls on the iDevice. While this game is meant for the iPhone or iPod Touch. I could not bring myself to play on such a small screen. That is not the fault of the game in anyway just preference. I tested it out on the iPhone for all of two minutes before making the jump to the iPad 2. The game does a job of taking advantage of the bigger screen. It the buttons are well placed. The speed of the game is fast without any lag and the graphics are great. Although I must say the game does look better on the iPhone due to the having to 2X on the iPad.
There are 4 different single player modes to choose from. There is Team Battle which puts 3 fighters on 3. The Single Battler is classic 1 on 1 fighting. Endless is a fight that never ends until your powerbar is all clear and your dead. I recommend that you start in “Training” mode. There you can learn how to play without anyone fighting you back. Its painless and worth the effort to try it.
Overall this is a great game. The controls are precise and responsive. The Graphics are on par with Xbox Live Arcade games and remind me of the hay days of SNES Street Fighter tournaments. The only thing this is lacking is size. I can’t wait for them to port it to the iPad with an HD version.
Pro: The game is fast action, killer graphics and great control.
Con: The game is not not meant for iPhone. It could be so much more on the iPad.
Cost: $7.99
Aye/Nay: This is a Nay. I can not recommend this game for the iPhone. Your fingers will get cramped hold out for an iPad version. It’s good but $8 is not worth it.
iTunes Link: King of Fighers-i