KOF: Maximum Impact

KOF: Maximum Impact
Soiree, Alba Meira and Lien Neville on the Japanese PS2 cover of KOF: Maximum Impact — Maniax
Developer(s)Noise Factory
Publisher(s)
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 (KOFMI) is a 2004 fighting video 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 Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition and 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 KOF: Maximum Impact 2.

  1. ^ Kohler, Chris (October 12, 2004). "Brace for KOF: Maximum Impact". GameSpot. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact". Gameplanet. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  3. ^ Bramwell, Tom (March 4, 2005). "What's New?". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Surette, Tim (June 28, 2005). "KOF: Maximum Impact - Maniax hits stores". GameSpot. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  5. ^ "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact PS2 Video Game Review". Kidzworld. Archived from the original on 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  6. ^ "IGN King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Review". 14 October 2004. Archived from the original on 2004-10-17. Retrieved 2008-06-15. 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.