![The King of Fighters Neowave [PCSX2(PS2)]: Single Mode Playthrough with Athena Asamiya [Level 4]](/images/yt/3g/the-king-of-fighters-neowave-pcsx2ps2-single-mode-playthrough-5gika.jpg)
The King of Fighters Neowave [PCSX2(PS2)]: Single Mode Playthrough with Athena Asamiya [Level 4]
140:00 Company Logos, Intro & Title Screen
1:11 Main Menu and Set-up
1:51 Character Select
2:10 Takuma Sakazaki/Robert Garcia - Art of Fighting Team
6:35 Ryuji Yamazaki - '97 Special Team
8:21 King - Womens Team
9:51 Leona/Clark Still - Ikari Team
14:50 Athena Asamiya - Psycho Soldier Team (Mirror Match)
16:32 Young Geese Howard Intermission
16:51 Young Geese Howard (SNK BOSS, GOOD LORD WAS I NOT PREPARED FOR THIS JERK)
33:23 Young Geese Howard (Begin use of Continue Service)
36:14 Young Geese Defeated
36:46 Stress Relief (Credits)
Our first mini-detour while visiting the metropolis that is KOF 2002 is this particular spin off/test game: KOF Neowave, a game that was made in order to try out the (at the time) new Atomiswave engine (which would eventually be used to make KOF XI... but more on that game later down the line). Outside of some mild rebalancing from vanilla '02, Neowave has it's own battle mechanics, 1st is the Heat mode which is where your character flashes red and powers up their attacks at the cost of draining their health (it can be turned off by pressing the button again or by getting hit). 2nd, and more notably, is that, similar to KOF '97 and, even more familiar, Capcom vs. SNK 2, there are 3 different play styles which also affect your Desperation Move usage.
Super Cancel Mode [Red Super Gauge] gives you 3 stocks Max for meter, the ability to roll for evasion, and the Free Cancel system, where you can burn 1 bar of meter to cancel special to special.
Guard Break Mode [Purple Super Gauge] gives you 2 stocks Max for meter, a Garou Mark of the Wolves like Just Defense system (which replenishes meter and not life), and replaces the Emergency Guard Blow Black with the Guard Break attack which can cause counter wire on hit and breaks guards instantly.
MAX 2 Mode [Blue Super Gauge] gives you only 1 stock for MAX meter, but is somewhat like an altered version of the original Extra Mode from past KOFs all the way up to KOF '98. The gauge replenishes on its own and when health is critical you can use standard Desperation Moves all you want, and Super Desperation Moves only work in said critical health. It is also the only mode where Hidden Super Desperation Moves are available. Your attack is enhanced in this mode, but at the great cost of losing ALL evasion abilities.
The game itself has completely new art, presentation, announcer, stages and soundtrack (while the stages can be rendered in 3D, I personally prefer the 2D ones), and, due to being a dream match, has no story (and admittedly very bare-bones character expression due to no winquotes whatsoever). The roster is mainly the same as vanilla '02 with some remixed teams and other characters added back in like Jhun Hoon and Saisyu Kusanagi... however, the biggest addition is who replaces Omega Rugal as the game's final boss, the Art of Fighting 2 version of Geese Howard from back in the past... and WHOA BOY is he a cheap mountain to climb, having invincibility frames on lots of his key moves, absurd priority on all his attacks, an completely unblockable Deadly Rave that does about 70% health, and the ability to KO Athena in mere seconds with 3 hits minumum.
He's definitely a blind side in an otherwise short game, though the AI in Neowave is more "awake" here than in vanilla '02. But, still, Athena must press on, for there's on more 2002 re-release to tackle: the VERY familiar 2002 Unlimited Match.