What are your favourite stages in the KOF series?

[Akira_Tekagi]

I don't know if this topic has already been discussed before on this forum, because I have been reading it only for about three weeks.

I love the beautifully drawn & animated stages and their music in The King of Fighters games and I would like to know which stages are your personal favourites and why do you like them?

Here are (a few of ) my favourite stages :

- Japan stage #2 in KOF '98 (One of the "boss team" stages)

I love the dark and eerie athmosphere of this stage starting from the sound of howling wind before the first round begins. There's also some nice animation in this stage including fireflies, trees and falling pieces of the roof. The music also fits the stage well.

- Orochi team stage in KOF '97

This stage is very nicely animated with flames coming out between the cracks in the stone floor when you fight Chris etc. and it transforms when you face another member of the Orochi team. The music in this stage is great and it really gets your adrenaline going.

- Airport stage in KOF '99

This stage is (at least in my opinion) incredibly well drawn with an amazing jetstream animation starting from the 3rd round. The animated runway lights are also very nice. The music is pretty plain in this stage though...

[seiryu]

Heya Akira_Tegaki,
Welcome to the forum.

surely one of my fav stages from the KOF games must be the backGarden stage from KOF 99.Especially the rain daytime.Grogeous,the way the rain drops down on eveything.

And KOF 94 China stage has always been a nice one for me.It's not the most animated stage but the design is great on it and the cool opening doors at the pre fight section is also a very nice touch.

Seiryu

[Raiken]

Geez that's a tough one. I really like the sewer level in KOF 99 with it's hidden elevator and Orochi levels in 97.

[Kazuya_UK]

Nice to see you posting Akira!

Almost any stage in KOF '99, but in particular the rainy courtyard stage and the airport. As for the other KOF's, I also love the water stage from KOF '95 (FF team) as it has great music and the water effect is cool. The Japan stage in KOF 2002 is also excellent... the stage looks good (for a newer KoF), but the music is really, really nice.

However, apart from the courtyard, the one stage that I think is one of the best ever, has to be team Yagami's from KoF '96 (the docks). Iti s a very cool and dark looking stage and has a superb piece of music that accompanies it (Arashi no Saxaphone). Truly great!

Kaz

[Throwen]

I like the KoF2k Stage with the Bulldozer destroying the Wall in the Behind!
And the Airport Stage in 99, and the Korea Stage in 98, and the Orochi Stage, the lights, remind you of great Power.....

[Akira_Tekagi]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I have to say that I haven't played the older KOFs ('94 & '95) very much so I can't really comment the stages you mentioned from them (China & water stage). I do like the other stages that have been mentioned in your replies. It must have been very difficult to make the rain effects in the garden stage (KOF '99).

The music in the docks stage that Kazuya mentioned is very cool in my opinion as well, especially the guitar parts.

[RoninBuddha]

OROCHI STAGES ('97)
and any stage from '98 except the one on the boat (china?)

[Throwen]

Hehe, yeah, why don´t you like it?

[RoninBuddha]

i hated it because when i sprite rip (using kawaks) on practice mode, its ALWAYS that stage that appears, and when i rip the sprites, and make 'em to animated gif's, the characters are floating! (moving slowly up-and-down) its just annoying ;D

[Throwen]

Haha, man, how must that look like!!! ;D

[Goemon]

KOF 98, Korea and the boat one (china?)
KOF 99, Courtyard and Sewers right before the boss

[darkschneider]

Best of all, I like the Orochi's stage on round 3 of KOF97. Not a lot of people know about it, cause Orochi isn't a very hard boss, but its got that awesome spinning Orochi symbol in the background. I tried making an animated gif out of it, but failed miserably. (Ripped over 80 sprites though)

Second best, I like the KOF98 USA teams stage, especially on the third round when it is at night.

Last of all, I enjoy the KOF2k1 USA stage, because that is certainly what Las Vegas is like, women in bikinis on the streets, and money littering the road. (Note that I am joking, but the stage is still one of my favorites for that reason, though there is a guy that looks like Bill Clinton in the background)

[umgogo]

'94 (on average the best stages in the series)
Almost every stage, except Italy (Fatal Fury team). My all-time favourite is the Korea stage, with the lightining effect before the battle (you can see the silhouettes of the fighters... pure art!). Honorable mentions go to Japan, Brazil and China.

'95 (not as good as '94, but still well above average)
Korea is nearly as moody as before, and China has the gorgeous waterfalls which cover your fighter (imagine if the water would splash off the character in a realistic manner!).

'96 (mostly not too interesting, "gameshow part one")
Japan, Orochi Assassins.

'97 (except for the boss stage: BAD, "gameshow part two")
As I mentioned above, the Boss stage is brilliant.

'98 (the return of the aesthetically pleasing stages!)
More or less all of them, especially U.S.A. Sports Team, Rundown Dojo and Spain.

'99 (third worst after 01 and '97, mostly boring and often dark)
The Garden stage is pretty.

'00 (some of my favourites, although the fighters do not always blend in well)
Desert, Harbour, Aquarium.

'01 (utterly pathetic, worse than '97, even)
I suppose the boss stage is passable.

'02 (too many pointless cameos, stages nice but tend to make the characters look out of place)
Eh, the one with Jhun, the one with Kim Sue-Il, the one with a Squall look-a-like in it...

[RoninBuddha]

i miss the stage intros in kof 95, (transitions/background animation at the beggining)

[Throwen]

Yeah, something like in Last Blade1/2 or Kizuna?? That´s cool.