The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood
  

  

STORYIn this storyline, there are not three sacred treasures, but ten. A man named Gustav Munchausen is trying to revive the spirit of Leopold Goenitz by channeling it in a boy's body. The boy, Sinobu Amou, is one of the ten sacred treasures, and Gustav hosts the King of Fighters EX2 tournament to test his new weapon's power.
  
REVIEW
King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood is the sequel to the 2002 release, King of Fighters: EX Neoblood. This follow-up on the Nintendo GameBoy Advance features 21 characters, 6 different modes of play, and a revised "striker" system that enables tag team play during battles.

 

A very bright yellow selection screen. Owww.

  
King of Fighters fans will notice 3 entirely new playable characters have been added to the roster (Reiji, Miu & Jun). Moe Habana from NeoBlood also makes her return. NeoBlood also features a brand new boss (complete with "cheap SNK boss syndrome"), Sinobu. In addition, a total of seven different teams restructured out of the classic KOF line-up make up the bulk of the roster. Howling Blood features a Story Mode and of course a VS Mode, as well as some decent unlockables.
 
 

What is up with Jun's hair?

 

KOF: EX2 Howling Blood
definitely improves upon the prequel in a variety of ways. The controls seem sharper, and most of the prequel's quirks and glitches were cleaned up. The striker system was also changed, and doesn't subtract from the list of playable characters. This time, the next character in line is the striker for the current fighter. This element alone actually adds a new strategic element to keep in mind when you select your team.

 

No Mai, it was your spamming, actually.

 

EX2: Howling Blood
also features some new visual elements. Perhaps the most notable one is that fighters can now be seen in the backgrounds after they are defeated. The new background designs also give the game a fresher look. While some of the KOF character sprites look aged, they're actually some of the best 2D sprites to appear on the GBA. The character roster is also one of the largest to appear on the system (in terms of fighting games). 

 

Page Updated: March 23rd, 2021
Developer(s): SNK / Sammy
Publisher(s): SNK
Platform(s): Gameboy Advance
Artwork By: Hiroaki
Release Date(s): Jan. 1st, 2003        
Dec. 11th, 2003
    
Characters Moe, Reiji, Miu, Jun, Sinobu, Kyo, King, Mai, Clark, Ralf, Leona, Iori, Terry, Andy, Ryo, Takuma, Yuri, Athena, Kensou, Bao, Kim, Chang, Choi

Featured Video:

Related Games: KOF: EX Neo Blood, KOF R1, KOF R2, KOF '94, KOF '94: Re-bout, KOF '95, KOF '96, KOF '97, KOF '98, KOF '98 Ultimate Match, KOF '99, KOF 2000, KOF 2001, KOF 2002, KOF 2002 Unlimited Match, KOF 2003, KOF XI, KOF XII, KOF XIII, Tekken Advance, Guilty Gear X: Advance Edition, Street Fighter Alpha 3: Upper
  

Gameplay Engine  7.0 / 10
Story / Theme  8.0 / 10
Overall Graphics  7.5 / 10
Animation  7.0 / 10
Music / Sound Effects  7.0 / 10
Innovation  7.0 / 10
Art Direction  8.0 / 10
Customization  6.0 / 10
Options / Extras  6.5 / 10
Intro / Presentation  7.5 / 10
Replayability / Fun  7.0 / 10
"Ouch" Factor  7.0 / 10
Characters  8.0 / 10
BOTTOM LINE

 7.7 / 10

 

 

Final Words:

If you owned a Gameboy Advance in 2003 and you're a KOF fan, Howling Blood is pretty much a must have. The unique characters aren't the most exciting to come out of the series, but are worth checking out. While it has some shortcomings being a GBA-exclusive fighting game, KOF EX2: Howling Blood was one of the best fighting games on the system. The gorgeous artwork by SNK's Hiroaki also adds some charm and personality to the title.
~TFG Webmaster | @FIGHTERS_GEN  
  

 

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