System notes:
CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION
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GRAPHICS
– Characters are smaller and it’s easier to see the full screen.
– As of now there aren’t any stages that make it hard to see the characters.
SYSTEM
– All KOFXII systems (CC, sousai, guard attack) have been removed
– Backstep probably can’t be shortened either.
– Throws are back to lever + button motion
– Kara cancels are possible again.
GAME SYSTEM
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8- way lever + 4 buttons.
COUNTER HITS
Counter hits have a blue effect when they occur, similar to KOFXII but the effect isn’t the same.
A few counter hit animations are like KOFXII but the window is short, sort of like the interval between dashing and doing a strong attack.
GUARD CRUSH
Guard meter under the lifebar, your guard drops when it becomes empty. However at the current time it seems to recover much faster than it’s lost, so there haven’t been that many guard crushes seen. On top of that it looks like the guard crush window is very tight so it’s very hard to take advantage of it. Wondering if drive attacks will have a bigger effect on the guard meter.
GUARD CANCEL
Revived from older games. Costs 1 power stock. Does damage, but not possible to KO with it.
STUN
This has also returned. However unlike XI there’s no visible stun meter so it’s not possible to know when it’s going to happen.
POWER GAUGES
Return of multiple power stocks. You get one additional stock per team member that you lose (much like earlier games). Feels like they charge up faster than in previous games.
EX SPECIAL MOVES/DESPERATION MOVES
Use 1 stock to do powered up specials or DMs. The powering up depends on the move – might be more damage, invincibility, etc.
EX specials have a blue shadow sort of effect to them while EX DMs are red (versus yellow for regular DMs)
DRIVE GAUGE
Green gauge above the power gauge. The length increases by 50% every time you lose a character (so that the gauge is twice as long when you’re down to your last character). Fills up at about the same rate as the power gauge, so pretty quickly. However, whiffing special moves will not fill the drive gauge (although it still fills the power gauge).
DRIVE CANCEL
Can be used as soon as the drive gauge passes 50%, which means that on your last character it can be used up to four times.
You can cancel special moves as well as command moves that couldn’t normally be cancelled into other special moves and DMs.
HYPERDRIVE MODE
Press BC when the drive gauge is maxed out to activate. Your character will have a sort of hazy afterglow and will be able to do as many drive cancels as he wants. The gauge doesn’t fall faster if you do a cancel like in ’02. However if you take any damage the mode ends.
Character-specific stuff:
ELISABETH (might be inaccurate since the author wasn’t familiar with Elisabeth in XII)
– More effects on her moves
– Regained dp+P and QCF,HCB+P
– QCF,HCB+P connects after dp+C
– dp+C has upper body invincibility. Low attacks beat it.
– EX QCFx2+P fires off ‘light bullets’ during the second half of the move. Probably can be beaten by guard cancel rolling.
DUO LON
– New move QCB+P. Fires off a haze that cancels fireballs (maybe the EX version only?). Looks like it has no hitbox…use it for mindgames?
– When his EX DM hits something that looks like a high-speed hurricane mixer (???) appears.
– Can’t cancel his QCF+Px3 into teleport without a drive cancel
SHEN WOO
– Far standing D has a new animation. A high kick with slow startup.
– Jump D crosses up easier
– QCF+C has slower startup and more lag. The EX version knocks the opponent away.
– EX QCB+A has more range and seemingly faster startup
– QCF+K has small range as usual but the EX version has more range
– QCFx2+P can probably be used the same was as it was in KOFXI. EX version is faster and has full-body invincibility – so much so you can use it as anti-air!
– C,A,B,C DM is present, but no headbutt (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)
– stand C, f+B, QCF+A DC QCF+K DC QCFx2+P is a combo, although this is the same combo that had some tough links in XII. Seems like poor use of the drive gauge (lol)
– It’d be nice if he could do anything from low attacks…
KYO
– Regained air d+C. Hard knockdown on an aerial opponents, long stun on grounded opponents. Can be used to cross up.
– Can still combo stand B -> dp+P. On the second hit of dp+P you can drive cancel to QCF+K and combo to Orochinagi (ouch!)
– QCF+P seems to have less lag?
– Gained mid-air Orochinagi. Voice clip is ‘Kore de kimeru ze!’
– Doesn’t seem to have changed much.
– Seems very strong.
BENIMARU
– Regained Benimaru Koreda (his command throw)
– Might have regained his air throw?
DAIMON
– Regained dp+K
– HCF+A somehow managed to grab a standing Shen. Was it always like that? Might be stronger in terms of priority.
IORI
– Gained a new command move df+C. Swings an arm downward as if he were hitting a stake. Hits mid.
– Regained his air b+B
– dp+P has more lag? EX version does two hits and floats the opponent.
– HCF+P doesn’t launch the opponent so high that he can’t be seen anymore
MATURE
– Don’t know much about her KOFXII version.
– Despair (dp+P), Death Row (QCB+Px2), Ebony Tears (QCF,HCB+P) and Metal Massacre (QCB+K) regained
(She has dp+P in KOFXII, but whatever)
TERRY
– Can’t cancel standing B. Tried to cancel into a command move and failed.
– far C cancellable
– crouch D can be cancelled into command moves
– far D has new animation. Looks like the KOFXI animation. Might be useful as an anti-air.
– jump D crosses up easier. (seems like this is the case with a lot of characters)
– df+C seems to have a bigger frontal hitbox
– f+A comes out slower
– Power Wave comes out slower but has less lag. EX version does 3 hits.
– B Crack Shoot is an overhead and does multiple hits. EX version might hit mid and has faster startup. Hard knockdown on counter hits against an airborne opponent.
– Burn Knuckle seems the same? EX version does multiple hits and makes the opponent fly upwards. Not sure if you can follow up afterwards.
– Rising Tackle has no change. EX version goes vertically straight up and does something like 25 hits (lol) and has fast startup.
ANDY
– Can’t brake Reppadan any more. Can still cross up with it, though.
– EX Zaneiken can move from one side of the screen to another
– EX Hishouken flies faster.
– EX Choureppadan is good enough to be used as an anti-air.
JOE
– Regained Ougon no Kakato (QCB+K). B version flies low while D version goes high, but neither has much lag.
– Regained Bakuretsu Hurricane Tiger Kakato. Can be connected from weak attacks.
– Slash Kick has more lag
– D Tiger Kick has a lower trajectory
– EX Hurricane Upper shoots 3 projectiles. Regular version has less lag?
– Sliding is a command move, and knocks down even when cancelled into. More lag?
KIM
– Regained mid-air Houou Kyaku.
– f,f+D is now done as f,f+A
RAIDEN
– Gained Super Drop Kick (hold K for ten seconds and release) and Crazy Train (QCFx2+P)
– Regular version of Giant Bomb has more lag? EX version knocks the opponent up.
ATHENA
– Psycho Ball has less lag. EX version does 3 hits and has ‘penetrating power’ (?? goes through other fireballs, maybe?)
– Regained Psychic Teleport. EX version included.
– Throw animation has changed. Athena teleports to diagonally above the opponent and throws them.
KENSOU
– Has normals from KOFXII but specials from his earlier versions.
– Regained Chokyuudan (fireball), Ryusogeki (air QCB+P) and QCF,HCB+P DM.
– Lost QCB+A, QCB+C from KOFXII
– Still has QCB+K from KOFXII.
– Pressing B+D makes him do his KOFXII backstep
– Ryuugakusai has its command reversed (rdp+K instead of dp+K…the way it used to be)
CHIN
– Didn’t see him much so no idea how he’s changed.
RYO
– far D is the same as close D. Maybe they’ll change this?
– far C cancellable
– jump D crosses up easier
– C Ko’ouken has more lag. EX version does 3 hits.
– EX Kohou does 3 hits. No idea if there’s any effect on invincibility.
– B Hienshippuukyaku is the same. D Hienshippuukyaku whiffs against crouchers. EX version is faster and resembles Takuma’s version of the move – it launches. Maybe you need to use a drive cancel to follow up?
ROBERT
– Can cancel his low attacks
– Has all his moves from KOFXII
RALF
– Regained air QCF+P.
– Vulcan Punch has more lag? Can’t connect a stand D after it anymore. Instead of that you can drive cancel to Galactica Phantom.
CLARK
– Regained Gatling Attack
– Still has his forward step move from XII
LEONA
– Regular V-slasher has been weakened.
MAI
– How to say this…she benefits a lot from the new system.
– Both A and C Ryuuenbu have low lag and can be followed up with stand A in the corner. If the opponent is in mid-air even stand C is possible.
– Musasabi no Mai is great for comboing in the corner. If you hit them near their feet (i.e. space it so that it hits them at the lower part of their hitbox) they shouldn’t be able to retaliate.
– Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi is fast enough to combo from light attacks, and is damaging.
– d.B -> B -> Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi DC Musasabi no Mai -> C Ryuuenbu -> Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi is a combo.
– Kachousen has slower startup but less lag
– Jump CD felt a little too fast
– She has an air throw which can be used in combos.
– EX Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi is invincible.
YURI
– Gained a new move, midair df+B which is very much like Yun/Yang’s Raigekishuu from 3S. She changes trajectory suddenly with no voice clip so it’s a bit startling.
– Raiohken has her jumping up to do the move again. Startup is slow. EX version shoots two fireballs.
– Can’t charge up Ko’ouken? Haohshokoken is a DM.
– Hyakuretsu Binta seems to have faster startup than usual.
– Not sure how effective her Saiha is
– Hien Hou’ou Kyaku connects from light attacks
– df+D isn’t on her movelist, nor did I see it, so it probably doesn’t combo from light attacks (lol)
KING
– Sliding is unsafe on block
– Gained a mid-air Venom Strike. Flies horizontally with unlimited range.
– Venom Strike is the same as it was. No high/low variations.
– Tornado Kick is the ’95 version. Doesn’t seem to have any invincibility.
– DMs are Surprise Rose and Double Strike. Didn’t seem to have Illusion Dance.
– Surprise Rose can cross up as King dives. Can escape by rolling.
ASH
– Same old Guile clone (lol)
– A Ventose has so little lag that you can combo it into a sweep if you’re close enough (can’t remember if the XII version was just like that). C version is unchanged.
– EX version of Genie will make two flames appear on the screen. The locations probably depend on the two buttons you used to activate the EX version.
– Thermidor has faster startup, but only does 5 hits
– Sans-culotte has the same speed and lack of range. No other changes.
Translation from: http://kakuge.info/d/t/kof13.htm