So I took a look at KoF 13....

....and it looks pretty damn good. Looks like they finally have a finished game on the way. They'd better after KoF 12 (or as I like to call it, KoF June '95). It looks like they addressed a lot of the major issues in KoF 12, mostly because the majority of them weren't related to the actual gameplay, but in regards to how unfinished it was. I still think 12 should have been released for a lower price, maybe 30-40 bucks, because it was clearly a test run for the new engine and style SNK were utilizing for the franchise. Thankfully, 13 will actually have a story and a final boss, which I thought the lack of was inexcusable in KoF 12. The characters are also more appropriately updated this time around, although they still do resemble earlier incarnations in many ways.

It really looks like they paid attention to many of the critiques of KoF 12, and they seem to have brought the game closer to the recent installments. The character sprites are no longer huge and pixelated (although I still think they look awesome), which was pretty much achieved by pulling the camera back to where it's been for the other 12+ KoF games. As for gameplay, a multi-livel super move system is implemented, and hopefully characters have more than just one this time around (what's with the sudden minimalist attitude towards the number of super moves nowadays?). From what I've seen, the critical counter system from the 12 has been removed or lessened in importance, and thank god for that. I didn't play KoF 12 incredibly much, but I found the system difficult to use....at least on purpose. There was no real definite explanation of how you initiate it, so whenever I tried I couldn't. But then when I least expect it, it activates and I'm to caught off guard to capitalize on it. Would've been nice to have a little control over it so I could figure out what exactly to do with it. But anyway, I haven't seen anyone use it in the gameplay videos I've seen, and the same goes for their blatant rip off of the focus attacks in SF4.

Plus as a fan service bonus, they brought Mai back in glorious hi rez. Fan boys rejoice. I'm sure that alone will sell some copies. Hopefully KoF 13 will bring the series back into the resurrected 2D fighting genre as and strengthen the case to create even more of them.

JUSTICE SERVED: UFC 113 re-cap

Mauricio Rua def. Lyoto Machida via KO (punches) Rd 1
The fight I waited 7 months for ended exactly the way I wanted it to. I was definitely part of the majority that thought Shogun won the first fight, and it's good to see that justice was served with interest. I'm a Lyoto fan as well but I thought it was only fitting he lose this fight after what happened in the first one. I actually predicted that Shogun would get decisioned again, or maybe lose by tko just due to the fact that Machida will have evolved and found answers for Shogun's game, while Shogun would stick to the same plan that worked the first time around. In actuality Shogun sort of tricked us all by saying that he wouldn't change his gameplan, then turning around and throwing his hands a lot more, which no one (especially Machida apparently) expected. Machida supposedly had his answers for Shogun's game, but once again Shogun stayed a step ahead of him by changing the questions when he least expected it. And that is the mark of a brilliant fighter that I hope reigns at 205 for a long time.

Josh Koscheck def. Paul Daley via Decision (Unanimous) Rd 3
I want to start off by saying I never liked Paul Daley. I respect his considerable skills as a fighter and I think he puts on entertaining fights, but something about him always rubbed me the wrong way. Even odder, I've always liked Koscheck even though hes a supreme douchebag. Maybe the reason for that is my soft spot for good pro wrestling style promos (Kos berating the local crowds' leading sports team is straight out of Chris Jericho's WWE promo handbook). With that said I was rooting for Kos, and although I had hoped for a finish I'm just glad he won. However, I was very impressed with how Daley handled himself on the ground, as it showed he's really working on his ground game. All that respect for Daley went out the window when he threw a blatantly premeditated left hook after getting dominated by Kos for 15 mins. Not one of those "I didn't realize the fight was over" cheap shots, but a "I'm gonnna walk over to you 5 secs after the ref stood us up and swing at you" cheap shot. What's even sadder is that Daley hit Kos with his patented left hook, which is supposed to be instant lights out. Kos hardly blinked after the shot. The best shot Daley could muster and it was after the match had already ended on a completely unsuspecting target. Apparently he'll never fight in the UFC again. I say good riddance.

Jeremy Stevens def. Sam Stout via Decision (Unanimous) Rd 3
Fantastic fight. I love watching Stout's crisp standup combinations, and was rooting for him to win, although I like Stephens. This fight was very close in my opinion, and I almost would've given it to Stout if he didn't get shy in the closing moments of the round. When he crumpled Stephens and went in for the finish I thought to myself that if he kept it up it would steal him the fight. Once Stephens survived, Stout got tentative for whatever reason. When Stevens took him down with less than a minute left I knew he sealed the deal and lessened the blow of Stout's rally.

Matt Mitrione def. Kimbo Slice via TKO (punches) Rd 2
Oh Kimbo. How I want you to actually get good and silence the haters. Doesn't look like it'll ever happen. Kimbo just looked plain bad in there, save for some impressive takedowns. Mitrione was the real star, as he looked infinitely more improved than he previously has. I thought Mitrione was pathetic on the ground before this fight, but he threatened with subs and never gave Kimbo a chance to mount any real offense on the ground. And the standup war was no different. He exploited Kimbo's glaring leg kick weakness to a T, and just made him look helpless. Props to Kimbo for his heart and chin, but he just can't hang in the UFC.

Alan Belcher def. Patrick Cote via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Rd 2
You know, Belcher performed well, but I just wasn't as impressed with him as I'm finding other outlets to be. He called out Anderson Silva after the fight, but he showed me nothing that indicated he wouldn't be murdered by Silva if they fought. I think Cote had legit reasoning to complain about the slam he received, he just happened to be wrong about it. It almost looked like Belcher was aiming to spike him on his head, but the fact is he landed on his face, which is legal. I was initially very impressed with Belcher's transition to the choke, then I realized Cote was out from the slam when he did it and wasn't as impressed. Not taking anything away from Belcher, but dropping Cote on his face is what won the fight, not the choke itself. All the same, I feel bad for Cote losing his first fight back after so long in his hometown, and I'm interested to see where Belcher goes next.

Joe Doerkson def. Tom Lawlor via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Rd 2
Very nice comeback from Doerkson. I honestly thought he was done for in the 1st. Lawlor is no joke, and you could argue he won the fight against Aaron Simpson in his last outing, but I found it eyebrow-raising that he couldn't finish Joe in the 1st. That is nothing against the skills of Doerkson, but rather coming from the fact that he was so close to his lights being turned off for much of the round. He came out renewed in the 2nd round and made the most of it. Hopefully they give Lawlor one more fight to get back in the win colum.

Marcus Davis def. Johnathan Goulet via TKO (punches) Rd 2
Goulet really surprised me with his wrestling and impressed me by getting out of a really tight guillotine in the first, but it was just a matter of time before Davis' superior boxing exposed his notoriously weak chin. Davis needed the win after losing 2 straight, and Goulet kept it competitive but his chin is as weak as his god-awful haircut.

The rest of the fights I didn't see so I won't cover completely. I'll just say that I'm really dissapointed Yoshida lost again. The usual justification I give of Japanese fighters getting a raw deal in the UFC (and you know it's true) doesn't apply to this match because Yoshida shouldn't have had too much trouble getting past Guymon. I fear he may have seen his last fight in the UFC. Also, a speedy recovery to Jason McDonald. I hate freak accidents in fights, not only because it taints the result of the match (sure you can say he lost, but was he really defeated?) but because it puts fighters on hold for so long it has to be incredibly frustrating.

All in all I enjoyed this event more than any UFC in recent memory, mostly because Shogun is the NEW UFC LHW CHAMPION....but I digress. The fights on the card were solid, entertaining, and quick enough so that we got to see 7 fights on a card with a championship bout. I'm guessing the UFC 114 will decide Shogun's first title defense, in which case I actually think Rampage could be a better matchup for him. Until next time!