King of Fighters 2006

Gamer 2.0

If you really liked the potential held by The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact, The King of Fighters 2006 is the realization of that potential. It's not going to change the mind of anyone who is fervently anti-3D KOF, but it's the most solid “alternative fighting game” we've seen in a long time.

Thunderbolt

A game that vastly improves upon its predecessor. The King of Fighters 2006 features a huge roster of playable characters and a fairly detailed storyline to back it up.

Play.tm

It should appeal to both the veteran King of Fighters fan and the newcomer alike, although for a purer King of Fighters experience the fanatics among us may be better served by King of Fighters XI which is being released at the same time.

AceGamez

It's fast-paced, over the top and easy to pick up, but damn difficult to put down.

Gaming Target

The King of Fighters 2006 continues the tradition of being a consistent fighter with little deviation to the genre.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Cheers to you, SNK Playmore, for cleaning out the garbage and giving 3D KOF a fresh start! [Oct. 2006, p.85]

Console Gameworld

There is a lot of depth with the various gameplay modes and things to unlock to keep you busy.

eToychest

The problem with The King of Fighters 2006 isn’t depth. The issue is that the fighting itself is stiff and uninteresting, and feels like an odd bastardization of 2D and 3D, resulting in a fighting game that is not quite sure where it belongs.

GameSpot

The next fully 3D installment in SNK's long-running fighting game series is a lot better than the first and features a surprising number of interesting characters to play around with.

Games Radar (in-house)

It's easily the most improved fighter in recent memory, and if you've got some local competition, it's a steal at 30 bucks.

GameDaily

Between the missions, the tightened gameplay, and the various fighters scattered in the game, there's fun to be had for hours on end...especially if you bring over your fighting fanatic friends and get some old-school SNK brawling on. 2-D, 3-D, who cares? It's about the power of the punch, and King of Fighters 2006 packs a pretty good wallop.

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

Not the most stylish fighter, but those desperately seeking a bruising helping of Tekken-lite action should look here. [Aug 2007, p.84]

Gamestyle

It's quite sad when what we have here is a solid beat em up that really deserves quite a bit of attention. It's not the best fighting game on the PS2, but for the budget price which it's being released at, it's certainly worth a shot.

PSM3 Magazine UK

Frustratingly difficult. [Sept 2007, p.81]

Games Master UK

Simple button-bashing amusement for a quick fix of clobbering. [Sept 2007, p.85]

G4 TV

Neither the best looking 3D fighting game on the market nor is it the most innovative, but the characters ooze with personality and the move lists are impressive.

GamePro

If they ever invent a time machine, SNK should set it for the date of the PS2 launch and chuck KoF 2006 through; that, and that only, might make this game relevant.

IC-Games

Kingdom of Fighters was an interesting experiment but its impact, I’m sorry to say, will be less than to the maximum.

NTSC-uk

On the one hand SNK Playmore should be applauded for attempting to develop the King of Fighters series beyond its traditional 2D heritage and to take it somewhere new, but on the other it is difficult to see exactly who SNKP expects actually to buy the game.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

It remains a weak 3D fighter, crippled by balance issues and an inferiority complex.

Play UK

A tour de force in vapidity. [Issue#156, p.92]

Eurogamer

Maximum Impact 2 feels so incredibly sloppy and dated that the only real benefit of its existence is highlighting just how great sister title "KOF XI" really is by comparison.

Gamers Europe

It’s a mystery how two such very different games manage to share so many things in common. In away it’s almost a relief that Maximum Impact 2 is so poor, as it allows XI to bask in its own glory, an example of how the 2D fighting genre isn’t dead and hopefully an opportunity for younger gamers to appreciate the concept of gameplay being greater than eye-candy.