
Since their inception, both XBLA and PSN have borne witness to several different ports across all systems, including previously arcade-exclusive titles. World of Heroes is an SNK arcade game that has recently been made available on PSN. The game is a port; however, there are some new features that differentiate it from its arcade-only counterpart. Despite additions like a competitive multiplayer mode and updated graphics, the game suffers from being a mediocre fighting game that comes across as a clone of more popular franchises like Street Fighter.
A NEW PUNCH
A Better Looking Hero - The biggest compliment that I can give to this port is how nice it looks, considering its age. The game uses 2D sprites for the fighters and colorful scenes for the background environments, which are important for fighting games on the whole. The graphical style most similarly resembles that of Street Fighter II, which you will definitely be reminded of when playing. The colorful visuals slightly alleviate an otherwise monotonous experience.
Fun With Other Heroes - The multiplayer component is what you might expect from a fighting game; you fight someone else online using any of the characters available. I found myself having a good amount of fun with it because of the lack of difficulty I experienced playing the campaign.
NEEDS MORE OF A KICK
Simply Fighting - There isn’t much to talk about with this title, especially when it comes to the gameplay. There are a very limited number of attacks (kicking, punching, throwing) and button combinations that can be used when fighting. This hampers the overall enjoyment level and experience. Furthermore, there isn’t much to the single player experience. It simply involves fighting other characters from different countries. The overall premise is far too similar to Street Fighter II.
No Replay Value - Even if you manage to make your way through the single player mode, there is hardly any incentive to play the game again. The surprising lack of difficulty exists on each setting, and simple pride is the main motivation to continue playing. However, pride only goes so far and without more of a challenge, the satisfaction you may feel in succeeding disappears.
Annoying Audio - Perhaps, the largest flaw of are the sound effects. They grate on your nerves, especially some of the sounds that are made by the characters. The problem could be somewhat alleviated if they didn’t continuously occur throughout. However, when characters make the same sound with every move, the annoyance level only increases.
More so than Shock Troopers, World of Heroes is a title that you can pass on when it is all said and done. While it is average, with the positives and negatives mostly cancelling each other out, there are better titles that are more worth your money than World of Heroes. With other blockbuster fighting titles already having been released this year, it becomes that much more difficult to recommend this title. If you’re simply looking for a stroll down memory lane with little to no substance behind it, then this just might be the game for you.