10 King of Fighters items that would be great for TF2

Some time after the introductions of hats and accessories to Team Fortress 2, game companies started using them to promote their Steam-distributed games by offering exclusive TF2 items as a bonus for pre-ordering or buying it before a certain date.  Said items almost always come directly from the game being promoted itself and as far as gameplay goes, they’re usually purely for show.

It’s obviously used as a way to drive up sales, but from my point of view, these items are badges to be worn with pride.  If you bought a game and like it, promotional items let you parade to the world “I love this game!”  I, for example, have the Heavy’s Poker Visor from Telltale Games’ Poker Night at the Inventory.  I love that game.

Other promoted items include Max’s head from Sam & Max, various Japan-themed items for Total War: Shogun 2, and Adam’s glasses & robotic arm from Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Most promotional items nowadays can still be crafted without needing to buy anything, but it can be tedious to do, and the ones not obtained through the promotion don’t have the “genuine” quality mark the others do, not that it makes a big difference.

Unfortunately, there’s one franchise on Steam that needs its own promotional items.  For regular readers of this blog, you have 1 guess.

The Steam edition of The King of Fighters 13 has made the transition to our favorite digital PC distributor quite nicely.  It came with chibi icons for everyone in 13 as well as the final bosses of 2003 & 11, achievements carried over from the other versions, Steam trading cards, and all the bonuses that come with the Steam badges, like emoticons and profile backgrounds.

The only thing KOF 13 seems to be missing on Steam is promotional TF2 items.  I know other Steam fighting games haven’t gotten them either, like Street Fighter X Tekken or Super Street Fighter 4, but they at least had a nice shout-out with the slightly-altered version of M. Bison’s cap.

Why then, can that not be done for the clearly superior King of Fighters games?  The characters in The King of Fighters have some of the best-looking outfits and weapons in any fighting game, always looking somewhat practical, but most of all, cool, and they would definitely look cool on the mercenaries of Team Fortress 2.

To prove it, I present to you these 10 King of Fighters items that would be great additions to Team Fortress 2’s wardrobe list.  I’d sure as hell buy them.

1. Oswald’s glasses

Equippable by: Spy

Oswald was specifically designed with his glasses in mind, and it shows.  Team Fortress 2 has several glasses already, so what’s one more pair?

2. Tizoc’s mask

Equippable by: Heavy

Team fortress 2 already has bird heads (for Halloween) and a luchador mask.

Another promotional item set.

So why not a luchador mask with a bird’s head?  If it were to come with the cape as well, that’d be even better.

3. Malin’s hammer

Equippable by: Pyro 

This one isn’t as easy to see in the 2 games Malin appears in, and because it’s her leader special move, you won’t see her Salamander Smasher attack often.  It is, however, used as a Steam emoticon from The King of Fighters 13.  Giving the Pyro a hammer of that size would make it stand out from the others he can equip.

4. Terry’s Hat

Equippable by: All classes

Again, Team Fortress 2 already has a few trucker hats, like Ellis’ and Mann Co’s, but if they were to incorporate anything KOF into TF2, they would be obligated to include Terry Bogard’s iconic Fatal Fury hat.  It’s so iconic they brought it back after its absence in the two games before it, consistency be damned.

5. Duck King’s Mohawk

Equippable by: Scout

There’s a small number of Mohawks in TF2.  They should change that with Duck King’s awesome hairdo.

6. Benimaru’s hair

Equippable by: Heavy, Medic, Scout, & Soldier

Watch your head. 

7. Chin’s gourd

Equippable by: Demoman (to hang on his belt)

A battlefield’s no place to be drunk.  But if you’re going to be, bring something to carry it with.

8. Hwa Jai’s headband & top knot

Equippable by: Scout & Heavy

We have a samurai’s top knot for the heavy, but Hwa Jai’s is taller and has a nifty band to go with it.  Come to think of it that bottle looks pretty nice too...

9. Billy Kane’s striped bandana

Equippable by: Scout

Bison’s lawyers say “Yes!  Yes!”  Billy’s say “Hey hey hey!”  The scout hasn’t gotten a bandana to wear yet either.

10. Raiden’s mask

Equippable by: Sniper

A mask by Australians, for Australians.

Maybe someday someone from Valve or a community content creator will read this and make at least some of these a reality.  While I’m dreaming I’d also like a pair of Ralf’s fingerless gloves that explode for massive damage with each punch.