As far the split in the KOF community, it's like SF peeps liking the vanilla ST over IV or 3S over IV or whatever. Some people have trouble leaving their COMFORT ZONES for any changes made to the engines of the games, subtle or major.
Some people can't handle change. I was one of those people when SF III came out. It was too different so I ain't like it cuz I couldn't dominate like the old school SF's.
When KOF 96 came out and changed the engine, I ain't like it at first cuz it was too different from 95 and was no longer able to dominate like I used to.
Reviewers and some of the KOF community talked trash about SNK using the same sprites for years and now when XII does away with the old sprites and gives you new ones...some people can't be pleased outside of the COMFORT ZONE.
Like a radio plays a song you don't like at first but you keep hearin over and over 21 times a day and then all of a sudden, you KNOW the song and you in the club dancin to it but the when the DJ plays a NEW song you leave the dance floor cuz you never heard that song before.