SNK are know for their arcade fighters and this is no exception. The King of Fighters series dates back to 1994 when characters from previous SNK arcade games where thrown together for the ultimate battle. Also available in the arcades, this brings the series into your living room once again. Featuring a new “critical counter” counter system, allowing additional linked attacks which can lead to finishing moves, and “clash timing” that to me gives breathing room if both fighters connect with hits at the same time as it separates you. A welcome addition I can tell you!!
This is arcade fighting in it’s purest form with no back story to weigh it down. Using a 3-on-3 system, and with each match lasting up to 5 rounds, you have 5 matches with the aim to get the best overall win time. Like I said pure arcade goodness!! You can replay a match if you want to better your time along the way. Also included is a versus mode allows you to play the more traditional 1-on-1 way, as well as 3-on-3. A return to a four button layout takes this back to basics and furthers the arcade feel of the game.
The game itself has 22 characters, with 2 of those console exclusives and not available in the arcade version. Each character is hand-drawn, a time constraint that led to the limited amount of characters available, and gives the game a fluid fighting experience. The retro, or old-school if you will, look is combined with move-sets that are retained from previous incarnations of the characters. This will allow followers to pick up and play and get right into the action!!
Heading to Xbox LIVE really brings this game alive, allowing you to battle fans of the series worldwide. This was when I realised I’m not as good as I thought at this game. Getting my ass handed to me by Japanese players made sure of that!!
Talking of Japanese, it is possible in the options to change the language of the game, both the text and sound, to Japanese. This really made me smile and reminded me of playing import console games in the 90′s!!
The lack of a storyline doesn’t really take anything away from this. Stories tend to be the same for most arcade fighters anyway with revenge taken on the killer of your family member or friend and the need to beat up everyone who stands between you and the end boss. And with it all being 2D, and not opting for flashy 3D like other games, it concentrates on being a arcade fighter, with no bells or whistles. To me, this was good, but others may not agree.
VideogameUK verdict: 7.5/10
