King of Fighters XII

King of Fighters XII - (Xbox 360, PS3)
Developer: SNK
Format: Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Beat-em'up


A top notch brawler steps back in the ring!



Fighting games can go on and on and on - just look at the King of Fighters series - now in its fifteenth year after debuting on Neo Geo all the way back in 1994. The game was originally conceived as a stage for characters from two other fighting series - namely Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting to do their thing. Since then there has been a succession of developments - each offering something slightly different form the last.

Where King of Fighters games offer something that no other beat-em'up matches is the combat configuration. By that we mean the player must select three characters and fight through a succession of three vs three battles. Unlike games such as Marvel Vs Capcom you can't switch in and out whenever you choose so the characters you pick should be selected in order of strategic importance. It adds an interesting twist to a well worn genre.

Fans of the series will be immediately impressed with the new look KoF title. The character modelling and animation really is top drawer stuff. Backdrops and some characterisation have been hand drawn, giving the game a distinct visuals style all its own. The game is still a 2D fighter, but with such slick animations and inspirational use of the colour palette it has an almost retro feel, although still boasting next gen visuals.

The control system is as intuitive as ever, adopting the Street Fighter four button approach with a wealth of special moves being triggered by the almost de-facto half twist on the analogue stick. The controls are responsive and comprehensive without ever being too overwhelming, making it ideal for first timers or past masters.

Where the game rather unexpectedly lets itself down is online. The matches we played through had far too much lag for our liking - an unforgivable flaw in a beat'em-up. Whether this was an inherent coding problem or a technical issue with the servers remains to be seen; but we'll be keeping a watchful eye to see if improvements are made.

Overall KOFXII is a typical refinement on what has gone on before. It's a great looking sophisticated beat'em-up that offers plenty of challenge. It's not a ground-breaker but it does what it does well - and in the cut throat world of fighting games that's all you can ask.