King Of Fighters XII Review: An All Time Favorite Updated For Next Gen Players.

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King of Fighters, for me was an all time favorite arcade classic. I don't know how man tokens and quarters I dumped into the machines when I visited the midway at Circus Circus here in Las Vegas, or at the arcades inside the movie theaters in the area, but it was truly one of my all time favorites. At the same time, I can admit that until now I have never owned any version of the game for at home consoles, perhaps thinking that they couldn't live up to what they had in the arcades.

But with the graphics that are available now for the XBox 360 and Playstation 3, I was looking forward to the release of King Of Fighters XII. Was it worth waiting for? Could it compare to the arcade game that I used to play? Was it capable of delivering the fun and intensity that I remembered so fondly? To all of those questions I have to give a resounding YES!!!

KOF XII is a game that is not only hellacious fun, a treat for the eyes to look at, a game that can be challenging but not impossible to play, but is also a game that if you're a father with a teenager, will give you endless hours of time with each other as you both engage in battles to be the true King Of Fighters.

Playing King of Fighters XII is like going back in time to tournament fighter history. It will thrill you with fast, smooth gameplay that demands split second reaction time.

King Of Fighter XII concentrates on what gamers are most interested in. There is no story development in this game. Instead, KOFXII is a dream match setup with most of our favorite fighters from the series. KOF XII is thankfully, rendered as a classic 2D fighter. Everything in KOFXII is painstakingly animated in 2D. The backgrounds, though limited in your options, are all a real treat and beautifully created.

The gameplay is mostly about strategic blows. Every movement counts and for every move you make there are consequences. There are many options to avoid your opponents attacks, including multiple jump heights and the ever popular evasive roll. If you don’t master these key features, you’re sure to recieve a beating. In order to fight effectively, I suggest you master the roll.

There are 21 characters in the game. Since there is such a big roster of characters, there is bound to be a little overlap in archetypes. You will figure them out as you become more skilled at the game.

The modes in KOFXII are very basic. You have Arcade with virtually no story, Versus (online and off) and Practice mode. It’s all par for the course, and they don’t do anything special. Fights are performed with a team of 3 fighters. Fighting against the computer can be fairly frustrating at times until you pick the right set of fighters. I ended up finishing at 2-3 countless times.
The real fun is when you are going up against a real life person, be it at home or online. Besides the interaction you have with each other, the fights are not quite so lopsided.

Yes, KOF XII lived up to my expectations and I'll save a mint by playing it at home instead of in the arcades. Here at the blog-o-rama, we look at the blog-o-meter and see that King Of Fighters receives a 9.4 out of ten.

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