Overall, it's a very hard process that could take 16 months for even an experienced designer to do alone. In terms of data, the character size is about four times larger [than in previous installments]. But when considering the extra errors that come about in doing the [bigger] pixel art, the trouble is more than four times what it used to be.

Each character in KOFXII has around 400 to 600 [sprite] patterns. Every single one of them is hand-drawn, and it's something that we're proud of. I'll only say it here, but we believe that this is something that no other company can imitate, something that only SNK Playmore can do.

Amazing.

King of Fighters XII knuckles up next year [GameSpot]

King of Fighters XII, you may recall, brings the classic SNK fighting series into the realm of high-def, with 100% hand-drawn sprites. It looks quite good. We just hope that SNK keeps what we like about Metal Slug intact. We don't want another Metal Slug 3D on our hands.

HD Metal Slug in the Works? [IGN]

『ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズXII』稼動時期が決定！[Famitsu]

No word on pricing for the XBLA version or a release date.

The King of Fighters ‘98 Ultimate Match is coming to XBLA [Siliconera via Dtoid]

While writing the arcade book, I had a chance to check out The King of Fighters XII at SNK's offices on the actual cabinet — they even opened it up so I could check out the TAITO Type X2 system board. Obviously, it was an earlier build, but the game looked (and played) great. Those who like SNK fighters should be very, very happy, and the 100 percent hand-drawn graphics are stunning. The game is slated to hit Japanese arcades later this year.

If you live in Tokyo and want to hit the Amusement Machine show (it's the 46th one — think about it!), it show will be held at the Makuhari Messe. It runs from the 18th to the 20th with the 20th being a public day. If you purchase your ticket in advance, it's only ¥700, but ¥1,000 the day of the show. If you are over sixty or under than elementary school age, then it's free.

9月のAMショーで『THE KING OF FIGHTERS XII』が試遊可能！ [Dengeki via Insert Credit]

シモベ様、『どき魔女2』 [Dengeki Online]

Dig Dug, presumably the NES version, is also coming to the Wii.

In addition, PlayStation 3 ratings for The Last Guy and WipEout HD have appeared, hopefully a good indication that both will be hitting the PlayStation Network soon. Finally, Freddi Fish: Kelp Seed Mystery is apparently a video game about a fish who's also a detective. Who knew fish were so smart?! I think we've all learned a lot today.

It [the rumor] is not true. We are just planning to move to LA. Currently we have an office in NJ, but we should have the branch office in West Coast, because of time differences and access are much better than NJ.

Also, Ignition USA is located in LA (Marina Del Ray), so recently we have done co-publishing announcement with them.

We will keep our NJ office until 31st of December for our direct publishing in North America. Then we will move to LA. Previously as SNK NEOGEO Corporation, we had an office in LA.

[SNK founder] Mr. Eikichi Kawasaki is Chairman of SNK PLAYMORE USA.

We will renew and revitalize our US corporation. We must keep our US corporation in North America. Currently we are developing KOF12 for next gen consoles, as you know. How can we close our US office? It is 10M$ project, we want US people know our passion for 2D fighting games.

We want to show that SNK is sticking to making 2D fighters and is the world leader in 2D fighters.

So there you go! SNK isn't closing its US branch and is dead serious about the US market and 2D fighters.

Eds Note: The information we received from SNK is incorrect as nothing official has yet been announced about the US SNK branch, other than it is not closing down.

Chris Bradshaw? This is Ben Herman from SNK. I return from a four day weekend, where I go to Pittsburgh, get my daughter, bring her home. And what message do I receive on my machine? Thanks for being a little bit polite. Now I'll make it real simple. I dunno who you bought it from, I dunno what game it is, but you call me back, and... We don't do exchanges unless it was the card fighter game where we did a recall and we can help you there if it is defective. If it's any other game, I will explain it to you to take it back to your local retailer where you purchased it from. Calling your credit card company, fine. You didn't buy it from me personally or my company personally. But would love to hear what your complaint is, like to hear what your item is. As far as customer service, we have a very small sales office here. We don't pride ourselves in customer service. Or where you've sent an email or what you've done, I don't care at this point. Call me back at extension SOME NUMBERS, and I will do my best to resolve it.

Eds Note: Chris reminds us, "I returned the game to my retailer only to get another copy with the same defect, and I have the receipt to prove it."

Gilgamesh vs. SNK [Kikouken City]

Iroha Book NSFW [Akiba Blog]

Hit the jump for the demo clip.

Poor, poor Kureha Hanori. First she was born with red eyes and now this? A damn shame.
Doki Doki Images [Dengeki Online via DS Fanboy]

The game is one hundred percent hand drawn. There is zero cell shading in The King of Fighters XII.

Hardcore. That means that an actual human hands lovingly drew and colored in everything in the game. Every single frame, every character and every background. Everything — down to the game's in-game title. SNK gave us the full rundown, so here's how it worked: The original character drawings were modeled into 3D. Those 3D models were then rendered back into 2D. That way the 2D characters could have a greater depth of motion. Since the 2D models were devoid of color and details, artists went through each character, background, image and painstakingly added colors and drew in details pixel-by-pixel on a tablet PC. In one day, one artist would be able to draw one frame and a half for whatever image he or she was working on.

"We knew it was going to be hard going in," says Kukino. "But we wanted to make the ultimate 2D fighting game." Up close, that meticulous attention to detail becomes apparent, and you're always noticing a flourish here or a nice touch there. Every inch of the screen has something interesting going on. "We wanted the look of the game to have more in common with manga or anime," Kukino adds. With KoFXII, it looks like SNK hasn't only created another stylized 2D fighter, but this time, a genuine work of art.

The real treat however was a little surprise waiting on a DS in the corner, Metal Slug 7! I hot footed it over to the corner of the room and practically wrestled the girl playing it to the ground in my attempt to check out the game. It looked great, played better and had everything you could possibly want from a Metal Slug game. So if you are ready for a new Metal Slug experience, look no further than Metal Slug 7, coming soon to a DS near you.

Street Fighter IV... I saw it at the AOU 2008 show... I was impressed. It's very similar to King of Fighters in that we're trying to do something new with the franchise.

So sad about Samurai Spirits. It has literally turned into a mixture of Tekken-ish gameplay with no real jumping, and a rather bland gameplay. D: The 3D characters dont even look that good. I mean there's a friggin viking now. A big, fur wearing, horned helmet, axe weilding viking. It's gone World Heroes on us! The game felt sluggish and unresponsive. So sad since I used to love the Samurai Spirits series. I hope they polish it up after the feedback that will be given after the show by the fans.

Hit the jump for a higher quality clip. Do it!

Two final production notes: first, her fans are made of paper and wood and actually collapse and unfold like real folding fans, which is a really cool touch, though they should be treated with care to avoid breakage. Also, while clearly not intended for castoff it's easy enough to pry the front of her costume away from her breasts and peel the front back over her shoulders — though that's as far as it goes.

Mai Review [Heisei Democracy]

Street Fighter IV will also be making an appearance, most likely in playable form. Despite persistent reports that Osaka-based DIMPS (comprised of former SNK staff) are working on Capcom's flagship fighter, Capcom themselves are officially stating that the project is being developed in-house. Either way, should be a good weekend for fighter fans, who probably haven't partied this hard since the summer of '93.
THE KING OF FIGHTERS XII（映像出展）[AOU 2008]

Gallery after the jump. Proceed with caution!

Majo Shinpan Comic [Ota Road]

• Metal Slug
• Magician Lord
• King of Fighters '94
• King of the Monsters
• Samurai Shodown
• Art of Fighting
• World Heroes
• Fatal Fury
• Last Resort
• Top Hunter
• Sengoku
• Burning Fight
• Shock Troopers
• Super Sidekicks 3
• Neo Turf Masters
• Baseball Stars 2

For fans of SNK titles this is quite a gem of a collection and seeing as it's a volume one it stands to reason there will be a volume two. One wonders what treasures will they dig up for that one.

For your own enjoyment, plenty of wallpapers that are not holiday related, including some fabulous desktop worthy World Heroes Gorgeous pieces are just a downward scroll away.

Happy New Year 2008 [SNK Playmore]

This Wednesday Microsoft is releasing SNK Playmore's heralded classic Metal Slug 3 to XBLA for 800 points. Now in 720p and featuring online co-op multiplayer, I'm almost glad I didn't pump a boatload of quarters into the game when I spotted a cabinet a few months back. But man I've gotta pick up a joystick for the 360 already.

Metal Slug 3 [xbox]

Mai Shiranui [HobbyStock]

• Top Hunter (Neo Geo)
• Puyo Puyo 2 (Sega Genesis)
• The King of Fighters '94 (Neo Geo)
• Baseball Stars 2 (Neo Geo)
• Bases Loaded (NES)
• The Dynastic Hero (TurboGrafx-16)
• Power Golf (Neo Geo)

Also worth noting is a rating for Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, which sports an E10+ rating. A bit surprising, considering the darker nature of the Nintendo DS sequel and Nintendo's own expectations of a T rating.

ESRB Game Ratings

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Oct. 8, 2007

This week, Nintendo adds another delicious category to its smorgasbord of classic titles. NEOGEO games will now be appearing in the Wii Shop Channel for download. NEOGEO becomes the sixth platform represented in the Wii Shop Channel, and it adds additional depth and breadth to the best selection of classic games available.

Hard-core gamers will especially appreciate the vibrant, arcade-quality graphics and the ability to finally play games they might have missed during the NEOGEO heyday. The first NEOGEO offering includes three fighting games that are a mix of familiar franchises and cult classics. Dive in and check out the deep game play, diverse characters and special moves and combos.

The three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii� owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points� to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

FATAL FURY (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1991 and one of the longest-running series in the fighting-game genre, this title introduced players to Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi. Select one of the three and visit many locations as your chosen fighter engages in numerous street fights around the fictional city of South Town. If you're good enough, you'll eventually take on Billy Kane and then his boss, the notorious crime lord Geese Howard. Use each fighter's own finishing maneuver and battle in two different planes on the screen, one in the foreground and the other farther away in the background. The game also features a two-player mode that is well known for its unique setup, which allows fighters to both fight and help each other. Do you have what it takes to win the King of Fighters tournament?

WORLD HEROES (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Animated Blood, Violence, 900 Wii Points): A fighting game released in 1992 featuring eight characters, including Hanzo, Janne and Rasputin, modeled on historical figures from throughout the ages. The fighters compete against each other to become the world's toughest combatant, with players using a setup consisting of only three buttons (one each for punching, kicking and throwing). Adding to this unique system is the fact that the strength of your offensive blow depends on how long the button is pressed and held. Along with regular match styles, Death Match mode is also available and features mines, electrified ropes and other dangerous objects in the battle arena that can change conditions during the fight or damage players. Enjoy the wide range of combat forms as you take on history's best!

ART OF FIGHTING (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Animated Blood, Violence, 900 Wii Points): This fighting game, released in 1992, began the story of the Sakazaki family and Robert Garcia, further developed in two later sequels. Yuri Sakazaki has been abducted by Mr. Big to punish her father, Takuma, and her brother, Ryo. To rescue her, Ryo and Robert must take on numerous enemies around South Town, eventually reaching the mysterious Mr. Karate. The passion of the game's creators is evident in the unique game-play elements introduced. These include an energy gauge that is depleted every time a fighter uses a special maneuver, Desperation Attacks that are usable only when a fighter's health is low and camera zooming that adjusts on the fly as fighters move around the stage. All these features ensure that players use strategy and tactics, rather than simply mash buttons. Adding to the mix are little touches such as characters showing cuts when they are injured and voice-over samples during cut scenes. Can you perfect the art of fighting and save Yuri?

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

The game was unveiled at last year's TGS and snowballed. Just before release, the game posted higher on the Amazon Japan charts than The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. The game has launched a line of products that range from pillows to coffee mugs. "The reaction really surprised me," Matsushita says. "I wasn't expecting that. I was trying to make an adventure game." What about a possible English localization? "I don't know if it would suit American or European tastes. The game is designed for Japanese players," says Matsushita. A DS Doki Doki Majo Shinpan sequel was announced today. Does that mean Doki Doki is a new series, and we can expect endless sequels? "I don't think about it," he says. "I'm just trying to make Doki Doki Majo Shinpan 2. Then we'll see how that does." Matsushita is keen on a Wii version, "I am interested in doing a Wii version, but right now, I am very busy with Doki Doki Majo Shinpan 2."

The sexual themes have raised some eyebrows, but Matsushita says he was never concerned what rating the game was going to get. "If you make something that's interesting," he says, "people will play it no matter what."