Kotaku: the king of fighters xii

The PlayStation 3 Buyer's Guide

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:00 MST

With at least one potential game of the year exclusively nesting on the Playstation 3 and a price drop under its belt, the PS3 has had a pretty darn good year.

My favorite among the games listed is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which probably isn't surprising. What is yours? Anything we didn't review that you would suggest?

Remember, the games listed aren't all recommendations. Instead we're providing this as a quick reference guide to help you decide if a game is a good gift or not.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person hip-hop shooter
Subject Matter: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand tells the unintentionally(?) amusing tale of rapper 50 Cent as he struggles to reclaim his diamond encrusted skull from a Middle Eastern bad guy. He's assisted by his G Unit hangers on and some laughably outlandish moments.
Value: An adequately long adventure, made seemingly longer by endlessly looping 50 Cent songs. There are much better games to give this holiday season.
Buy it for: someone as a gag. Or a die hard 50 Cent fan fresh from a six month coma.
Read the Full Review

Assassin's Creed II

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Free-running platforming adventure game
Subject Matter: Assassinations and conspiracy spent mostly in 15th century Renaissance Italy.
Value: Lots more content than the first game had, probably lasting gamers at least double the time they spent with the first Assassin's Creed.
Buy it for: People who were let down by the first game, people who like history, beautiful scenery, dynamic platforming, solving mysteries and games that might be the Game of the Year.
Read the Full Review

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Price:$59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Action/Adventure
Subject Matter: Join one of comic books' most iconic heroes on an adventure in Gotham City's insane asylum, where The Joker is on the loose.
Value: With character ability customization, bonus challenge maps and tons of riddles courtesy of The Riddler, Arkham Asylum offers at least three playthroughs' worth of fun.
Buy it for: Batman fans and anybody jonesing for a Mark Hamill voice over fix.
Read the full review

The Beatles: Rock Band
Price: The stand-alone game sells for $59.99, the Limited Edition Premium Bundle sell for $249.99, the Rickenbacker 325 Standalone Guitar and the Gretsch Duo Jet Standalone Guitar sells for $99.99.
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm music game
Subject Matter: The Beatles: Rock Band is a musical journey through the history of one of the world's most popular bands.
Value: For those new to the Rock Band phenomenon and fans of The Beatles, this 45-track game is well worth a purchase because this is the only way you'll play The Beatles music in a Rock Band game. If you're not into the band, give this a pass.
Buy it for: huge Beatles fans.
Read the Full Review

Borderlands

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter RPG
Subject Matter: Borderlands targets the loot-hungry region of the brain, offering four classes with which to stalk the planet Pandora, shoot things and level up, acquiring cool guns, sweet armor and totally rad superpowers. As role-playing games go, it's shallow, but offers a constant stream of junk food gaming.
Value: Seeing all that Borderlands has to offer could take hundreds of hours. But the real value comes in the form of being able to play with friends on PlayStation Network or via splitscreen.
Buy it for: the loot glutton with an itchy trigger finger and a history of playing Diablo.
Read the Full Review

Brutal Legend

Price: $59.99 Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Brutal Legend is a heavy metal-themed action game that combines racing, shooting, real-time strategy, and hack and slash into one slightly disjointed mix.
Value: Brutal Legend is a game from Tim Schafer, one of gaming's greatest comedy minds, and the absurd humor carries the game a long way. It's the story of a roadie who gets transported to a heavy metal world where he must raise an army to free the oppressed inhabitants. There's plenty to do, though the odd mix of genres might be too much for some players.
Buy it for: Anyone with a strong affection for heavy metal music or sa twisted sense of humor.
Read the Full Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Price: $59.99 to $149.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person military shooter
Subject Matter: Lead a team of elite commandoes in Modern Warfare 2 as they try to prevent a Russian invasion and global thermonuclear war. Then take the action online, going head to head against other well-armed gamers. It's loud, violent and a hell of a lot of fun to play.
Value: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's single-player storyline may be short, but the package more than makes up for it with ample cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Near endless replayability will be stoked with future downloadable content.
Buy it for: the Michael Bay action movie fan who likes his shooters bombastic and nearly devoid of a comprehensible story, one who doesn't shy away from ultra-violent fare.
Read the Full Review

Critter Crunch

Price: $6.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Puzzle
Subject Matter: A puzzle game with bug eating, cute critters and sorta cut, sorta gross tecnicolor yarn.
Value: The good puzzle game mechanic is strong and addictive — add to that beautiful graphics, a lengthy adventure mode and super fun multiplayer and you have a good time. With barf.
Buy it for: Gamers with a strong like of puzzle titles and no fear of cute puke.
Read the Full Review

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a Civil War era first-person shooter.
Value: With an engaging story, wide open maps and plenty of mulitplayer options, this game will take up quite a bit of your time.
Buy it for: First-person shooter enthusiasts, fans of the Wild West and Civil War buffs.
Read the Full Review

DJ Hero
Price: $119.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm
Subject Matter: DJ Hero is a rhythm game featuring a replica DJ turntable so players can mix and scratch to the beat of original music mash-ups.
Value: DJ Hero features upwards fo 100 different DJ-driven mash-ups featuring songs from the 70's on up to present-day hits. Unlike the latest Guitar Hero or Rock Band games, however, it's only good for one or two players, so the party element just isn't there. The innovative turntable-based gameplay makes it a breath of fresh air in the currently band-centric music genre, but it certainly isn't as social.
Buy it for: Fans of eclectic music mixes and lonely Guitar Hero fans.
Read the Full Review

Dragon Age: Origins
Price: $49.99
Rating:Mature
Genre: Roleplaying
Subject Matter: An epic action roleplaying game set in a world besieged by evil inside and out.
Value: Dragon Age: Origins packs more than 100 hours of gameplay into this action RPG, with branching story paths that encourage multiple play throughs in order to experience it all. BioWare designed the game so it can be played by RPG gamers of any skill level, but mature content and strong sexual situations mean you might want to keep it in the high teens.
Buy it for: Anyone who has ever conversationally mentioned hit points.
Read the Full Review

EyePet

Price: £20 game only, £35 with PlayStation Eye (game currently only available in PAL territories)
Rating: E
Genre: Virtual Pet Management
Subject Matter: Using the PlayStation Eye, "directly" interact with a digital pet on your TV screen.
Value: Smaller kids won't mind the game lacks any real direction, they'll be happy to play it every few days just to check on their pet.
Buy it for: Kids who think Tamagotchi is so 20th century.
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Broken Steel

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 expansion involving missions with a high-powered fighting force.
Value: High because it extends the level cap to Fallout 3, changes the game's ending and allows the adventure to be played infinitely once the story has "ended"
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans who want to play more; essential for anyone getting any Fallout 3 downloadable content
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta

Price: $10.00 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Still a post-apocalyptic RPG
Subject Matter: It's Fallout 3 in space!
Value: Mothership Zeta gives the Fallout 3 player an entire spaceship to explore and make their own, some futuristic new weapons, and tacks a good five hours onto the regular campaign, making it a relatively fair value for your money.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Point Lookout

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 in microcosm, set on a spooky island.
Value: Tons of content, and widely seen as the Fallout 3 downloadable content that best shares the strengths of the base game.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
Read the Full Review

Fat Princess

Price: $14.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: Capture the flag? No, capture the princess. And feed her cake, so she's fat and hard for enemies to cart her off.
Value: Single player weakness aside, the main draw here is multiplayer. That, and cake. Cake's always a draw. Always.
Buy it for: Gamers with a sweet tooth for multiplayer.
Read the Full Review

FIFA Soccer 2010

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Round-Ball Football
Subject Matter: The best football game on the market.
Value: Almost endless. There are so many leagues and cups, and such a deep singleplayer experience, that it can be played to death until FIFA 11 is released. And that's before we even get to the 10v10 multiplayer…
Buy it for: Anyone who has even a passing interest in the world game.
Read the Full Review

Fight Night Round 4

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Boxing
Subject Matter: Boxing
Value: Tons of fighters, good online options and no real competition.
Buy it for: Boxing fans or people looking for a fighting-based game that has longer-lasting fights.
Read the Full Review

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Price: $49.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A arcade-style shooter loosely based on the live-action G.I. Joe movie.
Value: G.I. Joe is a movie tie-in strangely reminiscent of Konami's Contra series. One or two players take control of their favorite Joes from the movie and take on Cobra across multiple levels of run-and-gun action. There are a few unlockables catering to fans of the old cartoon series, but other than that this is strictly a movie-lover's affair.
Buy it for: Really, really big fans of the G.I. Joe live-action movie.
Read the Full Review

Guitar Hero 5

Price: $59.99 for the game, $99.99 with a guitar controller included
Rating: Teen
Genre: Music/Rythym
Subject Matter: It's Guitar Hero. You play a quintet of color-coordinated "notes" as they scroll downscreen to a new selection of music.
Value: Guitar Hero 5 offers a great suite of single and multiplayer modes, the most robust options yet for the series. What it doesn't offer is the series' most attractive soundtrack, despite an 85 song strong line up. Good for the new Guitar Hero gamer, but that money may be better spent on downloadable songs.
Buy it for: for Guitar Hero noobs who have extremely eclectic taste in music.
Read the Full Review

inFamous

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Open-world action game
Subject Matter:Gritty adventures of an electricity-based super-hero from the makers of the Sly Cooper series.
Value:Designed to be played through twice to explore two distinct moral paths.
Buy it for: Super-hero fans and folks who like Grand-Theft-Auto style open-world games.
Read the Full Review

Katamari Forever

Price: $49.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Planet-building action
Subject Matter: Katamari Forever offers a greatest hits style package of the Katamari Damacy series' more memorable levels. Players will roll the titular sticky katamari over objects, building bigger and bigger piles of stuff to replace the universe's missing stars and planets and ultimately please the King of All Cosmos.
Value: At $49.99, Katamari Forever is the most expensive entry yet, a high price for a game that's largely rehashed content. But the content is vast and offers plenty to play. Sadly, there's no online component to help extend the experience.
Buy it for: the fan of quirky games who somehow missed every other Katamari Damacy game or the kid that longs to make snowballs in the summer time.
Read the Full Review

Killzone 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Single-person shooter
Subject Matter: Killzone 2 takes the fight to the Helghast, with an invading force landing on Helghan.
Value: Even though this game landed back in February, you would be remiss if you forgot to check it out. Next to Uncharted 2, this is one of the top games for the Playstation 3. The chunky single-player experience backed by 32-player multiplayer matches makes this a very good deal as well.
Buy it for: Anyone with a Playstation 3 who some how missed this title when it first hit.
Read the Full Review

The King of Fighters XII

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: SNK Playmore's latest entry in its King of Fighter series is a return to its roots with 2D fighting and hand-drawn graphics.
Value: The game feels largely unfinished — though, the parts which are done should please the hardcore fans.
Buy it for: Die-hard SNK fighting game fans.
Read the Full Review

Madden NFL 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The only video game licensed by the NFL, covering the current season.
Value: For the first time on the current console generation, Madden earns its must-own status among sports gamers. The fine-tuned action is slightly slower, creating greater big play potential on both sides of the ball.
Buy it for: Any sports gamer who doesn't yet have it. Madden is a no-brainer gift that any sports fan will enjoy.
Read the Full Review

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action RPG
Subject Matter: Tons of Marvel heroes take on tons of Marvel villains
Value: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 may not quite live up to the thrill of the original, but it is a more cohesive package overall, with a storyline ripped from Marvel's Civil War storyline and a good dozen hours of heroic fun for 1-4 players.
Read the Full Review

Marvel VS. Capcom 2

Price: $15.00
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: Marvel characters. Capcom characters. Fighting.
Value: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 contains one of the largest roster in fighting game history, with 56 Marvel and Capcom characters to choose from. The sheer amount of variety plus online multiplayer makes this one downloadable title well worth the price.
Read the Full Review

Mini Ninjas

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Juvenile Bush Disguise/Phantom Removal
Subject Matter: Play as one of a band of adorable child ninjas on a quest to kill a bad guy and free the adorable little forest animals.
Value: A somewhat short singleplayer game, but the ability to play as one of several ninjas means there's plenty of replay value.
Buy it for: Anyone. Everyone. Kids will love the straight-forward combat, adults will find there's a great stealth and combat system lurking under the hood.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wireless controller features programmable buttons, better triggers and a Modern Warfare 2 theme.
Value: It's a bit pricey, but if you're a big fan of the game and like the idea of programmable buttons, it's probably worth the $50.
Buy it for: Fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo Faceplate

Price: $14.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This faceplate snaps onto your Playstation 3 controller.
Value: For $15 it's not bad, but not a great deal. Consider it a cheaper alternative to buying a new controller.
Buy it for: HUGE fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Wireless Headset

Price: $39.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wireless headset gives weak lip-service to Modern Warfare 2.
Value: The painful design and static-filled connection makes this a bad deal.
Buy it for: Someone you hate.
Read the Full Review

NCAA Football 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The tradition and pageantry of college football's 115 teams, plus any schools you might choose to create.
Value: NCAA Football 10 is the deepest simulation of a sport, on and off the field, of any currently available sports title.
Buy it for: Any sports nut with a serious helping of school pride or leftover nostalgia for college days gone by.
Read the Full Review

NBA 2K10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA 2K10 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 2K Sports' best-in-class basketball simulation.
Value: NBA 2K10 offers a much more varied set of gameplay modes, both single- and multiplayer, than its challenger NBA Live 10. Its season simulation lacks the aspect of playing in this year's league but is deeper in all other regards. My Player, in which you create and control one player on his journey from prospect to all-star, is tough but a rewarding experience.
Buy it for: Serious basketball fans with some exposure to the sport in real life, either as a player or a devoted fan.
Read the Full Review

NBA Live 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA Live 10 is EA Sports' current title covering pro basketball's upcoming season.
Value: EA Sports has poured a ton of effort into resurrecting the franchise. New controls enabling you to move players off the ball on offense and defense are easy to learn and a real plus. Dynamic DNA allows you to run your season simulation as if it were taking place among current league events in real life.
Buy it for: Basketball fans who prefer singleplayer sports gaming, want a very accurate league simulation, and an easy-to-comprehend control set.
Read the Full Review

NHL 2K10

Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NHL 2K10 is 2K Sports' current title covering professional hockey's latest season.
Value: NHL 2K10 is still a runner-up to EA's NHL 10, but it is not without merit. It features the same robust multiplayer package as its NBA cousin. The action's a little arcadey, but it also is the only NHL title with the league's popular outdoor classic venues.
Buy it for: A casual-to-moderate hockey fan who enjoys lots of scoring action.

Read the Full Review

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Realistic military first-person shooter
Subject Matter: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a relatively open-world tactical shooter that has players trying to take the fictional island of Skira from China.
Value: Plagued with problems this shooter doesn't deliver much for the premium price you pay.
Buy it for: hardcore fans of realistic shooters that offer no chance for mistakes or do-overs.
Read the Full Review

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

Price: $59.99
Rating: E
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: Football title encompassing international and club tournaments, manager modes and online play.
Value: Pro Evo's "Master League", a time-devouring game mode incorporating RPG and strategy elements, is the one area fans remain devoted to this series ahead of its rival, EA Sports' FIFA.
Buy it for: Football fans who like to not only play a good game, but also roll up their sleeves and get lost in a sea of statistics and growth charts.
Read the Full Review

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time
Price: $59.99
Rating: E10+
Genre: Third-person shooter (Ratchet sections); Third-person time-manipulation puzzle-platformer (Clank sections).
Subject Matter: The third PS3 Ratchet is still an action game, but has a stronger than normal narrative, as Ratchet discovers he's not the last of his species, while Clank discovers his origins.
Value: A bombastic single-player campaign full of spectacular cartoon visuals is designed to be replayed, with new content and missions available only after the first play-through is complete.
Buy it for: Jaded Ratchet fans who were waiting for the series to feel special again; fans of cartoon visuals who don't mind their entertainment feeling like a fun all-ages sci-fi adventure.
Read the Full Review

Resident Evil 5

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Survival Horror meets third-person shooter
Subject Matter: The latest iteration in the famed survival horror game ditches a bit of the slow pacing and fear for a bit more of an action feel.
Value: A worthy addition to anyone's library, but perhaps not the sort of game you'll keep around after it's completed.
Buy it for: fans of Resident Evil and those interested in the premise of the franchise but not in the steady pacing of the gameplay.
Read the Full Review

Street Fighter IV

Price: $29.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: The next iteration in the storied and fabulous fighter brings with it a dynamic new look and a death grip on classic mechanics.
Value: Packed with playable characters both old and new and a mechanic that is timeless, the online play and in-room versus mode make this a great deal..
Buy it for: fighting fans, Street Fighter fans.
Read the Full Review

Tekken 6
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: Once you've mastered the moves of your favorite character, Tekken 6's 3D fights are all about timing and tactics.
Value: With 40 playable characters and a seemingly endless single-player campaign, Tekken 6 is a good deal for fans of the franchise willing to put up with some online issues.
Buy it for: fighting fans, Tekken fans, and maybe as a taste of something different for Street Fighter IV fans.
Read the Full Review

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action adventure third-person shooter.
Subject Matter: A well-crafted story and pithy dialogue is backed by solid third-person shooter action, stunning Himalayan backdrops and a smattering of puzzles to solve and things to climb.
Value: The story-driven campaign will only take up about eight hours of your time, but the plentiful and creative mulitplayer modes are sure to be a lasting time drain.
Buy it for: anyone with a Playstation 3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is destined to be one of the best games of the year.
Read the Full Review

WET
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person acrobatic shooter.
Subject Matter: Rubi Malone is a leather-pants wearing, wall-running, pole-spinning death machine. She can shoot two shotguns while flipping through the air, slide under tables to hamstring and gut with her sword, and regains health by swigging liquor.
Value: The single-player only game has a sizable campaign, fantastic music and troubled controls and camera work. It's sort of a mixed bag.
Buy it for: fans of Kill Bill and fast-paced action noire games.
Read the Full Review

Wolfenstein

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Subject Matter: World War II First-Person Shooter with Occult Tendencies
Value: While Wolfenstein is an excellent first-person shooter from a technical standpoint, the story is a bit far-fetched and the multiplayer is disappointing, especially in the face of games like Modern Warfare 2.
Buy it for: First-person shooter fans looking for a little something different.
Read the Full Review

WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010
Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Pro wrestling
Subject Matter: WWE wrestling, with deep customization options allowing players to create and share their own characters, moves and — the big new addition — storylines.
Value: High value for those who will take advantage of the online play and content creation/sharing.
Buy it for: WWE fans, even those who don't like current WWE programming, since those disgruntled fans can create the WWE of their own liking using the game's deep editors.
Read the Full Review

The Xbox 360 Buyer's Guide

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:00:00 MST

New Halo, new downloadables for Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and Grand Theft Auto, new Forza. It was a pretty good year for Xbox 360 owners.

Pick through the list to decide which games to give and get and leave a comment to point out any you would add that we didn't review.

And don't forget, this is more reference material than it is suggestion. Just because it's on the list doesn't mean we're saying you should get it.

Axel & Pixel
Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Adventure
Subject Matter: A point and click adventure game about a man and his dog escaping a dream world with small doses of action.
Value: Axel & Pixel is a good couple of hours worth of relaxing adventure gaming, with a few action / racing segments tossed in to keep things interesting. It's very simply, extremely easy, and once you are done there isn't much reason to go back through it.
Buy it for: Adventure game fans and older parents, to show them that consoles have something for them too.
Read the Full Review

Borderlands

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter RPG
Subject Matter: Borderlands targets the loot-hungry region of the brain, offering four classes with which to stalk the planet Pandora, shoot things and level up, acquiring cool guns, sweet armor and totally rad superpowers. As role-playing games go, it's shallow, but offers a constant stream of junk food gaming.
Value: Seeing all that Borderlands has to offer could take hundreds of hours. But the real value comes in the form of being able to play with friends on Xbox Live or via splitscreen.
Buy it for: the loot glutton with an itchy trigger finger and a history of playing Diablo.
Read the Full Review

Brutal Legend
Price: $59.99 Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Brutal Legend is a heavy metal-themed action game that combines racing, shooting, real-time strategy, and hack and slash into one slightly disjointed mix.
Value: Brutal Legend is a game from Tim Schafer, one of gaming's greatest comedy minds, and the absurd humor carries the game a long way. It's the story of a roadie who gets transported to a heavy metal world where he must raise an army to free the oppressed inhabitants. There's plenty to do, though the odd mix of genres might be too much for some players.
Buy it for: Anyone with a strong affection for heavy metal music or sa twisted sense of humor.
Read the Full Review

Fairytale Fights

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A quartet of cutesy fairytale characters set out to regain their fame by beating the beejesus out of other cutesy things.
Value: With two-player cooperative play and a four player battle royal mode, you can really let out you violent side in buckets of cartoony blood.
Buy it for: People who need a healthy way to blow off steam after a bad day at work. Just don't be standing next to them if the game happens to crash and they need an immediate alternative.
Read the Full Review

Forza Motorsport 3

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Driving simulation
Subject Matter: Forza Motorsport 3 takes the driving simulation in a new direction, making it easier than ever to get into a car, upgrade it, tune it and take if for a spin. For more advance driving game fans, there's plenty of hardcore driving simulation to enjoy as well.
Value: Hundreds of cars, dozens of tracks, thousands of upgrade possibilities and an increasing amount of user-generated content available via the game's storefront, all purchased with in-game credits, not real money, make Forza Motorsport 3 a great driving value.
Buy it for: the Xbox 360 owner who likes to go fast.
Read the Full Review

Gears of War 2: Dark Corners

Price: 1200 Microsoft Points (about $15)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person tactical shooter
Subject Matter: This downloadable add-on for Gears of War 2 lets players run through The Road to Ruin, a campaign level original cut from the game.
Value: With a new single-player level, seven new multiplayer maps and director's commentary, you can't go wrong for $15.
Buy it for: Owners and fans of the original Gears of War 2.
Read the Full Review

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Price: $20 if downloaded through Xbox Live Arcade (requires a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV) or $39.95 if purchased as one half of the Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes From Liberty City disc (GTA IV not required; Episodes disc also includes the similarly-sized first GTA IV expansion, Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned.)
Rating: M
Genre: Open world, third-person shooter.
Subject Matter: Over-the-top modern crime drama set in a fictional New York City.
Value: Offers more content per dollar than just about anything else downloadable on the Xbox 360, a 13-hour-plus campaign, numerous side activities and returning multiplayer challenges similar to what was offered with GTA IV.
Buy it for: People who thought GTA IV was too tame and wished their lead character would be asked to parachute off skyscrapers, steal subway cars (with a helicopter), dance in a nightclub and cross paths with the last two protagonists in the GTA IV saga.
Read the Full Review

Halo 3: ODST

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Daytime sci-fi military action interspersed with noir-inspired nighttime sleuthing.
Value: Varies depending on one's Halo experience. A seven-hour campaign and the offline Firefight mode can be played with up to four players and is all-new, but only three of the game's 24 multiplayer maps haven't been sold — and possibly purchased by the prospective ODST consumer — before.
Buy it for: Halo fans who either never bought Halo 3's bonus maps or wouldn't spend $60 of their own for ODST because they did.
Read the Full Review

Left 4 Dead 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person horror shooter
Subject Matter: Four Survivors fight their way through a gory zombie apocalypse in the Southeastern United States, decapitating, dismembering and generally destroying every walking dead human in their path. Cooperative multiplayer is at the core of the Left 4 Dead 2 experience.
Value: Left 4 Dead 2 is a multiplayer game with a massive amount of replayability, but requires cooperative gameplay and reliable friends to fully enjoy. There's very little here for the lone, single-player gamer, so make sure that Live subscription is all paid up.
Buy it for: the grown-up Xbox Live Gold subscriber who believes there's no "I" in team and may be disappointed with the body count in Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3 ODST.
Read the Full Review

Lucidity

Price: 800 Points
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Platform/Puzzle
Subject Matter: Little girl Sofi wanders through her dreams, looking for her lost Nana.
Value: While the puzzle gameplay element is average, the art style is superb.
Buy it for: Tim Burton fans.
Read the Full Review

Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator

Price: $29.99
Rating: NA
Genre: NA
Subject Matter: This throat communicator is meant to replace the need for a standard Xbox 360 microphone.
Value: The throat communicator does a great job of cutting down on room noise for your friends and feels pretty comfortable. If those things are important to you, you should pick this up.
Buy it for: Modern Warfare 2 enthusiasts, online gamers and friends who play in noisy settings.
Read the Full Review

Madden NFL 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The only video game licensed by the NFL, covering the current season.
Value: For the first time on the current console generation, Madden earns its must-own status among sports gamers. The fine-tuned action is slightly slower, creating greater big play potential on both sides of the ball.
Buy it for: Any sports gamer who doesn't yet have it. Madden is a no-brainer gift that any sports fan will enjoy.
Read the Full Review

Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station

Price: $5 (requires a copy of Mass Effect)
Rating: M
Genre: Bonus missions for third-person shooter/role-playing game
Subject Matter: Mass Effect gets a battle simulator to allow goal-based shooting challenges.
Value: High for those looking for something new in the original Mass Effect while awaiting the January sequel; low for people looking for what made the first game popular.
Buy it for: Mass Effect completists, though you'll only be able to buy them download points for this game or give them a small check.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wired controller features programmable buttons, better triggers and a Modern Warfare 2 theme.
Value: It's a bit pricey, but if you're a big fan of the game and like the idea of programmable buttons, it's probably worth the $50.
Buy it for: Fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

NBA 2K10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA 2K10 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 2K Sports' best-in-class basketball simulation.
Value: NBA 2K10 offers a much more varied set of gameplay modes, both single- and multiplayer, than its challenger NBA Live 10. Its season simulation lacks the aspect of playing in this year's league but is deeper in all other regards. My Player, in which you create and control one player on his journey from prospect to all-star, is tough but a rewarding experience.
Buy it for: Serious basketball fans with some exposure to the sport in real life, either as a player or a devoted fan.
Read the Full Review

NBA Live 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA Live 10 is EA Sports' current title covering pro basketball's upcoming season.
Value: EA Sports has poured a ton of effort into resurrecting the franchise. New controls enabling you to move players off the ball on offense and defense are easy to learn and a real plus. Dynamic DNA allows you to run your season simulation as if it were taking place among current league events in real life.
Buy it for: Basketball fans who prefer singleplayer sports gaming, want a very accurate league simulation, and an easy-to-comprehend control set.
Read the Full Review

NCAA Football 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The tradition and pageantry of college football's 115 teams, plus any schools you might choose to create.
Value: NCAA Football 10 is the deepest simulation of a sport, on and off the field, of any currently available sports title.
Buy it for: Any sports nut with a serious helping of school pride or leftover nostalgia for college days gone by.
Read the Full Review

NHL 2K10
Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NHL 2K10 is 2K Sports' current title covering professional hockey's latest season.
Value: NHL 2K10 is still a runner-up to EA's NHL 10, but it is not without merit. It features the same robust multiplayer package as its NBA cousin. The action's a little arcadey, but it also is the only NHL title with the league's popular outdoor classic venues.
Buy it for: A casual-to-moderate hockey fan who enjoys lots of scoring action.
Read the Full Review

South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!

Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Rating: Mature
Genre: Tower Defense
Subject Matter: South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! has the South Park kids big towers to fend off enemies that range from gnomes to old people in an 11 mission campaign.
Buy it for: Fans of South Park, fans of tower defense games, and fans of both.
Value: The game features unlockable characters and challenging maps (especially the later levels), co-op and online. There are also unlockable clips from the show.
Read the Full Review

Trials HD

Price: 1200 Points
Rating: Teen
Genre: Racing/Puzzle
Subject Matter: Trials HD is a twist on motorbike racing: Players must navigate trick courses and tricky in-game physics as fast as they can.
Value: The game features over 50 tracks and seemingly simple, yet deep game play — offering replay value as your skills continue to get better and better. A level editor lets players make their own courses. It's the Excite Bike of the 21st Century.
Buy it for: Those who want more from their racing games than speed.
Read the Full Review

The King Of Fighters XII Gets Pricing Beatdown From Japanese Retailer

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:40:46 MST

The bad news for SNK Playmore is that retailer response to The King of Fighters XII, at least at one major Japanese retailer, is that they'd like to be rid of it altogether, marking the fighting game down to $11.

The good news is that Bic Camera, the outlet responsible for dropping KOF XII to 980 yen—down from its launch price of 7,140 yen (about $79 USD)—appears to have sold out of the 2D fighting game. But with the game on store shelves a little over three months, an 86% mark down on the King of Fighters revival must be hard to swallow.

It's not that uncommon for Japanese retailers to issue steep price drops for older games—we saw plenty of new copies of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the same price in Tokyo this year—but SNK Playmore is probably not pleased.

Retailers in the U.S. appear to be sticking closer to the MSRP, selling the game between $49.99 and $59.99.

The game didn't review that well here in North America, nor did it debut strongly on the Japanese game sales charts. Maybe SNK Playmore will have better luck with King of Fighters: Sky Stage. At least that game has the fan service friendly Mai Shiranui.

The King of Fighters XII Gets Pricing "Re-Birth" [Siliconera]

The King of Fighters XII Patched Up For PS3

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MDT

A patch, a patch, The King of Fighters XII has gotten a new online patch for the PS3 version.

The patch fixes in-game issues such as buggy character combos and optimizes online matches. This update fundamentally changes the way game data is processed and synchronized during online matches, placing greater importance on the game's response time and allowing for much smoother play," states SNK Playmore.

"It also prevents the player from experiencing slowdown during an online match when connections are less than optimal."

Other issues that are rectified include the in-game antenna icon displayed during online battles and chat capability restrictions.

An update for the Xbox 360 version will be available "very soon".

King of Fighters XII Figures Fight Fight Fight

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:00:00 MDT

When you think of SNK figures, you think of curvy Mai Shiranui figures. These are not Mai Shiranui figures!

Rather, we've got 22cm statues of KOFXII's Elizabeth Blanctorche and Mature. Both are priced at ¥10,500 (US$112). Both are out September 20. Both are not Mai Shiranui.

Volks KOFXII 1/6 Elizabeth Blanctorche resin kit and Volks 1/6 Mature KOF2002UM resin kit [Tokyo Hunter]

The King of Fighters XII Review: Still Royalty?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:40:00 MDT

This year is the 15th Anniversary of fighting game franchise The King of Fighters. To mark the occasion, developer SNK unleashes a "rebirth" for the series, The King of Fighters XII.

For those just coming to the series, The King of Fighters XII is a four-button, three-on-three fighter. Unlike Street Fighter, a series KOF is inevitably compared to, there are only two punch buttons (light and heavy) and two kick buttons (ditto). And unlike Capcom's brawler, players select a trio of characters before battling their foes. This system has always given the franchise a faint whiff of chess-like strategy as players try to mix and balance their portfolio of combatants.

Since SNK's financial woes caused the company to implode, there's a scrappy underdog quality to the game. The King of Fighters XII, with its lovingly hand-drawn graphics, was supposed to put SNK back on top of the fighting game genre. But is it a knock-out or just punch drunk?

Loved
Graphics: Since the game is, as SNK has claimed, a rebirth of sorts, the character models were all redrawn by hand. At its very core, this is an old-school arcade fighter — an arcade fighter in an HD world. So, yes, up close, some of the graphics do look pixelated, but that could very well be the point. And since when is pixelated a pejorative term? This game is beautiful.

Fighting is fun: It is, it really is. The basic fightinh mechanics are straightforward and intuitive and the new additions like the "Critical Counter" system keeps gameplay evolving during the match. After countering with a heavy punch, the Critical Counter System can cause your health bar to glow green and unleash a series of deadly combos. Likewise, the "Clash System" for when players attack at exactly the same time, causing them to clash and be knocked back to a fighting stance. The line-up of 22 fighters—while skimpier than the majority of KOF games and harboring glaring omissions—is rather balanced, making team building a cinch.

Hated
Needs more frills: The game is pretty much fighting, and that's pretty much it. There isn't really a story — the semblance of a plot is just that there is a fighting tournament, here is the final match, congratulations, the end. Well, that's totally fine for an arcade title. But if you are playing KOFXII in an arcade, you must likely won't be investing US$60 worth of quarters in the game. The offline single player is an arcade port, but without a proper story mode, the ability to unlock new characters and the addition of only two more fighters, the home console version seems rather light, unfinished even. The entire game is pared down to the fighting. That's the main focus, and that's fine for the arcade title, but at this game's price point, it needs better value for money.

Online is a hassle: Since single player is so skimpy, you'd think this game would nail online. Sadly, it doesn't. There are, however, cool and very welcome options like the ability to create a clan. But the simple act of getting online and punching some stranger in the face is far more complicated than it should be. It's sometimes hard to find matches. When we were able to finally get online, there were a few moments were we felt like we were fighting in jelly.

Menus are not user friendly: Outside of the main menu, none of the submenus seem intuitive. For example, once you began searching for a match, you cannot leave the pre-fight lobby area — say you cannot find a match or you end up sitting in the lobby area for inordinate amount of time, there is no way to easily leave this lobby. We pressed all the buttons and nothing would happen! Why can't the start button take us out of that menu? Each time we had to turn off the game and sit through the 20 seconds of game credits at the beginning. Know that these are credits that you cannot skip.

The fighting in The King of Fighters XII is solid, and the graphics are great. It's as if those are at the expense of everything else, like online multiplayer, story mode, a beefier line-up of fighters and even a worthwhile interface.

The King of Fighters XII is definitely a re-birth, but this game is a 15 year franchise in its infancy, finding its feet and learning how to walk again. Is KOF back on top? No. But this latest installment shows the series can eventually make its way back up the hill.

The King of Fighters XII was developed by SNK Playmore and published by Ignition Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 on July 28. Retails for $59.99 USD. Played single player on both platforms to completion as well as online.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Why King of Fighters' Athena Looks Different

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:00:00 MDT

One of the biggest character changes for The King of Fighters XII is schoolgirl fighter Athena. It's like she's another person altogether.

While making the game, SNK illustrator Eisuke Ogura says that the director obviously kept giving the team feedback. According to Ogura, Athena's character design is drastically most different. When they started to draw her, they kept getting comments like, "She let her smile!" or "Make her legs fatter!" or simply "Fatter!"

And Ogura said they revised her character design many times over until the design that appears in KOF12 was reached. At least they didn't change her loafers!

『ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ XII 』　アテナのデザインが大幅に変わった理由 [はちま起稿]

The King of Fighters XII Getting Another Patch To Fix Glitch

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MDT

SNK's 100 percent hand drawn fighter The King of Fighters XII was released with laggy online play. The game got a patch to fix that.

That wasn't the only problem with KOFXII, though.

There is a glitch which is caused when Raiden and Elisabeth battle it out, and a specific move causes her to go buggy. The next KOFXII patch will address this issue. According to a statement by the game's developer SNK:

This week's launch of THE KING OF FIGHTERS XII represents the culmination of four years of hard work to deliver a rebirth for the KOF franchise, but several key issues have arisen since its release that must be addressed. Rest assured that SNK PLAYMORE is fully committed to supporting the King of Fighters XII community by working to further improve the gameplay experience.

We're pleased to announce that the next software update will address the animation glitch that users have encountered in which Elisabeth's character sprite becomes "frozen" for the duration of the round when the character Raiden performs a specific move on her.

While software update solutions are being devised, we can offer some tips to those users who are experiencing exceptionally poor online performance. First, we suggest limiting the number of players in a room to two, as the addition of a spectator with a slow connection can currently create latency for all users in the room. Also, if your Internet connection is configured behind a firewall using NAT Type 3, we recommend reconfiguring your setup to utilize NAT Type 1 (for PS3) or an "open" setting (for Xbox 360).

Also, we'd like to take this opportunity to explain one feature of the Xbox 360 version. When playing online with the Xbox 360 version of KOF XII, players who continually battle the same opponent in multiple Ranked Matches in the same lobby will not receive additional True Skill Rank Points. This is an intentional decision to keep players from abusing the system to reap massive rewards by preying on one player. If you want to earn True Skill Rank Points, you must make a new room or leave simply leave the room and come back.

SNK will get this game fixed, one a patch at a time.

King of Fighters XII: SNK Announcement: Direct Translation [Facebook]

King of Fighters XII Was Released Buggy, Too!

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:00:00 MDT

SNK's hand-drawn 2D fighter The King of Fighters XII hasn't only suffered from lag issues, but also buggy glitch issues as well.

This clip is of fighter Raiden and glitching it up at around the 1:10 mark while doing a Critical Counter combo. To be fair, this is the PS3 version, which has gotten patched, which hopefully fixes this problem (and other problems as well).

The Xbox 360 version still has yet to be patched.

Mai Tease In The King Of Fighters XII Legacy Trailer

Mike Fahey — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:20:00 MDT

Of all of the shots of the original The King of Fighters '94 to show off in this trailer for the latest version, Ignition had to go with a Mai Shiranui shot.

Mai's absence in The King of Fighters XII is being felt keenly by fans, and while she could be showing up as a downloadable character somewhere down the line, it's still a rather sore subject. So why would a company release a video on the evolution of the series that punctuates the hardest part of that evolution to handle? It's cruel and unusual punishment, I tell you.

The King of Fighters XII Arrives July 28

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:40:53 MDT

No longer is The King of Fighters XII scheduled for "Summer 2009" in North America. No longer will its release date be shuffled. It will arrive on these shores July 28th.

That's according to The King of Fighters XII Facebook page and Twitter account, putting an end to the torment that is the 2D fighting game's fluctuating release date, social networking style. We're getting it two days before our brethren in Japan, so try to be that much more excited.

Thanks to Collin for the tip!

The King of Fighters XII Gets A New Release Date For Japan

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:00:00 MDT

SNK delayed 100 percent hand-drawn fighting game The King of Fighters XII. The game was originally slated for a July 16 launch, then moved to a vague "July release".

The new street date for the multi-platform game is July 30.

The reason for the delay was so SNK could polish the title before finally releasing the arcade game on home consoles. KoFXII was released in Japanese arcades last April.

The King of Fighters XII is being published by Ignition in North America, and the company has dated the game simply as a summer release.

The King Of Fighters XII - Triumph Of Combat

Mike Fahey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:20:00 MDT

Giddy after the triumph of winning three Best of E3 awards for Best Fighting Game for The King of Fighters XII , Ignition Entertainment rushes out this latest trailer without removing the opening slate.

Sure, we could have edited the slate ourselves, but then how would we preserve the excitement? Simply telling you about it? That never works. The little date code at the beginning of this "Triumph of Combat" video shall be preserved in its entirety, to show the world just how thrilled Ignition and company are to have been picked as the best among such a crowded field of 3 or four titles, if that.

Oh I kid. Good job guys!

The King of Fighters XII Delayed

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:00:00 MDT

SNK's multi-platform fighter The King of Fighters XII was originally slated for release on July 16. That has changed. The game's release date has been moved to a vague "July release".

The reason? According to the Japanese press release, this has been decided so that the SNK can improve the title.

The 100 percent hand-drawn The King of Fighters XII was released in Japanese arcades this past April.

We are following up to see how this effects the Western release date.

Fan-Favorite Mai Definitely Not In Next King of Fighters, Could Be DLC

Stephen Totilo — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:00:41 MDT

We have dutifully inquired about the whereabouts of one Mai Shiranui in SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters XII and halted an analogy to ripening fruit.

While it's been established that I know little about The King of Fighters series, I am not without a sense of reportorial obligation to cover the series well. So when I returned from my E3 meeting with The King of Fighters XII publisher Ignition without having asked about Mai Shiranui's whereabouts in the game, I vowed to make amends.

I did so when I met with Ignition folks in New York today.

I did want to know why she was in such heavy demand. Not that I hadn't seen pictures of her and couldn't guess. And, sure enough, I was informed that it was not because of her love of making boxed lunches (which I have verified). It is assumed it is because she has large breasts. (She's 87cm, 55cm, 91cm according to the official site, that first number converting to 34 inches).

OK, then. So, she's not in the game. Any expectations to the contrary due to her recently being featured on The King of Fighters anniversary website should not be seen as proof of anything, I was told. But perhaps she'll be in DLC?

Ignition's director of business development, Shane Bettenhausen, to me: "SNK has not divulged plans for downloadable characters at this time."

Bettenhausen said that while there will be downloadable content, it's not been clarified whether that content will be new characters, levels, or who knows what.

I questioned SNK's decision to leave their popular character out. Bettenhausen likened it to Capcom leaving their most popular female fighter, Chun-Li, out of the original release of Street Fighter III. He theorized: "I think the thinking is that they are making you wait because you want her."

He then started making a fruit analogy. Something about waiting for fruit to ripen. Not wanting fruit to go rotten. That was enough on that. No further questions.

The King of Fighters XII For Novices

Stephen Totilo — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:57 MDT

What happens when a reporter who knows nothing about The King of Fighters XII dares to take a meeting about it?

Here at Kotaku we try to expand our horizons. And sometimes our horizons are expanded for us, like when I drew the assignment to meet with Ignition Entertainment at E3 last week. I was ready to play their pretty side-scrolling Muramasa: The Demon Blade and, what do you know, I previewed it.

Then, my former colleague in games reporting, Ignition's director of business development, Shane Bettenhausen, welcomed me to try King of Fighters XII. Me, the guy who lost in Street Fighter II to Soulja Boy.

I let Shane play. I asked questions.

Tell me, I requested, what someone who doesn't know anything about The King of Fighters XII should know.

From my notes: Fighting game (obviously). All hand-drawn. The artwork for each character, rendered in 720p, took 18 "man-months" to complete. Lighting was faked by drawing different sprites for the characters depending on where they stand in the playfield. Three-on-three fights, as is tradition. Not much of a story in this one, and a pared down roster. All dream matches.

Oh, Shane said, something else: did I see this character he was playing as? Ash Crimson? That's the main character. He asked me to guess Ash's gender.

Female?

No. Male. The King of Fighters series, I was told, has been progressive with introducing characters with alternate lifestyles, like cross-dressing. "It seems that most fans are warming up to him," Bettenhausen said of Ash, "Even though he looks like a girl and wears his hair in a bob."

So progressive are the developers of The King of Fighters — and so impossible is it to erase the inquisitiveness from a journalist even after they cease being paid to be a journalist — that Bettenhausen told me that he asked the new game's developers at SNK Playmore to clarify the sexual orientation of those characters for whom such a thing may have been ambiguous.

The evil (naughty?) secretary Mature? Bisexual.

This guy Shane was fighting in the game named Benimaru, who Bettenhausen pointed out wears a halter top, fingerless gloves and flicks at his tall head of hair when he wins he fight? "Apparently he's a hit with the ladies," Bettenhausen told me. "He has tons of girlfriends."

Interesting. I didn't dare play the game. Time was short and I needed to get to more Muramasa. But now I know a little more about The King of Fighters. Enough to make me curious, for reasons I didn't expect.

The King of Fighters XII is out in July for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Go Frame By Frame With The King Of Fighters XII Crew

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:20:17 MDT

The transition to new, higher-definition 2D sprites in The King of Fighters XII didn't just happen overnight. SNK Playmore illustrates why that process has taken so long with its animation showcase, "2D Dot Gallery."

Five of The King of Fighters XII's characters get the showcase treatment, letting fans peruse each frame of three animation sequences, just so you can see how much work does into designing an uppercut in two dimensions. They also offer a clear, pixel level detail of two of the game's stages, so you can see every single chubby French woman without the distraction of fisticuffs.

SNK also offers a brief look at how it progressed from old-school Neo Geo era The King of Fighters graphics to where we are now.

2D Dot Graphics Gallery [SNK Playmore]

KoF XII - Getting To Know Elisabeth And Mature

Mike Fahey — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:20:00 MDT

Let's take a more intimate look at Elisabeth and Mature, the two new female fighters recently added to the roster of The King of Fighters XII.

So who are these two new ladies, and where do they fit into the ongoing King of Fighters saga? Here's the official word.

Mature is pretty quick on her feet and favors speedy attacks when in combat. She used to be Rugal's secretary, but rumor has it she may have been a spy. She is a babe, but she can also be somewhat ruthless and cruel. Elisabeth's fighting style is more orthodox, but she can be tricky despite her minimal move set. She once invited Benimaru Nikaido and Dup Lon to France to form the Rival Team. Elisabeth has a special relationship with Ash Crimson

A special relationship? I'm on the edge of my seat here! You guys check out screenshots and video of Elisabeth and Mature in action while I scoot backwards a bit. It's quite dangerous, sitting on the edge like that.

How Badly Do You Want The King of Fighters XII Japanese Box Art?

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:40:22 MDT

The King of Fighters XII fans, your demands for the Japanese version of the game's box art have not fallen on deaf ears at U.S. publisher Ignition Entertainment. You could still get it.

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions are due to ship stateside in less than two months, but Ignition hasn't firmly decided on which King of Fighters characters will appear on the game's box art. You get to decide. Err... again. The publisher is offering up another round of box art voting, pitting the previously voted upon version against the more coveted by nature of being Japanese designs.

Of course, if you want the exotic CERO rating and lone SNK Playmore logo, you can still import. But that would be kind of silly, don't you think?

I'm putting my vote behind "Whatever has meaty Athena not offering upskirt visibility on the cover."

Rock the Box Round 2: Vote for your favorite King of Fighters XII PS3 box art! [Ignition Forums]

This Is A New King of Fighters XII Trailer, Watch It

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:00:00 MDT

The King of Fighters XII is already out in Japanese arcades, but is coming to home consoles this summer. This is the latest Japanese trailer, complete with Japanese words. Watch it.