King of Fighters XII location test delayed for technical reasons

The first location test for King of Fighters XII was supposed to occur in late April, but it was canceled shortly prior to its unveiling by SNK Playmore Japan. Since that time, gamers have been anxious to find out when the next location test would be scheduled, however, little news outside of a generic (un-dated) flyer has been shown off since.

Earlier today, SNK Playmore Japan updated their news site with a small blurb about the current status of King of Fighters XII. It seems we are going to have to wait just a bit longer for any new updates about the game or its location test, as SNK Playmore Japan has went ahead and notified everyone that any planned location tests are now canceled until further notice due to technical reasons.

From what I've heard, the game is playable and is amazing, so I wonder what the motivations for the delay were... Technical reasons can end up spanning so many different angles, so it's a bit hard to even speculate what may be going on inside SNK Playmore Japan right now. Hopefully it won't be too long before a new series of tests are re-scheduled and the public can get some hands on time with King of Fighters XII.

[Thanks Recap for the update]

King of Fighters XII location test dates announced

Over at Neo-Arcadia, I just spotted that they posted up the dates for the first King of Fighters XII location test in Japan. SNK Playmore Japan has just recently announced that the game will be on test at the Taito Hey Akihabara arcade as well as a location in Namba Hills in Osaka on April 18th - 20th. The company is currently claiming that the King of Fighters XII build that is being showcased is already 40% completed. I'm just hoping that the recent trend of camera lockdowns doesn't continue with King of Fighters XII... I'm eager to see more footage of the game in action, especially with it being played by live opponents...

[Update] After looking at a couple of other sources, it seems this is all coming out of the May issue of Arcadia Magazine. Kobayan has of the details about the latest issue, including a small outline of Virtua Fighter 5 R...

April location test for King of Fighters XII and other Famitsu news

gemgemmania posted the latest King of Fighters XII news coming from Famitsu magazine. According to the magazine, King of Fighters XII will be given its first official location test in Tokyo, Japan in April. While I knew we would be seeing some early hands on time due to the nature of arcade location tests, the first playable build being so close is pretty amazing to me. I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing some of the new footage and hope SNK Playmore Japan delivers on some direct feed media soon...

In other news, some of the game's early system information was also revealed. Like what was previously speculated, King of Fighters XII is going to be removing the shift/tag system in exchange for the traditional elimination 3 vs. 3 team match-ups.

Secondly, the screen's edge is going to be a hard barrier of sorts, allowing gamers to use it to deliver follow-up attacks due to a slight 'hang' that will occur when a character is hit into the barrier. This isn't new to the world of fighting games, but it is a difficult system to balance, so it should be interesting to see what SNK Playmore Japan does with it.

Thirdly, attacks will be able to offset each other. To what extent is unknown right now, but the specific example provided in the article lists that if two attacks would connect, both attacks would 'cancel' and force the players to start again.

Finally, a Guard Attack system is also being planned which will allow gamers to switch from offensive to defensive modes on the fly. No further details are provided about this system either.

Some screens of the Famitsu magazine have already been posted on the MMCafe forums. For those interested in some of the screenshots, I definitely recommend checking out the link. I tried to pick out if there was anybody new(ish) in the screens, but it looks like they were all mostly the previously revealed cast that we've seen so far.

[Discuss on Forums]

GDC SNK Playmore USA News

Over at SNK-Capcom, some early coverage of SNK Playmore USA's GDC line-up has been showcased by the website. Though we already knew about 99% of the games, there were a couple of surprises including the fact that King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match will be coming to the US for the PS2 late in 2008. I'm glad to see we finally get confirmation of a US release for the game, since I was a little worried we may have ended up missing out on it...

In addition to King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, several other games made it from SNK Playmore USA to GDC. The Samurai Shodown Collection for the PS2, PSP, and Nintendo Wii had its game list revealed and fans should be ecstatic about the breakdown which includes Samurai Shodown 1 - 5 and Tenka. The King of Fighters Collection for the PS2, PSP, and Nintendo Wii was also shown off at the event and will include (in the US version) King of Fighters '94 through King of Fighters '98. SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1, Fatal Fury Battle Archives vol 2, and World Heroes Anthology were also on display.

Despite this stellar line-up of games in the two collections, SNK Playmore USA did have a bit of bad news for Wii owners. Both the Samurai Shodown Collection and the King of Fighters Collection will be delayed a bit in order to offer the Virtual Console releases of their NEO GEO games an opportunity to sell ahead of the collection releases. The PS2 and PSP games are scheduled for a Q2 2008 release while the Wii versions are all listing Q4 2008.

Metal Slug 7 (Nintendo DS) was made playable at GDC and SNK-Capcom was also able to capture a quick video of that game in action as well. The link can be found here. Though Trieu seemed optimistic about the game, I'm not sold on it personally. As mentioned before, the sprites in the game all seem a bit squashed like SNK Playmore is scaling them. This is probably just an effect of the DS development, but maybe I was just expecting more from a new Metal Slug. I'm still a little surprised at the hardware choice (I guess it makes sense from a financial standpoint), but I'm getting over it now... Hopefully the game will end up being able to deliver a high quality Metal Slug experience in the end.

In other news from SNK-Capcom.com, Trieu was able to film a better quality video of Samurai Spirits Sen/Samurai Shodown Edge of Destiny and King of Fighters XII for viewing. The download is available at the link and is one of the best quality versions of the video I've seen online so far (this has changed now - see the update below). I'm probably going to repeat this a million times, but King of Fighters XII looks as amazing as ever (maybe even more so with a better quality viewing).


And Samurai Shodown Edge of Destiny? Wow... This is a warning for the squeamish - the video linked to from SNK-Capcom shows more blood flowing in the game than I have seen in any of the Japanese location tests. Limbs get severed, heads are removed, and a whole body is cut in half.

Anyone complaining about the lack of blood in the Samurai Spirits Sen location tests should be appeased. Unfortunately, this doesn't change my opinion overall though that the game seems fairly mediocre right now... We'll see if that changes.



[UPDATE] - So after browing some other GDC information, I've found that Gametrailers has posted a link to a HD version of the King of Fighters XII trailer that has just taken the cake for the best quality version of the trailer around. I hope you enjoy (do yourself a favor and watch the HD version of it). The Samurai Shodown Edge of Destiny trailer can also be found on Gametrailers here.


[Update #2] - Gamespot has an interview with Mark Rudolph, SNK Playmore USA's director of marketing. The video goes through the SNK Playmore USA line-up, but unfortunately there isn't anything new to hear about King of Fighters XII since Mark Rudolph doesn't seem to know much about the details of the game. The rest of the information is mostly repeated from above, but it does show a few videos of the games on the show floor for those interested.

[Discuss on Forums]

Arcade Fighting games in 2008 - Revival? Revolution? Renaissance?

There have been a lot of posts about the number of quality arcade fighters coming out in 2008 on the internet this last week. Though other people have already taken the time to cover most of the console counterparts, I've decided to take a moment to talk a little bit about what's coming up for arcades. This is only going to be a quick overview list... I have plans to go a bit more in depth with each of these games in the coming months, but until then, this is just a cross-selection with a few bits of information on each of the titles.

This year is going to be a rather defining year for the future of the fighting genre in my opinion. While the number of games is impressive, what's more important is the impact these games will have based on the history of the titles and pedigrees that follow them.

I've brought up this point earlier based on a concern that was listed by Amusement Journal, but I'll repeat it here - with the market for fighting games rather stagnant over the last year or so, can the new entries finally make the impact to shake up the most widely played arcade games in Japan? Is the market strong enough in light of recent issues reported by both Sega Sammy and Bandai Namco to support the number of fighting games that it is being asked to support by the developers?

It'll be interesting to watch where these games fall when the smoke clears...

Akatsuki Blitzkampf Ausf. Achse
Hardware - NAOMI
Developers - Subtle Style
Previous games - Akatsuki Blitzkampf (PC)/Akatsuki Shisei Ichigo (PC)
Release Date - Late 02/2008
Official Website - http://subtlestyle.net/akatsukiaa/

First announced in Arcadia Magazine, Akatsuki Blitzkampf will be Subtle Style's attempt to bring their doujin PC fighting game to an arcade market. The game features an old school sentimentality in combination with an eye on attracting an audience through extremely clean and stylized sprites. The basic game system relies on a 3 button control scheme, focusing on light, medium, and heavy attacks, with basic combo strings branching uniquely between each of the game's fighters. The game also features a fairly simple "parry" system (known as the reflector) that is performed by pressing the medium and heavy attacks at the same time, almost immediately before an attack animation connects with your character. Timing is fairly strict, but slightly easier to pull off than Third Strikes parries. As part of the "special update" for arcades, some moves will also be able to be performed with multiple button inputs rather than their traditional motion. What affect this may end up having on game balance is still to be determined...

Location test video - Akatsuki Blitzkampf Ausf. Achse

Arcana Heart 2
Hardware - EX-Board (Specially designed cart system from Examu)
Developers - Examu
Previous Games - Arcana Heart
Release Date - 03/2008
Official Website - http://www.examu.co.jp/arcanaheart2/

Arcana Heart 2 is the sequel to Examu's popular all-female fighting game, Arcana Heart. The game is set to feature six new characters and several new Arcana to strengthen the roster to 17 characters (and hundreds of possible character/arcana combinations). The game will also feature three new systems, Arcana Blast, Critical Heart, and Arcana Homing. The custom board that Arcana Heart 2 will use is part of a new PC-based hardware solution for Examu. Based on the information provided by Game Watch, the EX-Board will be using a Windows XP embedded OS with 2 VGA, S-Video, Composite, and Jamma video output. No word on the strength of the hardware yet, but future releases on the system will be using specially designed ROM cartridges for games.

AOU 2008 Video - Arcana Heart 2

BlazBlue
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - Arc System Works
Previous Games - Guilty Gear, Hokuto No Ken
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://blazblue.jp/

Arc System Works second foray into high definition arcade fighters, BlazBlue isn't trying to reinvent the wheel for the company, but rather prove why they remain one of the most popular fighting game developers in Japan. The game also marks Arc System Works second release on Taito's Type X2 platform, meaning that the previous experience that went into designing Battle Fantasia should serve them well despite the differing styles the two games have. Despite a similar look, BlazBlue is not a continuance of the Guilty Gear story arc, but rather an original game created by the original Guilty Gear team minus Daisuke Ishiwatari's creative hand for design. Daisuke Ishiwatari, however, will still provide the original score to the game.

System wise, BlazBlue will use a 4 button control scheme featuring 3 attacks buttons and one special button known as the "Drive" button that will offer unique effects based on the selected character. While it has been said that Arc System Works has wanted to create a game that focuses more on ground-based combat, from the videos at the AOU 2008 show, the game will still contain the notable "flair" that Guilty Gear is known for. The recovery time on knockdowns is a bit reminiscent of Hokuto no Ken though, which means that if you don't roll or tech out of an attack that sends you to the ground, your response time to wake up is delayed quite a bit. I didn't see any real abuse of this from AOU, but it is probably only a matter of time before this system gets put through the gauntlet at location tests, since AOU was the first hands on time anyone had with the game. BlazBlue's sprites are rendered at 720p resolutions, making them almost double the size of the Accent Core sprites. Don't let anyone tell you that this game isn't "true HD"...

AOU 2008 Trailer - BlazBlue

Fate Unlimited Codes
Hardware - System 246
Developers - 8ing/Cavia
Previous Games - Bloody Roar
Release Date - 06/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/fate_uc/
The latest in a series of fighting games based on the Fate Stay/Night series, Fate: Unlimited Codes is being developed by 8ing with assistance from Cavia. Capcom is set to handle the publishing of the game. While the game is built with 3D characters and does feature some minor 3D side-stepping, the primary focus of the developers has been to create the feel of a 2D fighter while providing a slightly more cinematic experience through 3D camera cuts, angles, and movement. A lot of people have expressed concerns that this game reminds them a bit of the doujin fan project Fatal Fake, and while the game does seem to have some striking similarities, Capcom and 8ing are hoping to offer enough differences to encourage fans to spend some time in arcades with the new game.

Trailer - Fate Unlimited Codes

King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
Hardware - Taito Type X
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - 03/2008
Official Website - http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/kof98um/
SNK Playmore's re-release of King of Fighters '98, Ultimate match is set to feature slightly upgraded graphics (including new 3D backgrounds), a new, playable boss team, and several gameplay tweaks set to re-balance the game for a new round of tournament fighting. The new Ultimate style is a mix and match between the features of the Advanced and Extra styles (such as dash hopping, roll escaping, and charging), to allow for a third choice of options to find the perfect match for a team. At first I was honestly a bit surprised that King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match didn't look any better than it currently does visually being that it was originally set to be a "higher definition remake", but after seeing King of Fighters XII, I can understand why. Though Ultimate Match is still technically a remake, King of Fighters XII is currently getting the primary focus from SNK Playmore Japan's artistic talents...

Location test video - King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match

King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - Summer 2008
Official Website - http://www.snkplaymore.jp
I'm going to hold off on saying anything too much about Regulation A2, because for right now outside of a teaser and some promotional artwork, we haven't seen anything from the game that has separated itself from the first Regulation A. I'll be watching out for any additional information as it comes up...

King of Fighters XII
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - Late 2008
Official Website - http://www.snkplaymore.jp
Though I've covered most of what I know about King of Fighters XII here, I will reiterate that SNK Playmore's drive and desire may be finally paying off. I don't say this often, but in the small 30 seconds of shaky cam videos, I can already tell that SNK Playmore Japan has something special on their hands with King of Fighters XII. The ball's in their court now... Let's see if they can drive this one home.

AOU 2008 Trailer - King of Fighters XII

Melty Blood Actress Again
Hardware - NAOMI
Developers - Ecole/Type-Moon
Previous Games - Melty Blood Act Cadenza ver B
Release Date - 05/2008
Official Website - http://e56.info/mbaa/
Despite no showing AOU for development reasons, Melty Blood Actress Again is listed as still being on track for a May 2008 release date. From what we know about the game so far, Ecole is introducing two new characters (Riesbyfe and Roa) to the fighting game series (the two characters are not original and are featured in the original source material for the game) and will also be implementing a new system that will allow players to choose between different characteristics for their fighter which will affect the speed, power, and abilities the fighter has. The first style is the Crescent Moon Style which will allow for an emphasis on mobility and combos. This is the style that is closest to the current Melty Blood engine. The second style is the Full Moon style which emphasizes power at the cost of speed and combo-ability. The final style is the half moon style which is essentially an "Easy" mode for beginners. It lacks options, so you will be more limited in what you can and can't do in the system. Though this is speculation - balancing these modes may be in part what has caused the delay in showing the public Melty Blood Actress Again. Ecole and Type-Moon have not been very punctual at keeping deadlines for the series in the past, so I would probably expect the current release date to slip slightly.

Monster Ancient Cline
Hardware - EX-Board
Developers - 8105 Graphics
Previous Games - Monster (PC)
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/8105/
This is sort of a pipe dream coming true in a way. The doujin studio responsible for Monster (PC) has hooked up with Examu to bring the PC fighting game to arcades with higher resolution sprites and a new character (maybe more) to add to the mix of fighters. Though I haven't been able to play the game too much (to be honest, I've only booted it up once or twice), I know that it has a rather devoted fan following. Some people were turned off a bit by the game's choice of character roster (lots of beasts - wolf men, dog men, bear men, tiger men, etc...), but from what I hear there is a rewarding system underneath it for those who can look past it and get to the meat beyond the bones.

Samurai Spirits Sen
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2
Release Date - 04/2008
Official Website - http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/samurai_sen/
While Samurai Spirits Sen has made some improvements over the last few months, most location test previews still have the game being described as Soul Calibur's little brother. This isn't necessarily a fair comparison, but considering the return to a 3D weapons based combat system for the game, SNK Playmore Japan should probably have been preparing and expecting for this. Unfortunately, graphically speaking the game loses something in the transition and after seeing King of Fighters XII and what could've been, it makes the 3D elements of this game that much tougher to swallow. But there's hope still. The damage output of the attacks has been increased quite a bit, leading the game to have a very deadly feel where the tide of the battle can shift rather quickly. Whether or not SNK Playmore Japan will be able to continue to improve till its release later this spring has yet to be seen, but I'm eagerly hoping that it can at least step out of the shadows a bit and find an audience all its own.

Location test video - Samurai Spirits Sen


Sengoku Basara X
Hardware - System 246/256
Developers - Arc System Works
Previous Games - Guilty Gear, Hokuto No Ken
Release Date - 04/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara-x/
Speaking of lost in the shadows - if there is one game that I had to pick that has really found itself in the backgrounds over the last couple of months in the arcade fighting scene, Sengoku Basara X would be that game. With higher profile releases coming from Capcom (Street Fighter IV) and Arc System Works (BlazBlue), it is hard to believe that Sengoku Basara X is still on the radar. The game is running on the PS2-based System 246/256 hardware meaning that at this stage it is already decidedly dated in a way (when compared to the current offerings just around the corner). In addition to this, with a few lackluster location tests behind them, I was wondering whether or not Sengoku Basara X would be forgotten altogether.

Both companies are hoping to draw from the Sengoku Basara fanbase to drive sales and appeal for this game, but I can't help but wonder if that's going to be enough in light of recent announcements...

The game uses a similar system to BlazBlue on a superficial level. It features 3 attack buttons and a special button (in this case the Engun button) which will call on an assist character to perform a certain action based on when it's pressed. The longer you wait to press the assist, the higher your assists character's level will be and thusly so, the more damage you'll do. I've already covered Sengoku Basara X briefly here, so if you are interested, I would recommend checking out that link as well as the link to the official website above.

Tokyo Game Show promo - Sengoku Basara X

Street Fighter IV
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - Capcom
Previous Games - Street Fighter III Third Strike, Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Release Date - 07/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/sf4/
While my own hype for Street Fighter IV has decidedly cooled since AOU, I do understand that when most people think of fighting games in 2008 this will be the game that comes to their mind. I'm currently working through some notes that I was sent in regards to the game and the AOU 2008 build, so when I get through those I'll be sure to post them along with what information we have. Until then, this is the one game on the list that I feel has been covered more often than any other (due to its console port implications), so I don't feel its necessary to go into full details until I get the AOU post up on the site. I will say this much though, even though a lot of people tend to be rather negative when I mention EX around Street Fighter IV, certain parallels between the two can be made despite objections to the contrary. I'm holding off final judgments until I can sit down with a cabinet, but in my opinion, Capcom has a ways to go if they wish to win the hearts and minds of the hardcore fighting fans especially with the spectre of BlazBlue and King of Fighters XII looming over them... Could bringing back former Street Fighter fans be a possible thorn for Capcom's attempts to appeal to what should be their core demographic?

AOU 2008 Trailer - Street Fighter IV

Virtua Fighter 5 R
Hardware - Lindbergh
Developers - Sega, AM2
Previous Games - Virtua Fighter 5, Fighting Vipers
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://www.virtuafighter.jp/index.html
There's unfortunately not much information circulating about Virtua Fighter 5 R at this point in time. Though there was the AOU 2008 trailer which showcased a new character and a possible returning character (Taka-Arashi), the only other information we have is that the game will feature new stages and new modes of play unique to Virtua Fighter 5 R. Sega has made it clear that this isn't some basic update with some balance changes and goofy new pirate costumes... This is set to be the next "big" Virtua Fighter update that will shift the focus of the competitive scene off the current builds and onto something they hope is even more rewarding.

AOU 2008 Trailer - Virtua Fighter 5 R

[Discuss on Forums]

King of Fighters XII - Breakdown of what we know

There has been a lot of chatter going around since the trailer for King of Fighters XII was leaked from the AOU show. I don't blame it one bit, because from what I've seen in the short clips showcasing King of Fighters XII, SNK Playmore has done its best to make Street Fighter IV seem obsolete before it even really had a chance to shine. Sure, Capcom has a lot going for them at AOU - the most votes polled, the biggest drawing exhibit, and the longest lines for hands on time - but even considering all of these things, it seems that whenever I see Street Fighter IV mentioned inevitably King of Fighters XII is right there with it as an example of what Capcom should have done.

Think I'm over exaggerating a bit? Check out the comments over at NeoGaf, or Postback's Forums, or Insomnia.ac, or Shoryuken.

There's a common thread on most of these postings that should be a bit concerning for Capcom and their positioning back into the arcade fighting scene. Yes, I'm sure it's possible that Street Fighter IV will turn out to be amazing, but when King of Fighters XII is able to begin taking as much hype away from Street Fighter IV as it seems to be doing, that's a sign that fans may already be starting to look past Capcom's flagship fighting franchise. Of course, this may all be my own giddy feelings that I now have about King of Fighters XII putting too much into the feedback being given, but all in all, I'm more excited now about this game than I ever was after viewing the Capcom teaser trailer for Street Fighter IV...

And I know I'm not the only one.


King of Fighters XII is currently early in its development, but there are quite a few unanswered questions out there and speculation based on interpretations of the trailer. Though I'm not an expert by any means, nor do I have any "insiders information" about the title, I do feel that there have been quite a few updates that can begin to shed some light on a few aspects of the game that may clear up some misconceptions being circulated.

First and foremost, there is a bit of a debate going on regarding whether or not the characters seen in the video are sprite based or polygon based. I'm blaming most of this discussion from two posts (one from Kotaku and the other from Wired's Game Life news). In each of these posts, it is clear that the writer is under the impression that the video showcases 3D polygon characters segmented and flat/cell shaded to appear as 2D sprites. I think it's important to note that in none of the coverage I have seen does it specify that this is the case and furthermore, as the discussion on Postback mentions, this does not seem likely based on the video itself. I also think that the references made by Nona in this Game Watch write up makes it explicitly clear that the emphasis in the video was on traditional high resolution 2D design, not 3D as pseudo-2D. Recap said it best (and I agree whole-heartedly with him) - "not a single polygon".

According to Trieu over on the SNK-Capcom forums, SNK Playmore actually toyed with both a 3D and a 2D version for the game prior to their final direction that was taken for King of Fighters XII. As Icycalm points out over on his forums, the last "official announcement" from SNK Playmore in regards to King of Fighters XII had the game firmly in the 2D camp. This doesn't look like it has changed one bit to me personally, but unfortunately, I think there's going to have to be a new official announcement from the company before it's cleared up due to the "authority" of the 3D as 2D sources... This, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

As for the platform, a lot of people seem overly eager to be talking about which consoles a home port will be going to. While I understand their enthusiasm, I believe its a bit premature for any talk about a home port. Of course, it's safe to assume that the two next generation consoles (PS3/Xbox 360) are probably the best fits based on the system specifications of the Type X2 arcade platform; outside of some vague references, I have not seen any information from SNK Playmore Japan confirming any console port at this time. However there was one mention on Kotaku in regards to a Xbox 360/PS3 release in 2009, but since it is from the same post as the 3D as 2D argument, it should be taken with a grain a salt at this stage. Is it possible that this information is correct? Absolutely. However, all focus should be primarily on the arcade release first and foremost.

According to Gamespot Japan, King of Fighters XII is being scheduled for a late 2008 release window. If I had to take a wager on when the first playable build will be seen by the public (outside of possible summer location tests), it will more than likely be at either the 46th AM Show or the Tokyo Game Show (both in September). Considering that SNK Playmore was a no show at this year's 45th AM Show and that they took several arcade cabinets to their set up at TGS, I'm guessing that the Tokyo Game Show may end up being the game's grand unveiling before its release to the wild.


Now, the next bit of contention that I've seen popping up is what role (if any) is Falcoon going to have with the design aspects of King of Fighters XII. According to Game Watch, those Falcoon haters have little to worry about... While Falcoon is busy crafting and baby-sitting his baby (the Maximum Impact series), Nona is handling the art direction on King of Fighters XII. I will admit, I was one of those who originally disliked Nona's direction when he first was brought to the King of Fighters (I always thought that 2001 was a huge step backwards from 2000 in terms of presentation), his work has grown on me especially with King of Fighters XI and the sprite work he did. I'm eager to see what he has in store for the new game...

Over at the Shoryuken forums, a good observation was brought up in regards to the short video sampling available. In both the King of Fighters XI segment into the shift to the new King of Fighters XII segment, there is a definite focus on keeping the battles 1 vs 1 (no tag elements were in the KOFXI shots). There are three icons underneath the health bar in the transitional screen shot for KOFXII, so 3 vs. 3 team battles look to still be in it, however, the dynamic tag system may be removed (or if it is in, may not be the "default" focus of King of Fighters XII).

This could also be simply due to the fact that the King of Fighters XII build at the show is still really early and they wanted some synchronism between the transition to KOFXI to KOFXII, but it is something to take note of none-the-less for future reference.

As for characters, from the video, we know for certain that Kyo, Ash Crimson, Kim, Athena, Terry, and Benimaru will all be returning. We also know that based on earlier promotional art, Goro, Elizabeth, and Leona will also be possibly making a presence. I'm unaware of any other characters shown off on any other material outside of this group, but as users on MMcafe point out, it is possible that the letter "explosion" at the beginning may represent invitees to the King of Fighters tournament. If so, the roster may end up being huge (which is usually a staple for the series).


I'll be keeping an eager eye on King of Fighters XII as time goes on. I doubted that SNK Playmore could deliver on their promises, but based on what little I've seen so far, King of Fighters XII is shaping up to possibly be one of the most important releases on Taito's Type X2 platform... A bold claim considering the surprising amount of support Taito has been receiving from a number of major arcade developers. If anyone else has picked up on anything in regards to King of Fighters XII that I may have missed, feel free to leave a comment or discuss it on the forums. There's not much out there yet, but I'm sure it's all just the trickle before the flood...

Thanks to Fighter's Frontline for the snap shot images of the video.

Several other images and a torrent link to an alternate lower quality version of the trailer from AOU 2008 can be found over at NeoGaf.

[Update] - I've changed the link to the GDC Gametrailers trailer due to the higher quality nature of the video.

[Discuss on Forums]

Taito's AOU 2008 website opens

Taito's official website for the AOU 2008 expo was launched earlier today. The basic design of Taito's booth is centered around the 30th anniversary of Space Invaders which occurs this year.

It would seem natural for the company to release an updated version of the game for arcades, considering the titles roots, but based on the early preview list that honor is being passed solely over to handhelds with Space Invaders Extreme on the Nintendo DS and PSP. However, Taito does have a fairly strong line-up planned for the AOU show, with full support this year from SNK Playmore in addition to their own releases. Considering the number of upcoming games scheduled to take advantage of Taito's PC-based hardware, this should be a strong year for the company in regards to the arcade scene.

King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match and Samurai Spirits Sen will both be playable at the event. Taito also states that King of Fighters XII will be seen in a video exhibition, confirming earlier rumors that the game would be shown off at AOU from AM-net. I look forward to seeing what SNK Playmore has in store for the latest installment of their ever popular fighting franchise, since the last "update" we really had from the company was based on a call for sprite artists on their employment page about 4 or 5 months ago.

In addition to SNK Playmore's line-up, Taito will also be showcasing Half Life Survivor ver. 2.0, D1GP Racing, and a selection of new prize-based games.

Thanks goes out to AM-net for posting the link to Taito's AOU 2008 website.

With the AOU 2008 show nearly here, I would like to take a moment to put out a friendly reminder that I've been compiling a full series of AOU 2008-related updates in an easy to remember "tag". If you are interested in more coverage, feel free to view what I've posted so far here.

[Discuss on Forums]

King of Fighters XII at AOU 2008?

AM-net has updated its game profile for King of Fighters XII to include a presence at the AOU 2008 show later in February. Based on the information provided, it appears that the game won't be seen in a playable form, but rather in a video presentation similar to how it was previously shown off at AOU 2007. SNK Playmore already has a fairly strong 2008 line-up consisting of its return to a 3D Samurai Spirits, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2, and King of Fighters '98, so whether or not King of Fighters XII is being planned for a 2008 is questionable at this point. It seems that 2009 may be a bit more in check with the company's plans for the arcade industry.

Hopefully at AOU 2008 we'll get at least a better idea of what we can expect from King of Fighters XII. Though I would love to see some in game video, I'm thinking that more than likely its probably going to be a teaser of sorts (hopefully better than the logo teaser we've previously seen).

[Discuss on Forums]

SNK Playmore wishes you a Happy New Year with some greeting cards

Over at the official SNK Playmore website, a series of six printable greeting cards were posted all featuring new art for upcoming or recently released games. They'll be available for download until the 17th of January, so get them while you can.

I'm hoping that this is a sign that all of the games featured in the art will see the light of day by the end of 2008, because I'm not sure if I can take another year of teasing King of Fighters XII. The games featured are King of Fighters XII, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A, King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, Samurai Spirits Sen, Doki Doki Majo Shinpan 2 DUO and Metal Slug 7.

King of Fighters XII rumored for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360?

According to Kotaku, SNK Playmore has confirmed with the gaming blog that King of Fighters XII is currently in the works for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and is scheduled for release on the two systems in early 2009. Though I'm not entirely convinced of the accuracy of this announcement, Kotaku has posted the news without hesitation as being 100% factual.

In the post, King of Fighters XII is being described as a 3D fighter with 2D shading by the SNK Playmore overseas marketing manager Koyama. This puts the game more into the company of Battle Fantasia than it does traditional King of Fighters games. It also calls into question previous statements about King of Fighters XII where it was described as a high definition sprite based fighter.

Take this with a grain of salt right now. I have no reason to distrust Kotaku's reporter Brian Ashcroft, but I can't help but think there is more to this story than what has already been posted. If true, it shows that SNK Playmore is finally looking to really tap into the power of the Type X2 platform (unlike what they did with King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A), and it also throws all the rumors about a King of Fighters XII Playstation 2 port out the window.

I'm sure more information and hopefully sources will come out soon so people can fact check the announcement.

SNK Playmore Flyers From the TGS Floor

[Courtesy of AM-Net's Blog] - Though it isn't much, AM-net's blog has posted some great images of the King of Fighters XII/King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2 and Samurai Spirits Sen flyers from the Tokyo Game Show. This confirms that MIA2 is being planned for arcades as well as the PS2, so everyone can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Still no confirmation that King of Fighters XII and Samurai Spirits Sen were announced as PS2 titles, but both games have the Type X2 logo fashionably positioned on the upper left of the two flyers with no Playstation logo to be found on either one.

SNK Playmore at the Tokyo Game Show

Famitsu's article on SNK Playmore's booth at the Tokyo Game Show revealed a few details about the company's plans for home consoles over the next year. Unsurprisingly, outside of a handful of downloadable titles, SNK's primary focus in the home gaming industry relies being entirely dependent on the Nintendo DS and the Playstation 2.

Anyone wishing to find out more details about King of Fighters XII or the new Samurai Spirits will be a bit disappointed. Though the company featured the two games' logos, no additional information about either game or their scheduled sale date were available at the event. I have some reports claiming that the two games were listed as possible Playstation 2 titles, but I haven't been able to confirm this as of yet. If the two are already in the planning stages of development for the Playstation 2 it puts an interesting footnote in the SNK Playmore/Taito relationship in regards to the future arcade releases for the two games.

Also featured for the Playstation 2 were King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2 (logo only - no word on an arcade version), their latest NEO GEO Online Collection of the World Heroes games, and an announcement of a Sunsoft NEO GEO Online Collection being planned for future release.

From the Nintendo side, a port of Samurai Spirits VI is being planned for the Nintendo Wii. The Playstation 2 port of the game was available for attendees to receive some hands-on time with the title. The Nintendo DS area featured Metal Slug 7 as well as Kimino Yusha and their sequel to Doki Doki Majo. Fatal Fury, Magician Lord, and World Heroes for the Wii Virtual Console were also available on the show floor.

SNK Playmore still hasn't announced anything in regards to the Maximum Impact 2.5 game that was in the works for the Xbox 360 (which can probably be written off as cancelled at this point). However, the company did show off Metal Slug 3 and Fatal Fury Special for the Xbox Live Arcade.

More information is sure to come out in regards to the projects in the next couple of days. I will be working on trying to get a confirmation of the King of Fighters XII and Samurai Spirits PS2 announcements. As soon as that is verified, I'll update everyone with the information.

SNK... Where are you?

For the last couple of years, SNK Playmore has had a very underwhelming presence at the JAMMA show. In 2005, the company only displayed Metal Slug 6 at the Sega booth since it used the NAOMI based Atomiswave hardware. In 2006, SNK Playmore had no real hands-on titles and instead focused its attention on making a center stage announcement with Taito that King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A, King of Fighters XII, and a new Samurai Spirits, were all in development for the TypeX2 platform.

This year, SNK Playmore was a complete no show at the event, despite only one of those three eagerly awaited games available in arcades and no footage available of the other two outside of the original announcement videos. The rumor mill was running earlier this year that King of Fighters XII has had its complete development cycle scrapped and restarted again. After the open call for recruitments on SNK Playmore's home page, it seems that the company may be running into more problems with the new hardware than they initially expected.

This could also be signaling a shift in focus from SNK Playmore. With the arcade division not making a strong showing at the Amusement Show and the Tokyo Game Show just around the corner where SNK Playmore is planning on showcasing a handful of titles, the question of the future of SNK Playmore as an arcade company needs to be called into debate. It may be too early to signal the fact that SNK Playmore appears to be withdrawing from the amusement sector simply due to the success of the slot machine side of SNK Playmore's business, but it definitely begs the question of why the company didn't provide arcade gamers, distributers, and press a chance to see one of the missing arcade games in action.

Am I being chicken little here? Is the sky falling because of a simple acorn?

Perhaps, but some tough questions need to be asked to SNK Playmore in regards to King of Fighters XII and the new Samurai Spirits, the least of which is quite simply - "when will we see the two games in arcades?" I'm holding off any judgment on SNK Playmore until after the Tokyo Game Show, however whatever showcase the company has there, it doesn't change the fact that their missing presence at the AM show spoke much louder than any words.