SNK’s seminal punch-up series hardly needs any kind of introduction. And with the legendary console and arcade company resurrected by PlayMore, there’s no excuse for we lowly Europeans being denied a version of the much favoured KoF 2002 iteration for our PS2s. Well, courtesy of Ignition Entertainment, we no longer need to suffer in silence, as they bring a Sony-friendly King of Fighters 2002 to these rocky shores. The eighth game in the revered SNK fighting series, 2002 features every singl ... more >>

SNK’s seminal punch-up series hardly needs any kind of introduction. And with the legendary console and arcade company resurrected by PlayMore, there’s no excuse for we lowly Europeans being denied a version of the much favoured KoF 2002 iteration for our PS2s. Well, courtesy of Ignition Entertainment, we no longer need to suffer in silence, as they bring a Sony-friendly King of Fighters 2002 to these rocky shores. The eighth game in the revered SNK fighting series, 2002 features every single character who appeared in the preceding games since 1996 - that’s 39 to be precise, including five all new fighters. Gameplay reverts to the 3-on-3 formula that made the first games so popular, and amongst the teams you can choose from are the Fatal Fury team, featuring the Bogarde brothers Terry and Andy, and the perfunctorily named Woman Fighters team, of which the bouncilicious, fan-tastic (geddit?) Mai is the principal member.

If you’re just angry that this title didn’t come to your machine sooner, console yourself with the knowledge that this version features uprated graphics, with new backgrounds and effects. Last year saw the tenth anniversary of the KoF brand, but advances are still being made, with a contentious 3D version in the works. Purists will rejoice that this title joins a growing PS2 library, with SVC Chaos and a compilation featuring both KoF 2000 and 2001 already available.

This edition boasts the upgraded Max-On power system, and the over the top, punishing special moves that you’ve no doubt come to expect. Recreate the pump-up arcade action, for you and a friend too, in your living room! << less