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Speaking of The King of Fighters, major Japanese retailer Bic Camera put KOF XII on ultra clearance and re-priced it to 980 yen.

Brand new copies of The King of Fighters XII, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, were going for under $11, as reported by My Game News Flash. It looks as if Bic’s is out of stock since the game is no longer in their database.

When The King of Fighters XII went on sale on July 30 it was 7,140 yen or $79, based on today’s exchange rate.

The post The King of Fighters XII Gets Pricing “Re-Birth” appeared first on Siliconera.

Fresh off the afterglow of Street Fighter IV, I was ready to dive into a different type of fighting game. Luckily, right when I needed to take a break from SFIV, King of Fighters XII was released. I hadn't played a KoF game since the Neo Geo games and was eager to see what I missed.

The game is still true to its 2D roots, but the character models took me a while to get used to. When in close proximity to each other, fighters look overly-pixelated. The jagged pixels are so dramatic that I have to assume it's part of the style and entirely intentional. I got used to this look, but it was still jarring during my first few matches.

What I couldn't get used to were the generic Xbox 360 dialogue boxes. They didn't match the style of the rest of the game at all in either font nor colors. It just looked like the developers forgot about those boxes until the last minute and then couldn't come up with art quick enough to make it match the rest of the game.

Despite the visual quibbles, I have to say that King of Fighters XII got one thing right: LOBBIES. In online matches, it's possible to a lobby and watch a match while waiting for my turn. It was something that I desperately wished other fighting games would have in their online modes. I learned a lot of new tactics just watching people play matches.

Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly put those tactics to good use online. Believe me, it is no fun to play against people online right now. It's really a shame that The King of Fighters cannot conquer the enemy known as lag. For a fighting game which focuses on lightning-quick reflexes and speed, any sort of latency issue can ruin a complete match.

I could have been content waiting for a patch if single player mode were more robust, but it isn't. It really doesn't offer much, so best find a buddy to fight locally with. At least until a patch is released that fixes online mode. I guess until then, it's back to the other fighting game for me.

The post The King of Fighters XII: Lobbies And Lag appeared first on Siliconera.

SNK knows The King of Fighters XII has buggy online play. They released a patch that addressed "minor performance issues." Now they're tackling other problems like the Raiden/Elisabeth animation glitch.

Check out this video and watch what happens to Elisabeth after Raiden uses his super move.

Here's what SNK has to say about the problem. Take note of the TrueSkill rank point issue too, which requires Xbox 360 owners to leave and re-enter a room if they want to earn additional points.

We’re pleased to announce that the next software update will address the animation glitch that s 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 s 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 s 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.

The post SNK Planning Another King of Fighters XII Patch appeared first on Siliconera.

The King of Fighters XII is in some households and early reports claim online play has been less than stellar. Ignition is stepping in to intervene with a patch, which is available for the PlayStation 3 version now.

Over at the Ignition boards a explains the PS3 patch forces installation, records players you met online, and maybe tweaks the netcode.

A patch is planned for the Xbox 360 version too. While the update is not available Ignition "expect[s] it to be released very soon."

The post SNK Patches Online Play For The King of Fighters XII appeared first on Siliconera.

So, Mai didn't make the first draft. SNK could sell her and other characters as future able content. King of Fighters XII has a marketplace mode where s can purchase additional items online. Details about able content have not been outlined at this time.

Also interesting is King of Fighters XII has a different set of options in the online menu depending on the console. On the PlayStation 3 players can pick "Clan" which is not found in the Xbox 360 menu. Instead the menu has an option for a "ranked match." Clan mode is a bulletin board (BBS) like system where players can post messages and issue challenges.

The post King of Fighters XII Has DLC, Console Specific Online Modes appeared first on Siliconera.

The King of Fighters XII attempts to replicate the feel of an arcade at home. The online setup has rooms where s can watch fights and discuss how Goro walked right into one of Ryo's fireballs.

Reliable and leaky retailer Rakuten also explains the King of Fighters XII will also have community features like clan . Clan can post messages on a common bulletin board and issue clan challenges.

The other interesting tidbit is the King of Fighters XII more than 22 characters. That's at least two more than the arcade version. So many fighters are sitting on the bench too. Which characters will SNK pick?

The post The King of Fighters XII Has An Online Virtual Arcade appeared first on Siliconera.

The King of Fighters XII is getting the fastest arcade to console conversion in the history of the series outside of playing an arcade cartridge on a Neo Geo. SNK will bring their "KOF Re-Birth" to arcades in Japan this April. Three months later the console version comes out on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 worldwide. Ignition will publish the King of Fighters XII domestically.

With such a short window between the arcade release and home version it's hard to imagine SNK beefing up the character roster like they did with other King of Fighters games. Perhaps, SNK will distribute post-release expansion packs with additional characters as able content?

The post The King Of Fighters XII Punches Its Way Into Homes Everywhere In July appeared first on Siliconera.

Street Fighter IV went 3D while SNK stuck with slick sprites for the King of Fighters XII. A good decision on SNK's part since we already saw 3D SNK fighters in the King of Fighters: Maximum Impact series. The downside about the new hand drawn sprites is SNK can't reuse their old work and the King of Fighters XII will have less characters when it arrives in Japanese arcades in April. The roster rounds off at twenty fighters, way less than King of Fighters XI. I guess that's OK because King of Fighters XIII and shoving fan favorite character Mai Shiranui in the home conversion seems inevitable.

The post Soak In Sprites, See Some King Of Fighters XII Screens appeared first on Siliconera.

Ever since SNK closed its New Jersey office Ignition Entertainment has been publishing all their games. So, it's not much of surprise to hear Ignition will also be responsible for The King of Fighters XII in North America and Europe next year. No other details like a release date or platforms were announced at this time, but The King of Fighters XII is in development for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. SNK let this detail slip back in 2007.

The news is dated so things may have changed, but even if The King of Fighters XII is in development for the PS3 and Xbox 360 there are no guarantees both versions will come out in North America. Battle Fantasia? Keep your fingers crossed that The King of Fighters XII won't suffer the same fate when it crosses the pond.

If you haven't seen how gorgeous the new sprites look watch this trailer from Tokyo Game Show in high definition for the full effect.

Images courtesy of SNK.

The post Ignition Setting The Stage For The King of Fighters XII In North America appeared first on Siliconera.