The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood

The reigning monarch of fighting games demands tribute from your GBA.

The deep fighting system that has become synonymous with the King of Fighters franchise is alive and well in The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood for the GBA. Among the 21 available characters, you?ll find old favorites alongside three newcomers who are exclusive to this title. King of Fighters? classic three-on-three battles are the mainstay of this GBA version with a special story mode that lets you vie for the throne.

The character art and animation are fantastic, as are the detailed backgrounds. The effects for special attacks are similarly striking. Unfortunately, the soundscape doesn?t follow suit and is actively annoying in places. Each character?s unique fighting style offers special moves and combos, though some of them are unreasonably difficult to execute. When you get it right, though, the results are sufficiently devastating. A ?Striker? command lets you call in a teammate to make a quick attack on your behalf, which can also make a huge impact on the outcome. Cancels are a piece of cake and can lead to counters that annihilate your opponent.

Due to the fast-paced action, the controls will leave you with aching hands and thumbs. It?s especially noticeable if you play on the quadrangular GBA SP. Of course, this level of intensity means that there?s a good game underway, and you?ll want to keep at it despite the pain.

Comments [0]

post a comment

Post a Comment