TWO KINGS FROM A WINNING HAND
SNK's King of Fighters '02 and '03 Announced Across Europe
Tuesday 26 April 2005/... Since its inception in 1994, the King of Fighters series has continually fought for and won a position of prominence in the bursting ranks of the fighting game genre. Widely regarded as the definitive iteration, King of Fighters '02 and its younger brother, King of Fighters '03 have today been announced by Ignition Entertainment for release on Xbox and PS2 across Europe. KOF '02 will be available in Jun '05, and KOF '03 in Sep '05. Xbox owners with broadband connections will also be able to enjoy versus play across Xbox Live.
With an enormous roster of finely balanced characters to choose from (39 initially selectable, six secret unlockable), King of Fighters '02 continues SNK's fine tradition of providing a wealth of playing styles within one game. Considered to this day as the finest in the series, and still played widely in Japan's highly knowledgeable and notoriously fickle arcade scene, the pixel-perfect home console version also offers a variety of game modes that allow players to fight in almost any fashion they desire. Extensive practise mode options are also present for the truly dedicated.
Gameplay features -
- 39 initially selectable characters
- Five secret unlockable characters
- Upgraded Max-On Power System
- A return of the popular three-on-three battle system
- Over the top Super Special Moves
- Fully Xbox Live enabled
King of Fighters '03 offers a markedly different, but no less thrilling battle system. With the option to tag fighters in and out mid-battle (and even mid-combo), and many fighters being given even more tactical options, '03 is considered to be the most bombastic iteration in SNK's iconic series. The new Tactical Leader System presents a further layer of depth, and a new storyline also introduces evil versions of some of the most favourite characters. The hand-drawn backgrounds have been replaced with beautifully rendered 3D backdrops, and several popular pugilists have snuck in from other titles in the SNK stable.
Gameplay features -
- 34 initially selectable characters
- Tag in other team members - mid combo!
- Choose your team leader with the Tactical Leader System
- Beautifully rendered 3D backdrops
- New special moves for your favourite characters
- Fully Xbox Live enabled
"Both of these games are important in the King of Fighters series. The changes that they have made to the system, and the fighters therein, have produced two games that feel both markedly different and yet familiar at the same time," says Peter Rollinson, Product Manager, Ignition Entertainment. "Both titles deserve a place in any videogaming fan's collection, and we're making that possible at a fraction of the price of the original hardware for the very first time across Europe."
For more information on The King of Fighters '02 and '03 point your browser at - www.ignitionent.com/kof02-03
The King of Fighters '02 will be available in June '05, and The King of Fighters '03 will be available in September '05, both for PS2 and Xbox.
Ends
For more information, please contact:
Leo Tan or Simon Byron, Barrington Harvey
01462 456780
leo.tan@bhpr.co.uk simon.byron@bhpr.co.uk
About IGNITION ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED
Ignition Entertainment Limited is a privately owned software developer and publisher. Ignition was created by a core team of gaming industry veterans with the purpose of building upon their successful track record within the international games industry, and to bring a fresh new approach to both the development and distribution of original gaming product. You can find more information about IGNITION ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED at http://www.ignitionent.com
About SNK PLAYMORE & SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION
Over the past 15 years, SNK has published classic arcade titles such as THE KING OF FIGHTERS, BASEBALL STARS, METAL SLUG, SAMURAI SHODOWN, and FATAL FURY on a wide variety of home gaming and handhelds systems. In June 2003, SNK opened SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION in Wall, New Jersey to again publish arcade classics on the current home and portable gaming systems.
You can find more information about SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION games at
You can find more information about SNK NEOGEO USA CONSUMER CORPORATION games at http://www.snkplaymoreusa.com
METAL SLUG, THE KING OF FIGHTERS, and SAMURAI SHODOWN are registered trademarks of SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION
"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Xbox is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
® EOLITH CO.,LTD. 2002 ® SNK PLAYMORE / ® SNK PLAYMORE
"THE KING OF FIGHTERS" is a registered trademark of SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION.