For a lot of us, SNK's fighting games were usually followed up with a slice of pizza and a romp in the ball pit, mostly because our cheap-o parents weren't interested in spending thousands on a Neo Geo and games. Jerks.

Difficult but rewarding gameplay; Silky smooth animation; Interesting character options

Little variation between game modes; Mindless; rambling dialogue; Extremely unfriendly to beginners

I love a good fighting game. It’s in my blood. Pulling off huge combos and mastering a character over the course of hours upon hours is my thing. I always look forward to the newest fighters. Learning the...

+ Fantastic game play & 2D visuals; + Deep customization & very accessible; + Great online play; + Full on story mode; + Just tons of stuff to do

Final boss in story mode is stupid hard; No voice acting during story cut scenes; No spectator mode

Rolling is another feature unique to the KOF series, a forward-moving plunge that is invincible to attacks but vulnerable to throws. Rolling serves as not only an evasive maneuver but as another means of offense. Running is also available, performed with a quick double-tap forward.

Classic; 2-D gameplay; Beautiful; hand-drawn graphics; Balance changes from arcade version

Lack of spectator mode during online matches

Superb: A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.

Whether you're online or off, the game's presentation is simply gorgeous. The 2D character sprites fill up the screen with astonishing detail, such as the way their clothing flutters.

Fluid and flexible fighting mechanics; Impressive visuals and smooth animations; Stable online play with replay support; Numerous offline offerings; Character color customization

Online spectating isn't an option; Lacks replay sharing

After all these years, these guys and gals still find something to fight about

More than adequate selection of characters, match types, and options to keep gamers' attention; online-play is generally consistent; ample amount of downloadable, unlockable content and achievements to acquire; unique character design coupled with excellent hand-drawn animation; pre-fight and...

Stiff controls make pulling off the excessive amount of special moves and combos not worth the effort; despite the content, single player experience feels the same throughout due to AI that spams special moves; not one but two cheap boss fights, offers nothing new, nor anything that other fighting...

Playing KoF XIII is the closest thing to "work" I have felt here at TPS. I wasn't good and I had to earn every bit of ground I gained. Just know that you won't get your hand held by the game or its players, you'll get it broken.

Two years ago, KoF XII hit shelves and thoroughly disappointed long-time fans of the series. It wasn't a bad game in the traditional sense since it delivered the series‘ usual gameplay, and was in fact a gorgeous game since it was the first entry completely redrawn for HD displays, but it was so...

If it ain't broke, why fix it?  For years, SNK has been attracting brawlers from all over the world with its King of Fighters series, mixing up folks from past and present games (including Athena and the Ikari Warriors!) into one big smorgasbord of projectiles, throws, and super attacks.

Can SNK Playmore deliver King Of Fighters XIII with enough punch to KO Street Fighter? Check out our review to find out.