“We are very pleased to work with Shanda Games and very optimistic about the prospects of our partnership,” said Mr. Soichiro Hosoya, President of SNK Playmore. “We are honored that the KOF series has always been favored by Chinese game players, and KOF World is a game that we will work closely together with Shanda Games to develop, especially for Chinese players. We look forward to the game’s continued success.”

2D fighting has never looked this crisp before; the frame rate is smooth and the gameplay looks very promising. How it will compare to more graphically sophisticated fighters of today? Only time will tell.

King of Fighters XII will be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on July 28th in North America, and a August 28th launch in Europe.

Japan has already been playing the arcade version since April, so European gamers shouldn’t feel left out exclusively; the whole world gets the shaft.

SNK Playmore’s 2D fighting game will be out for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Read (EuroGamer)

As The King of Fighters XII’s July release date looms just around the corner, SNK Playmore have decided it is a prefect time to release a new trailer for the game.

The above trailer is entitled Triumph of Combat and features gameplay that fans of the KoF series are sure to love. One of the things I loved about the trailer, however, is the zooming out from the sprites putting an emphasis on the 2D nature of this game.

SNK put a lot of effort into this game and from the looks of it, it is shaping up to be a masterpiece. Did we mention that the entire thing was hand drawn?

Street Fighter 4, KoF 12 and Marvel vs Capcom 2 all in 2009? What a year for fighting games!

It seems that the highly anticipated King of Fighters XII has been delayed by SNK. Originaly dated for a July 16th release, the official release date has been changed to just a “July release”.

This could mean July 17th or it could mean July 30th, we don’t really know. However, we do know that SNK decided to delay the game so they can make some last minute improvements to the title.

Does SNK have what it takes to beat Capcom’s Street Fighter IV with The King of Fighters XII? Let’s wait and see.

Read (Kotaku)

To hype gamers up for its July 16th release, SNK Playmore has recently launched the official website for King of Fighters XII.

As you can see, SNK really put some effort into making KOFXII’s website stay true to the game’s lineage with colorful artwork and creative navigation. Featured on the website are fighter biographies, news, all sorts of media, and details for a fan art contest.

According to the website, the contest runs from May 8th to July 31st and prizes range from a $1,000 grand prize to limited edition KOF figurines and Xbox 360 or PS3 consoles. Considering there is no purchase necessary, what do you have to lose?

You can hit up the website at www.kingoffighters12.com.

"While other fighting games have abandoned the time-consuming process of creating beautiful 2D art, KOFXII fully embraces the refined aesthetic beauty that only human hands can produce," said Ignition business development director Shane Bettenhausen. He seems to be taking a stab at Street Fighter IV, which was recently released to much fanfare.

More information and media on the game is expected closer to release.

The sequel will utilize “new 2D high definition, high resolution sprites, on detailed 2D backgrounds” all of which are hand-drawn.

It is expected to hit Japanese arcades next April, with PS3 and Xbox 360 versions following soon thereafter. More details are promised to be revealed soon.