King of Fighters XII, released in 2009, saw the series in the throes of what football pundits like to call a "transitional period": the hi-res, hand-drawn graphics were splendid, but the skimpy character roster and lack of balance were disappointing.
Thankfully XIII fixes things, adding a host of classic fighters and tweaking the game system to encourage flamboyant, attacking play – a pleasing change from Street Fighter's more considered bouts. Mission Mode, where players are schooled in each character's more demanding moves, is another nice addition, and proves how deep the game is: in terms of dexterity and recall, mastering a fighter is a real challenge. As such, anyone lacking the necessary commitment (and finger flexibility) is likely to founder pretty quickly, especially in online competition. Fans, though, will relish seeing this venerable series hitting its stride again.