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KOF2002UM REVIEW
　
Originally released in 2002 by SNK Playmore, King Of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match (KOF2002UM) has been re-released in all its retro anime glory on Xbox-live arcade. A 2D beat’em up, with classic one on one action and tag team based matches against the computer. But this is only just the start of the button bashing chaos. Add to this a Practise, Challenge and Endless mode. Leaving you with plenty of opportunities to wear your thumbs down to the bone.

Single play (one V one) is your standard beat’em up scenario, where you pick your fighter and battle your way through to the next round. With Team mode allowing you to pick three fighters, and as eatch one is defeated, they step down for the next warrior on your team to take their place. Both modes are incredibly addictive, and stay true to the KOF legacy.



Practice mode- does what it says on the tin. A nice and easy mode to test out all the characters' moves and fighting styles.
Challenge mode is very fun and like the name suggests is very challenging. You are given set tasks to do, such as performing a certain move a particular number of times, often accompanied by a time limit.
The most exciting mode for me is the Endless mode: pick your fighter and get ready to slog it out. You’ll face round after round with no health regeneration, so watch yourself . It's so addictive you could spend hours trying to beat your previous score.

Also included is the ability to fight against the world over Xbox-live; Player or Ranked match, its up to you. Create a custom match for you and a friend, and compete for high scores on the competitive online leader boards, not to mention the leader boards for the offline modes.
The overall feel of the game sticks to KOF’s anime roots, with all your favourite characters- all 52 of them! AND even more to unlock through the offline modes. In typical anime style, from school girls with plasma bolts to a giant bearded prisoner wielding a ball and chain, even if you are new to the franchise you'll soon have a favourite fighter. Graphic wise the game has kept its retro flair, with the classic Street Fighter looking backgrounds bringing a smile to my face, the odd spectator waving and cheering as you shoot fire balls at your opponent.



Retro is the key word here, although I loved the trip back in time, I would have hoped for a bit more of a boost to the graphics. This aside, the list of characters, game modes and the online capability makes for hours of entertainment! I really enjoyed my time with KOF2002UM, the game is fun and addictive, with a high replay factor and with 200 Gamerscore up for grabs its worth the money and time you put in.
　
8.0
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