SNK has actually built a great legacy upon themselves with the classic Neo-Geo home console/arcade system. They've established quite a few name brands that, to this day, remain very popular, like their Metal Slug games and brands such as Fatal Fury that still get a lot of attention in Japan and on the hardcore fringe here in the States. But nothing was stronger, for me anyway, than King of Fighters. This was kind of a "best of" fighting game series, combining different warriors from different games (ranging from Fatal Fury to Art of Fighting and even throwing in a couple of Ikari Warriors) with a control style that was absolutely perfect. For years, even through their bankruptcy, SNK's provided new chapters in this series, and, to celebrate its long legacy, the company's bringing back a classic to the Xbox.

King of Fighters '94: Rebout will reintroduce gamers to the first chapter in the series, which may look a bit simple for the current fighting genre but still stands as a classic thanks to its numerous memorable characters and its ranged fighting styles, allowing you to charge up attacks and pull off some spiffy special maneuvers to keep your team alive. Granted, the game didn't have the "tag team" tactics of Capcom's Versus titles, but it still maintained a high energy. With Rebout, SNK once again dips back into the old days, but manages to keep a few classy touches to make this title stand out.

First off, you'll notice that the art style is genuinely the same, but SNK has included the option of turning on some hi-res 3-D backgrounds to give the game a little more life. Granted, it's nothing hyper-detailed, but they still look pretty good, even in the game's early stages of development. The animation is solid, allowing you to see every frame as it was intended. (And, trust me, this is a big issue for some fans- they want every piece of Mai they can eye on.) The sound appears to be in place as well, complete with character yells and some nerve-racking sound effects that stay true to the fighting theme.

So what's new besides the backgrounds then? The Xbox Live support, that's what. The PlayStation 2's loss is the Xbox's gain, as yet another 2-D fighter will go online with Rebout's release. The game will feature full lobby support and match-up systems, and SNK will even host a few tournaments down the road, awarding anything from cool Neo-Geo cabinets to a possible trip for E3 2006. And you said SNK never gave you anything.

The build still needs a bit of work, as it's slightly buggy and the gameplay feels a little sluggish, but the game's still got a couple of months before it sees its release this November. I have faith that SNK will once again deliver us a hardcore arcade classic for the Xbox, as they've done before, and will keep their devoted fanbase giggling with joy. King of Fighters '94: Rebout looks to pack every amount of punch as it did back in the old Neo-Geo days. Look for more coverage soon.