So let's discuss my King of Fighters team for a minute. I usually pick the likes of Terry Bogard, the classic character who uses a ground wave and spinning punch as his primary weapons and then victoriously throws his hat at the end of a match; Joe Hisashi, a classic Fatal Fury character who has a Sagat-like quality with his fighting style and also packs a vicious super with his tornado punch; and what kind of sane man would I be if I didn't have the luscious Mai Shiranui, the barely dressed vixen who can somehow manipulate quite well with a fire wheel and still pack a bounce at the end of the match. That's my King of Fighters experience, as shallow as it may be considering the new fighters that have been introduced over the years. But, hey, you're comfortable with your team and that's the team that really brings you the victories, right?

That's basically the trend that King of Fighters 2002/2003 is all about. It feels the same as other chapters in the series, and some might find that to be a big turn-off since it doesn't evolve out of formula, like the previously released King of Fighters: Maximum Impact does, exploding in a melancholy of 3-D hotness. But if the formula isn't broke, why mess with it? The Castlevania team recently did that with Nano Breaker and that game ended up being a putrid mess. King of Fighters 2002/2003 wisely sticks to formula and succeeds as a result.

This package is basically a mixture of two of the Neo Geo's stronger fighting titles into one compilation, like the previous King of Fighters 2000/2001 before it. In King of Fighters 2002 featured a gathering of 44 fighters from the previous KOF games and put them together in the same title, making it similar to Capcom Fighting Evolution in terms of mixing them up into battle. There's a few more to unlock as well, and you can either play with a pre-created team or mix up your own for surprising results. This game was also known for bringing back the cherished 3-on-3 formula, instead of taking your chances with just a single player during a fight. So, with this chapter, SNK basically rehashed everything that was good about the series and made it so with the same appealing factors in gameplay to make it that much more fun. Anyone can invite people to a party, but you have to keep it jumping, which SNK does.

Then you have King of Fighters 2003, the unprecedented eighth chapter in the series. This game introduced 3-D graphics to the Neo-Geo scene, in fully developed backgrounds similar to that of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 or the Dreamcast King of Fighters: Evolution, giving the game a whole new gloss that wasn't necessary but is most appreciated. This game features less fighters (thirty-five, with a few hidden), but again focuses on the team play and gives you the option of choosing a leader with the Tactical Leader System, which comes in handy in terms of balance and power. I usually pick Mai, just because I'm a sucker that way when it comes to choice. It's not a massive change, but it works pretty well for the series. What I was really impressed by, however, is the inclusion of the Multi-Shift, where you can change to another character mid-battle to save someone who's lacking on energy and give some fresh blood a chance to destroy the opposition. It's nothing new- the X-Men Vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Vs. Capcom games from Capcom invented character switch-out- but seeing it in use here is a thankful choice and one that lets you keep your team healthy, allowing you to match up against opponents with ease.

Let's face it, King of Fighters isn't really going to be for everyone. People who have evolved with the times and get more into 3-D fighting games like the forthcoming Tekken 5 might find KOF to be a bit...what's the word..."primitive". And, yes, it does refer back to a style of old-school gameplay. But the fact of the matter is, 2-D fighting gameplay still remains as fresh as it ever was, thanks to the elements within that allow you to mix it up within a match. You've got Super Moves, Super Cancels, Counters, dodges, taunts, combos, Multi-Shift...the possibilities of how a match can go are endless, and rely on skill more than luck. Anyone can do a tap-tap combo and somehow survive, but King of Fighters gloriously makes you work at it, and rewards you better as a result.

Another thing that might be a turn-off for some are the graphics, and, yes, aside from some of the cool 3-D backgrounds, King of Fighters looks and sounds about the same. But there's nothing wrong with that, really. The animation remains as beautiful as ever, with numerous frames going into each character to bring them alive and give them a style and grace all their own. The voice samples also can help a lot, as brief as they may be. Top it off with some good background music, thunderous sound effects, and other little visual quirks here and there (like the explosive debris you can make on an impact of a hit), and it comes together rather well.

Besides, if you weren't into King of Fighters that much, would you really be sitting here, pondering over it with my review? Of course not. KIng of Fighters 2002/2003 could've benefitted more from a slight bit of diversity with the extras and maybe even some online play, but what's here shouldn't be cast aside. It's still got hours upon hours of fighting goodness crammed into its dual discs, and anybody with a pulse should be able to see the fun and thrills lying within its simple interface. It's heartily recommended, even if you have a fighting team as generic-looking as mine. This is a good time to look deeper, you might be eagerly surprised at what you find.