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The King of Fighters XI features the fast-paced tag-team gameplay of KOF 2003 while introducing a number of new and returning characters, plus some noteworthy gameplay tweaks.The new ability to switch characters in mid-combo makes the potential for different, punishing attack patterns seem almost unlimited, especially considering you’ve got about three dozen different characters to work with…including a number of hidden fighters that SNK fans will almost certainly appreciate. On top of that, KOF XI is online-enabled for the PlayStation 2, though importers who don’t know Japanese will have trouble registering to play online.

SNK hasn’t announced plans to bring this game over to the West, but here’s hoping it’ll get here before long.

The King of Fighters series may have reached niche status with the diminishing of video arcade culture during the last five or six years, Next month though, SNK Playmore will be releasing The King of Fighters 2006, the 3D version of the SNK fighting game franchise.

Check Out GameSpot’s Hands-On Impressions & Video {gamespot}