I had the opportunity to sit down and play the latest addition to the King of Fighters series, aptly titled King of Fighters 12. The gameplay was incredibly smooth, though some classic King of Fighters players might be in for a surprise as several characters have completely revamped movesets. Their designs seem to be quite larger, taking up a good portion of the screen, but this doesn’t really distract you from the gameplay itself.  You’ll also find the backgrounds incredibly detailed, not to mention full of color.

Samurai Showdown: Edge of Destiny was actually pretty impressive–which is more than I can say about their previous attempts with 3d–and despite the slower feel of the gameplay, I enjoyed the brutality of the visuals. While playing as Genjuro, I managed to get my had sliced off, which I’d say isn’t a pretty sight. On the other hand, I’ve been on the internet long enough to be completely desensitized, and frankly the excessive blood spraying was pretty neat. The only major gripe I had was that the loading times were a bit long, and while I wasn’t sure if it was a final product they were showing, that’s something I tend to loathe.

Finally Muramasa: The Demon Blade was an absolutely stunning game for the Nintendo Wii. The graphics are easily the best thing I’ve seen on the console, and for a 2d title, I’d say the colors were extremely vibrant, and the animations were top notch. After getting a good glimpse of it, I decided this 2d side scrolling action RPG is on my “do want” list, for sure. Of course, this is easily explained by the fact that the developer who worked on the title also did Odin Sphere–which I suggest you play if you haven’t yet. Any ways, look forward to more impressions from the show floor.

[Image source: Ignition Entertainment]