Ignition Entertainment was at E3 2009 with a few highly-anticipated titles for 2009, starting with King of Fighters XII. In tow, we have the new Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny and a Wii-exclusive side-scrolling adventure, Muramasa: The Demon Blade.

There are some big questions as to how the new KoF and Samurai Shodown will stand up against their predecessors, which we address in our evaluations based on in-depth previews at E3. And as for Muramasa? Well, it's actually pretty entertaining.

Prepare to be assaulted by screenshots, artwork and videos...

The tournament continues in 2009 with King of Fighters XII, the latest take on that classic 2D brawler series hailing from the Neo Geo era.

This year, SNK Playmore and Ignition Entertainment are releasing a KoF arcade title set apart from the ongoing story, which is a trend we see with other fighter franchises as well. Think of it as a little something to tide fans over until the next Maximum Impact game is announced.

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And as with many long-standing 2D fighters, Samurai Shodown crosses into a 3D realm, beginning Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny. Oddly enough, while the visuals have made this transition, the gameplay is stuck somewhere in between 2D and 3D fighters, meaning everything has slowed down considerably, moves have been altered to accomodate the new appearance, and the art definitely takes some getting used to. At a glance, you'll notice immediately that SNK has jumped the calligraphy bandwagon, though the art direction shows considerably more restraint than Capcom's Street Fighter IV.

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Muramasa: The Demon Blade features a double plot, and players choose from the start whether they want to play as Momohime, a possessed princess who flees her home in order to expel the swordsman spirit in her body, or Kisuke, an amnesic fugitive being pursued for a crime he doesn't remember committing. As the story goes, each character starts at a different point and travel toward each other -- one travels East to West, another from West to East -- while encountering various unique characters that either aid in or hinder their progress. Some of these characters repeat, though each arc contains a few story-unique individuals. Momohime and Kisuke are inextricably bound by their goals and the people in their lives, which become clearer as you play.

RabidChinaGirl via neoseeker.com »