This year , I drove to the E3 Expo from Virginia Beach, Va to Los Angeles, California. The round trip took 6 days. When I think about the drive, I don't cut it in half with 'to' and 'back'. I see it as all one trek. Sitting alone in the car, cathartically watching the miles click off. Thats the best way for me to describe it. Cathartic. With every mile, I felt like a weight was being removed. It was a peaceful calm that I had been chasing for a long time. At least, thats how it started. Because somewhere near the end of the trip, the experience shifted. The miles stopped melting away. For days, I had felt as if everything was lifting away from me. Then, suddenly, I realized that the road I was heading down had no end. And the further I drove, the tougher it became to keep moving forward.

 

I tried taking a break. Just slow down for a while. But that was a mistake. Instead of feeling relief, it just became increasingly clear that I still had a long way to go. Being tired wasn't what slowed me down. The problem was that I no longer saw the goal. Where is all of this going to end? Where do I even want it to lead? I'm beginning to suspect that there is no promised land. There is no shining reward waiting for me at home. How is 'Home' any different than a spot on the road 1500 miles away?

 

The King of Fighters started its own journey in 1991 as Fatal Fury on the Neo Geo. Its a game that has persevered over the years, even surviving the implosion and rebirth of its parent company SNK. What it lacked in innovation, it made up in sheer numbers. At one point the series boasted over three dozen playable characters, a number that was unheard of in a genre where most games struggled to hit a dozen different fighters. For a while it kept moving forward. The combo centric gameplay maturing to a level that rivaled its biggest competition, Street Fighter.

 

But the road took its toll on the 2D fighter. SNK Playmore's latest installment, King of Fighters XII on the PS3 and Xbox 360, seems like its tired of traveling down the same path. Its a game that can no longer see the goal. Although every sprite on screen was drawn by hand, they still look as if they were pulled directly from its Neo Geo based predecessors. The beauty in the artwork is betrayed by the pixelated feel of the characters and the slightly animated backgrounds.

 

The lack of character selection drives home the feeling that King of Fighters no longer wants to stay on the road. In the past, you could spend months playing with different characters combinations and learning their nuances. Now it seems that after a few minutes with each of the 20 characters, you've seen all there is to see. The game play is just as solid as ever and the online options show that King of Fighters XII can go toe to toe with any fighter ever made. Detailed character designs prove that the game knows how to deliver what its core audience wants in a fighter. Its just been doing it for so long that it has lost the conviction to move forward.

 

I have mixed feelings about the cross country trip. I have no regrets about it, and in the future, I may do it again. But the experience came with a price. The crippled engine in my Crown Victoria and destroyed tires are just one manifestation of that price. What stands out the most, is that moment where I could no longer see the goal. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Sitting alone, heading down a road at ninety miles an hour. Not having an endgame. A purpose. Maybe the journey itself can be the goal. I hope thats true.

 

Score 7/10