ACA NEOGEO THE KING OF FIGHTERS '96 is a recreation of an arcade fighting game of the same name. It is part of a larger series of fighting games, THE KING OF FIGHTERS, with a consistent castle, style, and type of gameplay.

A Still-Warm Throne

Despite its age, THE KING OF FIGHTERS '96 introduces things like different jumping speeds and single-frame evasion that modern fighters often take for granted, making it very playable even by today's standards, and putting it in a sweet spot of having just enough mechanics to satisfy a fighting game buff. Although the game is well-designed, including how the characters play, it bears noting that the graphics, despite their stylistic approach, have aged poorly, and some of the character designs try just a bit too hard. Notably, the game offers online multiplayer, though it's old enough that finding players of entry-level skill can be difficult. If you can find someone who's of a similar skill level to you, though, it makes for a good game experience.

Can You Become The King?

Overall, if you've played the original KoF '96, you owe it to yourself to play this game. If you haven't, and you're looking for a simple online fighter to play, this one works.