King of Fighters XII goes West

King of Fighters XII isn't scheduled to arrive in Japanese arcades until next year, but the hype has already begun for the game's worldwide debut. Console and handheld publisher Ignition Entertainment today announced that it would be bringing King of Fighters XII to North America and Europe next year.

King of Fighters XII won't be the only anticipated rebirth of a flagship fighting franchise to hit consoles next year. But unlike Capcom's Street Fighter IV, King of Fighters XII will retain the series' traditional 2D art. Developers at SNK Playmore have redrawn the game's 20 characters from scratch, first creating a 3D model of the character, than posing it and using it as a guide for traditional, "hand-drawn" 2D pixel art.

Beyond simply confirming the game's international releases, Ignition was tight-lipped about the news. Release dates, platforms, and new features for the game will all be revealed at a later date.