KOF Maximum Impact Maniax E3 2005 Preshow Report

Currently scheduled for release next month, KOF Maximum Impact Maniax is an enhanced version of last year's PlayStation 2 game KOF Maximum Impact. Fans of the long-running series will find plenty of new content in KOF Maximum Impact Maniax, including many of the game's 19 combatants and a number of features that are exclusive to the Xbox. Maniax will support online play via Xbox Live, for example, letting you participate in both one-on-one matches (with an instant rematch option) and tournaments.

Since KOF Maximum Impact Maniax is a 3D fighter, it should come as no surprise that the fighters on the roster will handle quite differently from those in previous KOF games. The ability to sidestep is perhaps the most obvious difference between the Maximum Impact fighters and its 2D counterparts, but other new moves will include four different ways to jump, new combo attacks, and a "knock-back attack" feature that lets you launch your opponents airborne.

In addition to online play, new features exclusive to the Xbox game will include English or Japanese language options, character profiles that let you check out your favorite fighters' moves and voices, and a stop-action camera that lets you pause the game so you can take pictures from any angle.

We'll bring you more information on KOF Maximum Impact Maniax as soon as it becomes available.