Play The King Of Fighters EX - NeoBlood (MegaD) (J) Online

I picked up The King Of Fighters EX - NeoBlood (MegaD) (J) on a whim, expecting a watered-down GBA fighter, but it's surprisingly solid. The sprites are chunky but clean, and the controls feel tight once you adjust to the small buttons. You pick your team of three, then jump into fast-paced matches where timing supers is everything.

First few fights were rough—kept mistiming rolls and eating counter hits. But landing that first full combo with Kyo felt good, even if the screen shakes a little too much during supers. The roster's smaller than the arcade versions, but it's got some fun picks like Moe Habana, who plays like a scrappy rushdown character.

It's not perfect—some backgrounds are just flat colors, and the AI can be cheap on higher difficulties. Still, for a portable KoF, it holds up better than I expected.