King Of Fighters 2002 is a pixelated flashback to the days when sweaty arcades resounded to the click and clunk of dozens of joysticks. It's not so much over-the-hill as stripped-naked-and-swimming out to sea. All of which will be seen as a good thing by the ever-dwindling band of 2D beat-'em-up purists.

The standard attacks are big and meaty, and the special moves are even more brutal, typically performed by rolling the D-pad in semi or quarter-circles combined with specific button presses. Although there's nothing like the amount of moves you'd find in Tekken 5, for example, there are more than enough to make each match interesting.

To make sure bouts don't descend into button bashing, there's also a slight tactical element to KOF that limits how often you can unleash the more damaging assaults. Charge the bar at the foot of the screen and you can unleash super-special attacks. Or fill it multiple times and you can save up your special attacks to unleash in an uber-combo. Pick a favourite, learn a few key moves, and you'll soon feel the satisfaction that comes with caving a cartoon man's face in.

King Of Fighters plays unashamedly retro, looks dated and some of the moves are too difficult to perform. But persevere and this is a worthy reminder of why the face-punching genre used to rule all.

Graphics 60%
Colourful, but jagged and blocky.

Sound 60%
Satisfying but not amazing.

Gameplay 70%
Practice makes for responsive fun.

Lifespan 70%
Lots of characters to master.

Overall 70%
KOF '02 may look out of date and chunky, but the enjoyably brash action means there's always time for just one more go.