12 cert, SNK Playmore, PS3 (also Xbox 360, PC) ***

This game debuted in Japanese arcades – yes, somewhere in the world there are still kids pumping coins into hulking game cabinets. It's appropriate: The King of Fighters XIIIis like an artefact from another era. This 2D combat game has everything you expect from beat-'em-ups of yore, from the 16-bit graphics to the bombastic music. Combatants range from muscular cyborgs and cocky young martial artists to slinky lightning-fast women. You choose from dozens of fighters, and get three rounds against your opponent. It's that simple. The online gaming option is a step towards the present, but everything else about this game is pure '90s. The King of Fighters XIIIis limited, but comfortingly familiar and diverting. It should tide you over until Soulcalibur Vappears later this year.