King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood is a good-looking old-skool brawler with fairly simple controls and richly detailed backgrounds.

You choose a team of three from a roster of 21 fighters. Your trio takes on the competition, tag-team style: when one of your fighters goes down, the next takes his (or her) place.

Together, your team will work its way up to the final rounds of this tournament style competition.

Combat is karate-based, with weapons and specials spicing things up considerably.

A practice mode will help you master each fighter's unique weapons and special moves. The sheer variety greatly extends replayability. Button configurations, difficulty level and round time are all customizable.

You can set a handicap in the two-player Vs. Single and Vs. Team modes.

Nice graphics, amusing finishing moves, an extensive roster and Multi-Pak support are all sure to please fighting fans.