Usually, when a PS2 title makes its way to another system a few months after its release, there are a few bonus features. In the case of a fighting game, the developers may throw in extra characters, a bonus mode or two, or an extra couple of stages. Sometimes, the character balance gets tweaked a bit or the gameplay's adjusted.

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Maniax has Xbox Live gameplay added in.

That's it.

Really, that's all. If there was ever a fighting game that could've used a little adjustment, it was Maximum Impact, the latest of SNK's few forays into 3D. Instead, you get a slightly better-looking version of the PS2 version, and as such, most of what I said in my original review still applies.

This is still a bizarrely faithful adaptation of a 2D game to a 3D environment, complete with many of the gameplay tropes that usually don't survive the transition. Characters retain their original moves, right down to little things like their ducking fierce kick, and gain about half a dozen "stylish combos" to boot.

At the same time, the new characters are ridiculous-looking, the final boss of story mode often cannot be beaten without an act of God, and the gameplay should've spent a few more weeks in testing before being unleashed on an unsuspecting world.

Maximum Impact isn't quite full-blown, over-the-top, Samurai Shodown II broken, but it's up there. It's one of those fighting games where it's initially great fun, with lots to do, lots to learn, and a wide host of entertaining ways in which to beat the life out of some poor schmuck, but once you reach a certain level of proficiency, the fun drains out fast.

It's not an entirely bad game, of course. It's a solid basis for future 3D games, and the engine itself isn't flawed. This isn't a great fighting game, or even a great King of Fighters game, but I've had some fun with it. I just wish it had been tweaked some on its way to the Xbox.