Ryo Sakazaki's sister Yuri has been kidnapped and it is up to Ryo and his rival Robert Garcia to save her. To find Yuri the two set out to battle various characters throughout South Town to gather more information about her whereabouts. Eventually they will have to fight a mysterious masked figure known only as Mr. Karate in order to save her.

You play as Ryo, who has come to South Town in search of his kidnapped sister. You'll have to fight through a roster of characters that are bigger, faster, and stronger than you've ever seen before. The key to success is mastering the Super Attacks, which can be devastating when used properly. Along with Ryo, you can also play as his friend Robert or six others in the VS. mode and eight others in the Story mode. If you find yourself in need of some human competition, challenge a friend to a head-to-head combat in the Two-Player mode

The gameplay differs from most fighting games. In this game, you have a Spirit meter. The Spirit meter will decrease as you perform special moves, and when it runs out, you can't do any more! It can be recharged, but doing so leaves you open to attack. Also, desperation moves were originated in this game! When your health is almost gone, you can perform a secret combination that will unleash a deadly attack on your opponent – provided you have a full Spirit meter.

The graphics and sound are very impressive given the game's age and format. There is a lot of careful attention paid to detail and most of the music is very catchy. The character animations are good and Ryo and Robert's special moves look pretty cool. The fact that SNK used similar animation for many of the game's characters in subsequent games shows that they got in right the first time around. The between battle scenes where Ryo is riding a motorcycle and Robert is driving a sports car are also pretty cool.

Art Of Fighting features:

• Features 10 playable fighters
• Tons of unique fighting moves to learn and master
• Deadly Super Attacks that will end a fight quickly
• Cinematic animation and camera angles
• Excellent stereo sound effects

This is an old school tournament fighter so if your expecting flashy super combos, multiple fighting style, team matches, or other popular modes in the new fighters. However if you can appreciate Art of Fighting for what it is you will probably come away liking it.

This game is for the fighting game fan, and shouldn't be overlooked. If you manage to see it somewhere, pick it up and try it. You won't be disappointed at all. Good graphics, nice sound, and awesome gameplay is in the cart for sure.