SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy

While there's a decent fighting game here, it's overshadowed by the hypersexualized content. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is a spin-off fighter of the long-running The King of Fighters franchise. While the main series has been a staple of the fight game scene for years, that doesn't mean SNK isn't willing to test new waters from time to time. Heroines features some easy to pick up and play controls, a cute sort of action style, and an initial impression that it's been designed to appeal to and fill a void for female fighting game fans. But scratch just below the surface, and you can't help but see that the game's reaching out for a completely different demographic.

Make no mistake about it, SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is a highly sexualized game with very little interest in presenting any of its characters as anything more than eye candy. The little bit of plot and dialogue in the story mode focuses more on innuendo while zeroing in on the characters' skimpy outfits through voyeuristic camera angles. Players are encouraged to spend credits earned in-game to play dress-up with the characters, outfitting them in a variety of costumes and accessories. Then they pick out poses and expressions in a risqué virtual photo shoot. That's not to say there's not a genuinely decent fighting game to be had here. The problem is that it's simply overshadowed by the blatant sexuality catering more to male hormonal fantasies than to girls looking for a positive representation in the genre.