Fighting video game franchise
Video game series
The King of Fighters (KOF)[a] is a
series of fighting games by SNK that began💶 with the release of The King of Fighters '94
in 1994. The series was developed originally for SNK's Neo Geo💶 MVS arcade hardware.
This served as the main platform for the series until 2004 when SNK retired it in favor
💶 of the Atomiswave arcade board. Two King of Fighters games were produced for the
Atomiswave platform (The King of Fighters💶 Neowave and The King of Fighters XI) before
SNK decided to discontinue using it for the series. The series' most💶 recent arcade
hardware is the Taito Type X2, first used with the release of The King of Fighters XII.
Ports💶 of the arcade games and the original The King of Fighters games have been
released for several video game consoles.💶 The latest entry in the series, The King of
Fighters XV, was released in February 2024.
The games' story focuses on💶 the title
tournament where fighters from multiple SNK games take part. SNK also created original
characters to serve as protagonists💶 from each of their story arcs while still
interacting with fighters from Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury, among others.💶 Multiple
spin-off games, such as the R duology for the Neo Geo Pocket and Maximum Impact for the
PlayStation 2,💶 for example, have also been released. There have been multiple
cross-over games where the SNK cast interacted with characters created💶 by Capcom, while
some characters have been present as guest characters in other games, such as Mai
Shiranui in the💶 Dead or Alive games, Geese Howard in Tekken 7, Kyo Kusanagi in Fighting
Days, Kula Diamond in Dead or Alive💶 6, and Terry Bogard in Fighting EX Layer and Super
Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The King of Fighters was originally conceptualized as💶 a
side-scrolling beat 'em up until SNK changed it to a fighting game that took its
subtitle from the first💶 Fatal Fury game: Fatal Fury: King of Fighters. Though
originally released yearly from its first inception, the company decided to💶 take more
time to develop their games after 2004. Critical reception of the video games have been
generally positive with💶 their use of teams and balanced gameplay often cited.
Games [
edit ]
Main series [ edit ]
SNK released the first game💶 in the series, The King of
Fighters '94, on August 25, 1994.[1] It featured characters from SNK's previous
fighting game💶 series Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting, as well as original characters
(including characters from other franchises such as Ikari💶 Warriors and Psycho Soldier,
adapted for a versus fighting game).
The game's success led SNK to release yearly
installments for the💶 series numbering the games for the year they were released. The
King of Fighters '95, as well as adding new💶 characters, began the series' first story
arc titled "The Orochi Saga". It was also the first game in the series💶 that allowed
players to create their own three-member teams with any character in the game.[2] The
King of Fighters '96💶 established the second part of "The Orochi Saga". Depending on the
playable characters on a team, an exclusive ending would💶 be played.[3] "The Orochi
Saga" story arc concluded in The King of Fighters '97.[4] Unlike the series' previous
games, The💶 King of Fighters '98 did not feature a story. Instead, it was promoted as a
"Dream Match" game that allowed💶 players to choose most of the characters available from
the previous titles, including ones that were supposedly dead. SNK refitted💶 the
Dreamcast version and renamed it The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999 with an
extended cel animated introduction and💶 3D backgrounds.[5]
The King of Fighters '99
introduced "The NESTS Chronicles" story arc. In a new tactic, a specific person from💶 a
team would be an assistant called a "Striker". This person would be able to aid the
team for a💶 few seconds in combat. The Dreamcast version was titled The King of
Fighters: Evolution, with several improvements in the game💶 such as new Strikers and
better animation.[6] The King of Fighters 2000 is the second part of "The NESTS Saga"
💶 as well as the last KOF game produced by SNK before its bankruptcy. It adds a few new
playable characters💶 and a couple of Strikers—most from earlier KOF titles and other SNK
franchises such as Metal Slug, Robo Army, Burning💶 Fight, Buriki One, The Last Blade,
Savage Reign and Kizuna Encounter.[7] The King of Fighters 2001 ends the second story
💶 arc. The Korean company Eolith helped develop the game after SNK was declared
bankrupt.[8] The King of Fighters 2002 was💶 created to reunite old characters from
previous KOF games and featured no story, similar to KOF '98. It was also💶 developed by
Eolith.[9]
A new KOF story arc titled the "Tales of Ash" began in The King of Fighters
2003, the💶 last KOF game to be released for the Neo Geo system. It allowed players to
change characters while playing, but💶 the number of team members was reduced to three.
SNK returned to develop the franchise with this entry.[10] By 2004,💶 SNK abandoned the
series' yearly releases and numbered future games in a more conventional manner.[11]
The first main series' game💶 released as such was The King of Fighters XI in 2005.[12]
In 2009, The King of Fighters XII was released.💶 It used high-resolution, hand-drawn 2D
sprites on detailed 2D backgrounds.[13] It is a storyless gathering of fighters,
similar to KOF💶 '98 and 2002. The story arc ends with The King of Fighters XIII,
released during the summer of 2010, which💶 features the entire roster from The King of
Fighters XII as well as additional characters.[14]
The King of Fighters XIV, featuring
💶 3D graphics and a large roster of characters while also establishing a new story arc
was released for the PlayStation💶 4 on August 23, 2024.[15] In December 2024, SNK
revealed it was working on The King of Fighters XV, and💶 was released on February 17,
2024.[16]
Other games [ edit ]
The King of Fighters '94 was remade and released in 2004
💶 for the PlayStation 2 as The King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout in Japan. This version has
several new features like💶 hi-res graphics, online play, team edit, a playable Rugal
Bernstein, and the addition of Saisyu Kusanagi.[17] A remake of KOF💶 '98 titled The King
of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match was released in Japanese arcades in 2008 and later on
some💶 video game consoles expanding the character roster and improving the graphics.[18]
A remake of KOF 2002, titled The King of💶 Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match was released for
the PlayStation 2 in 2009 in Japan. SNK also produced a game titled💶 The King of
Fighters: Battle de Paradise which could be connected to the Japanese Dreamcast port of
KOF '99.[19] Yumekobo💶 also developed the visual novel game with strategy elements for
fights known as The King of Fighters: Kyo (ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ 京).💶 The game follows Kyo's
daily life as he prepares to fight in the tournament in KOF '97 while interacting with
💶 other rivals.[20] For the Neo Geo Pocket, an adaptation of KOF '97 titled King of
Fighters R-1 was released on💶 October 28, 1998.[21] A sequel for the Neo Geo Pocket
Color, King of Fighters R-2 an adaptation of KOF '98,💶 was released on March 19,
1999.[22]
In 2004, SNK produced the first 3D installment of the series, The King of
Fighters:💶 Maximum Impact.[23] The game and its sequel KOF: Maximum Impact 2, and its
upgraded version Maximum Impact: Regulation A, revises💶 much of the backstory for the
characters and settings from previous games.[24] A second update called Regulation A2
was planned💶 but cancelled. The producer of the Maximum Impact series, Falcoon, stated
that the Maximum Impact games are in a different💶 continuity from the original series of
games.[25] Another spin-off video game, The King of Fighters Neowave, was released for
the💶 Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Arcade during 2005 and 2006. Neowave is essentially a remix
of KOF 2002, with a new💶 presentation and a few roster changes. Like KOF2002, Neowave
has no storyline and is considered a "dream match". Tomokazu Nakano💶 created the
character artwork.[26] Two video games were released for the Game Boy Advance titled
The King of Fighters EX:💶 Neo-Blood and The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood
featuring characters and backgrounds from KOF '99 and 2000, respectively.[27][28] The
💶 GBA games featured some exclusive content such as new stages and exclusive characters
such as Moe Habana, introduced in EX:💶 Neo-Blood, while EX2: Howling Blood featured more
exclusive characters, including a new end boss. A role-playing video game was also
💶 created exclusively for the PlayStation under the title The King of Fighters: Kyo,
adapting a manga with the same name.[29]💶 An N-Gage version of the second Game Boy
Advance game was released in 2005 titled The King of Fighters Extreme,💶 which added
Bluetooth multiplayer capability.
By late 2000s, at least three pachislot games were
developed for the series. The first, The💶 King of Fighters, is based on the Orochi
storyline; the second, The King of Fighters 2, is based on the💶 fight of K' against the
NESTS cartel;[30][31] and the third, Maximum Impact focuses on the series' 3D titles.
None of💶 these was released outside Japan.[32] At least six games for Japanese mobile
phones have also been developed. While a few💶 of them are fighting games, others are
mini-games like volleyball and quizzes.[33]
Several characters from the series also
appear in crossover💶 video games. NeoGeo Battle Coliseum is a 2-on-2 tag team fighting
game for the Atomiswave arcade board, and SNK Gals'💶 Fighters is a fighting game for the
Neo Geo Pocket Color. Along with the KOF, characters from other SNK series💶 also star in
both of these games.[34] A rhythm game titled The Rhythm of Fighters was released for
mobile phone💶 games during 2024.[35] Capcom also produced a series of similar crossover
fighting games with SNK. The SNK-produced fighting games of💶 this crossover include the
Dimps-developed portable fighting game SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium for
the Neo Geo💶 Pocket Color in 1999 and SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos for the Neo Geo in 2003.
The games produced by💶 Capcom are Capcom vs. SNK in 2000. This was followed by a minor
upgrade, Capcom vs. SNK Pro, and a💶 sequel titled Capcom vs. SNK 2, both released in
2001.[36] The three games were produced for NAOMI hardware and later💶 ported to various
consoles. SNK also produced SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos,[37] and the video game card game
titled SNK💶 vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS.[38]
Multiple mobile phone games have also been
produced including The King of Fighters All Star,[39] Kimi💶 wa Hero,[40] Clash of
Kings,[41] KOF X Arena Masters,[42] KOF: WORLD,[43] The King of Fighters Orochi Go, The
King of💶 Cyphers,[44][45] and a crossover with Fatal Fury.[46] An otome game King of
Fighters for Girls is also in development.[47] The💶 characters have also been guests in
other mobile games such as Kyo in Fighting Days.[48]
Compilations [ edit ]
In addition
to💶 the remakes of games such as KOF '94 Re-bout, KOF '98 Ultimate Match, and KOF 2002
Unlimited Match, SNK has💶 released compilations of their KOF games. Two KOF compilations
were released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 as part of💶 the Neo Geo Online
Collection.
The first compilation, The King of Fighters Orochi Hen (ザ·キング·オブ·ファイターズ
-オロチ編-, The Orochi Saga) features KOF💶 '95, KOF '96, and KOF '97, the three games
comprising the Orochi story arc. The compilation features a Color Edit💶 mode that allows
the player to create a custom color palette for every character in each game, the
choice to💶 play each game with original and arranged soundtracks, and an online versus
mode which supports the Multi-Matching BB (MMBB) service.[49]💶 The second compilation,
The King of Fighters NESTS Hen (ザ·キング·オブ·ファイターズ -ネスツ編-, The NESTS Saga), features the
original Neo Geo versions💶 of KOF '99, KOF 2000, and KOF 2001, as well as the
corresponding Dreamcast versions of each game. It has💶 the same features as the previous
compilation but with online support available only for the Dreamcast games in the
compilation.[50]
A💶 separately produced compilation titled The King of Fighters
Collection: The Orochi Saga was released for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
💶 and Wii outside of Japan. This compilation has the same lineup of games as the Japanese
Orochi Hen, along with💶 KOF '94 and KOF '98. The extra features are different. There is
an added Challenge Mode where the player must💶 win certain matches against the CPU in
KOF '98 under specific conditions, a media gallery featuring listenable tracks from
each💶 game, and a collection of official illustrations.[49]
There were also two
double-pack compilations, the first being The King of Fighters 2000/2001💶 (The King of
Fighters: The Saga Continues in PAL regions)[51] and The King of Fighters 2002/2003,
both on PlayStation 2💶 and Xbox.[52]
Gameplay elements [ edit ]
A fight between Kyo (an
original character) and Kim (Fatal Fury). In the background are💶 Kyo's two teammates
(Benimaru and Daimon) who can replace him if he is defeated.
The basic gameplay system
of KOF is💶 similar to SNK's previous games like the Fatal Fury series, Art of Fighting
and Samurai Shodown. The game uses a💶 four attack button configuration like Fatal Fury 2
and Fatal Fury Special, that consists of light punch, light kick, strong💶 punch and
strong kick. Like Fatal Fury 2, specialized techniques are performed by pressing
buttons in combination, allowing the player💶 to dodge an opponent's attack or to launch
a character's powerful knockdown attack. As with most other fighting games, each
💶 character has a set of basic, unique, and special moves the player can perform using a
specific series of joystick💶 and button inputs.[53] Each new installment provides new
ways to create stronger attacks such as The King of Fighters '97.💶 Instead of charging
the Power Gauge it is now filled when the player strikes the opponent or by performing
Special💶 Moves. The player can stock up to three Power Gauges. The player can use one
stock of the Power Gauge💶 to perform a Super Special Move or enter a "MAX" mode, in
which the player's defensive and offensive strength are💶 increased. Performing a Super
Special Move while in MAX mode allows the player to perform a more powerful Super
Special💶 Move.[54]
The franchise is known for innovating the fighting genre by replacing
a traditional round-based format used in preceding fighting games💶 with a format
consisting of 3-on-3 team-based matches dubbed the Team Battle System. Instead of
choosing a single character, the💶 player selects from one of eight available teams, each
consisting of three members. Before each match, the players choose the💶 order in which
their team members enter the battle. When the match begins, the members chosen to go
first on💶 their respective teams will fight. When one character is defeated, the next
member of the same team will take his💶 or her place, while the character on the other
team will have a small portion of their life restored (if💶 energy was lost during the
previous round). If a character is losing a match against the opponent, then the player
💶 can call one of the remaining teammates standing on the sidelines to jump in and
perform a support attack. The💶 match ends when all three members of either team
lose.[55]
Three games—The King of Fighters '99, 2000, and 2001—added the idea💶 of each
team being given an extra character that can assist the player to produce more attacks
or combos against💶 the enemy.[56] While 2002 brought back the classic 3-o- 3 teams, 2003
and XI made the change so that each💶 team switches fighters in the middle of combat with
one of them being a "Leader" character who can perform stronger💶 techniques.[57] Later
games, however, returned to the classic way of fighting while still delivering
different ways and rules of fighting.
Plot💶 and characters [ edit ]
The King of Fighters
employs different original characters as leads featuring (from left to right) K',💶 Ash
Crimson, Shun'ei and Kyo Kusanagi.
The titular King of Fighters tournament originated
from SNK's previous fighting game franchises, Fatal Fury💶 and Art of Fighting
(canonically and chronologically beginning during the events of Art of Fighting 2). The
first game in💶 the series, KOF '94, centers on a black market arms dealer named Rugal
Bernstein, who hosts a well-known fighting tournament💶 to lure worthy adversaries into
his trap so that he can kill them and turn them into stone statues, adding💶 them to his
collection of defeated martial artists. In addition to previously established fighting
game stars Terry Bogard and Ryo💶 Sakazaki, the game introduces a new hero: a young
Japanese martial artist named Kyo Kusanagi, who serves as the lead💶 character in the
early KOF games. In making Kyo, SNK wanted his personality to contrast with those of
earlier leads💶 and stand out within the crossover.[58]
In KOF '95, Rugal, having
survived the previous tournament, hosts a new one with the💶 intention of seeking revenge
against his adversaries. KOF '95 introduced Kyo's rival Iori Yagami to the series. It
was the💶 first game to mention the presence of the Orochi clan, which would serve as the
central plot element in the💶 series' following two games. The tournaments in KOF '96 and
KOF '97 are hosted by a woman named Chizuru Kagura,💶 who seeks to recruit allies
(particularly Kyo and Iori, who are descended from the Three Divine Vessels along with
Kagura💶 herself) to fight against the Orochi clan. The Orochi storyline concludes in KOF
'97.[59] The next game in the series,💶 KOF '98, is a "Special Edition" with no plot
development.
KOF '99 introduces a new story arc involving a mysterious corporation
💶 known as NESTS, which seeks to create an army of genetically altered fighters. The game
introduces a new lead character💶 named K', a fugitive from NESTS who was genetically
enhanced with Kyo's DNA.[60] The next two games in the series,💶 KOF 2000 and KOF 2001,
continue the NESTS story line, with each game unraveling the mystery of the
organization further.💶 KOF 2002, like KOF '98 before it, is a "Special Edition" of the
series with no particular plot. Like Kyo,💶 K' was created as a different hero. Rather
than the cocky Kyo, K' is a dark hero who reluctantly fights💶 against the NESTS
syndicate.[61]
KOF 2003 begins a new story line focusing on another new lead character
named Ash Crimson, a💶 young man who seeks to possess the powers of the Three Divine
Vessels for his own unknown agenda. Similar to💶 K', Ash is given a different
characterization acting as a villain during his story arc.[62] The tournaments in KOF
2003💶 and KOF XI were hosted by "Those From the Past", an organization of inhuman
warriors who try to break the💶 Orochi seal to take its powers so they can give them to
their shrouded master. While KOF XII does not💶 have a story, KOF XIII follows another
tournament hosted by them where Ash eventually confronts their superior despite him
being💶 Ash's ancestor.[63]
KOF XIV establishes a new storyline involving a new lead
character named Shun'ei. Described as a "kind-hearted" person, SNK💶 states that while
Shun'ei is not a new main character, he is still important for the
saga.[64]
Development [ edit ]
The💶 prototype version of the game was a River City
Ransom-style TEAM-BATTLE side-scrolling beat 'em up. However, the idea was eventually
💶 abandoned. They eventually decided to turn their idea into a fighting game. This game
was a team battle concept and💶 there were not enough characters, so characters from
Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Ikari Warriors and Psycho Soldier were also💶 added to the
roster. The concept of a three-person team was one of the ideas kept from the
side-scrolling version.[65]💶 The title The King of Fighters was re-used from the
subtitle of the first Fatal Fury game, Fatal Fury: King💶 of Fighters.[66] The King of
Fighters series' director Toyohisa Tanabe asserted that the Art of Fighting and Fatal
Fury fighters💶 were added specifically for adults. The newer KOF characters were
intended to appeal to younger and recent audiences. Characters like💶 Benimaru Nikaido
and Chang Koehan were added to provide an off-beat variety to the cast, which he had
previously said💶 was too serious.[67]
While the first two games used the Neo Geo MVS
arcade, The King of Fighters '96 includes 68💶 KB of video RAM and 64 KB of RAM. This
made The King of Fighters '96 the first game to💶 break the technical limits of the MVS
system.[68] SNK staff members noted that due to the great popularity of some💶 of the
series' characters, it is difficult to design new ones that might have the same appeal.
This also happens💶 during location tests of new games.[69] The artist known as Shinkiro
was responsible for the first artwork involving the cast.💶 As a result, newcomer artist
Hiroaki felt for his debut that he needed to draw appealing characters, despite his
inexperience.[70]💶 For the first time, former producer Takashi Nishiyama was not on the
team for The King of Fighters 2000 which💶 caused the team some concern.[71] Despite
early unease over the game's state, SNK was pleased with the outcome and described💶 it
as an appealing arcade game. Following its release, SNK thanked the fans for their
support.[72] Mexican company Evoga had💶 a major influence on the games due to the
franchise's popularity within Latin America.[73]
In 2000, SNK went bankrupt. Eolith
negotiated💶 a license agreement in the same year to keep producing the KOF series
because of the franchise's popularity in Korea💶 and worldwide. BrezzaSoft assisted
Eolith with the game's production. Fearing disappointing returning fans, Eolith decided
to maintain most of the💶 common parts from The King of Fighters while adding new
elements to it. One of the biggest changes is the💶 optional use of Strikers where
players can use between one and three characters to assist the playable one. The team
💶 aimed to refine the original gameplay system of earlier KOF games. While conducting a
popularity poll of the characters, Eolith💶 still aimed to include the least popular
teams in the game. The great popularity of Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami💶 led to their
immediate inclusion in the game.[74] References to works from Evoga can be seen in the
game's scenarios.💶 While working on it, the team played The King of Fighters '98 for the
developers to see if they could💶 include a character within the game. A member from
Evoga won, resulting in the team asking to add Angel to💶 the game.[75] Starting in 2003,
the games were again developed by SNK, now called SNK Playmore.[76] SNK Playmore
discontinued the💶 AES system in 2003, preferring to publish video games in cooperation
with Sammy, using its Atomiswave arcade board, which provided💶 a more secure, modern
platform for new arcade releases. This allowed the new KOF games to feature better
audio and💶 graphics than earlier games.[77]
Following the release of the first game in
The King of Fighters series, a new game was💶 released each year. The last of these
yearly releases was The King of Fighters 2003. In December 2004, Falcoon, the💶 series'
main illustrator, mentioned that the next game the SNK Playmore staff were trying to
release was different from The💶 King of Fighters: Maximum Impact or what could have been
a The King of Fighters 2004. The game's development began💶 when SNK staff finished
making Neo Geo Battle Coliseum.[78] KOF 2003 would be followed by XI, XII and XIII
which💶 had major changes to appeal to the audience.[79] The decision to create The King
of Fighters XIV was made when💶 SNK Playmore's CEO Eikichi Kawasaki decided the company
should return to producing appealing fighting games rather than Pachinko-Slot Machines
and💶 Mobile Apps. While it took some time, full production of the game began when more
staff from Esaka joined the💶 team in April 2014.[80][81] Yasuyuki Oda was the game's
director. This was his first contribution to the franchise, leading a💶 younger staff.
During his first employment at SNK, games like Virtua Fighter motivated him to make a
3D game after💶 he had left SNK. When Oda returned to SNK, there was never any debate
about transitioning the series transition from💶 2D to 3D, though adapting some of the
characters proved more difficult than others.[82] Many of SNK's staff consider KOF💶 '98
and KOF 2002 the best games in the franchise. They gave them ideas to create new
entries in the💶 series that would surpass the quality of these two games.[83][84] During
a contest, SNK used the DLC character Najd based💶 on the Saudi Arabian artist Mashael.
SNK Chairman Zhihui Ge expressed a desire to attract more Middle Eastern fans to💶 play
the game. He also hired new creators during the post-release of XIV.[85]
Related media
[ edit ]
Printed adaptations [ edit💶 ]
During 1995 Tatsuya Shingyoji wrote a manga
adaptation of The King of Fighters '94. It was serialized in Monthly Shōnen💶 Ace
published by Kadokawa Shoten and collected into four tankōbon volumes. They were
released from February 10, 1995, to December💶 1996.[86][87] There is also a spin-off
manga story based on the adventures of the characters from The King of Fighters💶 '96
centered around Kyo and Iori's rivalry entitled The King of Fighters: Kyo. It was
written by Masato Natsumoto and💶 published by Kodansha in two tankōbon volumes in
1997.[88][89] Ryo Takamisaki also developed another adaptation from KOF '96 which
Shinseisha💶 published in three tankōbon compilations from June 1996 to February
1998.[90][91] Akihiko Ureshino also wrote multiple novelizations based on the💶 games
with different artists contributing to each installment.[92][93][94]
A manhua
adaptation of KOF titled The King of Fighters: Zillion was created💶 by Andy Seto. Hong
Kong artists Wing Yang and King Tung produced further manhua for the games, beginning
with The💶 King of Fighters 2001 through 2003 along with the Maximum Impact series.[95]
Both authors also made a sequel, The King💶 of Fighters 03: Xenon Zero (拳皇 XENON ZERO),
to conclude the 2003 tournament.[96] ComicsOne licensed the series with its first
💶 volume tying in with the release of a new video game and kept publishing it after their
transition to DrMaster.[97][98]💶 They were published in five issues of 128 pages from
May 25, 2005, to June 26, 2008.[99][100] Another manhua series💶 is King of Fighters RX
Project '00 (拳皇RX) in three volumes that was officially sponsored by SNK-Playmore Hong
Kong. The💶 NESTS saga version was illustrated by Ricky, and covers the fight against
NESTS primarily focused on the 2000 tournament.[101]
The King💶 of Fighters: A New
Beginning is a shōnen manga authored by Kyōtarō Azuma. It is based on the events of💶 The
King of Fighters XIV. The series was serialized in Kodansha's Magazine Pocket since
January 2024,[102] ending in August 2024.[103]💶 Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the
manga for a North American release with the first volume released in March 2024. light
💶 novel series Iori Yagami's Isekai Mu'sou by Nobuhiko Tenkawa which debuted in July
2024. The art was done by Eisuke💶 Ogura. Centered after the events of KOF '97, Iori
finds himself into another world.[104]
Film and animation [ edit ]
A short💶 series based
on KOF titled The King of Fighters: Another Day was released in 2005. Production I.G
produced the title💶 as an original net animation with a total of four episodes, each
about 10 minutes in length. It has since💶 been released as a bonus DVD, packaged with
KOF: Maximum Impact 2.[105] An English-language live-action film The King of Fighters
💶 was released direct-to-DVD in the United States in 2010.[106][107] New anime and
live-action drama productions were announced in 2024.[108][109]
The CG💶 anime series The
King of Fighters: Destiny was released on Steam and YouTube beginning in
2024.[110][111] The first season retells💶 the story of the first games with Kyo Kusanagi
leading the Japan Team to participate in the title tournament, eventually💶 encountering
the host, Rugal, who is using the power of the mythical creature Orochi. The series has
received over 800💶 million views.[112]
CDs [ edit ]
SNK has released a series of CD
soundtracks titled SNK Character Sounds Collection or SNK Sound💶 Character Collection
(SNKサウンドキャラクターズコレクション). As of 2008, there are 11 volumes; each one focuses on a single
character. The CDs have💶 different versions of the characters' themes, as well as
quotes. Most of the albums' covers are illustrated by Masato Natsumoto.[113]💶 The Band
of Fighters, shortened as BOF, is a character image band that includes Kyo Kusanagi,
Iori Yagami, Terry Bogard,💶 Nakoruru and Athena Asamiya.[114]
Dengeki Bunko and Pony
Canyon have released several radio drama CDs based on the series. Some of💶 them are
direct adaptations of the video games KOF '94 to KOF '00. Another CD is Iori Yagami
Original Drama💶 the Setting Sun and Moon ~ Prologue (八神庵オリジナルドラマ 夕陽と月〜プロローグ〜), which is
centered on Iori Yagami. The drama originally aired on💶 the Game Dra Night and Neo Chupi
and was then released by Pony Canyon CD on July 7, 1999. The💶 guidebook The King of
Fighters Perfect Reader includes the bonus CD drama KOF: Mid Summer Struggle. There are
two stories💶 on it—one is serious the other is a parody focused on KOF '03. The
scenarios were developed by Akihiko Ureshino💶 and BoHyou. SNK also gave away a four-CD
soundtrack featuring songs from past KOF games with the pre-order of KOF💶 XIII on any
GameStop in the United States.[115]
Other merchandise [ edit ]
In December 2006,
Sabertooth Games released a King of💶 Fighters 2006 set along with Samurai Shodown V for
its Universal Fighting System (UFS) collectible card game; character starter packs💶 were
released for Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui. Other merchandise includes a number of
figures and statues, mostly of Mai.💶 Additionally, scale figures based on Kyo's and
Iori's original forms and their XIV looks have been released,[116] including a
Nendoroid💶 figure based on Kyo.[117]
Reception [ edit ]
The original The King of
Fighters games were well received for their use of💶 team battles and the number of
characters.[118][119][120] Some games were often listed as the best fighting games from
their release.[121][122]💶 The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly declared the
Neo Geo AES version a solid improvement over the previous King💶 of Fighters,
particularly applauding the addition of the team edit feature which remained in all of
the following games.[123] Critics💶 noted they often served as rivals to Capcom's Street
Fighter series based on some character designs and moves.[124][125] While KOF💶 '96 was
felt to be unbalanced due its usage of projectile moves, its updated graphics impressed
reviewers.[126][127] SNK's constant use💶 of 2D sprites across multiple games has been
criticized by reviewers who found them dated despite attempts to improve the💶 graphics
with the release of XI.[55][128][129] As a result, the graphic overhaul in the two
following games was met with💶 high praise.[130][131][132]
While the fighting system has
been well-received, critics have had mixed feelings regarding the Striker system
introduced in KOF💶 '99.[133][134] In GameSpot's "The History of SNK" article, KOF '99:
Evolution was described as one of the best fighting games💶 on the Dreamcast, along with
Garou: Mark of the Wolves. However, because it was released during the PlayStation 2's
launch💶 and Dreamcast's ending, the game did not sell well.[135] The boss character
Rugal Bernstein, among others, has been described as💶 one of the most challenging
characters to defeat in fighting games; this feeling also led to some
criticism.[136][137][138][139][140]
The developers of💶 KOF noted that Kyo and Iori were
also highly popular in Korea which led to their immediate inclusion in The💶 King of
Fighters 2001, the first game not developed by the original company.[141] In the book
Gaming Cultures and Place💶 in Asia-Pacific, Kyo was regarded as one of the most popular
video game characters in Hong Kong from the mid-1990s💶 onward alongside Iori and Mai,
among others, to the point of overshadowing the Street Fighter characters who were also
largely💶 well-known.[142] The Mexican company Evoga had a major influence on the game
due to the franchise's popularity in Latin America💶 and often playtested the games.[75]
With KOF XIV, SNK noted the series' popularity was still dominant in South America and
💶 China, leading to the creation of teams composed of characters from those areas.[143]
The popularity of the franchise in those💶 markets has been attributed mainly to economic
factors - machines featuring King of Fighters series were often cheaper and more💶 easily
accessible than those featuring competing titles from other companies.[144]
The Daily
Star noted the games' popularity comes not only from💶 the gameplay but also the
characters who tend to develop across the series—for example the rivalry between Kyo
and Iori.💶 The franchise's story arcs were also found to be appealing as they stand out
from other fighting game franchises.[145] Kakuchopurei💶 felt the series offered a
balanced cast which would help any newcomer while also agreeing with The Daily Star on
💶 how SNK handled the story lines.[146] There has also been censorship of some of the
ports of the North American💶 games, most notably Whip's gun and blood.[147] Singer Del
the Funky Homosapien has recorded a song titled "The King of💶 Fighters" whose lyrics
involve the characters and special moves.[148] Ash Crimson's character received a poor
response in Western regions. In💶 an interview with Ignition Entertainment's director of
business development Shane Bettehausen, Alex Lucard of Diehard GameFan said that North
American💶 SNK fans detested Ash and complained about his inclusion in The King of
Fighters XII without a storyline while popular💶 series' characters were overlooked.[149]
After Ignition polled fans to choose an artbox for console versions of The King of
Fighters💶 XII. The company announced Ash's unpopularity reduced the number of potential
covers to two featuring Kyo and Iori.[150]
Ben Herman, president💶 of SNK Playmore USA,
commented that although he received complaints about the English voices for the game,
Maximum Impact sold💶 over 100,000 units as of May 2006, becoming a commercial
success.[151] Despite initial issues with the online mode and other💶 features of the
game The King of Fighters XIV Yasuyuki Oda said the fan response was positive
especially after these💶 issues were fixed.[152]
References [ edit ]
