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, or KOF for short, is a fighting game series by SNK that debuted in 1994. It combined elements from two of its existing fighting game series (Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting) and reintroduced characters from games predating the Neo-Geo (such as Ikari Warriors and Psycho Soldier). Unique among fighter franchises, The King of Fighters released a sequel each year and named each game for its year of release. However, this naming system posed problems similar to those with sports games named by year: once the new yearly edition debuts, consumers often perceive the previous year's edition as outdated and less desirable to own. Additionally, SNK could not always release its console version of the arcade game in the same year for which it was titled. For example, The King of Fighters 2003 for the PlayStation 2 did not premiere in the United States until February of 2005. Furthermore, with its increasingly sophisticated concept, graphics, and gameplay, The King of Fighters became extremely difficult to update on an annual schedule. Therefore, in December 2004, The King of Fighters 2003 artist Falcoon revealed that SNK Playmore had ceased the yearly sequel updates to the series in favor of an irregular release schedule and a naming scheme without dates. The most recent game in the series, The King of Fighters XI, premiered on October 26, 2005.

During August 2005, an anime series based upon KOF entitled Another Day was announced. It debuted at the Tokyo Game Show about a month later. Production I.G produces the title as an original net animation. There are a total of four episodes, each about 10 minutes in length (but considerably less, when accounting for the end credits). Fansubbers from around the world have produced fansubs in many languages as each episode was released. It has since been released as a bonus DVD, packaged with The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2.

Games

Early console ports of the game were released on the Neo Geo CD system and Sega Saturn. Later ports on the Sega Dreamcast and Sony PlayStation and more recently PlayStation 2 and Microsoft X-Box. Other games carrying the King of Fighters name exist for Game Boy, the Game Boy Advance, and the Neo-Geo Pocket.

With a few exceptions, each chapter in the main King of Fighters series constitutes an episode in an ongoing storyline. To date, the storyline comprises of three plot arcs, each consisting of a roughly three-episode story. Thus far, each arc precedes a non-canonical "dream match" chapter used to bring back old characters--regardless of whether they have officially died or gone missing in the main plot--and systems without affecting the storyline. KOF '94, the first KOF game, uniquely stands as a canonical game and probably as a dream match at the same time.

In each plot arc, the series introduces a new hero and companions around whom the main plot revolves. In KOF '94, Kyo Kusanagi appeared as the hero of the Orochi Saga. For the NESTS Saga, KOF '99 replaced Kyo with the conflicted and mysterious K'. The current storyline, begun in KOF 2003, involves an anti-hero--or possibly a villain--named Ash Crimson. In each episode, the rest of the teams have their own subplots which weave together to give a more complete perspective on the overall plot.

The King of Fighters tournament, the namesake of this series, actually originated in Fatal Fury, a classic SNK fighting game that predated the KOF series. Fatal Fury 2 and Art of Fighting 2 also revisited the tournament before SNK released KOF '94.

The Orochi Saga

In 2005, SNK Playmore planned to release a compilation of KOF '95 - KOF '97 for the PS2 under the title The King of Fighters Orochi. However, SNK recently revealed that it may delay release until early 2006.
  • The King of Fighters '94 (Episode 1)
  • The original KOF game. The player selects from premade teams of three fighters, each team representing a different country. It brings together SNK's favorite characters from its other fighter franchises, platformers, and sports games while introducing Kyo Kusanagi, Benimaru Nikaido, and Goro Daimon as Team Japan. it was not conceived as part of a saga, but because of the game´s popularity, SNK decided to turn it into an annual franchise. :*Remade in 2004 for the PS2 as The King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout, it was supposed to appear for the Xbox in late 2005, complete new features like online play, team edit, a playable Rugal Bernstein, and the addition of Saisyu Kusanagi. The Xbox version was eventually cancelled due to flaws in the game. According to Ben Herman, the president of SNK Playmore USA, bug fixing would have taken too long, resulting in missing the holiday season *. It was released for the PS2 in Japan though.

  • The King of Fighters '95 (Episode 2)
  • Introduces the team edit feature which allows players to create their own 3-character team. Iori Yagami, Kyo Kusanagi's mortal enemy, makes his first appearance.
  • Ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The Saturn port requires a memory expansion cartridge to run. It contains the ability to play as Saisyu and Omega Rugal using a code.
    • The King of Fighters '96 (Episode 3)
  • The first edition to achieve KOF's distinct look; its graphics and sound better resemble even KOF's latest edition than they do those of KOF '95. Chizuru Kagura appears for the first time. Leona Heidern replaces adopted father Heidern on the Ikari Warriors Team. Fan favorite Boss Team (Geese Howard, Wolfgang Krauser, and Mr. Big) makes its first appearance.
  • Ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The Saturn port requires a memory expansion cartridge to run. It contains the ability to play as Chizuru and Goenitz using a code.
    • The King of Fighters '97 (Episode 4)
  • Climax of the Orochi Saga. It still has the longest endgame battle sequence of all the KOF games. Shermie, Chris, and Yashiro Nanakase make their debut and form the Orochi Team. Shingo Yabuki, Orochi Iori, and Orochi Leona also make their debut.
  • Ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The Saturn port requires a memory expansion cartridge to run. It contains a special art gallery feature as well as the ability to play as Orochi using a code.
    • The King of Fighters '98: The Slugfest (US) / The King of Fighters '98: Dream Match Never Ends (Japan)
  • Separate from the KOF story line, this dream match contains fighters from all previous King of Fighters games except for Eiji Kisaragi, Kasumi Todoh, Goenitz and the Boss Team (Geese Howard, Wolfgang Krauser, and Mr. Big) from KOF '96. Saisyu Kusanagi also makes his first appearance as a non-secret playable character.
  • Ported to the PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast. SNK refitted the Dreamcast version (renamed The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999) with an extended hand-animated introduction, link-up capability with the Neo Geo Pocket Color, and 3D backgrounds.

The NESTS Saga

SNK Playmore plans to release a compilation of KOF '99 -KOF 2001 for the PS2, under the title The King of Fighters NESTS.
  • The King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle (Episode 5)
  • Introduces the striker system, which allows the player to call on a teammate to aid the current fighter. K', the hero of this story arc, appears for the first time along with Maxima and Whip. Iori Yagami and Kyo Kusanagi are not selectable without a respective code for each in the arcade. Originally neither character was going to appear in '99, but were put in at the last moment. Kyo also stops wearing his school uniform in this game. In the Dreamcast version Evolution, Seth and Vanessa are hidden strikers.
    • The King of Fighters 2000 (Episode 6)
  • Allows the player to select alternates as strikers instead of just playable characters. Alternates were characters from previous installments of KOF, other SNK games, or were alternate versions of playable characters. Vanessa and Seth make their first player selectable appearances along with Ramon, Hinako Shijou, and Lin. Kula Diamond is a secret character. Last King Of Fighters game to have had artwork drawn by Shinkiro and the last King Of Fighters game made by SNK before bankruptcy.
    • The King of Fighters 2001 (Episode 7)
  • Lets the player decide on how many out of 4 fighters will participate in a match. Those left unselected become strikers. The number of fighters versus strikers determines how many power gauges the player has for desperation moves, fewer fighters increasing the gauges available. Kula Diamond debuts as a non-secret playable character. Foxy, Angel, May Lee and K9999 also make their debuts. First King of Fighters to be developed by Eolith.
    • The King of Fighters 2002 - Challenge to the Ultimate Battle
  • Returns to the classic 3-on-3 battle system and features teams from past KOF versions. Rugal Bernstein returns once again as the ending boss, albeit with a few powerful modifications. Clone Kusanagi (Kyo '95) is a hidden character as are Orochi Iori, Shingo Yabuki, King, Goenitz, and Geese Howard in the Xbox/PS2 version. King and Shingo are also secret charaters in the Dreamcast version. Second and last King of Fighters to be developed by Eolith.

The Sacred Treasures (Ash) Saga

  • Unlike previous games, KOF 2003 employs a tag team battle system (referred to as "multi-shift" in game) and presents the most intensive gameplay adjustments the series has seen since its 1996 makeover. It notably introduces the new "hero" team of Ash Crimson, Shen Woo,Duo Lon along with new comers Malin as well as a few returns such as Chizuru Kagura and Hinako Shijo. It also returns to the roots of the KOF storyline when a cult tries to reawaken Orochi. Kusanagi and Maki Kagura(Chizuru's older sister) make up the sub-bosses as you advance forward. The new bosses are Adelheid and Rose (allegedly Rugal's son and daughter) and Mukai. Characters from Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves make their debut in KOF: Tizoc (The Griffon), Gato, and MotW Version Terry Bogard (Rock Howard also makes a brief cameo appearance). This is the first KOF canon game that neither Andy Bogard nor Choi Bounge have appeared in. Kyo changes costumes once again, wearing a black leather jacket in this installment. As in the Orochi Saga, you are also able to play as the Sacred Treasures team consisting of Chizuru Kagura, Kyo Kusanagi, and Iori Yagami.

  • After taking a two year hiatus (KOF Neowave is not considered part of this saga), XI takes place a year from when 2003 left off. The game still follows the storyline of its predecessor with a cult trying to resurrect the Orochi, but now Ash Crimson is starting to show his true colors as well. While SNKP kept the same style of gameplay (albeit altered/improved a bit to fit the Atomiswave design) as 2003, they also notably dropped fan favorites Mai Shiranui, Leona Heidern, Robert Garcia and Joe Higashi from the character roster, for the first time since their debuts. To fill their spots, they brought back Kula Diamond, Eiji Kisaragi,and Kasumi Todoh, introduced several characters from different SNK franchises such as Bonne Jenet from Garou: MOTW and Duck King from Fatal Fury, and revealed several all-new fighters Elisabeth Branctorche, Oswald, and Momoko. KOF XI currently has worldwide arcade distribution.
  • The game was released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 on June 22, 2006. This version updates the current game with additional music and stages, as well as an updated character roster with the reinclusion of Mai Shiranui, Geese Howard, Another Kyo, Robert Garcia, Mr. Big and new arrivals to the KOF arena, Hotaru Futaba and Tung Fu Rue. These extra characters are based on their Neogeo Battle Coliseum versions. They are not available at the outset, and must be unlocked.

  • The King of Fighters XII is scheduled for release in 2007. It is unknown what arcade platform it will be released for since SNK-Playmore has had plans to withdraw from developing games for the SEGA-Sammy Atomiswave. KOF XII is expected to conclude the current saga.

Spinoffs

A spinoff game series, produced by former SNK subsidiary Noise Factory. One of SNK's first console-only games since the NES, and their first attempts at 3D fighters since the Hyper NeoGeo 64. It was released on the PlayStation 2 on Oct 12, 2004, than later ported to the Xbox as " Maximum Impact - Maniax", with additional content and online play. There is the possibility of a PSP version coming some time in 2006. This project was made in celebration of King of Fighters' tenth year anniversary, hence King of Fighters "X" (for Maximum Impact). Then sequel was convenienly titled King of Fighters XII (for Maximum Impact 2), for it was created after King of Fighters XI.

Maximum Impact 2, also known as The King of Fighters 2006, is the sequel to the previous game which is to be released the summer of 2006. It is also being packaged with a DVD of The King of Fighters: Another Day, which was supposedly a prequel leading up to the Maximum Impact 2 and had key characters from The King of Fighters XI. It was then stated officially that KOF AD was not canon and was just a promotional tool for MI2 and XI. The DVD is notable in that it contains an English subtitle track, as well as an English dub audio track for all four episodes, in spite of only being coded for playback in Region 2 players.

Maximum Impact 3, This is scheduled for release in 2007/2008 on PlayStation 3 and is going to be the last one in the series of Maximum Impact. This game may have every King of Fighter, Fatal Fury/ Mark of the Wolves, Art of Fighting, Athena/Psycho Soldier, Ikari Warriors & some characters from Kizuna Encounter, Buriki-One, Metal Slug & Samurai Shodown Characters in there series because of the power of PlayStation 3.

Other (non-canonical) games

  • The King of Fighters '95 / Nettou The King of Fighters '95
An adaptation of The King of Fighters '95 for the Game Boy, along with a hidden boss character, Nakoruru from the Samurai Shodown series.
  • Nettou The King of Fighters '96
An adaptation of The King of Fighters '96 for the Game Boy, which featured the Orochi awakened versions of Leona and Iori Yagami, as well as a hidden boss: Mr. Karate from Art of Fighting.
  • The King of Fighters R-1
An adaptation of The King of Fighters '97 for the Neo-Geo Pocket.
  • The King of Fighters R-2
An adaptation of The King of Fighters '98 for the Neo-Geo Pocket Color.
  • Quiz King of Fighters
A KOF-themed quiz game released only in Japan for the Neo-Geo. Roster includes select characters from Samurai Shodown.
  • The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise
A KOF-themed board game released for the Neo-Geo Pocket.
  • The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood
An adaptation of The King Of Fighters '99 for the Game Boy Advance, with a new character named Moe Habana.Geese Howard is the final boss with Iroi being a sub boss. K', Maxima, and Vanessa make appearances as "Another Strikers". Purports to be set in 1998, between the Orochi and NESTS sagas.
  • The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood
An adaptation of The King Of Fighters 2000 for the Game Boy Advance, including a new plot, three new playable characters (Reji, Jun, and Miu), the return of Moe Habana from the original KOF:EX, and a new boss character Sinobu (a young boy channeling the spirit of Goenitz) of which you are able to play as in both normal and powered up versions once all characters have reached "Master Orochi" Level. Judging by the Korean team's background story, which mentions Jhun Hoon's accident, this tournament takes place between The King of Fighters 2000 and The King of Fighters 2001.
  • The King of Fighters Kyo
An RPG of sorts for the PlayStation, released only in Japan. Follows Kyo shortly before the events of the '97 edition, as he gathers members for his team.
A preliminary title, designed to introduce KOF to the Atomiswave arcade system. As with the Game Boy Advance games, it is essentially a port of an existing KOF game (in this case, The King of Fighters 2002), with a few altered features & also has the boss to be The young Geese Howard from Art of Fighting 2.
  • The King of Fighters : Extreme
A port of The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood for the Nokia N-Gage.
  • The King of Fighters
A KOF fighter for cell-phones, loosely based upon the Neo-Geo Pocket series.
  • The King of Fighters -Mobile-
An adaptation of KOF for Japanese cell-phones.
  • The King of Fighters -Volleyball-
A volleyball game for Japanese cell-phones, using the KOF characters.
  • KOF Girl Mahjong
A mahjong game for Japanese cell-phones.
  • The King of Millionaire
A card game for Japanese cell-phones.
  • Days of Memories -Boku to Kanojou no Atsui Natsu-
A dating sim for Japanese cell-phones, using the KOF characters.
  • The King of Fighters M2
A sequel to The King of Fighters -Mobile-
  • Days of Memories 2 -Boku no taisetsu na kimi e-
A sequel to the first Days of Memories.
  • The King of Fighters -SNK Slot Panic-
A slot machine game for Japanese cell-phones.

Related games

These games are not part of the King of Fighters series, but do feature KOF characters or other direct references:
  • Fatal Fury series
  • Art of Fighting series
  • ''Athena
  • Psycho Soldier
  • Ikari Warriors series
  • Buriki-One - Gai Tendo is available as strikers in KOF 2000. He and Silber make their debut as a playable sub-boss in KOF XI.
  • Samurai Shodown - Anachronistic cameo appearances are made in certain characters' endings by Mai Shiranui. There is also the appearance of Nakoruru as a striker in KOF 2000, and, as stated, a fighter in the Game Boy version of KOF '96. And in KOF Maximum Impact 2, Hanzo Hattori is featured as a secret character.
  • SNK Gals' Fighters - Gals' Fighters is a Neo-Geo Pocket game that features female characters from various SNK games, where the characters compete in the aptly-named The Queen of Fighters tournament, organized by a mysterious "Miss X", with whoever being able to defeat "Miss X" (in reality, Iori Yagami dressed as a woman) be granted a special wish.
  • Last Blade series - Kaede from Last Blade 2 appears as a striker in KOF 2000, and Zantetsu is the anscestor of Eiji Kisaragi.
  • Kizuna Encounter - Kim Su Ill and King Lion are available as strikers in KOF 2000. Sho Hayate and Jyazu make their debut as a playable sub-boss in KOF XI.
  • Metal Slug - Fio makes a cameo appearance as a striker in KOF 2000, and a playable appearance in KOF Maximum Impact 2.
  • Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
  • SNK vs. series
  • Mark of the Wolves - Rock Howard, Bonne Jenet, Gato, Tizoc, Hotaru Futaba & Terry Bogard in a new sporting gear have made playable appearance in game like... Kof 2003, XI, Maximum Impact 1 & 2 aka KoF: 2006, Neo Geo Battle Coliseum & the SNK vs. series as this game was the last one in the Fatal Fury Series.

KOF and continuity

  • KOF started as a dreammatch, therefore they had characters from other series in their original form.

  • There's the lack of aging of the characters in KOF, but there isn't in other series.

  • It has been officially stated by Falcoon that the main series KOF and KOF MI are two different universes. He also stated that King of Fighters Another Day was just a promotional tool for KOF MI2 and KOF XI, and not to be canon. 1

While most of SNK's fighting games take place in the same universe, each series presents details that contradict those found in other series. Examples include:

  • The events in Art of Fighting series occurred during the 1978 - 1979. However, its cast appears 15 years later in the KOF tournament mostly unaged.

  • KOF: Maximum Impact, KOF's newest spinoff, revises swaths of established backstory for KOF characters and settings alike. However, despite its growing ties to the KOF continuity, the MI series better fits the continuity of the Fatal Fury series.

To complicate inter-series continuity issues, in spite of the canonical statement that the KOF tournament occurs annually, the characters never age except when convenient for the plot.

For years, fans that do not simply suspend disbelief have tried to reconcile the SNK universe's contradictions. One method accepts the most recent changes in any given series as a retcon that supercedes all earlier details. Another method regards each series as having its own continuity, but events within one series will often reflect imperfectly within another series. For instance, the tournament in Garou: Mark of the Wolves will probably occur in the King of Fighters timeline -- yet if it does, it will do so two years later than in the Fatal Fury timeline. Sometimes, however, even major events fail to impact other series. For instance, although recent Fatal Fury games depend on Geese Howard having been dead since Real Bout Fatal Fury which took place in 1996, he lives on in the most recent KOF installments.

SNK remains silent on continuity issues. Therefore, any reconciliation of discrepancies qualifies purely as fan speculation.

See also

External links

1994 arcade games | Arcade games | Computer and video game franchises | Dreamcast games | Game Boy Advance games | Game Boy games | King of Fighters games | Neo Geo Pocket Color games | Neo-Geo games | Neo Geo CD games | N-Gage games | Windows games | PlayStation 2 games | PlayStation 3 games | PlayStation games | PlayStation Portable games | Sega Saturn games | SNK Playmore games | Versus fighting games | Xbox 360 games | Xbox games | Atlus games

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "King of Fighters".

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