King of Fighters
Encyclopedia
, officially abbreviated KOF, is a series of fighting game
s by SNK Playmore
(formerly SNK). The series was originally developed
for SNK's Neo Geo MVS
arcade hardware, which served as the main platform for the series until 2004, when SNK retired the MVS in favor of the Atomiswave
arcade board. Only two King of Fighters games were made on the Atomiswave platform (The King of Fighters Neowave
and The King of Fighters XI
) before SNK decided to discontinue using the platform for the series. The current arcade hardware for the series is the Taito Type X2
, with its first usage coming with the release of The King of Fighters XII
. Ports
of the arcade game
s and original The King of Fighters games have been released for several video games consoles.
The first game in the series, The King of Fighters '94
, was released by SNK on August 25, 1994. The game featured characters from SNK's previous fighting game series Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting
, as well as original characters (including characters from older games such as Ikari Warriors
and Psycho Soldier
, adapted for a versus fighting game). The success of the game lead SNK to release yearly installments of the series and numbered the games for the year they were released. The King of Fighters '95
was released on July 25, 1995, with several ports being released the next year. In addition to adding new characters, this game also began the first story arc of the series titled "The Orochi Saga". KOF '95 was also the first game in the series that allowed the players to create their own team of three members, out of any character in the game. The King of Fighters '96
, released on July 30, 1996, establishes the second part of "The Orochi Saga" and replaced the character sprites from the previous two years with newly drawn ones, improving the gameplay of the series as well. Depending on the playable characters in a team, an exclusive ending will be played. The King of Fighters '97
, released on July 28, 1997, concluded "The Orochi Saga" story arc. The King of Fighters '98
was released on July 23, 1998, and unlike the previous games of the series, it did not feature a story. Instead, the game 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.
On July 22, 1999, The King of Fighters '99
was released, which introduced a new story arc known as "The NESTS Chronicles". The game introduces several new characters into the series, as well as the rule of a fourth member being added to each team and that a new tactic is introduced in this game as well. The tactic would be that a specific person from a team would be an assistant called a "Striker" and that 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. The King of Fighters 2000
was released on July 26, 2000, and is the second part of "The NESTS Chronicles". It adds a few new playable characters and a couple of Strikers (most of them being from previous KOF titles and other SNK titles as well such as Metal Slug
and Kizuna Encounter
). The King of Fighters 2001
was released on November 15, 2001, and ends the second story arc. Due to economic problems that SNK had at the time, the Korean company Eolith
helped in the development of the game. The King of Fighters 2002
, released on October 10, 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.
A new KOF story arc called the "Tales of Ash" starts in The King of Fighters 2003
, released on December 12, 2003. It allowed the players to change characters while playing, but the number of team members was reduced back to three. SNK, now SNK-Playmore, returned to the franchise development in this entry. By 2004, SNK abandoned yearly releases of the series and numbered future games in a more traditional manner; the first main series game released as such was The King of Fighters XI
, released on October 26, 2005. The King of Fighters XII
was released in July 2009. KOF XII uses newly-drawn 2D sprites
on detailed 2D backgrounds. Producers informed that the game is one hundred percent hand drawn. It is to be a storyless gathering of fighters, similar to KOFs '98 and 2002 before it. The latest story arc ends with The King of Fighters XIII
, which features the entire roster from The King of Fighters XII as well as additional characters and was released during the summer of 2010.
, and the addition of Saisyu Kusanagi. A remake for KoF '98 titled The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match was released in Japanese arcades on March 18, 2008 and later on some video game consoles expanding the character roster and improving the graphics. A remake for KoF 2002, titled The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match has recently been released for the PlayStation 2, on February 26, 2009 in Japan.
In 2004, SNK produced the first 3D
installment of the series, KOF: Maximum Impact
. The game and its two sequel
s revises much of the backstory for characters and settings from previous games. 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. Another spin-off video game, The King of Fighters Neowave
, was released for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Arcade during 2005 and 2006. Like KOF '98 and KOF 2002
, Neowave has no storyline and is considered a "dream match" game. The game is a gathering of numerous characters from previous installments, including characters like Mature and Vice from KOF '96 and the New Face Team from KOF '97. The character artwork was done by Tomokazu Nakano. 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 respectively, featuring characters and backgrounds from KOF '99 and 2000, respectively. A role-playing game
was also created exclusively for the PlayStation under the name of The King of Fighters: Kyo, adaptating a manga with the same name. An N-Gage
version of the first Game Boy Advance game was released in 2005 titled The King of Fighters Extreme, which added Bluetooth multi-player.
Three pachinko
slot games were developed for the series. The first, The King of Fighters, is based on the Orochi storyline and the second, The King of Fighters 2, is based on the fight of K' against the NESTS cartel. The newest one, Maximum Impact, was released on January 19, 2009 and focuses on the series' 3D titles. None of these was released outside of Japan. 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.
Several characters from the series also appear in crossover video games. Neo Geo 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. 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 and SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos for the Neo Geo
in The games produced by Capcom are Capcom vs. SNK
in (followed by a minor upgrade, Capcom vs. SNK Pro, in ) and a sequel titled Capcom vs. SNK 2
, released in 2001. All three games were produced for the NAOMI hardware and later ported to various consoles.
. The first compilation, 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 MMBB service. The second compilation, , 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.
A separately produced compilation titled The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga was released for the PlayStation 2
, PlayStation Portable
and Wii
in North America, the PAL region
, and Southeast Asia. This compilation has the same lineup of games as the Japanese Orochi Hen, along with KOF '94 and KOF '98, although the extra features are different, with an added Challenge Mode where the player must win certain matches against the CPU in KOF '98 under specific conditions and a media gallery featuring listenable tracks from each game and a collection of official illustrations.
.
The first game in the series, KOF '94, centers around a black market arms dealer named Rugal Bernstein
, who hosts the 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 previous 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 KOF '95, Rugal, having survived the previous tournament, host a new one with the intentions of seeking revenge against his adversaries. KOF '95 introduced Kyo's rival Iori Yagami
to the series and was the first game to mention the presence of the Orochi clan, which would serve as the central plot element in the following two games in the series. The tournament 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, while the following 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 would introduce a new lead character named K′: a fugitive from NESTS who was genetically enhanced with Kyos DNA. The two following games in the series, KOF 2000 and KOF 2001, continue the NESTS storyline, with each game further unraveling the mystery of the organization. KOF 2002, like KOF '98 before it, is a "Special Edition" of the series with no particular plot.
KOF 2003 begins a new storyline 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. The tournaments from 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 that they can give it to their shrouded master. While KOF XII does not have a story, KOF XIII follows another tournament hosted by Those From the Past with Ash eventually confronting their superior despite him being Ash's ancestor.
adaptation of The King of Fighters '94
. It was serialized in Shōnen Ace
from Kadokawa Shoten
and was collected into four tankōbon
volumes. They were released from February 10, 1995 to December 1996. There is also a spin-off manga story based on the adventures of the characters from The King of Fighters '96
entitled, The King of Fighters: Kyo. It was authored by Masato Natsumoto and published by Kodansha
in two tankōbon volumes during 1997. Ryo Takamisaki also developed another adaptation from KOF '96; Shinseisha published the series in three tankōbon compilations from June 1996 to February 1998.
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, starting in The King of Fighters 2001 through 2003 along with the Maximum Impact series. Both authors also made a sequel, The King of Fighters 03: Xenon Zero (拳皇 XENON ZERO), to conclude the 2003 tournament. Another manhua series is King of Fighters RX Project '00 (拳皇RX) is a three-volume manhua series that was officially sponsored by SNK-Playmore Hong Kong. The NESTS saga version was illustrated by Ricky. It covers the fight against NESTS primarily focused in the 2000 tournament.
. There are 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 (The King of Fighters 2006 in the US). A live-action movie of The King of Fighters
was released direct-to-DVD in the United States in 2010.
Dengeki Bunko
and Pony Canyon
have released several Drama CD from the series. Some of them are direct adaptations of several video games from 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 around Iori Yagami. The drama originally aired on Game Dra Night and Neo Chupi and 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 which is serious and one that is a parody focused on KOF '03. The scenarios were developed by Akihiko Ureshino and BoHyou. SNK will also give away a 4-cd soundtrack featuring songs from past KOF games with the preorder of KOF XIII on any gamestop in the U.S.
released a King of Fighters 2006 collectable card game set along with Samurai Shodown V
for its Universal Fighting System
(UFS) game. Other games like Street Fighter and Soulcalibur III are also included into the series. Character starter packs were released for Terry Bogard
and Mai Shiranui
.
titled, Survivor. In this version, it would only use core characters from the Art of Fighting
and Fatal Fury series, specifically allowing players to play Robert Garcia
and Terry Bogard
for location testing. However, the idea was quickly abandoned after the debut of Capcom's game with similar gameplay,'. Since they were attached to the idea of the two series cross-over, they eventually agreed to make their idea into a fighting game. Characters from Ikari Warriors
and Psycho Soldier
games were also added in spirit of other gaming genres considered for their final product. The concept of a three-man team was one of the ideas kept from the side-scrolling version.
The first games of the series were only available in Japan with the exception of The King of Fighters '95 which saw a US release on the PlayStation and a European release on the Sega Saturn in 1996. However, in 1999 when SNK was expanded to North America, the games were also released there.
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
s by SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
(formerly SNK). The series was originally developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
for SNK's Neo Geo MVS
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
arcade hardware, which served as the main platform for the series until 2004, when SNK retired the MVS in favor of the Atomiswave
Atomiswave
The Atomiswave is a custom arcade system board and cabinet from Sammy Corporation. It is based on Sega's NAOMI system board...
arcade board. Only two King of Fighters games were made on the Atomiswave platform (The King of Fighters Neowave
The King of Fighters Neowave
The King of Fighters Neowave is a 2D competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore and originally released as a coin operated arcade game for Sammys Atomiswave hardware. It was the first game SNK Playmore produced for the Atomiswave...
and The King of Fighters XI
The King of Fighters XI
The King of Fighters XI is a 2D competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore originally released in as a coin-operated arcade game for the Atomiswave platform...
) before SNK decided to discontinue using the platform for the series. The current arcade hardware for the series is the Taito Type X2
Taito Type X
The Taito Type X is an arcade system board released by Taito Corporation in 2004. Based on commodity PC hardware architecture, Type X is not a specification for a single set of hardware, but rather a modular platform supporting multiple hardware configurations with different levels of graphical...
, with its first usage coming with the release of The King of Fighters XII
The King of Fighters XII
is the twelfth installment of The King of Fighters series. SNK Playmore announced that it is abandoning the Atomiswave system and is moving its most popular game franchises to the Taito Type X2 arcade system. KOF XII uses newly-drawn 2D sprites on 2D backgrounds...
. Ports
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of the arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s and original The King of Fighters games have been released for several video games consoles.
Main series
The King of Fighters '94
The King of Fighters '94 is a fighting game released by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It is the inaugural game in The King of Fighters series by the same company. The game was originally ported to the Neo Geo AES and Neo-Geo CD following its original arcade release...
, was released by SNK on August 25, 1994. The game featured characters from SNK's previous fighting game series Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting
Art of Fighting
is a trilogy of competitive fighting game titles that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the Fatal Fury series and is set in the same fictional universe...
, as well as original characters (including characters from older games such as Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors is a 1986 arcade game by SNK, published in the United States and Europe by Tradewest. Known simply as in Japan, this was SNK's first major breakthrough US release and became something of a classic. The game was released at the time when there were many Commando clones on the market...
and Psycho Soldier
Psycho Soldier
is an action arcade game developed by Japanese software company SNK that was originally released in 1986 and internationally in 1987. It is somewhat of a sequel to Athena released a year earlier, Psycho Soldier continues the adventures of Athena, and is noteworthy for being the first video game...
, adapted for a versus fighting game). The success of the game lead SNK to release yearly installments of the series and numbered the games for the year they were released. The King of Fighters '95
The King of Fighters '95
The King of Fighters '95 is a fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It is the sequel to The King of Fighters '94 and the second game in The King of Fighters series...
was released on July 25, 1995, with several ports being released the next year. In addition to adding new characters, this game also began the first story arc of the series titled "The Orochi Saga". KOF '95 was also the first game in the series that allowed the players to create their own team of three members, out of any character in the game. The King of Fighters '96
The King of Fighters '96
The King of Fighters '96 is a fighting game released by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home consoles. It is the third game in The King of Fighters series, following The King of Fighters '95. Like its predecessor, the game was ported to the Neo-Geo CD, as well as the PlayStation and Sega Saturn...
, released on July 30, 1996, establishes the second part of "The Orochi Saga" and replaced the character sprites from the previous two years with newly drawn ones, improving the gameplay of the series as well. Depending on the playable characters in a team, an exclusive ending will be played. The King of Fighters '97
The King of Fighters '97
The King of Fighters '97 is a fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It is the fourth game in The King of Fighters series. It was ported to the Neo-Geo CD, as well as the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn in Japan only...
, released on July 28, 1997, concluded "The Orochi Saga" story arc. The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters '98 is a fighting game released by SNK released for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It is the fifth game in The King of Fighters series...
was released on July 23, 1998, and unlike the previous games of the series, it did not feature a story. Instead, the game 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.
On July 22, 1999, The King of Fighters '99
The King of Fighters '99
The King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle is a head-to-head fighting game by SNK released for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the sixth installment in the companys The King of Fighters series. The game was ported to the Neo-Geo CD and the PlayStation as the final KOF game released...
was released, which introduced a new story arc known as "The NESTS Chronicles". The game introduces several new characters into the series, as well as the rule of a fourth member being added to each team and that a new tactic is introduced in this game as well. The tactic would be that a specific person from a team would be an assistant called a "Striker" and that 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. The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2000
The King of Fighters 2000 is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It is the seventh installment in The King of Fighters series for the Neo Geo, as well as the final one produced by SNK before the bankruptcy. The game was ported to the Sega...
was released on July 26, 2000, and is the second part of "The NESTS Chronicles". It adds a few new playable characters and a couple of Strikers (most of them being from previous KOF titles and other SNK titles as well such as Metal Slug
Metal Slug
is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform developed by Nazca Corporation and published by SNK. It was originally released in 1996 for the MVS arcade platform. The game is widely known for its sense of humor, fluid hand-drawn animation, and fast paced two-player action...
and Kizuna Encounter
Kizuna Encounter
is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the sequel to Savage Reign. Like its predecessor, it was ported to the Neo-Geo CD and also included in the Fūun Super Combo for the PlayStation 2...
). The King of Fighters 2001
The King of Fighters 2001
The King of Fighters 2001 is a competitive fighting game produced by Eolith for the Neo Geo. It is the eighth game in The King of Fighters series and the first game produced following the closure of the original SNK. The game was produced by the Korean-based company Eolith and developed by...
was released on November 15, 2001, and ends the second story arc. Due to economic problems that SNK had at the time, the Korean company Eolith
Eolith (company)
Eolith was a South Korean based company. They developed The King of Fighters 2001 and 2002 after SNK was bankrupted. They also developed Double Dragon EX for mobile phones. Their last title released was Chaos Breaker, for Taito....
helped in the development of the game. The King of Fighters 2002
The King of Fighters 2002
The King of Fighters 2002 is a competitive fighting game produced by Eolith and Playmore for the Neo Geo. It is the ninth game in The King of Fighters series and the second one produced by Eolith and developed by SNK Neo Geo . The game was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and the Xbox...
, released on October 10, 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.
A new KOF story arc called the "Tales of Ash" starts in The King of Fighters 2003
The King of Fighters 2003
The King of Fighters 2003 is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the tenth game in The King of Fighters series and the first KOF game to become a tag tournament as well as the first one to be published by SNK Playmore...
, released on December 12, 2003. It allowed the players to change characters while playing, but the number of team members was reduced back to three. SNK, now SNK-Playmore, returned to the franchise development in this entry. By 2004, SNK abandoned yearly releases of the series and numbered future games in a more traditional manner; the first main series game released as such was The King of Fighters XI
The King of Fighters XI
The King of Fighters XI is a 2D competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore originally released in as a coin-operated arcade game for the Atomiswave platform...
, released on October 26, 2005. The King of Fighters XII
The King of Fighters XII
is the twelfth installment of The King of Fighters series. SNK Playmore announced that it is abandoning the Atomiswave system and is moving its most popular game franchises to the Taito Type X2 arcade system. KOF XII uses newly-drawn 2D sprites on 2D backgrounds...
was released in July 2009. KOF XII uses newly-drawn 2D sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
on detailed 2D backgrounds. Producers informed that the game is one hundred percent hand drawn. It is to be a storyless gathering of fighters, similar to KOFs '98 and 2002 before it. The latest story arc ends with The King of Fighters XIII
The King of Fighters XIII
is the latest installment of The King of Fighters fighting game series developed and published by SNK Playmore. The game is set after the events from The King of Fighters XI and is also the conclusion of Ash Crimson's story arc, which started in The King of Fighters 2003...
, which features the entire roster from The King of Fighters XII as well as additional characters and was released during the summer of 2010.
Other games
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 BernsteinRugal Bernstein
is a video game character created by SNK. First introduced in The King of Fighters '94, he is a recurring boss in the The King of Fighters fighting game series. As the host of the tournaments from The King of Fighters '94 and 95, Rugal plans to turn all the competitors from the tournament into...
, and the addition of Saisyu Kusanagi. A remake for KoF '98 titled The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match was released in Japanese arcades on March 18, 2008 and later on some video game consoles expanding the character roster and improving the graphics. A remake for KoF 2002, titled The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match has recently been released for the PlayStation 2, on February 26, 2009 in Japan.
In 2004, SNK produced the first 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
installment of the series, KOF: Maximum Impact
KOF: Maximum Impact
The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2, produced by SNK subsidiary Noise Factory published by SNK Playmore in 2004-2005. An enhanced version was released for Xbox and PlayStation 2 under the title KOF: Maximum Impact — Maniax...
. The game and its two sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
s revises much of the backstory for characters and settings from previous games. The producer of the Maximum Impact series, Falcoon
Falcoon
Tatsuhiko Kanaoka, better known by the art-name Falcoon , is a Japanese artist formerly working for SNK Playmore. He has been involved in several iterations of The King of Fighters franchise....
, stated that the Maximum Impact games are in a different continuity
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
from the original series of games. Another spin-off video game, The King of Fighters Neowave
The King of Fighters Neowave
The King of Fighters Neowave is a 2D competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore and originally released as a coin operated arcade game for Sammys Atomiswave hardware. It was the first game SNK Playmore produced for the Atomiswave...
, was released for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Arcade during 2005 and 2006. Like KOF '98 and KOF 2002
The King of Fighters 2002
The King of Fighters 2002 is a competitive fighting game produced by Eolith and Playmore for the Neo Geo. It is the ninth game in The King of Fighters series and the second one produced by Eolith and developed by SNK Neo Geo . The game was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and the Xbox...
, Neowave has no storyline and is considered a "dream match" game. The game is a gathering of numerous characters from previous installments, including characters like Mature and Vice from KOF '96 and the New Face Team from KOF '97. The character artwork was done by Tomokazu Nakano. Two video games were released for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
titled The King of Fighters EX: Neo-Blood and The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood respectively, featuring characters and backgrounds from KOF '99 and 2000, respectively. A role-playing game
Role-playing game (video games)
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
was also created exclusively for the PlayStation under the name of The King of Fighters: Kyo, adaptating a manga with the same name. An N-Gage
N-Gage
The N-Gage is a mobile telephone and handheld game system by Nokia, based on the Nokia Series 60 platform, released in October 2003. It began sales on October 7, 2003. The N-Gage QD replaced the original N-Gage in 2004....
version of the first Game Boy Advance game was released in 2005 titled The King of Fighters Extreme, which added Bluetooth multi-player.
Three pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
slot games were developed for the series. The first, The King of Fighters, is based on the Orochi storyline and the second, The King of Fighters 2, is based on the fight of K' against the NESTS cartel. The newest one, Maximum Impact, was released on January 19, 2009 and focuses on the series' 3D titles. None of these was released outside of Japan. 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.
Several characters from the series also appear in crossover video games. Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
NeoGeo Battle Coliseum is a 2 on 2 tag team fighting game for the Atomiswave arcade board. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. The PlayStation 2 version of the game has been released in Japan, North America and Europe...
is a 2 on 2 tag team fighting game for the Atomiswave
Atomiswave
The Atomiswave is a custom arcade system board and cabinet from Sammy Corporation. It is based on Sega's NAOMI system board...
arcade board, and SNK Gals' Fighters
SNK Gals' Fighters
SNK Gals' Fighters is a 2-dimensional 1-on-1 versus fighting game which appeared on the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 2000. It featured female characters from various SNK franchises, where the characters compete in the aptly named The Queen of Fighters tournament, organized by a mysterious "Miss X", with...
is a fighting game for the Neo Geo Pocket Color
Neo Geo Pocket Color
The Neo Geo Pocket Color , is a 16-bit colour handheld game console by SNK. It was the last console they produced in the Neo Geo family...
. Along with the KOF, characters from other SNK series also star in both of these games. Capcom also produced a series of similar crossover fighting games with SNK. The SNK-produced fighting games of this crossover include the Dimps
Dimps
is an Osaka, Japan-based video game development studio with an additional office in Tokyo, Japan. Employing a staff of 218 people, it is known for developing such games as the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai trilogy for the PlayStation 2, and the Sonic the Hedgehog games specific to the Game Boy Advance and...
-developed portable fighting game SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
is a fighting game for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. It features a total of 26 characters from SNK and Capcom, eight of which are hidden. Play options includes 2-fighter tag teams, 3-fighter queue teams, and of course, one-on-one...
for the Neo Geo Pocket Color in and SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos for the Neo Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
in The games produced by Capcom are Capcom vs. SNK
Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000
is a head-to-head fighting game produced by Capcom originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for Segas NAOMI hardware and later ported to the Dreamcast...
in (followed by a minor upgrade, Capcom vs. SNK Pro, in ) and a sequel titled Capcom vs. SNK 2
Capcom vs. SNK 2
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001, known as Millionaire Fighting 2001 in Japan, is a sequel to the fighting game Capcom vs. SNK. This game was released on NAOMI hardware in the arcade...
, released in 2001. All three games were produced for the NAOMI hardware and later ported to various consoles.
Compilations
In addition to the remakes of individual games such as Re-bout, Ultimate Match, and Unlimited Match, SNK Playmore 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 CollectionNeo Geo Online Collection
The Neo Geo Online Collection is a series of classic Neo Geo games, re-released by SNK Playmore for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. These games allow you to fight against other players over the Internet by way of KDDI's MMBB matching service...
. The first compilation, 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 MMBB service. The second compilation, , 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.
A separately produced compilation titled The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga was released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in North America, the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
, and Southeast Asia. This compilation has the same lineup of games as the Japanese Orochi Hen, along with KOF '94 and KOF '98, although the extra features are different, with an added Challenge Mode where the player must win certain matches against the CPU in KOF '98 under specific conditions and a media gallery featuring listenable tracks from each game and a collection of official illustrations.
Plot and characters
The titular King of Fighters tournament originated from SNKs previous fighting game franchises, Fatal Fury and Art of FightingArt of Fighting
is a trilogy of competitive fighting game titles that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the Fatal Fury series and is set in the same fictional universe...
.
The first game in the series, KOF '94, centers around a black market arms dealer named Rugal Bernstein
Rugal Bernstein
is a video game character created by SNK. First introduced in The King of Fighters '94, he is a recurring boss in the The King of Fighters fighting game series. As the host of the tournaments from The King of Fighters '94 and 95, Rugal plans to turn all the competitors from the tournament into...
, who hosts the 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 previous established fighting game stars Terry Bogard
Terry Bogard
is a video game character created by SNK Playmore , and is the main character of the Fatal Fury series. In the series, he is an American fighter who enters the worldwide tournaments called The King of Fighters to kill Geese Howard, a criminal who killed Terry's father. Terry becomes a formidable...
and Ryo Sakazaki
Ryo Sakazaki
is a video game character developed for the fighting game Art of Fighting from SNK Playmore . His name is most often written in kana, however, in some games kanji is used to write parts of his name. In the series, Ryo is a martial artist that practices his family's fighting style, the Kyokugenryu...
, the game introduces a new hero: a young Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
martial artist named Kyo Kusanagi
Kyo Kusanagi
is one of the main characters in SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters video game series; he was first introduced in The King of Fighters '94 as the leader of the Japan team. He is one of the iconic characters of the series and regularly appears on publicity material and merchandise. His name and...
, who serves as the lead character in the early KOF games. In KOF '95, Rugal, having survived the previous tournament, host a new one with the intentions of seeking revenge against his adversaries. KOF '95 introduced Kyo's rival Iori Yagami
Iori Yagami
is a character from the SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters video game series that first appeared in The King of Fighters '95 as the leader of the Rivals Team. He is an iconic character of the series, and regularly appears on publicity material and merchandise. Iori is a central character to the...
to the series and was the first game to mention the presence of the Orochi clan, which would serve as the central plot element in the following two games in the series. The tournament 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
Imperial Regalia of Japan
The , also known as the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, consist of the sword Kusanagi , the mirror Yata no Kagami , and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama...
along with Kagura herself) to fight against the Orochi clan. The Orochi storyline concludes in KOF '97, while the following 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 would introduce a new lead character named K′: a fugitive from NESTS who was genetically enhanced with Kyos DNA. The two following games in the series, KOF 2000 and KOF 2001, continue the NESTS storyline, with each game further unraveling the mystery of the organization. KOF 2002, like KOF '98 before it, is a "Special Edition" of the series with no particular plot.
KOF 2003 begins a new storyline focusing on another new lead character named Ash Crimson
Ash Crimson
is a video game character in The King of Fighters fighting game series developed by SNK Playmore. His first appearance was in The King of Fighters 2003 as the leader of its Hero Team. Ash is a teenager participating in the series' titular fighting tournaments employing pyrokinetic powers as part of...
, a young man who seeks to possess the powers of the Three Divine Vessels for his own unknown agenda. The tournaments from 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 that they can give it to their shrouded master. While KOF XII does not have a story, KOF XIII follows another tournament hosted by Those From the Past with Ash eventually confronting their superior despite him being Ash's ancestor.
Comics adaptation
During 1995 Tatsuya Shingyoji authored a mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation of The King of Fighters '94
The King of Fighters '94
The King of Fighters '94 is a fighting game released by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It is the inaugural game in The King of Fighters series by the same company. The game was originally ported to the Neo Geo AES and Neo-Geo CD following its original arcade release...
. It was serialized in Shōnen Ace
Shonen Ace
is a monthly shōnen manga magazine in Japan published by Kadokawa Shoten, started in 1994. Unlike the big shōnen weeklies with circulation figures in the millions, Ace is aimed at a less mainstream audience, and has a particular emphasis on anime tie-ins...
from Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
and was collected into four tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes. They were released from February 10, 1995 to December 1996. There is also a spin-off manga story based on the adventures of the characters from The King of Fighters '96
The King of Fighters '96
The King of Fighters '96 is a fighting game released by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home consoles. It is the third game in The King of Fighters series, following The King of Fighters '95. Like its predecessor, the game was ported to the Neo-Geo CD, as well as the PlayStation and Sega Saturn...
entitled, The King of Fighters: Kyo. It was authored by Masato Natsumoto and published by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
in two tankōbon volumes during 1997. Ryo Takamisaki also developed another adaptation from KOF '96; Shinseisha published the series in three tankōbon compilations from June 1996 to February 1998.
A manhua
Manhua
Manhua are Chinese comics originally produced in China. Possibly due to their greater degree of artistic freedom of expression and closer international ties with Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan have been the places of publication of most manhua thus far, often including Chinese translations of...
adaptation of KOF titled The King of Fighters: Zillion was created by Andy Seto
Andy Seto
Andy Seto is a comic artist who specializes in martial-arts based stories.-Biography:Seto's works include his main series, "Cyber Weapon Z." He has also drawn a graphic novel adaptation of the earlier Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon novels, the King of Fighters series, and also created a graphic...
. Hong Kong artists, Wing Yang and King Tung produced further manhua for the games, starting in The King of Fighters 2001 through 2003 along with the Maximum Impact series. Both authors also made a sequel, The King of Fighters 03: Xenon Zero (拳皇 XENON ZERO), to conclude the 2003 tournament. Another manhua series is King of Fighters RX Project '00 (拳皇RX) is a three-volume manhua series that was officially sponsored by SNK-Playmore Hong Kong. The NESTS saga version was illustrated by Ricky. It covers the fight against NESTS primarily focused in the 2000 tournament.
Film and animation
During August 2005, a short series based upon KOF entitled The King of Fighters: Another Day was announced. It debuted at the year's Tokyo Game Show about a month later. Production I.G produced the title as an original net animationOriginal Net Animation
An original net animation is an anime that is directly released onto the Internet. ONAs may also have been aired on television if they were first directly released on the Internet. The name mirrors original video animation, a term that has been used in the anime industry for straight-to-video...
. There are 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 (The King of Fighters 2006 in the US). A live-action movie of The King of Fighters
The King of Fighters (film)
The King of Fighters is a film loosely based on SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters series of fighting games. It stars Sean Faris as Kyo Kusanagi, Maggie Q as Mai Shiranui, Will Yun Lee as Iori Yagami, and Ray Park as Rugal Bernstein.-Plot:...
was released direct-to-DVD in the United States in 2010.
CDs
SNK has released a series of CD soundtracks known as 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). There are eleven volumes altogether and 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. The Band of Fighters, shortened as BOF, is a character image band that is formed with Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, Terry Bogard, Nakoruru, and Athena Asamiya.Dengeki Bunko
Dengeki Bunko
is a publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works . It was established in June 1993 with the publication of Hyōryū Densetsu Crystania volume one, and is a light novel imprint aimed at a male audience...
and Pony Canyon
Pony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
have released several Drama CD from the series. Some of them are direct adaptations of several video games from 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 around Iori Yagami. The drama originally aired on Game Dra Night and Neo Chupi and 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 which is serious and one that is a parody focused on KOF '03. The scenarios were developed by Akihiko Ureshino and BoHyou. SNK will also give away a 4-cd soundtrack featuring songs from past KOF games with the preorder of KOF XIII on any gamestop in the U.S.
Other merchandise
In December 2006, Sabertooth GamesSabertooth Games
Sabertooth Games is a now defunct Memphis, Tennessee based game company, founded in 2001. The company primarily produced collectible card games as a subsidiary of Games Workshop, PLC...
released a King of Fighters 2006 collectable card game set along with Samurai Shodown V
Samurai Shodown V
Samurai Shodown V, known as in Japan, is the eighth game in SNK's Samurai Shodown/Samurai Spirits series of fighting games. It was one of the last ever games to be released on the Neo Geo. The original Japanese version of the game also has a great deal of dialogue in single-player mode, but all...
for its Universal Fighting System
Universal Fighting System
The Universal Fighting System is a collectible card game originally designed by Sabertooth Games. The themes of the cards are drawn from a multitude of licensed gaming universes, principally Fighting game licenses...
(UFS) game. Other games like Street Fighter and Soulcalibur III are also included into the series. Character starter packs were released for Terry Bogard
Terry Bogard
is a video game character created by SNK Playmore , and is the main character of the Fatal Fury series. In the series, he is an American fighter who enters the worldwide tournaments called The King of Fighters to kill Geese Howard, a criminal who killed Terry's father. Terry becomes a formidable...
and Mai Shiranui
Mai Shiranui
is a player character in both the Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters series of fighting games by SNK and in related media, also appearing in a large number of other games...
.
Development
In an interview with veteran developers of the series they claim that their prototype version for KOF was going to be a side-scrolling beat 'em upBeat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
titled, Survivor. In this version, it would only use core characters from the Art of Fighting
Art of Fighting
is a trilogy of competitive fighting game titles that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the Fatal Fury series and is set in the same fictional universe...
and Fatal Fury series, specifically allowing players to play Robert Garcia
Robert Garcia
is a video game character created by SNK Playmore, formerly known as SNK. Robert stars in the fighting video game Art of Fighting as the lead character along his best friend Ryo Sakazaki. The game features both of them as practitioners of the Kyokugenryu Karate fighting who search for Ryo's younger...
and Terry Bogard
Terry Bogard
is a video game character created by SNK Playmore , and is the main character of the Fatal Fury series. In the series, he is an American fighter who enters the worldwide tournaments called The King of Fighters to kill Geese Howard, a criminal who killed Terry's father. Terry becomes a formidable...
for location testing. However, the idea was quickly abandoned after the debut of Capcom's game with similar gameplay,'. Since they were attached to the idea of the two series cross-over, they eventually agreed to make their idea into a fighting game. Characters from Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors is a 1986 arcade game by SNK, published in the United States and Europe by Tradewest. Known simply as in Japan, this was SNK's first major breakthrough US release and became something of a classic. The game was released at the time when there were many Commando clones on the market...
and Psycho Soldier
Psycho Soldier
is an action arcade game developed by Japanese software company SNK that was originally released in 1986 and internationally in 1987. It is somewhat of a sequel to Athena released a year earlier, Psycho Soldier continues the adventures of Athena, and is noteworthy for being the first video game...
games were also added in spirit of other gaming genres considered for their final product. The concept of a three-man team was one of the ideas kept from the side-scrolling version.
The first games of the series were only available in Japan with the exception of The King of Fighters '95 which saw a US release on the PlayStation and a European release on the Sega Saturn in 1996. However, in 1999 when SNK was expanded to North America, the games were also released there.