King of Fighters series - Games

King of Fighters series: Encyclopedia II - King of Fighters series - Games
King of Fighters series - Games
For its first ten years, The King of Fighters was developed exclusively for the arcade Neo-Geo MVS hardware, and only later ported to contemporary home systems. Other games carrying the King of Fighters name have also been developed for the 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 structure has been to group the chapters into a sequence of plot arcs, each consisting of a roughly three-episode story. Thus far, each arc has been followed by a non-canonical "dream match" chapter, that exists to bring back old faces and systems and generally having fun without regard to story or game system continuity. The first game in the series is weird as it is a canonical game, but at the same time, it can be considered a dream match.
In each plot arc thus far, the series has introduced a new Hero character and companions, for the central plot to revolve around. 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'; and the current storyline, begun in KOF 2003, involves an anti-hero named Ash Crimson. In each episode, however, every team has its own subplot, all of which ultimately weave together to give a more complete and multifaceted perspective on the plot.
The King of Fighters tournament, after which the series is named, actually makes reference to other two series itself; it was first introduced in Fatal Fury and later explored in Fatal Fury 2 and Art of Fighting 2.
King of Fighters series - The Orochi Saga
In 2005, SNK Playmore plans to release a compilation of KOF '95 - KOF '97 for the PS2, under the title The King of Fighters Orochi. However, it has recently been revealed that it may be delayed to early 2006.
The King of Fighters '94 (Episode 1) Remade in 2004 for the PS2 as The King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout, it was then ported to Xbox in late 2005, complete with such new features as online play, team edit, and the playability of boss Rugal, as well as the addition of Saisyu Kusanagi. Ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.
The King of Fighters '95 (Episode 2) Introduced the Team Edit feature which allowed players to create their own 3-character team (the original KOF 94 required players to use default teams only). 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) 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) 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 and versions from all previous King of Fighters games - except for Eiji Kisaragi and the Boss Team from the '96 version (Geese Howard, Wolfgang Krauser and Mr. Big). It is widely considered to be one of the best games if not the best in the series by longtime fans. Ported to the PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast. The Dreamcast version (renamed The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999) is refitted with an extended hand-animated introduction and link-up capability with the Neo Geo Pocket Color, as well as backgrounds which were recreated in 3D.
King of Fighters series - The NESTS Saga
In 2005, SNK Playmore plans to release a compilation of KOF '98 -KOF 2000 for the PS2, under the title The King of Fighters NESTS.
The King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle (Episode 5) Krizalid. This sequel features a newly introduced fighting system, aptly called the striker system. Also, this is the only sequel where Super Desperation Moves can (and are) executable when a fighter is at low health, without any extra requirements.
The King of Fighters 2000 (Episode 6) This sequel is the only one so far which allowed the player to select alternate strikers instead of using only storyline characters as strikers. These were characters from previous installments of KOF, other SNK games, or alternate versions of player characters; for example, Shermie, Nakoruru, and Another Iori were among these special strikers.
The King of Fighters 2001 (Episode 7) This sequel is the only one so far which gives the player freedom to decide how many out of 4 fighters they choose to put as main fighters, while the rest if any are placed as strikers. The number of fighters/strikers will determine how many power gauges the player has; the less the fighters, the more the power gauges.
The King of Fighters 2002 - Challenge to the Ultimate Battle This update to the game features a return to the classic 3-on-3 battle system, and features teams from past versions. The end-of-game boss is also a familiar face, Rugal Bernstein, albeit with a few powerful modifications. Like 98, it is popularly known as one of the best KOFs in history.
King of Fighters series - The Tales of Ash saga
The King of Fighters 2003 (Episode 8) Features a new storyline and the return of some old characters. Unlike previous games, this game employs a tag team battle system (or "Multi-Shift," as the game refers to it). This installment presents the most intensive gameplay adjustments the series has seen since its makeover in '96. It was generally well-received, though opinions vary widely on the whole. It introduces several new characters, as well as the series' first converts from Garou: Mark of the Wolves. This episode seems to return to the roots of the KOF storyline with it being heavily based on the Orochi.
King of Fighters XI The next game in the series. The latest installment of the The King Of Fighters series. The character roster has received a major shake-up. For the first time ever, fan favorites Mai Shiranui, Leona Heidern, Robert Garcia and Joe Higashi have been dropped from the roster. The Princess of Punch team franchise has been dissolved. Eiji returns after being absent since KOF 95, the ever popular Duck King makes his first real appearance in the series, and Bonne Jenet crosses over from Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Three new characters have been introduced to the series, Oswald, Elisabeth, and Momoko. Elisabeth is the heir of a noble French family, Oswald is a fighter from Ireland who utilizes cards as his weapons. Momoko is a young capoeira fighter from Japan accompanying Athena Asamiya and Sie Kensou on the Psycho Soldier team. Arcade rooms are receiving competition massively worldwide at this moment for this game.
King of Fighters series - Spinoffs
KOF: Maximum Impact series 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 "KOF: Maximum Impact - Maniax", with additional content and online play. There is the possibility of a PSP version coming some time in 2006.
Although the title suggests a link to The King of Fighters, the game has a closer resemblance to Fatal Fury in mood and story. While the first game did not have any notable connections with the main KOF series, other than having the same characters, KOF: Maximum Impact 2 will have direct references to The King of Fighters XI, as it takes place after the end of that game.
King of Fighters series - 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, and Geese Howard as the final boss. 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, four new playable characters and a new boss character (a young boy channeling the spirit of Goenitz). 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.
The King of Fighters NeoWave 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.
The King of Fighters: Days of Memories A dating sim for Japanese cell-phones, set in the KOF universe.
The King of Fighters M2 A sequel to The King of Fighters -Mobile-
King of Fighters series - 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
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
Kizuna Encounter
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
SNK vs. series