The King of Fighters (series)




 * For the tournament, check The King of Fighters (tournament).

The King of Fighters (ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ, Za Kingu Obu Faitāzu), officially abbreviated KOF, is the most prominent series of fighting games by SNK. Its claim to fame is the large cast of characters and the innovative "team" system, with both original designs and characters from other SNK games.

The series was originally developed for SNK's Neo Geo video game systems, which would continue until SNK retired the Neo Geo completely in 2004. For the next few games, the Atomiswave would be used, and later the Taito Type X2. Aside from this, ports of the arcade games and original The King of Fighters games have been released for the various consoles of then and now, such as SNK's own Neo Geo Pocket, the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, the Sega Saturn and the Dreamcast, the PlayStation and Xbox series of consoles, and even the N-Gage, among others.

The latest main game in the series, The King of Fighters XIV, was released on August 23, 2016 for PlayStation 4, and on June 15, 2017 for Steam.

Overview


The first game in the series, The King of Fighters '94, was released by SNK in 1994. The game was designed to be a dream match of characters from the company's various arcade titles, particularly Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Ikari Warriors, and Psycho Soldier. The success of the game lead to SNK to release yearly installments of the series and numbered the games for the year they were released. With yearly sports games, each new version is meant to be an "update"; SNK did differently, making each year unique with new rules and a constantly changing character rosters even to this day. By 2004, SNK abandoned yearly releases of the series and usually numbered future games in a more traditional manner: the first main series game released as such was The King of Fighters XI.

In 2004, SNK produced the first 3D installment of the series, KOF: Maximum Impact. The game and its two sequels use an alternate story for characters and settings from previous games of the series, leaning more towards the South Town-based series like FF and AOF. The producer of the Maximum Impact series, Falcoon, stated that the Maximum Impact games are in a different canon from the original series of games.



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. The later Art of Fighting was centered around an earlier iteration, featuring typical sponsor Geese Howard in a younger self.

The King of Fighters games have had a number of villains as their individual end bosses. The first of these was Rugal Bernstein in  '94  who had a tendency to submerge his defeated foes in liquid metal, turning them into grisly trophies commemorating his victories. During the Orochi saga, Orochi is introduced as an ominous force from ancient times bent on revenge on those who imprisoned it and was aided by his four heralds. In later games, a mysterious organization called NESTS attempts to kidnap and succeeds in cloning Kyo Kusanagi in hopes of using his power to take over the world. The leader of NESTS, who called himself Igniz, hoped to amass enough power to become a god. Other villains in later games include Mukai and "Those from the Past" that he affiliates himself with, including Magaki, as well as the Mephistopheles group (Maximum Impact series).

In order to preserve their characters' images, SNK ceased to age their characters since The King of Fighters '95 and they have remained the same ages since then. This means that characters introduced in The King of Fighters '94 have only aged one year in the series. To stay true to this theme, newer characters following this year also keep the same age they have when introduced. Some concessions to age and the passing of time exist, though, such as Terry's switch to his Garou outfit, or Kyo no longer being in high school since 1998. Ages have stopped being officially listed since KOF XI, likely to avoid confusion amongst fans.

Games

 * The King of Fighters '94
 * The King of Fighters '95
 * The King of Fighters '96
 * The King of Fighters '97
 * The King of Fighters '98
 * The King of Fighters '99
 * The King of Fighters 2000
 * The King of Fighters 2001
 * The King of Fighters 2002
 * The King of Fighters 2003
 * The King of Fighters XI
 * The King of Fighters XII
 * The King of Fighters XIII
 * The King of Fighters XIV
 * The King of Fighters '94: Rebout
 * The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
 * The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match
 * The King of Fighters Neowave
 * KOF: Maximum Impact
 * KOF: Maximum Impact 2
 * KOF Maximum Impact Regulation "A"
 * The King of Fighters R-1
 * The King of Fighters R-2
 * The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood
 * The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood
 * The King of Fighters: Kyo
 * The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise
 * KOF Sky Stage
 * The King of Fighters Online
 * KOF World
 * The King of Fighters' World

Comics

 * The King of Fighters: Zillion - by Andy Seto
 * The King of Fighters RX - by Lucky
 * The King of Fighters 03: Xenon Zero - by Wing Yan and King Tung
 * The King of Fighters '94 (manga) - by Tatsuya Shinkyoji
 * The King of Fighters '94 Gaiden - by Ryo Takamisaki
 * The King of Fighters: Kyo - by Masato Natsumoto
 * The King of Fighters '96 G - by Ryo Takamisaki
 * The King of Fighters: A New Beginning - by Kyoutarou Azuma

Drama CDs

 * The King of Fighters '94 (Dengeki)
 * The King of Fighters '96 (drama)
 * The King of Fighters '97 - Collision Chapter
 * The King of Fighters '97 - Destiny Chapter
 * The King of Fighters '98 (drama)
 * The King of Fighters '99 (drama)
 * The King of Fighters 2000 (drama)
 * The King of Fighters - The Best Selected Characters
 * The Sun and The Moon ~ Prologue
 * KOF: Mid Summer Struggle

Film and Animation

 * The King of Fighters (movie)
 * The King of Fighters: Another Day
 * The King of Fighters: Destiny

Card Game
In December 2006, Sabertooth Games released a King of Fighters 2006 collectible card game set along with Samurai Shodown V for it's Universal Fighting System (UFS) game. Other games like Street Fighter and Soul Calibur III are also included into the series. Character started packs were released for Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and eventually Rock Howard.

Another trading card game was printed by the company Weib Shwarz on June 28, 2009. It's part of a campaign that allows collectors to exchange premium points for CDs and other collectibles.

Pachinko Games
Three pachinko slot games were developed for the series. One follows the Orochi saga (The King of Fighters) and the other follows the NESTS saga (The King of Fighters 2). The newest one (Maximum Impact) focuses on the series's 3D titles. A fourth slot game (The King of Fighters III) covers the Ash saga. These machines remain exclusive to Japan.

Mobile Games

 * The King of Fighters (mobile)
 * The King of Fighters M2
 * The King of Fighters Volleyball
 * KOF Gals Mahjong
 * The King of Reversi
 * The King of Millionare
 * The King of Fighters Mahjong
 * KOF Kentei Mezase Cult Quiz Ou!
 * Moeyo! KOF Daiundokai
 * The King of Fighters Battle Festa
 * The King of Fighters-i
 * The King of Fighters Android
 * The King of Fighters' 97 OL
 * The Rhythm of Fighters
 * The King of Fighters: World
 * The King of Fighters: Destiny
 * The King of Fighters: Orochi Go
 * The King of Fighters: All Star
 * KOF98 Ultimate Match Online
 * The King of Fighters M: Fighting Stars

Introduced in The King of Fighters '94
Brought from other games:
 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Goro Daimon
 * Chin Gentsai
 * Chang Koehan
 * Choi Bounge
 * Heavy D!
 * Lucky Glauber
 * Brian Battler
 * Rugal Bernstein
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Terry Bogard
 * Andy Bogard
 * Joe Higashi
 * Mai Shiranui
 * Kim Kaphwan
 * From Art of Fighting:
 * Ryo Sakazaki
 * Robert Garcia
 * Takuma Sakazaki
 * Yuri Sakazaki
 * King
 * From Ikari Warriors:
 * Heidern
 * Ralf Jones
 * Clark Still
 * From Psycho Soldier:
 * Athena Asamiya
 * Sie Kensou

Introduced in The King of Fighters '95
Brought from other games:
 * Iori Yagami
 * Saisyu Kusanagi - originally in '94 as a cutscene character
 * Omega Rugal
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Billy Kane
 * From Art of Fighting:
 * Eiji Kisaragi
 * From Samurai Shodown:
 * Nakoruru - Gameboy only

Introduced in The King of Fighters '96
Brought from other games:
 * Leona
 * Mature - originally in '94 as a cutscene character
 * Vice - originally in '95 as a cutscene character
 * Chizuru Kagura
 * Goenitz
 * Wild Iori - Gameboy only
 * Wild Leona - Gameboy only
 * Maki Kagura - Gameboy only
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Geese Howard
 * Wolfgang Krauser
 * From Art of Fighting:
 * Kasumi Todoh
 * Mr. Big
 * Mr. Karate - Gameboy only

Introduced in The King of Fighters '97
Brought from other games:
 * Shingo Yabuki
 * Yashiro Nanakase
 * Shermie
 * Chris
 * Orochi Yashiro
 * Orochi Shermie
 * Orochi Chris
 * Orochi
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Blue Mary
 * Ryuji Yamazaki

Introduced in The King of Fighters: Kyo

 * Souji Kusanagi
 * Kyoji Sendo
 * Junko Sendo
 * Syota Sendo

Introduced in The King of Fighters '99
Brought from other games:
 * K'
 * Maxima
 * Whip
 * Bao
 * Jhun Hoon
 * Kyo-1
 * Kyo-2
 * Krizalid
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Li Xiangfei

Introduced in The King of Fighters '99 Evolution

 * Vanessa - Striker
 * Seth - Striker
 * Syo Kirishima - Striker
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Alfred - Striker
 * From Buriki One:
 * Gai Tendo - Striker
 * From Metal Slug:
 * Fiolina Germi - Striker

Introduced in The King of Fighters EX

 * Moe Habana

Introduced in The King of Fighters 2000
Brought from other games:
 * Ramon
 * Lin
 * Hinako Shijou
 * Kula Diamond
 * Clone Zero
 * Foxy - Striker
 * Candy Diamond - Striker
 * Another K' - Striker
 * Another Iori - Striker
 * Another Benimaru - Striker
 * Another Robert - Striker
 * Cosplayer Kyoko - Striker
 * Kang Bae Dal - Striker
 * Smart Chang - Striker
 * Cool Choi - Striker
 * Kaoru Watabe - Striker
 * Baitang - Striker
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Duck King - Striker
 * Lilly Kane - Striker
 * From Garou: Mark of the Wolves:
 * Kim Jae Hoon - Striker
 * Kim Dong Hwan - Striker
 * From Art of Fighting:
 * Unknown (a shaded Ryuhaku Todoh) - Striker
 * From Savage Reign/Kizuna Encounter:
 * King Lion - Striker
 * Kim Sue Il - Striker
 * From The Last Blade:
 * Kaede - Striker
 * From Burning Fight:
 * Duke Edwards - Striker
 * From Robo Army:
 * Rocky - Striker
 * From Athena:
 * Athena - Striker
 * From Quiz Dai Sousa-sen:
 * Neo & Geo - Strikers
 * G-Mantle - Striker

Introduced in The King of Fighters EX2

 * Reiji Oogami
 * Jun Kagami
 * Miu Kurosaki
 * Sinobu Amou

Introduced in The King of Fighters 2001

 * May Lee Jinju
 * K9999
 * Angel
 * Zero
 * Ron - Striker for Zero
 * Glaugan - Striker for Zero
 * Igniz

Introduced in The King of Fighters 2002

 * Kusanagi

Introduced in The King of Fighters 2003
Brought from other games:
 * Ash Crimson
 * Duo Lon
 * Shen Woo
 * Malin
 * Adelheid Bernstein
 * Mukai
 * From Garou: Mark of the Wolves:
 * Tizoc (The Griffon)
 * Gato

Introduced in KOF: Maximum Impact
Brought from other games:
 * Alba Meira
 * Soiree Meira
 * Lien Neville
 * Chae Lim
 * Mignon Beart
 * Duke
 * From Garou: Mark of the Wolves:
 * Rock Howard

Introduced in The King of Fighters XI
Brought from other games:
 * Oswald
 * Elisabeth Blanctorche
 * Momoko
 * Shion
 * Magaki
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Tung Fu Rue - Playstation 2 only
 * From Garou: Mark of the Wolves:
 * B. Jenet
 * Hotaru Futaba - Playstation 2 only
 * From Savage Reign/Kizuna Encounter:
 * Sho Hayate
 * Jyazu
 * From Buriki One:
 * Silber

Introduced in KOF: Maximum Impact 2

 * Luise Meyrink
 * Ninon Beart
 * Nagase
 * Hyena
 * Jivatma
 * Kyo Kusanagi Classic
 * Armor Ralf

Brought from other games:


 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Richard Meyer
 * From Garou: Mark of the Wolves:
 * Wild Wolf (Terry Bogard)
 * From Samurai Shodown:
 * Hanzo Hattori
 * From Buriki One:
 * Mr. Karate II (Ryo Sakazaki)

Introduced in KOF Maximum Impact Regulation A

 * Xiao Lon

Brought from other games:
 * From Fighter's History:
 * Makoto Mizoguchi

Introduced in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match

 * Nameless

Introduced in The King of Fighters XII
Brought from other games:
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Raiden

Introduced in The King of Fighters XIII
Brought from other games:
 * Saiki
 * Evil Ash
 * From Fatal Fury:
 * Hwa Jai
 * From SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos:
 * Honki ni Natta Mr. Karate

Introduced in The King of Fighters XIV
Brought from other games:
 * Shun'ei
 * Meitenkun
 * Gang-il
 * Luong
 * Hein
 * Xanadu
 * King of Dinosaurs
 * Sylvie Paula Paula
 * Kukri
 * Mian
 * Nelson
 * Zarina
 * Bandeiras Hattori
 * Antonov
 * Verse
 * Najd - as DLC Character
 * From Garou Densetsu The Legend of Wild Wolf:
 * Alice
 * From Dragon Gal:
 * Mui Mui
 * From Sky Love:
 * Love Heart

NPC Characters

 * Yuki (KoF)
 * Rose Bernstein
 * Botan
 * Jan
 * Gaidel
 * Gustav Munchausen
 * Diana
 * Misty
 * Nests
 * Cool Guy
 * Luan, Chat and Sai
 * Lillien Knights
 * Sally and Elizabeth
 * Aya and Hermione
 * Asuka and Maria
 * Fate
 * Judeim
 * Dr. Makishima
 * Shizuka Kusanagi
 * Aoi Kusanagi
 * Jokyojo
 * Kogoro Daimon
 * Ling
 * Sandra and Clara Heidern
 * Keisuke Sendo
 * Antonio
 * P-chan
 * Yakov