The King of Fighters '95

The King of Fighters '95 is the second game in The King of Fighters series. It's also the first game in the series to be ported to other home consoles besides the Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD, with versions released for the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn in 1996. The PlayStation version was published in North America and the PAL region by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., while the Saturn version (which required a ROM cartridge that came packaged with the game disc) was only released in Japan and Europe by SNK. A Game Boy game based on The King of Fighters '95 was also released. A possible bootleg Famicon release, mistakenly titled "The King of Fighters '99", was also made. This game is the first chapter of the story arc known as "OROCHI SAGA".

Gameplay
The gameplay of King of Fighters '95 was left largely intact from King of Fighters '94. The one major change SNK was to allow players to select any combination of characters to fight with, as opposed to the concrete teams that players were confined to in the previous game. In addition, almost all the teams from the first game returned, but were no longer affiliated with specific nationalities. The Sports Team from the previous game was replaced by a Rivals Team, composed of Iori Yagami (a new character designed to be Kyo Kusanagi's rival), and Eiji Kisaragi (Ryo Sakazaki's and Kyokungenryu Karate rival) and Billy Kane (bodyguard of Terry Bogard's rival, Geese Howard).

Story
The official story given by SNK is as follows:

"It's the year of our Lord, 1995. Once again invitations to the King of Fighters tournament have found their ways to the world's most powerful fighters.

And their author is none other than the mysterious "R!" Could the "R" be that of Rugal, who supposedly blew himself up on his aircraft carrier a year ago?

Among the contestants for this year's tournament is the newly selected team of Billy, Yagami, and Kisaragi, who sent the American Team packing.

But what in the end is Billy's scheme? What ambitions does Kisaragi cradle? And what evil designs for his old foe Kyo Kusanagi spur Iori Yagami on?

These new challengers join all of the previous tournament's contestants-except the American Sports Team, of course-both in battle and the all-consuming intrigue that forms the core of King of Fighters '95."

Hero Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Goro Daimon

Fatal Fury Team

 * Terry Bogard
 * Andy Bogard
 * Joe Higashi

Art of Fighting Team

 * Ryo Sakazaki
 * Robert Garcia
 * Takuma Sakazaki

Ikari Warriors Team

 * Heidern
 * Ralf Jones
 * Clark Still

Psycho Soldier Team

 * Athena Asamiya
 * Sie Kensou
 * Chin Gentsai

Women Fighters Team

 * King
 * Mai Shiranui
 * Yuri Sakazaki

Korea Justice Team

 * Kim Kaphwan
 * Chang Koehan
 * Choi Bounge

Rivals Team

 * Iori Yagami
 * Eiji Kisaragi
 * Billy Kane

Sub-Boss

 * Saisyu Kusanagi

Final Boss

 * Omega Rugal

Game Boy Exclusive Character

 * Nakoruru

Stages

 * Note: The Hero, Fatal Fury & Art of Fighting Teams and Bosses stages (Sub-Boss & Boss) don't have intros.


 * Warning: The sight of some stages can cause epilepsy.


 * Japan — Hero Team: The Neo Geo Land, a game house founded by SNK in Osaka. The battle takes in front of the park, and it's possible see people watching the fight and cheering, among them Ryuji Yamazaki and Blue Mary. SNK's headquarters can also be seen in the background.
 * Italy — Fatal Fury Team: A pier next to the Mediterranean Sea. In the background are various spectators, as well as Terry's monkey, Ukee, who will move back and forth through out the match. Water will also splash as characters move during the match.
 * Note: When the first round begins, the characters jump from the pier to the water.


 * Mexico — Art of Fighting Team: A Kyokugenryu dojo decorated with swinging lamps and tiger and dragon iconography. Two oni statues on both sides of the stage become visible after round two. This stage makes an appearance in The King of Fighters '98 as the Masters Team's stage, though it is in a decrepit state.
 * Note: When all rounds begins, the floor of the main hall, which is actually an elevator, goes up to the point of the stage.
 * Brazil — Ikari Warriors Team: A bridge overlooking a helicopter crash. A military air base in the desert can be seen in the background.
 * Intro: The camera rises from the helicopter wreckage to the stage.
 * China — Psycho Soldier Team: The battle takes in the mountains of China, underneath a waterfall. During the battle, water will sporadically obscure parts of the foreground.
 * Intro: Droplets fall before fading to the stage.
 * England — Women Fighters Team: The Illusion Bar. The battle occurs in the main hall of the bar. Musicians, barrels of beer, plants, clients in the tables, including Ryuhaku Todoh, Heavy D! , and Duck King , and Sally &amp; Elizabeth, twins waitresses of King, can be seen passing in the background.
 * Intro: Pans down from a stained glass window to the stage.
 * Korea — Korea Justice Team: A training retreat in a mountain forest during a thunderstorm. Rain falls during the match, with grass blowing in the foreground.
 * Intro: A lightning bolt strike the tree in the background, causing it to catch fire.
 * USA — Rivals Team: An oil refinery, in a sunset. Can be seen pipes, a great smoke coming off the structures with a fog in some rounds, a dump in the right, crows and a truck in the left. There is a smoke effect along the ground during gameplay. Also can be seen the city of New York, highlighting the Empire State and the Chrysler buildings. This stage is remade in KOF XIII.
 * Intro: A square pans up to reveal the stage.


 * The Missile Base: A platform overlooking a missile base, with a hologram of the Earth in the background. Associated with Saisyu.


 * The Missile Base Balcony: The same platform from the previous stage begins to rise. The platform scrolls up to the top of the missile, with an open hatch at the top of the base. Associated with Omega Rugal.

Trivia

 * As of this game in the series, Kyo's close standing heavy kick is revamped into a special move (his new iconic 75 Shiki: Kai), and his old 88 Shiki sweep kick is now a command normal. However, he loses his original diagonal-jumping light punch attack.