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Series
Position in the series
Saga/Story Arc
Chapter
Is it canonical?
The King of Fighters
6th
NESTS Chronicles
1st
Yes

A new saga unfolds with another wielder of the flame! The tournament plunges the millennium into mystery and mayhem!

-Tagline

The King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle (ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ '99ナインティナイン) is the sixth game in The King of Fighters series by SNK. Introducing new elements like the Striker Match, Armor Mode and Counter Mode, as well as increasing the number of characters per team from three to four.

The game is the first chapter of a new story arc called the "NESTS Chronicles", which involves a shadowy organization plotting the world domination. This part introduces the concept of the Kyo Kusanagi clones and K', the main character in this arc. An enhanced version of the game was released for the Dreamcast under the title The King of Fighters '99: Evolution.

Story[]

"You are cordially invited to this year's King of Fighters."

The invitation is sent to fighters all over the world. The King of Fighters will take place again this year!

But the circumstances this time around are different. There is not a hint of the hoopla surrounding the entrants like that of the previous tournament which thrilled the whole world. For the skeptical fighters, even the new tournament rules for battles bode ill...

"The method of combat will be 3-on-3 battles. The adoption of Striker Matches, however, has been decided for this tournament...."

"Striker Matches?!" The fighters cannot hide their surprise at this unfamiliar mode of battle.

Meanwhile, Heidern, who sees through the suspicious tournament, dispatches Ralf and Clark to investigate the truth behind this tournament.

Benimaru Nikaido, as well, receives an invitation to KOF and to join the Special Team consisting of other carefully selected fighters.

Among the pre-selected teammates listed appear two names: K' (K-Dash) and Maxima. Benimaru is confused-he's never seen these names listed at any other fighting events; regardless...

Benimaru heads toward the tournament venue, clearly unsettled by the circumstances, and the other entrants are soon to follow.

WHAT IS THE STRIKER MATCH?

What is behind this year's tournament?

With its myriad of mysteries, the King of Fighters gets ready to begin!

Development[]

With the introduction of a new lead character, K', SNK had originally planned to remove main characters Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, who had previously appeared in earlier installments of the series, from The King of Fighters '99. Instead, they ended up as unlockable hidden characters after fans responded negatively to their removal at location tests. Kyo was redesigned for this game, but the developers still liked his school uniform. As a result, based on the practice of adding earlier versions of various characters to games, the staff created the Kyo clones that featured him with classic movesets: Kyo-1 uses Kyo's movesets from the first two games, while Kyo-2 uses his movesets from KOF '96 and KOF '97. To contrast with the previous series' protagonist, Kyo, K' was designed to be the "dark hero". The staff wanted to create a Robo Army Team. This idea was abandoned, but they later created a tribute to it in The King of Fighters 2000 by introducing Rocky, a character from Robo Army, as a Striker for Maxima. The character Whip was originally meant to appear in KOF '96, but due to Leona Heidern's introduction in that game, the staff decided to wait until KOF '99.

Like the earlier games the artwork was done by Shinkiro. The large number of young characters appearing in the game represented a problem for the developers; as a result, the staff introduced older characters such as Seth and Vanessa (who appeared only in the Dreamcast version as Strikers and would not officially debut until the following game) to balance the game. Bao was added to reduce the average age of the Psycho Soldiers Team from 42 to 34. The boss character, Krizalid, was designed "with a straight, stylish appearance and earnest strength"; however, the designer in charge mentioned he "overdid it". Due to the large number of unused graphics accumulated on the Neo Geo version, some of Krizalid's graphics were removed. With the release of the Dreamcast port, the staff could add Krizalid's graphics because of the console's capacity. Vanessa was meant to be a playable character, but due to time constraints, she was only a Striker in the Dreamcast port.

Gameplay[]

Power Gauge & DOA Drubbings[]

As the fighter performs special moves, the POW Gauge builds up. Being hit by an opponent's attacks may also give you power at a minimal rate. Once the gauge is filled up, you gain a stock of power. For the cost of a stock, you can either use DOA Drubbings (Supers), Guard Counters and Guard Cancels any time during the battle. Furthermore, the gauge is able to store up to 3 stocks at a time. Once you reach maximum power, your character is able to gather strength with full gauges by activating one of 2 power-ups as described in the next section. These power-up modes only last for a brief period of time, and the Power Gauge will be deactivated for a short while after each mode ends, so use them wisely!

In addition, keep an eye out on your characters' Life Gauges. When a fighter's life is flashing red and has at least one stock of power stored, all DOA Drubbings are upgraded into MAX DOA Drubbings (akin to the MAX Supers or prior Super Desperation Moves), which could inflict up to twice the damage of a normal DOA Drubbing. These are critical moments between a decisive victory and a narrow defeat, so watch out! While at low HP, base DOA Drubbings can be used indefinitely.

Counter Mode[]

This power-up costs 3 stocks of the Power Gauge in order to be used. At MAX power, press ABC at a time to wage to activate Counter Mode. The red timer gauge lasts for about 15 seconds. While Counter Mode is active:

  • The damage output of command and special moves increases.
  • Can execute the fighter's DOA Drubbings indefinitely.
  • Can perform Guard Cancels and Guard Escapes infinitely.
  • Move names in red are cancellable into DOA Drubbings.
  • If life is flashing red, MAX DOA Drubbings are unavailable.

The Power Gauge is unusable shortly after Counter Mode ends.

Armor Mode[]

This power-up costs 3 stocks of the Power Gauge in order to be used. At MAX power, press BCD at a time to wage to activate Armor Mode. The yellow timer gauge lasts for about 10 seconds. While Armor Mode is active:

  • The damage the player takes from enemy attacks decreases.
  • When struck by the opponent once in the middle of an attack, the player's attack resumes as normal.
  • DOA Drubbings and MAX DOA Drubbings are unavailable.
  • Guard Cancels and Guard Escapes are unavailable.

The Power Gauge is unusable shortly after Armor Mode ends.

Striker System[]

A new rule in this game is the Striker System. All teams are required to have 3 fighting members and 1 supporting member known as the Striker. As you select the order of fighters during each match, the first 3 serve as your fighting members while the 4th one is deployed as your team's striker for that match. This member can be called into battle for a limited number of times.

Strikers require one Strike Bomb in order to be called. Press BC at a time to wage to summon your Striker.

  • You can only summon a Striker when standing still.
  • Use a Strike Bomb to make a Striker show up and support you.
  • Strikers vary in performance depending on the character chosen.
  • The default number of Strike Bombs is 3, and the maximum number is 5.
  • A Strike Bomb is awarded when a team loses a round.

Move Legend[]

  • Offensive attacks directly inflict damage on the opponent.
  • Life-Up heals a bit of life on the player's gauge.
  • Power-Up builds a bit of power on the player's gauge.
  • Power-Down depletes a certain amount on the opponent's gauge.
  • Immobilization holds the opponent in place and open to attack.

Other notable tweaks[]

  • Rolls have been entirely redone, with their animations all being made to work akin to forward slides as opposed to rolling animations, and akin to the spot-dodge from Extra Mode, can be followed-up with counter attacks at any moment done with any punch or kick button (though the said attack can only be cancelled in Counter Mode).
  • Back rolls have also been notably tweaked with the character performing a unique backdash animation, following up into a forward burst/step-dash animation in roughly the same distance. The latter portion can also be followed-up with a counter attack.

Striker Attacks & Effects[]

Note: Krizalid isn't used as a striker.
Striker
Attack
Effect
K'
Narrow Spike
Offensive Attack
Maxima
Maxima Gallows
Immobilizes the opponent for a brief
Benimaru Nikaido
Electrigger
Immobilizes the opponent for a brief
Shingo Yabuki
Leg Grab
Immobilizes the opponent for a brief
Terry Bogard
Dunk Geyser
Offensive Attack
Andy Bogard
Wind Slicing Shadow Fist
Offensive Attack
Joe Higashi
Here! Here! Megaton Punch
Offensive Attack
Mai Shiranui
Blossom Storm
Offensive Attack/Increase of Power
Ryo Sakazaki
Aerial Dragon Flame Punch
Offensive Attack
Robert Garcia
Tiger Rapid Rave
Offensive Attack
Yuri Sakazaki
Scalding Steam Blast
Offensive Attack/Increase of Power
Takuma Sakazaki
Deadly Demon Conqueror's Blast
Offensive Attack
Leona Heidern
Killer Touch
Offensive Attack
Ralf Jones
Regal Body Blow
Offensive Attack
Clark Still
Flashing Launcher
Offensive Throw
Whip
Valkyrie Killer
Offensive Attack
Athena Asamiya
Psychic Heal
Increase of Life
Sie Kensou
Meat Bun 4 U
Increase of Life and Power
Chin Gentsai
Willow Wallop
Offensive Attack
Bao
Paycho Ball MAX Striker Mix
Offensive Attack
King
Trap Rush
Offensive Attack
Blue Mary
Rapid Spider
Offensive Throw
Kasumi Todoh
Victory
Offensive Throw/Decrease of opponent's power
Li Xiangfei
Great Fierce Peach Tree
Decrease of opponent's power
Kim Kaphwan
Flying Kick
Offensive Attack
Chang Koehan
Iron Ball Great Plumment
Offensive Attack
Choi Bounge
Triple Dancing Dis
Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power
Jhun Hoon
Charging Tiger Raid
Offensive Attack
Kyo-1 & Kyo-2
Overhauled Bouncer
Offensive Attack
Kyo Kusanagi
Serpent Shear
Offensive Attack
Iori Yagami
Vessels of 8 Elixirs
Immobilizes the opponent for a brief

Characters[]

Overview[]

Due to the new system of the game, all teams went through several modifications. The new characters added to the roster (between originals and of other franchises) are:

K-99
K', the new protagonist of the series and leader of the team who bears his name (and also NESTS Chronicles' Hero Team), is a young man who, in the past, is captured by the NESTS, who suppressed his memories and implanted Kyo Kusanagi's DNA in him, making him control fire through a red glove. He is a fugitive from the cartel, and seeks revenge on him, alongside his partner, Maxima.
Maxima-99
Maxima, K's partner and a member of the K' Team, in the past, was a Canadian soldier who saw his other partner being killed at the hands of NESTS and sacrificed his old life to take revenge on the cartel, turning into a cyborg under the hands of Dr. Makishima.
Whip-99
Whip, the new Ikari Warriors soldier and team's member, is a clone of Seirah, K's dead elder sister. She enters the KOF tournament in search of her "brother" and, for that, infiltrates in NESTS.
Bao-99
Bao, the new member of the Psycho Soldier Team, was an abandoned orphan left by his parents in the care of a mountain temple in China and, later, adopted by Chin Gentsai, after the old master discovers a strange power in the boy.
LiXiangfei KOF99
Li Xiangfei, from Fatal Fury series, is a waitress and new member of the Women Fighters Team, enters to the KOF tournament, after fighting with Kasumi Todoh.
Jhun-99
Jhun Hoon, the new member of Korea Justice Team, is Kim Kaphwan's childhood friend and decides to help him with his Rehabilitation Project, focused on Chang and Choi.
Kyo-1
Kyo-2
Kyo-1 and Kyo-2, two clones of Kyo Kusanagi created by Dr. Makishima and reactivated by Krizalid. They hate the original Kyo and wish to kill him.
Krizalid1-99
Krizalid2-99
Krizalid, the mid and final boss of the game, was made to be the ultimate Kyo Kusanagi's clone, outfitted with a special suit to feed data of fighters into his body during battle. This was achieved by cloning K' (rather than Kyo directly). As a side effect, he gained some of K's memories and believed Whip to be his sister. He was ordered to activate the thousands of Kyo clones around the world by using his suit. In order to gather the battle data necessary for the activation period, he fights the winning team of the KOF tournament.
Note: The new formations of the teams are the following:
Kof99heroteam
Benimaru Nikaido and Shingo Yabuki (Kyo's best friend and huge fan, respectively) are given a special invitation to KOF with preset members for their team, with those members being the fugitives K' and Maxima. With this, the Japan Team is undone and this new formation becomes this year's Hero Team. Goro Daimon, another of Kyo and Benimaru's friends, returns to his Judo career.
Kof99fatalfuryteam
The kunoichi Mai Shiranui joins with the Fatal Fury Team, fulfilling her desire to be close to her loved Andy Bogard. She also accompanies Andy's brother, Terry Bogard, and the Muay Thai champion Joe Higashi.
Kof99teamartofighting
Takuma Sakazaki returns to the Art of Fighting Team, after two tournaments off. He joins with his children, Ryo and Yuri Sakazaki, and his disciple, Robert Garcia.
Kof99ikariteam
A mysterious new agent and soldier by the name Whip joins the Ikari Warriors Team with the other soldiers Leona Heidern, Ralf Jones and Clark Still, with the objective of investigating the NESTS.
Kof99psychosoldierteamnew
Sie Kensou suddenly lost his psychic powers, but appears in the possession of a boy named Bao. Confused why this is happening, the young child joins KOF along with his loved Athena Asamiya and his master Chin Gentsai to form the Psycho Soldier Team once more.
Kof99womenfighters
King takes over the leadership of the Women Fighters Team, and Kasumi Todoh returns to fight for the team after one tournament off after an invitation of the bartender and the detective Blue Mary. The waitress Li Xiangfei also joins up with them after a fight with Kasumi.
Kof99koreateam
Jhun Hoon, Kim Kaphwan's old friend and rival, joins the Korea Justice Team to assist in Kim's "Rehabilitation Project" and its targets, Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge.
Kyo-99
Iori-99-art
Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami enter this tournament alone (Iori for the second time solo). Both wish to know the intentions of the cartel.


Official Team Roster[]

Hero Team (A.K.A. K' Team or Protagonist Team)[]

K-sprite1
K'
Maxima99
Maxima
Beni-kof98
Benimaru Nikaido
Shingo98
Shingo Yabuki

Fatal Fury Team (A.K.A. Garou Densetsu Team)[]

Terry-sprite1
Terry Bogard
Andy98
Andy Bogard
Joe99
Joe Higashi
Mai96
Mai Shiranui

Art of Fighting Team (A.K.A. Kyokugenryu Team)[]

Ryo-stance98
Ryo Sakazaki
Robert99
Robert Garcia
Yuri99
Yuri Sakazaki
Takuma98
Takuma Sakazaki

Ikari Warriors Team (A.K.A. Ikari Team)[]

Leona99
Leona Heidern
Ralf99
Ralf Jones
Clark99
Clark Still
Whip99
Whip

Psycho Soldier Team (A.K.A. Athena Team)[]

Athena99
Athena Asamiya
Kensou98
Sie Kensou
Chin99
Chin Gentsai
Bao99
Bao

Women Fighters Team[]

King98
King
Bluemary98
Blue Mary
Kasumi99
Kasumi Todoh
Lixiangfei99
Li Xiangfei

Korea Justice Team (A.K.A. Kim Team)[]

Kimkaphwan99
Kim Kaphwan
Chang96
Chang Koehan
Choi96
Choi Bounge
Jhun99
Jhun Hoon

Boss[]

Krizalid in the first round. Krizalid in the second round onwards.
Krizalid

Single Entry Characters[]

Kyo199
Kyo-1
Kyo299
Kyo-2

Secret & Hidden Characters[]

Note: These characters are not playable by normal means in the original Arcade and MVS versions of The King of Fighters '99, and must be unlocked with an input code. See the section Trivia for more info.

Kyo99
Kyo Kusanagi
Iori99
Iori Yagami

Special Edit Teams[]

These ending illustrations can only be seen on the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation ports.

KOF Generation Team[]

K-sprite1
K'
Iori99
Iori Yagami
Kyo99
Kyo Kusanagi
Shingo98
Shingo Yabuki

Whip and Her Servants Team[]

Whip99
Whip
Beni-kof98
Benimaru Nikaido
Kyo99
Kyo Kusanagi
Iori99
Iori Yagami

Inhumanly Strong Team[]

Maxima99
Maxima
Ralf99
Ralf Jones
Bao99
Bao
Chang96
Chang Koehan

Good Looking Team[]

Andy98
Andy Bogard
Beni-kof98
Benimaru Nikaido
Jhun99
Jhun Hoon
Chang96
Chang Koehan

Little Kids Team[]

Bao99
Bao
Lixiangfei99
Li Xiangfei
Shingo98
Shingo Yabuki
Kensou98
Sie Kensou

Masters Team[]

Takuma98
Takuma Sakazaki
Chin99
Chin Gentsai
Kimkaphwan99
Kim Kaphwan
Jhun99
Jhun Hoon

Hat Team[]

Terry-sprite1
Terry Bogard
Clark99
Clark Still
Choi96
Choi Bounge
Bao99
Bao

Short Haired Team[]

Bluemary98
Blue Mary
Whip99
Whip
King98
King
Athena99
Athena Asamiya

Midriffs Team[]

Beni-kof98
Benimaru Nikaido
Leona99
Leona Heidern
Athena99
Athena Asamiya
Bluemary98
Blue Mary

Shingo Servitude Team[]

Kyo99
Kyo Kusanagi
Kyo199
Kyo-1
Kyo299
Kyo-2
Shingo98
Shingo Yabuki

All Fatal Fury Team[]

Terry-sprite1Andy98Joe99Mai96Kimkaphwan99Bluemary98Lixiangfei99
Any team composed only of Fatal Fury characters (Terry, Andy, Joe, Mai, Kim, Mary and Xiangfei)

All Art of Fighting Team[]

Ryo-stance98Robert99Yuri99Takuma98King98Kasumi99
Any team composed only of Art of Fighting characters. (Ryo, Robert, Yuri, Takuma, King and Kasumi)

Stages[]

Note 1: In the arcade mode, with the exceptions of the Museum and the Boss Stage, all stages undergo changes of time and space. In the Dreamcast version (KOF '99 Evolution), the stages are in 3D and other changes and stages can be seen.
Note 2: The Boss Stage also can be seen in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match, in both phases.
Note 3: Each stage in the Dreamcast version, with the exception of the Boss stage, has two versions, which can be freely selected in Versus Mode.
Note 4: In this game, the stage are randomly chosen by the game's system.
Warning: The sight of some stages can cause epilepsy.

Available in All Versions of The Game[]

Normal Stages[]

  • Airport: The landing station of an airport. The fight occurs during a sunset. Can be seen two airplanes, a control station, a fence and crates. Until the second round, the fight takes place next to the fence and a crate; from the third round, near the wing and turbines of one of the planes. Similar to Eiji's stage in AOF 2.
    • Note: in the Dreamcast version, depending of the angle, it is possible to fight next to the airplanes or to the crate, and can be seen a truck in one of the versions.
Kof 99

Gameplay of Terry vs. Athena in arcade version

  • Alley (A.K.A. Hong Kong Stage): An alley next to a chinese restaurant. Until the 2nd round, can be seen light flags, some people and children watching the fight and eating, a dog, a bonfire, a graffiti and a wall, in the left; from the 3rd round, the restaurant is closed and the stage is empty. Only what is possible see is the figure of a man chasing a dog, stopping for a few seconds due to fatigue.
    • Note: In the Dreamcast version, this stage is available as in the first and third rounds, in separated versions, under the name Hong Kong.
  • Museum: The pre-historic museum DINOSAUR WORLD, in the American state of Florida. Can be seen panels with skeletons of various dinosaurs and pre-historic creatures, lights, rocks and plants. In some rounds, a sound that simulates thunder can be heard.
    • Note: in one of the versions of this stage in the Dreamcast version, the fight occurs in a balcony next to the original stage.
Kof 99 evo

Gameplay of K' vs. Athena in the dreamcast version

  • Park: A park next to a neighborhood. In the first round, can be seen a balcony with some benches, an old man feeding some birds along to a dog, a female statue, and a trash can, in the right, children playing, a man watching, a light post and two street-sweepers, in the center, and a building and a picnic table, in the left, besides plants all over the stage; in the second round, the weather is cloudy, some drops of rain begin to fall and the stage is partially empty, being seen only a woman opening an umbrella with your son, a street-sweeper and the dog of the previous round; from the 3rd round, the stage is empty, accompanied by a heavy rain.
  • Note: In the Dreamcast version, this stage is available as in the first and third rounds, in separated versions.

Boss Stages[]

  • Sewer — Hero Team (under some conditions): A sewer used as an escape route. Can be seen pipes and tubing, one of them spouting polluted water, a power box, lamps a small ladder and scratched toothpicks, characteristic of prison cell walls, besides a light, at the background. Changes in the Team and Single Play mode: in the 2nd round, it's sunset; from the 3rd round, it's night and the ground of the fight turns into a walkway that walks through dark alleys.
    • Note 1: In the Versus modes, the stage continues in the same way as the first round.
    • Note 2: In the Dreamcast version, this stage is available as in the 1st and 2nd rounds; the walkway appears at the end of the second round, when the winner celebrates.
    • Note 3: In Story Mode, when the Hero Team is chosen, an aleatory team fight in this stage.
  • Site Vector 70599: An arena built by NESTS, with the objective of reading the data of the fighters of the tournament. Has two phases: in Phase 1, the stage shows a human hologram (presumably a cloning project), in the center, beside red lights passing all over the stage, green walls, ground and two robotic pillars. In Phase 2, the stage is completely golden, the hologram and the pillars disappear and can be seen strong lights in the background. Associated with Krizalid, Kyo, Iori, Kyo-1 & Kyo-2 (the last four in special conditions and always after defeating the boss).
    • Note: in KOF 2002 UM, the stage is called Point 70599.

Available only in the Dreamcast version (KOF '99 Evolution)[]

  • Amusement Park: In one of the versions, the fight occurs next to a carousel, a ferris wheel and a viking boat. In the other, near to the same caurosel, a castle and the entrance of a tunnel of terror. In both versions, can be seen a light post, people and park workers, barracks and fireworks.
  • Cuckoo Clock Tower: In one of the versions, the fight takes in the outside. Can be seen cuckoo dolls, a gargoyle and a mountain, in the background. In the other, the fight takes near to the gears of the clock.

Critical Reception[]

Overview[]

The King of Fighters '99 was very popular after its release. According to Famitsu, both the AES and Neo Geo CD sold over 14,620 and 18,925 copies in their first week on the market respectively. In GameSpot's article "The History of SNK", KOF '99: Evolution was described as one of the best fighting games on the Dreamcast with Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Various video game publications have commented on the game. While the fighting system has been well-received, critics have expressed mixed feelings about the Striker system.

A Gaming Age writer viewed the sequel's changes as a step in the right direction despite finding assisting characters useless. He said that SNK had created proper balances such as making Kyo Kusanagi less overpowered than in previous games. The inclusion of K', the new lead, has been well-received because of his distinct fighting style. IGN's Anthony Chau commented that although "people are probably tired of 2D fighting games, saying that they all play the same", he found KOF '99: Evolution to be very distinct. He found the new gameplay very entertaining despite knowing that some "KOF purists hate the Striker system". A GameSpot reviewer described the Striker system as "clearly derived from the tag system from Capcom's Marvel fighting games". They complained there were popular characters who only appeared as Strikers, and wished they were fully playable. GamePro criticized the game because the Strikers' new gameplay "simply [does not] fit in the King of Fighters series" and "is more of a novelty than a game mode".

There were mixed responses to the ported versions. German magazine Video Games praised the Neo Geo port, giving it a score of 80%. There have also been multiple comparisons between the Dreamcast port and the PlayStation port, with the Dreamcast version being regarded as better. The use of 3D backgrounds in all versions has been praised. A GamePro writer felt that the Neo Geo's quality was not handled well by the PlayStation, resulting in issues with the graphics and long loading times. Nevertheless, he found the additional material to be pleasing for series' fans. Andrew Seyoon Park of GameSpot found the PlayStation port very good considering the console's limitations. Despite this, he complained about the animation and the voices, and found the reduced number of characters from KOF '98 disappointing. He felt that the boss Krizalid is very hard to beat. HardcoreGaming noted that while the Dreamcast port of the game was superior based on its graphics and loading times, the PlayStation version was still worth playing. Both Uvejuegos stated that while the game did not have a major update of its characters, except Kyo Kusanagi's redesign, it still managed to maintain its quality due to its fighting system. The new lead, K', and the final boss, Krizalid, were described as entertaining. Gaming Age felt the graphic update was more noticeable than the Uvejuegos did but was critical of Krizalid. Gaming Age found him so difficult to defeat they characterized the previous bosses— Rugal Bernstein and Orochi—as easy by comparison. GameSpot agreed, feeling that the boss fight removed the entertainment value from the game due to its difficult challenge.

Greg Orlando reviewed the Dreamcast version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "This King of Fighters should consider abdicating the throne."

The game's Nintendo Switch port received positive responses with critics saying its gameplay and graphics were ahead of their time. Nintendo Life praised the varied cast and the new gameplay mechanics but did not find it as appealing as its predecessor. GameSpew felt the port's mechanics, and multiple options prevented the game from being dated. The combat was described as fast enough to appeal to gamers. Bonus Stage found the graphics appealing and praised SNK's focus on giving the game a storyline, despite it being an arcade fighting game. In retrospect, 1UP.com said that while players were bothered by Kyo and Iori's exclusion from teams, and by the Striker system, K's inclusion was one of SNK's best decisions due to his fighting style.

The series' writer, Akihiko Ureshino, wrote a novelization of the game titled Beyond the "K". It was released in November 1999 by ASCII. SNK also released a sequel titled The King of Fighters 2000 a year after KOF '99's release for multiple consoles. In the spin-off game The Rhythm of Fighters, Kyo's character theme, "Tears", was used for the game to work as a rhythm game.

Reception table[]

Review scores[]

Publication
Info
GamePro
3.5/5 stars
GameSpot
  • 6.1/10 (PlayStation)
  • 6.6 (Dreamcast)
IGN
8.5/10 (Dreamcast)
NextGeneration
2/5
Nintendo Life
7/10 (Nintendo Switch)
GameSpew
8/10 (Nintendo Switch)
Bonus Stage
9/10 (Nintendo Switch)
Uvejuegos
80/100 (Dreamcast)
Gaming Age
B+ (PlayStation)
Video Games
80% (NeoGeo)

See also[]

References[]


External links[]

The King of Fighters series
Mainline '94'95'96'97'98'992000200120022003XIXIIXIIIXIVXV
Remakes Dream Match 1999'99 Evolution'94 Re-Bout'98 Ultimate Match2002 Unlimited Match'98 Ultimate Match Final Edition
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Spin-offs Quiz King of FightersThe King of Fighters: KyoBattle de ParadiseKOF Maximum ImpactKOF Maximum Impact 2KOF Maximum Impact Regulation "A"KOF Sky StageOnline'98 Ultimate Match WebSNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy
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Compilations Orochi CollectionThe Orochi SagaNESTS Collection
Films/Animations Another DayThe King of Fighters (movie)DestinyAwaken
Mangas/Comics/Novels/Manhwas The King of Fighters: Kyo (Manga)The King of Fighters: A New BeginningThe King of Fantasy (Manga)The King of Fighters Side Story: The Origin of Flame - Shingo Travels Through Time! Let's Go!The King of Fantasy (Novel)The King of Fighters: R's Letter
Cancelled Online (UnoTechnology)Fighters' WorldKOF MI "A2"KOF: Maximum Impact 360Online (DragonFly/Triple A Games)
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The King of Fighters games
Prologue KOF '94 Logo Sprite
Orochi Saga KOF '95 Logo Sprite KOF '96 Logo Sprite KOF '97 Logo Sprite KOF '98 ENG Logo Sprite
NESTS Chronicles KOF '99 Logo Sprite KOF 2000 Logo Sprite KOF 2001 Logo Sprite KOF 2002 Logo Sprite
Tales of Ash KOF 2003 Logo Sprite KOF XI Logo Sprite KOF XII Logo KOF XIII Logo
New Age Saga KOF XIV Logo The King of Fighters XV Logo
Remakes KOF Dream Match 1999 Logo KOF '99 Evolution Logo KOF '94 Re-Bout Logo KOF '98UM Logo KOF 2002UM Logo KOF '98UMFE Logo
Maximum Impact series KOF MI Logo KOF MI2 Logo KOF MIRA Logo
Offshoots Kofr1logo Kofr2logo KOF EX Logo KOF EX2 Logo KOF Neowave Logo
Spin-offs Quiz King of Fighters Logo Sprite KOF Kyo Logo KOF Battle de Paradise Logo Sprite KOF Sky Stage Logo The King of Fighters Online (MOBA) KOF '98 UM WEB Logo SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy ENG Logo
Mobile The King of Fighters -Mobile- / R-2The King of Fighters -Volleyball-KOF Gals MahjongThe King of MillionaireThe King of ReversiMahjongKOF Kentei - Mezase Cult Quiz Ou!Moeyo! KOF Daiundokai KOF x FF logoBattle FestaKOF-i 2012 LogoEncounter ROF logo KOF98UMOL logo Beast Busters KOF logo The King of Fighters: World The King of Fighters Destiny (拳皇命運) KOF All Star LogoOrochi GoSNK All Star Logo KOF Chronicle (Logo) The King of Fighters for Girls (Logo) KOF Arena Logo KOFSC Logo
Pachinko The King of FightersChapter of NESTSMaximum Impact Kof3 logo CR KOF Logo
Compilations The King of Fighters Orochi Collection KOF Collection -The Orochi Saga- LogoThe King of Fighters NESTS Collection
Cancelled The King of Fighters Online (UnoTechnology)The King of Fighters' WorldKOF Maximum Impact Regulation "A2"KOF: Maximum Impact 360The King of Fighters Online (Cancelled)
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