Moreover, the announcements of Rollback Netcode, online training mode, jukebox, and various game modes are a welcome addition to the series.

While the whole community is waiting for the complete roster reveal and the release on 17 February 2021, let’s have a brief walk through the memory lane to gear up for the series resurgence.

What is The King of Fighters?

The King of Fighters originally started as a side-scroller beat ’em up called “Survivor,” where players would have a team of three characters and go out to beat enemies. The game featured characters from SNK’s previous fighting game series Fatal Fury, The Art of Fighting, and key characters from both games for location testing.

The planned game got scrapped for various reasons. Instead, SNK turned it into a fighting game with additional characters from past titles “Psycho Soldier” and “Ikari Warriors” as roster characters. The team-based fighting idea stayed back and became the identity of the series.

The King of Fighters replaced the staple round-based format in fighting games with a format consisting of 3-on-3 team-based matches dubbed the “Team Battle System.” The Player selects three fighters from a cast of characters, each with a unique move-set, and chooses the order in which the team members enter the battle.

Characters have only one health bar, and when defeated, will be replaced by the other team members. Future entries in the series introduced systems like the Max gauge, which would let people continue their combos while dealing more damage to the opponent or perform special moves and the dodge system.

The unique playstyle of the game attracted its community, and SNK would go on to make fourteen mainline King of Fighters games and numerous spin-offs. The series also impacted pop culture, with The King of Fighters regulars Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui appearing in various media products and other fighting games as guest characters.

Which newcomer to try out

Seeing so many games would make anyone feel overwhelmed and clueless. Each King of Fighters game plays differently. With the abundance of choices, it might feel like searching for a needle in a stack of hays. Today’s article will highlight five games recommended by the community.

1) The King of Fighters ‘97

The most well-loved and well-known King of Fighters game by the community. ‘97 was released in 1997 to a lot of fanfare and is still loved by the community and casual fighting game players. The game was shipped with nine teams and 29 characters.

It featured two distinct fighting game styles. Advanced mode, which was played like its predecessor, The King of Fighters 96. Extra mode, which played like The King of Fighters 94 and 95. The game is catered to new and returning players alike.

Advanced mode introduced a new power gauge system: Max Mode, special and super special moves to the series. Extra mode played more like the traditional King of Fighters game. This game is lauded and talked about often in the community so that more and more players can see and comprehend its complexities and attributes.

2) The King of Fighters 2002

The King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle, commonly known as KOF 2002 or KOF 2002UM, was first released for arcades in 2002 with 13 teams and 39 characters, the biggest roster of its time. Steam and PlayStation re-release added additional characters, bringing them to 54 characters.

Once again, the gameplay changes to keep it fresh for old and new players. Teams can stock up power gauges based on their position. For example, the first team member can stock up to three power gauges and the third team member up to five.

Each power gauge could be used to perform an evasion move, counterattack, or max mode, allowing players to perform a stronger special move or cancel out their input into another attack, extending the combo. The game got roll-back net-code recently. The community considers it one of the more fleshed-out, prettier King of Fighters games available in the market.

3) The King of Fighters ‘13

The final game, where SNK used the now-famous “HD sprite” style of the art design, is The King of Fighters ‘13. It has spectacular, smooth-sailing graphics and is deeply appreciated by fans in the community. Given how it plays beautifully into the overall complexity of the gameplay, players frequently fawn over this title.

With only 33 characters to choose from, the game removed some of its systems and added newer elements. It introduced the EX mode, letting players perform EX special moves and EX super special moves.

New features like the Hyperdrive Mode and Drive Cancel were introduced, which would let players use unlimited amounts of Drive Cancels once the gauge has been maxed and would open up new combo abilities.

The game is considered the hardest by the community and is recommended to anyone looking to have a bit of fun while embarking on the toughest of challenges.

4) The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact

The King of Fighters: Maximum impact was produced by a different development team and played like its Tekken and Bloody Roar counterparts. The game dropped the “Team Battle System" and made the roster fight against a more traditional format.

The game had 20 playable characters, a fleshed-out storyline, and players capable of executing juggle combos freely. The game also featured the community’s favorite character, Rock Howard, from Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

The community is generally divided about this title but likes to recommend it if someone wants to try out The King of Fighters.

5) The King of Fighters 14

The latest entry in the series is The King of Fighters 14, released for the next generation consoles in 2017 and arcades in 2016. Featuring 16 teams, eight DLC characters, and 58 characters, KOF 14 went for a more balanced approach where it was easier for newer players and challenging for experienced players.

The game re-introduced Max Mode, where characters could use three kinds of super, the defend mechanic, allowing players to parry moves, and rush combos, which were auto combos. Even though the game is crippled with its delay-based net-code and divisive art design and graphics, the community still unanimously recommends it to newcomers because of its skill ceiling and easier difficulty point.

There are many games in the series, and the franchise is expected to grow

SNK probably has one of the most varied fighting game series with titles like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Fatal Fury, and The King of Fighter. These are some of the best fighting games out there. No matter which game players try from SNK’s fighting game roster, they should be ready to have their expectations shattered. After all, SNK’s tagline is - “Shatter All Expectations.”

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

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