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''The King of Fighters'' (ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ in japanese), or '''''KOF''''' for short, is a Fighting Game series by SNK that debuted in 1994 . It combined elements from two of its existing fighting game series ('' Fatal Fury '' and '' Art Of Fighting '') and reintroduced characters from games predating the Neo-Geo (such as '' Ikari Warriors '' and '' Psycho Soldier ''). ''The King of Fighters'' introduced the 3-on-3 team battle system to the fighting game genre along with other sub-systems, such as "attack deflector" (dodging) and "emergency escape" (rolling), running, short jumps, "super desperation moves", autoguarding attacks, and multiple control formats. Many subsequent fighting games adapted these features and helped establish ''The King of Fighters'' as one of the most recognized fighting game series of all time. Unique among fighter franchises, ''The King of Fighters'' released a sequel each year and named each game for its year of release. However, this naming system posed problems similar to those with sports games named by year: once the new yearly edition debuts, consumers often perceive the previous year's edition as outdated and less desirable to own. Additionally, SNK could not always release its console version of the arcade game in the same year for which it was titled. For example, ''The King of Fighters 2003'' for the Playstation 2 did not premiere in the United States until February of 2005. Furthermore, with its increasingly sophisticated concept, graphics, and gameplay, ''The King of Fighters'' became extremely difficult to update on an annual schedule. Therefore, in December 2004 , ''The King of Fighters 2003'' artist Falcoon revealed that SNK Playmore had ceased yearly updates to the series in favor of a more irregular release schedule and a naming scheme without dates. The most recent game in the series, '' The King Of Fighters XI '', premiered on October 26 , 2005 . During '' was announced. It debuted at the Tokyo Game Show about a month later. Production I.G produces the title as an Original Net Animation . There are four episodes, each about 10 minutes in length. Fansubbers from around the world are currently producing fansubs in many languages as each episode is released. GAMES For its first ten years, ''The King of Fighters'' exclusively operated on Neo-Geo MVS arcade hardware, only later porting to contemporary home systems. Other games carrying the ''King of Fighters'' name exist for 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 storyline comprises of three Plot Arcs , each consisting of a roughly three-episode story. Thus far, each arc precedes a non-canonical "dream match" chapter used to bring back old characters--regardless of whether they have officially died or gone missing in the main plot--and systems without affecting the storyline. ''KOF '94'', the first KOF game, uniquely stands as a canonical game and probably as a dream match at the same time. In each plot arc, the series introduces a new Hero and companions around whom the main plot revolves. 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' . The current storyline, begun in ''KOF 2003'', involves an Anti-hero --or possibly a Villain --named Ash Crimson . In each episode, the rest of the teams have their own Subplots which weave together to give a more complete perspective on the overall plot. The King of Fighters tournament, the namesake of this series, actually originated in '' Fatal Fury '', a classic SNK fighting that predated the KOF series. '' Fatal Fury 2 '' and '' Art Of Fighting 2 '' also revisited the tournament before SNK released ''KOF '94''. The Orochi Saga In 2005 , SNK Playmore planned to release a compilation of ''KOF '95'' - ''KOF '97'' for the PS2 under the title ''The King of Fighters Orochi''. However, SNK recently revealed that it may delay release until early 2006.
The NESTS Saga In 2005, SNK Playmore plans to release a compilation of ''KOF '99'' -''KOF 2001'' for the PS2, under the title ''The King of Fighters NESTS''.
The Tales of Ash saga
Spinoffs
:A spinoff game series, produced by former SNK subsidiary ", 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, '''' has now officially been titled "King of Fighters 2006". Other (non-canonical) games
:An adaptation of ''The King of Fighters '95'' for the Game Boy , along with a hidden boss character, Nakoruru from the '' Samurai Shodown '' series.
: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''.
:An adaptation of ''The King of Fighters '97'' for the Neo-Geo Pocket .
:An adaptation of ''The King of Fighters '98'' for the Neo-Geo Pocket Color .
:A KOF-themed quiz game released only in Japan for the Neo-Geo. Roster includes select characters from Samurai Shodown .
:A KOF-themed board game released for the Neo-Geo Pocket.
:An adaptation of ''The King Of Fighters '99'' for the Game Boy Advance , with news character named Moe Habana ,Reiji and Miu. Geese Howard is the final boss. Purports to be set in 1998, between the Orochi and NESTS sagas.
: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''.
: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.
: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.
:A port of ''The King of Fighters EX2: Howling Blood'' for the Nokia N-Gage .
:A KOF fighter for cell-phones, loosely based upon the Neo-Geo Pocket series.
:An adaptation of KOF for Japanese cell-phones.
:A volleyball game for Japanese cell-phones, using the KOF characters.
:A Dating Sim for Japanese cell-phones, set in the KOF universe.
:A sequel to The King of Fighters -Mobile- Related games These games are not part of the ''King of Fighters'' series, but do feature ''KOF'' characters or other direct references:
KOF AND CONTINUITY While most of SNK's fighting games take place in the same universe, each series presents details that contradict those found in other series. Examples include:
To complicate inter-series continuity issues, in spite of the canonical statement that the KOF tournament occurs annually, the characters never age except when convenient for the plot. For years, fans that do not simply Suspend Disbelief have tried to reconcile the SNK universe's contradictions. One method accepts the most recent changes in any given series as a Retcon that supercedes all earlier details. Another method regards each series as having its own continuity, but events within one series will often reflect imperfectly within another series. For instance, the tournament in ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves'' will probably occur in the ''King of Fighters'' timeline -- yet if it does, it will do so two years later than in the ''Fatal Fury'' timeline. Sometimes, however, even major events fail to impact other series. For instance, although recent ''Fatal Fury'' games depend on Geese Howard having been dead for years, he lives on in the most recent ''KOF'' installments. SNK remains silent on continuity issues. Therefore, any reconciliation of discrepancies qualifies purely as fan speculation. SEE ALSO
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