Summary
Throughout the 90s and 2000s,CapcomandSNKbattled for fighting game supremacy with their flagship titles, Street Fighter and The King of Fighters, respectively. Due to SNK’s financial troubles, The King of Fighters has had inconsistent release schedules and fluctuating production values. However, it’s now fully back in the fighting game market, and The King of Fighters remains a staple of the genre.
With numerous entries featuring different play styles, characters, and graphical styles, determining the best King of Fighters game is challenging. It ultimately comes down to personal preference—what level of play you seek, the speed you prefer, and which meter systems best complement your play style. Regardless, most King of Fighters games can be enjoyed by any fighting game fan.
The Orochi Saga is the story arc most King of Fighters fans are familiar with, and The King of Fighters 97 provided a solid conclusion to the plot. The game introduced two distinct modes: Advanced and Extra. Advanced functions similarly to most modern fighting games, where players build meters during combat to unleash powerful attacks. Extra, on the other hand, resembles older SNK games, allowing players to sidestep and manually charge their meter by holding down specific buttons.
Although The King of Fighters 97 features imbalanced secret characters and infamous infinite combos, such as Terry’s Power Charge infinite, it remains an enjoyable game for an arcade run.
The last entry in The King of Fighters series to feature the Striker system, The King of Fighters 2001 offered an incredible level of team customization. Strikers, essentially assist characters, could make up three-fourths of a team in exchange for having a single, exceptionally powerful on-point character.
In The King of Fighters 2001, learning when to use stocks and how to construct a team was more crucial than in other entries. However, the on-screen gameplay lacked crispness, and the abundance of options that weren’t properly playtested made it a fun yet highly unbalanced game.
The 3D spinoffs got a bad rap, but they are amongthe better-made 3D fighters. Similar to Project Justice, The King of Fighters 2006—also known as The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2—controls more like a traditional 2D fighter than popular 3D fighters like Virtua Fighter and Tekken.
Far more scenic than other King of Fighters games of its era, it features giant explosions and lavish super moves. The parry system allows for fun back-and-forth exchanges, though parrying an attack doesn’t provide a major advantage, making it a largely ineffective mechanic at higher levels of play.
7The King Of Fighters 2000
The most balanced of the NESTS Saga games, The King of Fighters 2000 retained the traditional three-character team structure while also introducing a striker character. The striker acted as a fourth member who could assist mid-battle, similar to anassist character in Marvel vs. Capcom. Unlike its sequel, The King of Fighters 2001, the fixed team structure led to a more balanced gameplay experience.
However, The King of Fighters 2000 didn’t quite capture the pace or extravagance of other entries in the series, such as The King of Fighters 98 or The King of Fighters 13. Still, it boasted fantastic production and presentation, featuring one of the best intros in the series.
6The King Of Fighters 14
Often credited with helping SNK revive other series such as Samurai Shodown and Fatal Fury, The King of Fighters 14 was slower-paced and not as visually striking as The King of Fighters 13, but it was more enjoyable to play. It also fostered the healthiest competitive scene in the West in quite some time, offering a high skill ceiling while remaining accessible to newcomers.
Compared to The King of Fighters 13, The King of Fighters 14 is more balanced at a casual level but feels more one-note in high-level competitive play. Its aesthetics are a major drawback, and its lead protagonist, Shun’ei—sporting an unusual fashion style—is arguably the least likable main character in the series.
The King of Fighters 15 is the first entry in the series designed withrollback netcode in mind from the ground up. While the implementation isn’t perfect, it marked a significant shift in making the series more competitive and accessible.
Featuring one of the largest rosters, The King of Fighters 15 includes nearly all fan favorites when DLC is considered, such as Omega Rugal, Yamazaki, and Geese. However, the similarity in combo structure makes the roster feel less diverse in terms of gameplay. Wake-up options are also more awkward due to one-frame throws, which can limit close-range pressure.
Perhaps only rivaled by The King of Fighters 2002, The King of Fighters 13 features an incredible skill ceiling but also the highest barrier to entry in the series. It was a significant improvement over The King of Fighters 12, which felt more like a tech demo for the PS3 era of the franchise.
With fluid animation and vibrant colors that stand out like no other entry, The King of Fighters 13 is arguably the best-looking game in the series. It also ranks among the fastest-paced.
3The King Of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
Released as a swan song to the NESTS Saga, which explored the stories of popular characters like K’ and Kula Diamond, The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match features the full roster from the arc, along with returning characters from the Orochi Saga.
For fans of high-execution, highly damaging combos, The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match is the most skill-intensive entry in the series. Max Mode allows players to link combos more effectively, and mastering the various defensive cancel options is essential when facing experienced opponents.
Perhaps one of the most underrated fighting games of all time, The King of Fighters 11 refined the tag system first introduced in The King of Fighters 2003. It features fast-paced short hops, a less demanding combo system, and a hot tag mechanic that allows players to extend combos while safely bringing in another character.
Unfortunately, after the release of The King of Fighters 11, the series went on hiatus until The King of Fighters 12, which shifted toward a more nostalgic style of play. The King of Fighters 11 may not appeal to traditionalists, due to its tag-based format instead of the classic gauntlet style, but it remains an incredible entry - one that deserved at least two more follow-ups.
1The King Of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match
The King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match is an updated version of the most beloved entry in the series, featuring vibrant sprites that showcase the distinct ’90s Neo Geo aesthetic—something rarely seen in modern fighters. However, any version of The King of Fighters 98 is worth playing.
Even after character updates, the roster remains far from the most balanced, but each fighter in The King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match feels distinct. Likely due to its “dream match” nature, the game features a wide clash of styles, from Goro Daimon’s massive sumo throws to Lucky Glauber dunking a basketball in his opponent’s face.
