The King of Fighters '94

Infobox VG
title = The King of Fighters '94


caption = Neo Geo CD for "The King of Fighters '94" featuring the Hero Team (Japan) and the Fatal Fury Team (Italy).
developer = SNK
publisher = SNK
series = "The King of Fighters"
designer =
release = August 25, 1994cite web | url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/history.php?num=kof94| title=The King of Fighters '94 Official Profile | publisher= King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website | accessdate= 2008-08-04]
genre = Crossover/Versus Fighting
modes = Team Battle; Up to 2 players simultaneously
cabinet = Upright
arcade system = Neo Geo
display =
input = 8-way Joystick, 5 Buttons
platforms = Arcade, Neo Geo CD, PlayStation 2cite web | url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/thekingoffighters94rebout/similar.html?mode=versions| title=King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout| publisher=Game Spot | accessdate= 2008-08-04] Wiicite web | url=http://wii.ign.com/objects/142/14226737.html| title=King of Fighters '94 [Virtual Console] | publisher=IGN | accessdate= 2008-08-04]

"The King of Fighters '94" is the first game in The King of Fighters series. SNK released a Japan-only remake, "The King of Fighters '94 Re-bout", for the PlayStation 2 in 2004 to commemorate the series' tenth anniversary.

On January 7, 2008, the game was made available for download on the Wii's Virtual Console download service, for a price of 900 Wii Points. In the same year, it was included on SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1

Gameplay

"King of Fighters '94" introduces the series' signature 3-man team system. Instead of a simple one-on-one, two round fight system, a player chooses a team of three characters, then determines the order to play them in. Each fight consists of up to 5 rounds, and each round ends when one of the two fighters is knocked out; the remaining fighter stays and faces the opponent's next character. A fight is won when one of the two players loses the last of their three fighters. This system has remained constant throughout the series.

tory

Rugal Bernstein is an incredibly rich and notorious arms and drugs trafficker, as well as an incredibly skilled and ruthless fighter. Having become bored with the lack of competition, Rugal decides to host a new King of Fighters tournament. Rugal has his secretary, travel to eight destinations around the world and invite them to his new tournament. Unlike previous tournaments, the new King of Fighters is a team tournament, eight teams enter representing different countries enter there. The Japanese team, later known as the Hero Team, is made up of Kyo Kusanagi, Goro Daimon and Benimaru Nikaido, and win the tournament.

The winning team is taken via air-lift to Rugal's private air carrier the Blacknoah, where they are greeted by Rugal in his 'museum'; a room filled with statues of the fighters that he has fought and killed. Rugal tells the Hero Team that the reason of why he held the KOF tournament was to see the fact of who could meet his expections of a good fight and that he wanted to find more fighters who could prove to be "worthy" of joining his grisly collection of fallen warriors. In an impromptu fight, Rugal defeats Benimaru and Daimon with little effort and reduces Kyo to his knees, that is until Kyo sees the unconscious body of his father Saisyu Kusanagi who had confronted, and lost to, Rugal before the tournament. Not sure if his father is alive or dead, Kyo becomes infuriated and defeats Rugal, who initiates the boat's self-destruct mechanism and blows himself and his entire ship up, though Kyo, Benimaru, Daimon, Saisyu, and Mature manages to escape the explosion.

Development

In an interview with veteran developers of the series they claim that their prototype version for KOF was going to be a side-scrolling beat 'em up titled, "Survivor". In this version, it would only use core characters from the "Art of Fighting" and "Fatal Fury" series, specifically allowing players to play Robert Garcia and Terry Bogard for location testing. However, the idea was quickly abandoned after the debut of Capcom's game with similar gameplay, "Final Fight". Since they were attached to the idea of the two series cross-over, they eventually agreed to make their idea into a fighting game. Characters from "Ikari Warriors" and "Psycho Soldier" games were also added in spirit of other gaming genres considered for their final product. The concept of a three-man team was one of the ideas kept from the side-scrolling version.Cite book | year=September 20, 2005 | editor=Akihiko Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | pages=136~137 | language=Japanese | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. | id=ISBN 4-8222-1711-6]

Flagship director, Toyohisa Tanabe, asserts that the "Art of Fighting" and "Fatal Fury" fighters were added specifically for adults. The newer KoF characters were aimed to appeal to younger and newer audiences. He adds that every original character for the series is added based on the developers' strong desire to make one. For example, he agreed to include characters such as Benimaru and Chang to add an off-beat variety to the cast, which he previously deemed to be too serious before.Cite book | year=September 20, 2005 | editor=Akihiko Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | pages=140~144 | language=Japanese | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. | id=ISBN 4-8222-1711-6]

Remakes

The game was remade and released in 2004 for the Sony Playstation 2 as "The King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout" in Japan. This version has several new features like hi-res graphics, online play, team edit, a playable Rugal Bernstein, and the addition of Saisyu Kusanagi. On January 7, 2008, the game was made available for download on the Wii's Virtual Console download service, for a price of 900 Wii Points.

Characters

Japan Team
*Kyo Kusanagi
*Benimaru Nikaido
*Goro DaimonItaly Team
*Terry Bogard
*Andy Bogard
*Joe HigashiMexico Team
*Ryo Sakazaki
*Robert Garcia
*Takuma SakazakiBrazil Team
*Heidern
*Ralf Jones
*Clark Steel

China Team
*Athena Asamiya
*Sie Kensou
*Chin GentsaiEngland Team
*Yuri Sakazaki
*Mai Shiranui
*KingUSA Team
*Heavy D!
*Lucky Glauber
*Brian BattlerKorea Team
*Kim Kaphwan
*Chang Koehan
*Choi BoungeBoss
*Rugal BernsteinKOF'94 Re-Bout - Entry
*Saisyu Kusanagi

References

External links

* [http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/ The King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website]
*KLOV game|id=8314