History Videogame / TheKingOfFighters

* ArtEvolution: Patch 1.10 of XIV includes a significant graphical upgrade to the character models, making it look even better and less like a [=PS2=] game as it was derided before. [[http://www.siliconera.com/2016/11/28/king-fighters-xiv-patch-1-10-will-make-game-look-better/ See for yourself]]

*** To add to the insanity, the Dreamcast port, '''99: Dream Match'' allows you to change everyone's attitude the more you group them together, which means even Kim will help out "evil" characters like Vice and Mature if you play them as a team often enough.

* ComicBookTime: After ''[='95=]'', SNK froze all of the ages of their characters in order to keep the cast roughly youthful. While there are a few illusions of the passage of times (such as Kyo changing his outfit to show that he's dropped out of high school), the earlier characters remain in their teens and twenties whereas most of them should be about a full decade older. This also extends to cameo characters and newer entrants. This is why characters like Kim's sons Jae Hoon and Dong Hwan from ''Garou'', as well as fan-favorite Rock Howard ([[ExecutiveMeddling SNK Playmore's desire to save Rock]] for the ''Garou'' sequel [[{{Vaporware}} which will probably never come to pass]] aside) will probably never make a playable appearance in a future [=2D=] ''KOF''; they appear as children and will stay that way unless there is some sort of {{retcon}} PlotRelevantAgeUp involved. However, Rock has been promoted to the main roster as of ''XIV''.

* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The Outlaw Team from ''2003'' is made up of sub-bosses from the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' games (and Gato) -- Billy Kane, Gato, and the AxCrazy KnifeNut Ryuji Yamazaki. It was like this in ''[='97=]'' as well, only with [[TokenGoodTeammate Blue Mary]] completing the threesome with Billy and Yamazaki (Gato would not be created until 1999's ''Garou: Mark of the Wolves'').

* BigBadEnsemble: Their are multiple main villains throughout the series but we will list the main antagonistic factions throughout each saga down below.
** Orochi Saga: the Hakkesshu
** NESTS Saga: NESTS
** Tales of Ash Saga: Those from the Past.

** Current arc: Verse

** Orochi Saga: the Hakkesshu clan
** NESTS Saga: NESTS syndicate

** Orochi Saga: Hakkesho clan
** NESTS Saga: NESTS

Although the first game was merely intended to be a simple crossover and spin-off, the series became more popular than the other series that inspired it, and [[ContinuityCreep an overreaching plot soon developed that took the other SNK fighters along for the ride]].

Although the first game was merely intended to be a simple crossover, the series became more popular than the others that inspired it, and [[ContinuityCreep an overreaching plot soon developed that took the other SNK fighters along for the ride]].

* GuestFighter: Being that the series is itself meant to be a SharedUniverse game among SNK's properties, the idea of a "guest" character isn't as clearly defined but it has happened on some occasions. ''XI'' includes characters from ''[[VideoGame/FuunSeries Savage Reign]]'' and ''Buriki One'' (although ''Buriki One'' is itself part of said shared universe, as Ryo Sakazaki is a playable character in that game) while the ''Maximum Impact'' games include [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Hanzo Hattori]] (which may or may not be part of the shared universe; not taking ''XIV'' into account), [[VideoGame/MetalSlug Fio]], and [[VideoGame/FightersHistory Makoto Mizoguchi]]. Nakoruru has served as both a guest character (in the Game Boy edition of ''[='95=]'') and a canonical participant (in ''XIV'', which may once and for all confirm ''Samurai Shodown'' as a canonical piece of the shared universe).

* GuestFighter: Being that the series is itself meant to be a SharedUniverse game among SNK's properties, the idea of a "guest" character isn't as clearly defined but it has happened on some occasions. ''XI'' includes characters from ''[[VideoGame/FuunSeries Savage Reign]]'' and ''Buriki One'' (although ''Buriki One'' is itself part of said shared universe, as Ryo Sakazaki is a playable character in that game) while the ''Maximum Impact'' games include [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Hanzo Hattori]] (which may or may not be part of the shared universe; not taking ''XIV'' into account), [[VideoGame/MetalSlug Fio]], and [[VideoGame/FightersHistory Makoto Mizaguchi]]. Nakoruru has served as both a guest character (in the Game Boy edition of ''[='95=]'') and a canonical participant (in ''XIV'', which may once and for all confirm ''Samurai Shodown'' as a canonical piece of the shared universe).

* GuestFighter: Being that the series is itself meant to be a SharedUniverse game among SNK's properties, the idea of a "guest" character isn't as clearly defined but it has happened on some occasions. ''XI'' includes characters from ''[[VideoGame/FuunSeries Savage Reign]]'' and ''Buriki One'' (although ''Buriki One'' is itself part of said shared universe, as Ryo Sakazaki is a playable character in that game) while the ''Maximum Impact'' games include [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Hanzo Hattori]] (which may or may not be part of the shared universe; not taking ''XIV'' into account), [[VideoGame/MetalSlug Fio]], and [[VideoGame/FightersDestiny Makoto Mizaguchi]]. Nakoruru has served as both a guest character (in the Game Boy edition of ''[='95=]'') and a canonical participant (in ''XIV'', which may once and for all confirm ''Samurai Shodown'' as a canonical piece of the shared universe).

** The NESTS games have never been released together in western markets but double packs of ''2000''/''2001'' and ''2002''/''2003''' were made for the [=PS2=] years before the aforementioned collections.

* VideoGameLongRunners: "It all began in ''[='94=]''..." All joking aside, the series includes thirteen titles (not including {{Updated Rerelease}}s like ''[='98 Ultimate Match=]'', ''2002: Unlimited Match'', and ''Neowave''), with several portable [[SpinOff spin-offs]], ''four'' [[AlternateContinuity separate continuities]] (''Maximum Impact'', ''EX'', ''R'', ''Days of Memories''; each with a minimum of two games apiece), and various other titles like the RPG-styled ''KOF: Kyo'' and pachinko slot games. ''The King of Fighters XIV'' is currently the latest game.

** Kyo is inspired by [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]].

In 2010 was released an InNameOnly movie adaptation starring Creator/MaggieQ, Creator/WillYunLee and Creator/RayPark.

* KeepingTheHandicap: During the "Tales of Ash" arc (2003, XI and XIII), Iori loses his power due to Ash Crimson stealing his power. The power Iori wields is from a family curse due to his clan making a deal with Orochi in the ancient days (Long story, basically it was made out of misguided jealously). While Iori can fight without it, when all's said and done at the end of KOF 13, he's given the chance to let said power disappear into the ether and live a normal life. He decides he Can't Stay Normal and takes the power back within himself.

* PutOnABus: This happens a lot. You can't fit 80+ people in one game.

** Many Tales of Ash-introduced characters (save for Tung, and he really only comes in XI's console release without any bearing to the plot) don't come back in ''XIV''. Played with in that [[spoiler:King of Dinosaurs is almost certainly Tizoc, introduced in 2003, and Ash appears in the Official Invitation Team's ending where Kukri and Elizabeth are looking for him.]]

* SourceMusic: In ''[='=]97'', theme songs are associated only to a few characters rather than their respective teams. For those who don't have them, the fight will be underscored just by background noise. The closest a stage gets to having its own music is arguably the Bali stage.