Heroes of Old….
As KoF started in 94 it began as a cross-up between Art of Fighting and Fatal Fury. Both probably some of the best fighting games in SNK catalog prior to KoF. However, as good as an example of fighting games that Art of Fighting was, the engaging story it had somehow fell short. It went from a story of two friends saving a kidnapped sister to a joke team in the KoF series later on, and even in Art of Fighting (in the endings) most of them were jokes of the story it built upon.
Art of Fighting team (or Kyokugen, whichever one you want) kept its joking storyline within KoF until KoF 2000, it was then that it was starting to get interesting, but again fell short.
Now, looking back at the evolution of Fatal Fury the original King of Fighters tournament, we have come to expect the Fatal Fury team to be a strong team, given its legendary member Terry Bogard, captain of that team in all KoFs. What we in the west side of the hemisphere saw as the Ryu of KoF, given its backstory with Terry, always felt short no thanks to the school boy and main character, Kyo Kusanagi.
It’s been a trend from SNK to change main characters from Terry, to Kyo to K’ to Ash. I always had the impression that they were always making the previous lead less powerful and less important to the story.
I always looked at the Street Fighter saga and saw that they always kept Ryu as their lead, no matter what new or interesting characters with back stories came to the game, they always kept that intact. Should we be asking for more respect to the characters that have represented the KoF franchise?
Interesting facts:
Growing up playing KoF in the arcades for some reason Robert was the most popular character with kids under 10 from 94-98.
KoF was so popular in Mexico during the 90s that Kyo could have probably been the most popular vieogame character, even over Mario.
Just like Cole is going to be an exclusive character in the Vita version for Street Fighter X Tekken, I always wondered what it would be like to have an out of the blue KoF character in Street Fighter IV (given that its programmed by Dimps – mostly Ex Fatal Fury staff) and Kim always comes to mind, a boy can dream.
No SNK presence in SBO this year worries me for the fighting game community, but I’ll save that for next week’s column.
Ratings
- The King of Fighters ’95 4Gag Battle
(5.00 out of 5)
- The King of Fighters ’95 4Gag Battle
About Oyaji
I for one am pissed. If it were not for Terry Bogard and Ryo Sakazaki clashing in Fatal Fury Special, Kyo and KOF would not have a start. In honesty I was always angry with SNK in how they treated their old heroes especially Terry. Here was a great character that was like Ryu but more. He had an original kickass moveset, great personality and that Red Cap is iconic plus he has had three successful animes. Also before Kyo was ever thought up, I recall my friends and I at the arcade debating who would win between Ryu and Terry game wise and anime wise. Terry should have been Ryu’s rival in the first damn place. Yeah I get this crap that KOF is SNK’s flagship and Kyo is the main guy and all that B.S. Though if Terry, Andy, Joe, Ryo, Robert, Takuma, King,Mary,Yuri,Athena were not there, do you really think anybody would give a sh!t about KOF?…case closed.
Speaking on Kyo I am sick to death on him winning KOF after KOF after KOF after KOF. What the hell is the purpose of having other fighters?!Plus I feel he is the most overrated and overspotlighted(more than ryu) snk character EVER!!It’s always about him or if not he has a major role. AT LEAST TERRY LET ROCK HAVE SPOTLIGHT IN MOTW.
I personally couldn’t agree more. Actually I’ve been seeing a formula for KOF leads ever since KOF 94:
KOF lead 94-98 : Kyo
KOF lead 99-02 : Kyo minus ‘yo’ = K (K dash)
Kof lead 03-XIII : K dash minus ‘K d’ = ash
KOF lead XIII Onwards = ash minus ‘sh’ = A! (alba miera?) lol
Either ways I fully agree that KOF now has too many great and powerful characters that rightfully deserve to have won KOF atleast once in its long history. Its really stupid how Kyo can win KOF up til 98 and then suddenly become a wimp just coz his ‘Mu Shiki’ (that’s his final showdown move up til 98) was stolen. Although his Neo Max in XIII largely makes up for it:)
Ofcourse characters like Terry, Ryo, Iori, Kim and a whole plethora I can name just dont get that winning spotlight. And it really takes away from the believability of things. I respect that all these great teams have good back stories and all but personally I think its kinda lame that its always the ‘hero team’ that wins the tournament AND defeats all the bad guys.
Just my thoughts…
I agree with AkumetsuLord; Ryo is the protagonist in Art of Fighting, Terry in Fatal Fury, but that doesn’t mean they must be the protagonists in KOF. It is true KOF started as a cross-over game, but this can be so in KOF ’94. I mean KOF has grown as an independent game, with other SNK’s characters as secondary characters.
And about the importance-change: Kyo-K’-Ash, it’s quite “relative”. Kyo has always been important in the KOF saga, no matter the “pseudoprotagonist” in the NESTS/Ash saga.
By the way, speaking of main characters in KOF, you hadn’t mentioned Iori! As Kyo and Iori usually come together, I think they are the true protagonists in the KOF series.
PD: “KoF was so popular in Mexico during the 90s that Kyo could have probably been the most popular vieogame character, even over Mario.” As a Spanish speaker KOF fan, this fact sounds great to me 😉
Something similar happened to Mai. She used to be SNK main female character, not for her story in KOF, but because she is the classic Fatal fury girl. Together with Athena they used to be KOF main ladies… But then arrived Leona, then Blue Mary, then Kula, then Vanessa and then B.Jennet. And I had the feeling that nobody cared about Mai, everybody forgot that there was a time she was like ChunLi of SF series…
I think all that “no Mai no buy” helped Mai in the new KOF era, and I think SNKPlaymore doesn know now that Mai is loved and popular, so they are pushing her as team leader and they are putting her in the cover (Mai NEVER appeared in a KOF cover!). But Kula and Leona are still more powerful and more comlpete than her in XIII… Even Yuri and Athena, so Mai is far away to become “Chunli” in KOF series. She needs more love from those who created her, and maybe this is ask to much…
I never thought they made Terry an main character in KOF…He’s main lead was in Fatal Fury, but not King of Fighters. And even though during the NEST Saga and Ash Saga, Kyo was still kinda the main character (or at least during the Ash Saga.) Kinda like how Alex was supposely the Main character in SF3 series, but it still focus on Ryu