TOP TEN KING OF FIGHTERS CHARACTERS
MEMOIRS OF AN OLD TIMER
Fighting games began as a form of punishment for little kids back in the 90's, or at least that's how it felt to me for a long time. When STREET FIGHTER II came out you could find an arcade cabinet of it just about anywhere from Godfather's Pizza to the local "Gas N' Shop" fillage station. I first saw it in a bowling alley and watched some kid beat the heck out of another kid playing as Chun Li. Then I saw Blanka and became very intrigued. "There are monsters in this game?! Yes!"
Fighting games began as a form of punishment for little kids back in the 90's, or at least that's how it felt to me for a long time. When STREET FIGHTER II came out you could find an arcade cabinet of it just about anywhere from Godfather's Pizza to the local "Gas N' Shop" fillage station. I first saw it in a bowling alley and watched some kid beat the heck out of another kid playing as Chun Li. Then I saw Blanka and became very intrigued. "There are monsters in this game?! Yes!"
I began playing and getting my butt handed to me almost every time. Eventually I started getting better and later I experienced the rush of destroying a fellow gamer in competitive play. I was never great, mind you, but I got to a point where I could hold my own against normal players such as myself. I became addicted to this genre of gaming afterwards and remain to this day. I still suck of course, but I win every now and then.
With the popularity of Street Fighter II came waves of imitators and shameless knock-offs. And being the burgeoning fighting game junkie that I was I had to try as many of them as I could, constantly jonesing for that next hit. Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, Primal Rage, Clayfighters, Eternal Champions, and many more. Even classic franchises of different gaming genres got in on the action like Double Dragon V, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, and (released much later) Castlevania: Judgement. Even the main cast of Final Fantasy VII showed up in fighting game once upon a time: Ehrgeiz - God Bless the Ring.
And that's how I came across the many great titles from SNK PLAYMORE. Art of Fighting (meh), World Heroes (meh), Fatal Fury (yeah, okay), Samurai Shodown (oh hell yes!), and The King of Fighters (YES!)! I remember as a kid Godfather's Pizza had a Neo Geo arcade cabinet with all of the SNK fighting games on it. The first one I really took to was Samurai Shodown. Once the Playstation/N64 era came about I blindly purchased The King of Fighters 99' on psOne (I know, I know! I missed the great KOF 98' by a year!). Anyway, I liked the game but it was nowhere as amazing as Street Fighter Alpha 3 (my fighter of choice at the time).
The King of Fighters is SNK's premiere fighting game series. It is a mash-up of several different SNK games containing characters from Ikari Warriors, Psycho Soldier, Athena, Fatal Fury, and Art of Fighting. Originally the series was intended to have a new entry released every year, similarly to how sports games released an updated version every year. KOF 98' is widely considered the pinnacle of the series in terms of competitive gameplay. I have been deep diving KOF 98' recently and it is as amazing as they say. But I'm only discovering it now. KOF 99' started me off and then in college my friends and I started playing KOF 2000 and KOF 2001, both games I felt were improvements over KOF 99'. My buddies and I tracked down an arcade palace the next town over and discovered KOF 2003, the next truly amazing entry in the series.
After 2003 the KOF series stopped being annual and became numbered, the next entry being KOF XI. By then I was already a dedicated fan and have kept up with the series (save for the latest entry, KOF XIV on PS4). A significant part of what makes a great fighting game are the characters. You can have great gameplay and mechanics but if the character roster is small and unispired there's not enough to get invested in. And vice versa, if there's great characters but you can't play as them then you don't really want to play the game.
I love the characters from The King of Fighters series. One of the first characters I attached to was the newly introduced hero of KOF 99', K' (K-dash is how you say it). And the more I play the more characters I come to love. I'll even go as far as to say that SNK's character designs are far more compelling than Capcom's (well, mostly but Capcom does have some characters that I dearly love too).
So, without further pontification, on with the list already!
THE BONUS
And that's how I came across the many great titles from SNK PLAYMORE. Art of Fighting (meh), World Heroes (meh), Fatal Fury (yeah, okay), Samurai Shodown (oh hell yes!), and The King of Fighters (YES!)! I remember as a kid Godfather's Pizza had a Neo Geo arcade cabinet with all of the SNK fighting games on it. The first one I really took to was Samurai Shodown. Once the Playstation/N64 era came about I blindly purchased The King of Fighters 99' on psOne (I know, I know! I missed the great KOF 98' by a year!). Anyway, I liked the game but it was nowhere as amazing as Street Fighter Alpha 3 (my fighter of choice at the time).
The King of Fighters is SNK's premiere fighting game series. It is a mash-up of several different SNK games containing characters from Ikari Warriors, Psycho Soldier, Athena, Fatal Fury, and Art of Fighting. Originally the series was intended to have a new entry released every year, similarly to how sports games released an updated version every year. KOF 98' is widely considered the pinnacle of the series in terms of competitive gameplay. I have been deep diving KOF 98' recently and it is as amazing as they say. But I'm only discovering it now. KOF 99' started me off and then in college my friends and I started playing KOF 2000 and KOF 2001, both games I felt were improvements over KOF 99'. My buddies and I tracked down an arcade palace the next town over and discovered KOF 2003, the next truly amazing entry in the series.
After 2003 the KOF series stopped being annual and became numbered, the next entry being KOF XI. By then I was already a dedicated fan and have kept up with the series (save for the latest entry, KOF XIV on PS4). A significant part of what makes a great fighting game are the characters. You can have great gameplay and mechanics but if the character roster is small and unispired there's not enough to get invested in. And vice versa, if there's great characters but you can't play as them then you don't really want to play the game.
I love the characters from The King of Fighters series. One of the first characters I attached to was the newly introduced hero of KOF 99', K' (K-dash is how you say it). And the more I play the more characters I come to love. I'll even go as far as to say that SNK's character designs are far more compelling than Capcom's (well, mostly but Capcom does have some characters that I dearly love too).
So, without further pontification, on with the list already!
THE BONUS
#11
SHEN WOO
First Appearance: The King of Fighters 2003
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XIII
I actually don't have much to say about this guy. He design is fair, cool but nothing special. He looks like he's a thug from some beach town on one of the coasts. But what I like about this guy is solely how he plays. He's a boxer with a loose cannon style and attitude. In the right hands he can be deadly and all over the place at the same time. No one expects this guy to be any good and that may be just the advantage one needs to deal some real damage with Shen Woo.
It's all in the punches. I know I should have more to say but beyond the fact that he's really just a fun character to play as, there isn't much else. Maybe over time, if SNK keeps refining him and evolving his character, he'll become something more. Hell, it wouldn't be the first time SNK did so.
SHEN WOO
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XIII
I actually don't have much to say about this guy. He design is fair, cool but nothing special. He looks like he's a thug from some beach town on one of the coasts. But what I like about this guy is solely how he plays. He's a boxer with a loose cannon style and attitude. In the right hands he can be deadly and all over the place at the same time. No one expects this guy to be any good and that may be just the advantage one needs to deal some real damage with Shen Woo.
It's all in the punches. I know I should have more to say but beyond the fact that he's really just a fun character to play as, there isn't much else. Maybe over time, if SNK keeps refining him and evolving his character, he'll become something more. Hell, it wouldn't be the first time SNK did so.
#10
IORI YAGAMI
First Appearance: The King of Fighters 95'
Favorite Rendition: Capcom Vs SNK 2
The great sin I've committed is here. Iori Yagami was the second hero of the KOF series, set up to be the antithesis to protagonist Kyo Kusanagi. In the original KOF story arc, the Orochi Saga, Kyo, Iori, and Chizuru all band together to stop the legendary evil dragon Orochi from returning to the earthly plane. He has an awesome and compelling story and has become one of KOF's icons. It's arguable that he's an even better character than Kyo Kusanagi! And that's why I say it's the great sin I've committed by placing Iori so high on my list. The even greater sin is that Kyo isn't anywhere on this list!
The short of it is that while Iori has a great design and an even better personality, I can only sometimes play with him. I like Iori's character very much and I want to like him more. But there are some games where I take to him like a shark to bloody waters and other games where he refuses to let me play. It's like the game itself is temperamental! Sometimes he works, the moves are there when I look for them, and my opponents fall. Other times I can't get anything to work and I hit the pixelated pavement hard. It's a 50/50 shot whether Iori works for me or not and because of that he's a favorite but not one of my mains. He's so flighty in our relationship.
Favorite Rendition: Capcom Vs SNK 2
The great sin I've committed is here. Iori Yagami was the second hero of the KOF series, set up to be the antithesis to protagonist Kyo Kusanagi. In the original KOF story arc, the Orochi Saga, Kyo, Iori, and Chizuru all band together to stop the legendary evil dragon Orochi from returning to the earthly plane. He has an awesome and compelling story and has become one of KOF's icons. It's arguable that he's an even better character than Kyo Kusanagi! And that's why I say it's the great sin I've committed by placing Iori so high on my list. The even greater sin is that Kyo isn't anywhere on this list!
The short of it is that while Iori has a great design and an even better personality, I can only sometimes play with him. I like Iori's character very much and I want to like him more. But there are some games where I take to him like a shark to bloody waters and other games where he refuses to let me play. It's like the game itself is temperamental! Sometimes he works, the moves are there when I look for them, and my opponents fall. Other times I can't get anything to work and I hit the pixelated pavement hard. It's a 50/50 shot whether Iori works for me or not and because of that he's a favorite but not one of my mains. He's so flighty in our relationship.
#9
KULA DIAMOND
First Appearance: The King of Fighters 2000
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XIII
Kula Diamond, the Ice Queen. The King of Fighters franchise is chock full of fire manipulators but Kula remains the lone cryokinetic among the cast (correct me if I'm wrong). So, the original hero of KOF, Mr. Kyo Kusanagi, received a rival in his very next game in anti-hero Iori Yagami. Well, when K', a pyrokinetic, became the new protagonist in KOF 99' SNK revealed his rival the very next game with Kula Diamond.
Kula's cool. She brings a new style, gameplay, and look to the KOF series. She's got a great design and a killer moveset. She leans a bit on the "anime girl" esthetics in terms of personality and look, but in those attributes she finds a uniqueness and identity that separates her from the crowd.
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XIII
Kula Diamond, the Ice Queen. The King of Fighters franchise is chock full of fire manipulators but Kula remains the lone cryokinetic among the cast (correct me if I'm wrong). So, the original hero of KOF, Mr. Kyo Kusanagi, received a rival in his very next game in anti-hero Iori Yagami. Well, when K', a pyrokinetic, became the new protagonist in KOF 99' SNK revealed his rival the very next game with Kula Diamond.
Kula's cool. She brings a new style, gameplay, and look to the KOF series. She's got a great design and a killer moveset. She leans a bit on the "anime girl" esthetics in terms of personality and look, but in those attributes she finds a uniqueness and identity that separates her from the crowd.
#8
ELIZABETH
First Appearance: The King of Fighters XI
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XIII
There are only a handful of weapon wielding warriors in the KOF series, Billy Kane (oh, how I hate Billy Kane), Whip (lord do I hate Whip), and Elizabeth (oh, I actually like this one, yes I do). Elizabeth looks like she stepped forth from a Jane Austen book into the crazy world of fighting games no less. She sticks out like a sore thumb, a sore thumb that somehow looks wicked despite everything else. I can't explain the period piece wardrobe beyond that she's French aristocracy and maybe a bit of an equestrian. She was a childhood friend of KOF 2003's new hero, Ash Crimson, and is pursuing him.
I totally dig the "out of place" attire and the high class attitude. The personality fits the design well, but just as important, so too does her fighting style. I hate the other weapon users in KOF for the mere reason that I can't play as them and they usually destroy me. But with Elizabeth I found a weapon user that I can play with and torture everybody else for a change. Elizabeth can only be found in a few games, three of the last four, but most of which are among the finest KOF games out there. I hope Elizabeth makes a return to the franchise eventually as she's too unique and cool to waste.
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XIII
There are only a handful of weapon wielding warriors in the KOF series, Billy Kane (oh, how I hate Billy Kane), Whip (lord do I hate Whip), and Elizabeth (oh, I actually like this one, yes I do). Elizabeth looks like she stepped forth from a Jane Austen book into the crazy world of fighting games no less. She sticks out like a sore thumb, a sore thumb that somehow looks wicked despite everything else. I can't explain the period piece wardrobe beyond that she's French aristocracy and maybe a bit of an equestrian. She was a childhood friend of KOF 2003's new hero, Ash Crimson, and is pursuing him.
I totally dig the "out of place" attire and the high class attitude. The personality fits the design well, but just as important, so too does her fighting style. I hate the other weapon users in KOF for the mere reason that I can't play as them and they usually destroy me. But with Elizabeth I found a weapon user that I can play with and torture everybody else for a change. Elizabeth can only be found in a few games, three of the last four, but most of which are among the finest KOF games out there. I hope Elizabeth makes a return to the franchise eventually as she's too unique and cool to waste.
#7
BLUE MARY
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 3
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters 2003
Blue Mary was a character that completely took me off guard. She's grappler character and a counter-move fighter. In my young experience when I first saw Blue Mary, a female grappler was kind of rare. She was a bit difficult for me to figure out but once I keyed in she became a very fun character to play as. Her grapples and counters make for an unexpected and surprising fight and keep the fight feeling fresh.
Her design is sporty yet cool and she's got a hard nosed yet playful personality. For a while there it seemed SNK was pushing her to be the main love interest for original Fatal Fury hero, Terry Bogard. She has a similar story to someone else down this list, that of a widow whose husband was killed in a secret mission against the badguys behind the KOF tournament. Left with their dog, Anton, and the jacket her husband gave her, Mary sets out to bring down the corrupt organization behind KOF. But what's really fun about her backstory is seeing how SNK incorporated those elements into her win poses and intros i.e. the dog Anton.
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters 2003
Blue Mary was a character that completely took me off guard. She's grappler character and a counter-move fighter. In my young experience when I first saw Blue Mary, a female grappler was kind of rare. She was a bit difficult for me to figure out but once I keyed in she became a very fun character to play as. Her grapples and counters make for an unexpected and surprising fight and keep the fight feeling fresh.
Her design is sporty yet cool and she's got a hard nosed yet playful personality. For a while there it seemed SNK was pushing her to be the main love interest for original Fatal Fury hero, Terry Bogard. She has a similar story to someone else down this list, that of a widow whose husband was killed in a secret mission against the badguys behind the KOF tournament. Left with their dog, Anton, and the jacket her husband gave her, Mary sets out to bring down the corrupt organization behind KOF. But what's really fun about her backstory is seeing how SNK incorporated those elements into her win poses and intros i.e. the dog Anton.
#6
ROCK HOWARD
Favorite Rendition: Capcom Vs SNK 2
Rock is the son of the original SNK fighting game villain, Geese Howard. Terry took him under his wing after Geese was defeated and committed suicide (allegedly as he reappears in future games). Rock first appeared in Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves, a game set several years in the future. He has a cool hybrid style of fighting featuring moves from both his father Geese and his mentor Terry, plus a few tricks of his own. As you can imagine, this mix of a fighting game hero and final boss moveset makes him incredibly fun to play as.
Add in to his gameplay a badass design and cool personality and what you get is an instant classic. He first debuted in Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves for the Sega Dreamcast, a perfect fighting game by all accounts save a limited character roster. For a while this was his only fighting game appearance. Then he received a wonderful appearance by Capcom's designers in Capcom Vs SNK 2, another amazing fighting game. He appeared in the offshoot series The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact and then in a crazy SNK mash-up fighter called NEO GEO BATTLE COLISEUM (a personal favorite of mine). But he finally made his proper KOF debut in KOF XIV only a few years ago.
Why did it take SNK so long to bring Rock in is anybody's guess.
#5
KING
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XIII
A woman named King? Interesting, yes? Don't let her simple appearance fool you, King is an undisputed Muay Thai kickboxing champion and will destroy you if you get in her way. By now you've noticed the difference between Capcom fighter designs and SNK's designs. Where Capcom goes for loud bombastic visuals with their characters, SNK goes for understated real world designs (mostly, but they do have some crazy character designs when they want) that don't really speak until they're seen in action. A perfect example of this understated approach is King.
King first appeared in the game Art of Fighting as a non-playable enemy character and even possibly a man at first glance. She was a bouncer at the villain's bar (forced to work there against her will). Later she is defeated and freed from the villain's grasp by the heroes and then fights alongside them. So, initially I thought she was a man (perhaps on purpose by the game designers or because of the SNES graphics or both). Seriously, this was the 90's and she had short hair, wore a tuxedo, and I was a simple kid. I didn't know women could dress like that back then! Anyway, with the reveal of her as a woman actually made her cooler in my opinion.
As the games went on and graphics got better there was no mistaking her femininity. But what brings everything together and makes her such an endearing and awesome character is the design coupled with the fighting style. King is an incredibly fun and kick ass character to play as, and she looks so cool as she kicks your ass too. She's a part of main team in KOF 98' and one of my "go to's" in every game she's in.
#4
VANESSA
First Appearance: The King of Fighters 99' (non-playable)
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XI
At first glance Vanessa doesn't seem like much. But sometimes a design doesn't really pop until you see the personality of the character. And even then the design and characters become even more endearing once you play as them. Such was the case with Vanessa. What her seemingly simple design lacks her attitude and fighting style make up for in spades. Not to oversell it too much but Vanessa is greater than the sum of her parts.
Vanessa is a secret agent tasked with infiltrating and gathering information on the corrupt organization funding the King of Fighters tournament. She's got a grudge to settle with this shadowy organization as they were responsible for her husband's death. Teamed with other heroes among the KOF combatants, Vanessa and the others make their move to take the villains out and save the day.
Generic, sure, but there's more going on with Vanessa than most. She's also the fighting game genre's first ever female boxer! She even reminds me a bit of Street Fighter III's Dudley in terms of a cool and classy personality. She's not in every game in the franchise (which is a crime) but the games that she is in, KOF 2000, KOF 2001, KOF 2002, KOF XI, and KOF XVI, Vanessa is one of my mains,
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters XI
At first glance Vanessa doesn't seem like much. But sometimes a design doesn't really pop until you see the personality of the character. And even then the design and characters become even more endearing once you play as them. Such was the case with Vanessa. What her seemingly simple design lacks her attitude and fighting style make up for in spades. Not to oversell it too much but Vanessa is greater than the sum of her parts.
Vanessa is a secret agent tasked with infiltrating and gathering information on the corrupt organization funding the King of Fighters tournament. She's got a grudge to settle with this shadowy organization as they were responsible for her husband's death. Teamed with other heroes among the KOF combatants, Vanessa and the others make their move to take the villains out and save the day.
Generic, sure, but there's more going on with Vanessa than most. She's also the fighting game genre's first ever female boxer! She even reminds me a bit of Street Fighter III's Dudley in terms of a cool and classy personality. She's not in every game in the franchise (which is a crime) but the games that she is in, KOF 2000, KOF 2001, KOF 2002, KOF XI, and KOF XVI, Vanessa is one of my mains,
#3
K'
First Appearance: The King of Fighters 99'
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters 2000
The KOF series has a great number of "hero" characters, by that I mean particular characters that drive the story i.e. the protagonists. Kyo Kusanagi was the first hero introduced in the series followed quickly by Iori Yagami (an anti-hero for the series). Both of these KOF icons' stories came to a grand finale with KOF 98'. When I first came to the King Of Fighters series it was with KOF 99' for the PSX. That game introduced a new hero for the new KOF story beginning in that game: K' (or K Dash as I later learned how it was supposed to be spoken). I had no idea who he was nor how to play as him. It took my buddy Ross and later games KOF 2000 & KOF 2001 to show me how awesome K' was to play as.
First off, K' has an undeniably cool design (notice how the platinum hair would prove quite popular among video game characters in the following years... Dante from Devil May Cry anybody?) and a quiet yet explosive personality. K's main feature is his "fire flick" where, with a flick of the wrist, he throws a little wave of flames. It's not impressive by itself, but you can chain it together with other moves. You can kick the flame across the screen making it a projectile. You can kick it straight up into a fiery anti-air strike. And you can take that flame with you in a massive uppercut that travels the screen. It's these variations that make K' unpredictable to fight against and fun to play as. Not to mention challenging to play as too.
K' became one of the first KOF characters I really took to and as a result he has remained one of my mains and one of my favorite KOF characters overall.
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters 2000
The KOF series has a great number of "hero" characters, by that I mean particular characters that drive the story i.e. the protagonists. Kyo Kusanagi was the first hero introduced in the series followed quickly by Iori Yagami (an anti-hero for the series). Both of these KOF icons' stories came to a grand finale with KOF 98'. When I first came to the King Of Fighters series it was with KOF 99' for the PSX. That game introduced a new hero for the new KOF story beginning in that game: K' (or K Dash as I later learned how it was supposed to be spoken). I had no idea who he was nor how to play as him. It took my buddy Ross and later games KOF 2000 & KOF 2001 to show me how awesome K' was to play as.
First off, K' has an undeniably cool design (notice how the platinum hair would prove quite popular among video game characters in the following years... Dante from Devil May Cry anybody?) and a quiet yet explosive personality. K's main feature is his "fire flick" where, with a flick of the wrist, he throws a little wave of flames. It's not impressive by itself, but you can chain it together with other moves. You can kick the flame across the screen making it a projectile. You can kick it straight up into a fiery anti-air strike. And you can take that flame with you in a massive uppercut that travels the screen. It's these variations that make K' unpredictable to fight against and fun to play as. Not to mention challenging to play as too.
K' became one of the first KOF characters I really took to and as a result he has remained one of my mains and one of my favorite KOF characters overall.
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| Ouch! |
#2
MAI SHIRANUI
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 2
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters 98'/The King of Fighters XIII
SNK's first female fighting game character came in the form of the beautiful kunoichi (female ninja) Mai Shiranui. Much like Chun Li from the Street Fighter series, Mai was the sole female character of the series originally, making her debut in 1992 with Fatal Fury 2. That same year other female fighters would emerge in another new SNK fighter, THE ART OF FIGHTING, but unlike Mai neither were playable. Not only was she the first SNK female fighter, but she is arguable the first "sexy" female character to grace the fighting game genre.
Mai's design is rooted in Japanese tradition as she dons a classic, yet skimpy, uwagi top, fundoshi covered by a tikusan with decorative waist bands, and tabi socks. In romanticized Japanese myths surrounding ninjas, the most beautiful kunoichi used their looks to get close to enemies or high ranking officials and extract valuable information. Of course the deeper into enemy territory these ninjas ventured meant they needed considerable martial arts skill to escape with their lives too. Thus the myth of the kunoichi being as deadly as they were beautiful.
There is no denying Mai's incredible sex appeal. But unlike many fighting game characters whose only endearing attribute is their sex appeal, Mai has an incredible moveset that makes her a powerhouse in the ring. I'm not gonna deny that I first noticed Mai's design before anything else (I mean, c'mon, look at her!) but I quickly dismissed her and moved on to someone else. But then KOF XIII came out. During a random match in which I was playing as Mai I started stringing together combos and trashed one of my buddies (when he was his BEST character!). I suddenly started looking at Mai as a real serious character as opposed to merely eye-candy. Now Mai is one of my mains and one of favorite fighting game characters overall.
A visually appealing design coupled with a great moveset and awesome playability. Not to mention her carefree and enthusiastic personality make her an undeniably fun character to play as.
Favorite Rendition: The King of Fighters 98'/The King of Fighters XIII
SNK's first female fighting game character came in the form of the beautiful kunoichi (female ninja) Mai Shiranui. Much like Chun Li from the Street Fighter series, Mai was the sole female character of the series originally, making her debut in 1992 with Fatal Fury 2. That same year other female fighters would emerge in another new SNK fighter, THE ART OF FIGHTING, but unlike Mai neither were playable. Not only was she the first SNK female fighter, but she is arguable the first "sexy" female character to grace the fighting game genre.
Mai's design is rooted in Japanese tradition as she dons a classic, yet skimpy, uwagi top, fundoshi covered by a tikusan with decorative waist bands, and tabi socks. In romanticized Japanese myths surrounding ninjas, the most beautiful kunoichi used their looks to get close to enemies or high ranking officials and extract valuable information. Of course the deeper into enemy territory these ninjas ventured meant they needed considerable martial arts skill to escape with their lives too. Thus the myth of the kunoichi being as deadly as they were beautiful.
There is no denying Mai's incredible sex appeal. But unlike many fighting game characters whose only endearing attribute is their sex appeal, Mai has an incredible moveset that makes her a powerhouse in the ring. I'm not gonna deny that I first noticed Mai's design before anything else (I mean, c'mon, look at her!) but I quickly dismissed her and moved on to someone else. But then KOF XIII came out. During a random match in which I was playing as Mai I started stringing together combos and trashed one of my buddies (when he was his BEST character!). I suddenly started looking at Mai as a real serious character as opposed to merely eye-candy. Now Mai is one of my mains and one of favorite fighting game characters overall.
A visually appealing design coupled with a great moveset and awesome playability. Not to mention her carefree and enthusiastic personality make her an undeniably fun character to play as.
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| Literally the hottest character in the game 😋 |
#1
TERRY BOGARD
First Appearance: Fatal Fury ~ King of Fighters
Favorite Rendition: Fatal Fury ~ Mark of the Wolves/Capcom Vs SNK 2
SNK's very first fighting game, and technically the first game to feature The King of Fighters tournament, was none other than the original Fatal Fury. There were only three playable characters in the game: Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi. As one of these three characters you would fight against eight different non-playable opponents and battle SNK's original boss character, Geese Howard, at the end. The game was designed by the man who gave us the original Street Fighter, Takashi Nishiyama. Truthfully, Fatal Fury didn't stand up against the real king of fighting games at the time, Street Fighter II. But it did begin SNK's road to greatness and present players with arguably the greatest fighting game hero of all time: TERRY BOGARD.
Frank Yagami of THE FIGHTERS GENERATION described Terry Bogard perfectly as "developing over time." Terry started as a cheesy American stereotype. As the games went on and his moveset expanded and refined so too did his character. His design, which really hasn't changed all that much, has benefited with age. As styles and sensibilities changed over the years so too did the lens with which I viewed Terry through, in other words: what once was dorky and cringe-worthy became classic, cool, and embraced. Simply put, Terry looks awesome and plays even better. Then there's Terry's second look (he only has two different designs) which I'd be inclined to say looks even cooler, but truthfully I can't decide which look for Terry I love more.
When I first played as Terry it was in Fatal Fury Special for the SNES (Super Nintendo). I didn't take to that game or the other SNK fighters of the time but I did recognize Terry when I bought KOF 99' but it still took until playing Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves for me to recognize Terry as the great character that he is. My eyes were open after that and every game I played following, new or old, I made sure to test how well Terry was rendered. I love his moves and his style. His personality is fun and lively and he genuinely seems like a good dude to hang around with (he even took in Geese Howard's son, Rock, after Terry inadvertently orphaned the boy).
Unlike Street Fighter's RYU, who admittedly set the bar for fighting game heroes and is cool in his own right, Terry has a great range of character and personality making him all the more enjoyable as a character and, in my opinion, the greatest fighting game hero of all time.
And there you have it!
Favorite Rendition: Fatal Fury ~ Mark of the Wolves/Capcom Vs SNK 2
SNK's very first fighting game, and technically the first game to feature The King of Fighters tournament, was none other than the original Fatal Fury. There were only three playable characters in the game: Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard, and Joe Higashi. As one of these three characters you would fight against eight different non-playable opponents and battle SNK's original boss character, Geese Howard, at the end. The game was designed by the man who gave us the original Street Fighter, Takashi Nishiyama. Truthfully, Fatal Fury didn't stand up against the real king of fighting games at the time, Street Fighter II. But it did begin SNK's road to greatness and present players with arguably the greatest fighting game hero of all time: TERRY BOGARD.
Frank Yagami of THE FIGHTERS GENERATION described Terry Bogard perfectly as "developing over time." Terry started as a cheesy American stereotype. As the games went on and his moveset expanded and refined so too did his character. His design, which really hasn't changed all that much, has benefited with age. As styles and sensibilities changed over the years so too did the lens with which I viewed Terry through, in other words: what once was dorky and cringe-worthy became classic, cool, and embraced. Simply put, Terry looks awesome and plays even better. Then there's Terry's second look (he only has two different designs) which I'd be inclined to say looks even cooler, but truthfully I can't decide which look for Terry I love more.
When I first played as Terry it was in Fatal Fury Special for the SNES (Super Nintendo). I didn't take to that game or the other SNK fighters of the time but I did recognize Terry when I bought KOF 99' but it still took until playing Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves for me to recognize Terry as the great character that he is. My eyes were open after that and every game I played following, new or old, I made sure to test how well Terry was rendered. I love his moves and his style. His personality is fun and lively and he genuinely seems like a good dude to hang around with (he even took in Geese Howard's son, Rock, after Terry inadvertently orphaned the boy).Unlike Street Fighter's RYU, who admittedly set the bar for fighting game heroes and is cool in his own right, Terry has a great range of character and personality making him all the more enjoyable as a character and, in my opinion, the greatest fighting game hero of all time.
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| Boom. |
And there you have it!
My favorite King of Fighters characters, one of my favorite fighting game franchises with some of my all time favorite video game characters.
Who are the KINGS of fighters for you?
Who are the KINGS of fighters for you?
Let us know in the comments below!
And for more top ten lists check out the posts below!
TOP TEN LISTS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GUYS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GALS
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (VIDEO GAMES: MALE)
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (VIDEO GAMES: FEMALE)
TOP TEN FAVORITE NES GAMES
TOP TEN SNES GAMES
And for more top ten lists check out the posts below!
TOP TEN LISTS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GUYS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GALS
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (VIDEO GAMES: MALE)
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (VIDEO GAMES: FEMALE)
TOP TEN FAVORITE NES GAMES
TOP TEN SNES GAMES
TOP TEN GHOST RIDER VILLAINS
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPERNATURAL HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE HULK STORIES
TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS
TOP TEN ACTION MOVIE HEROES
TOP TEN GREATEST TURTLES
TOP TEN GODZILLA MOVIES
TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS
TOP TEN CHILDHOOD CARTOONS
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPERNATURAL HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN LEAST FAVORITE HULK STORIES
TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS
TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS
TOP TEN CHILDHOOD CARTOONS
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