The King of Fighters ’97
Introduction
The King of Fighters ’97 was developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system, directed by Toyohisa Tanabe and produced by Takashi Nishiyama, released to Japanese arcades in July 1997 as the fourth entry in the series. It serves as the climax of the so-called Orochi Saga, a storyline running since 1995 in which servants of the ancient demon Yamata no Orochi manipulate the King of Fighters tournament to gather the sacrifices and energy needed to revive their master, giving this entry a heavier narrative weight than a typical yearly fighting-game update. Teams of three once again battle across the series’ signature three-on-three format, choosing between the Advanced and Extra fighting styles introduced the previous year, which let players lean into either combo-heavy offense or a more defensive, dodge-focused approach. Its tighter roster curation, refined mechanics, and dramatic story payoff made KOF ’97 a landmark release even by the series’ own high standards, and it’s still frequently cited by longtime fighting game players as one of the best entries in the entire King of Fighters franchise.
