PS1

The King of Fighters '95

FightingArcade

Time to beat: about 0.9 hours

Overview

The King of Fighters '95, also shortened as KOF '95, is a 1995 fighting video game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. It is the sequel to The King of Fighters '94, and the second installment in The King of Fighters series. The game features a similar cast to KOF '94 with the exception of the USA Team, which was replaced by the Rival Team. The plot features a new King of Fighters tournament once again promoted by the criminal Rugal Bernstein, who seeks revenge against the protagonist Kyo Kusanagi, who defeated him in last year's tournament. KOF '95 marks the first appearance of the fighter Iori Yagami from the Rival Team, who becomes Kyo's rival in the series.

It is also the first game in the series to be ported to other home consoles besides the Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD, with versions released for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Game Boy. One of the main focuses in the creation of "Orochi arc" for which director Masanori Kuwasashi used Saisyu's return, Iori's introduction and Rugal's stronger form to create a more coherent narrative than in the previous game. Gameplay remains similar to the first KOF game, with SNK working to balance the original gameplay with the new team feature as well as each character's expanded moveset.

The King of Fighters '95 received positive reviews in the arcade and consoles, but mixed reviews for the PlayStation, with critics praising the gameplay and new characters but criticizing the game's controls and long loading times. The game was followed by The King of Fighters '96, which continued the "Orochi Saga" that concluded with The King of Fighters '97. The game sold over 700,000 copies.