PS2

The King of Fighters XI

The King of Fighters XI, also called KOF XI (or KOF 11), is a 2005 2D fighting game developed and published by SNK Playmore. It is the eleventh main installment in The King of Fighters series.

Fighting

Time to beat: about 1.7 hours

Overview

The King of Fighters XI, also called KOF XI (or KOF 11), is a 2005 2D fighting game developed and published by SNK Playmore. It is the eleventh main installment in The King of Fighters series. Originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for the Atomiswave platform, a home version for the PlayStation 2 was released in Japan in 2006, followed by releases in the PAL region and North America in 2007. It is the second The King of Fighters game to not run on the Neo Geo following its predecessor, The King of Fighters Neowave, and also the first major canonical entry to not be named after its year of release.

The game is set after the events of The King of Fighters 2003 and the second part of Ash Crimson's story arc. The plot focuses on a mysterious group known as Those from the Past, who aims to obtain the power of the ancient demon Orochi. The player can choose from a total of forty characters, including characters from other SNK games; seven bonus characters from the crossover game Neo Geo Battle Coliseum are also included in the PS2 version. The game retains many elements from its predecessor, involving fights between six fighters who can tag during the battle. It also provides new features allowing the player to perform simultaneous multiple special moves.

Critical reception to The King of Fighters XI has been positive. Critics enjoyed the new fighting system, the balance between characters, as well as other elements that managed to improve upon its predecessor. However, the graphics were found to be dated due to the use of 2D pixel graphics, and journalists found the final bosses too complicated to defeat. Despite skeptical commercial expectations for the game, as it was being released on the PlayStation 2 when that console was being abandoned, it was still noted to sell well in Japan. KOF XI was succeeded by The King of Fighters XII in 2009, while a direct sequel to the game's storyline, The King of Fighters XIII, released in 2010.