The King of Fighters ’97 ARCADE

The King of Fighters ’97 is SNK’s eighth entry in the series, closing out the storyline arc that began with the original 1994 game. It expands the three-on-three team-battle format with an “Advanced” and “Extra” mode choice at the start of each match, letting players pick between a faster combo-focused style or a slower one built around desperation-move counters.

Its roster reached its largest size yet for the series at the time, drawing together characters from across SNK’s other fighting franchises alongside the game’s original cast. Frequently ranked by longtime fans alongside ’98 as one of the two strongest entries in the “Orochi saga” era, it remains a common reference point for the series’ mid-90s peak.