| The King of Fighters '96 (KOF96) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers |
SNK |
| Systems |
Neo Geo MVS |
| Neo Geo AES WW: 27 September 1996 | |
| Neo Geo CD WW: 25 October 1996 | |
| PlayStation Original release - JP: 3 July 1997 Re-release - JP: 23 July 1998 | |
| Game Boy JP: 7 August 1997 EU: 1998 | |
| Online Play |
Rollback (via Fightcade and Global Match) |
| Player Resources | |
| Community Channels |
N/A |
Introduction
The King of Fighters '96 is a 2D fighting game released by SNK in 1996.
"A new King of Fighters tournament is announced, though the letters of invitation sent out to the fighters are no longer sent by Rugal Bernstein.
There are many changes in the tournament's approach. Since the previous year, the tournament's fame has grown immensely, turning it into a major international event. Huge corporations transform the King of Fighters tournament into something widely televised, commercialized, and celebrated, drawing in many crowds from around the world.The tournament is now held by Chizuru Kagura, a descendant of the ancient Yata Clan responsible for sealing the Orochi demon along with the Kusanagi and Yasanaki clans (the clans from Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, respectively). Chizuru uses the tournament in hopes of finding and recruiting Kyo and Iori in order to stop the upcoming Orochi threat, but Kyo and Iori aren't willing to work together on friendly terms.
The character roster underwent major changes since the previous game. The Rival Team was disbanded, with only Iori Yagami returning, while Heidern and Takuma Sakazaki retired from the tournament. Takuma's spot in the Art of Fighting Team is taken by his daughter Yuri Sakazaki, formerly with the Women Fighters Team. New characters include Kasumi Todoh from Art of Fighting 3, who takes Yuri's place in the Women Fighters Team; Leona, who joins the Ikari Team in place of her mentor and adoptive father, Heidern; Mature and Vice, two of Rugal's assistants who join Iori Yagami as members of the new Yagami Team; and the Boss Team, composed of Geese Howard, Wolfgang Krauser, and Mr. Big, all villains from the Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting series. The new boss character is Goenitz, a servant from Orochi who wants to stop Chizuru's plans of sealing his master." Wikipedia's quote
The Characters
| Hero Team | Fatal Fury Team | Art of Fighting Team |
|---|---|---|
| New Ikari Team | Psycho Soldier Team | New Woman's Fighter Team |
| Kim Team/Korea Team | Yagami Team | Boss Team |
Semi-Boss (Selectable only through dipswitches using Universe Bios cheat menu by enabling 1-3 at the How to Play screen)
Final Boss (Selectable only through dipswitches using Universe Bios cheat menu by enabling 1-3 at the How to Play screen)
