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{{Short description|1997 video game}} {{Short description|1997 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox video game {{Infobox video game
|title = The King of Fighters '97 |title = The King of Fighters '97
|image = The King of Fighters '97 arcade flyer.jpg |image = The King of Fighters '97 arcade flyer.jpg
|caption=Arcade flyer featuring (from left to right): Iori Yagami, Billy Kane, Kyo Kusanagi, Shingo Yabuki, Blue Mary, and Chris.
|developer ={{collapsible list|title={{nobold|]}}|] (Saturn)<br />] (PS1)<br />]<br />(Global Match)}}
|publisher ={{collapsible list|title={{nobold|SNK}}|]<br />(Global Match)}} |developer ={{collapsible list|title={{nobold|]}}|] (Saturn)<br />] (PS1)<br />]<br />(Global Match)}}
|publisher ={{collapsible list|title={{nobold|SNK}}|]<br />(Global Match)}}
|director = Toyohisa Tanabe |director = Toyohisa Tanabe
|producer = ] |producer = ]
|designer = Akiko Yukawa<br />Aska Tahara<br />Chikara Yamasaki |designer = Akiko Yukawa<br />Aska Tahara<br />Chikara Yamasaki
|programmer = S. Fujinuki<br />Souta Ichino |programmer = S. Fujinuki<br />Souta Ichino
|artist = ] |artist = ]
|composer = Akihiro Uchida<br />Hideki Asanaka<br />Toshio Shimizu |composer = Akihiro Uchida<br />Hideki Asanaka<br />Toshio Shimizu
|series = '']'' |series = '']''
|platforms = ], ], ], ], ]
|released = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|28 July 1997}}|'''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|WW|28 July 1997}} '''Neo Geo AES'''{{vgrelease|WW|25 September 1997}} '''Neo Geo CD'''{{vgrelease|WW|30 October 1997}} '''Saturn'''{{vgrelease|JP|26 March 1998}} '''PlayStation'''<br />''Original release''{{vgrelease|JP|28 May 1998}} ''Re-release''{{vgrelease|JP|24 June 1999}}}} |platforms = ], ], ], ], ]
|released = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|July 28, 1997}}|'''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|WW|28 July 1997}} '''Neo Geo AES'''{{vgrelease|WW|25 September 1997}} '''Neo Geo CD'''{{vgrelease|WW|30 October 1997}} '''Saturn'''{{vgrelease|JP|26 March 1998}} '''PlayStation'''<br />''Original release''{{vgrelease|JP|28 May 1998}} ''Re-release''{{vgrelease|JP|24 June 1999}}}}
|genre = ] |genre = ]
|modes = ], ] |modes = ], ]
|arcade system = ] |arcade system = ]
}} }}


{{nihongo foot|'''''The King of Fighters '97'''''|ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ'97|''Za Kingu Obu Faitāzu '97''||lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} '''''(KOF '97)''''' is a ] produced by ] for the ] arcade and home console in 1997. It is the fourth game in '']'' series. It was ported to the ], as well as the ] and the ] in Japan only. It is the last game in the "Orochi Saga" storyline, that began in '']''. The new tournament focuses on the servants from the demon ], also known as the Will of Gaia, as the servants plan to revive him by gathering the energy and sacrifice needed, using the tournament and as well as protagonist ] as bait. Besides the multiple playable characters, SNK also created enhnanced versions of five characters who serve both as hidden and boss characters. {{nihongo foot|'''''The King of Fighters '97'''''|ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ'97|''Za Kingu Obu Faitāzu '97''||lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}}, often shortened as '''''KOF '97''''', which is the fourth game in '']'' (''KOF'') series, is a ] that was produced in 1997 by ] for its ] multi-video system (MVS) arcade platform and its AES home console. The game was ported to the ] console and released worldwide; it was also ported to the ] and ] consoles and released in Japan. ''KOF '97'' is the last game in the "Orochi Saga" storyline, which begins in '']''. The new tournament focuses on the servants of the demon ], also known as the "Will of Gaia", who plan to revive their master by gathering energy and sacrifices from the fighters in the KOF tournament. SNK created multiple playable characters and enhanced versions of five characters who serve as both hidden and boss characters.


The game was developed was the first ''KOF'' directed by battle director Toyohisa Tanabe who replaced Masanori Kuwasashi who left the series after ''The King of Fighters '96''. Creating the cast proved difficult due to the need creation of bosses, most notably ]'s berserker form as well as the final boss Orochi in order to properly tell the Orochi arc in an appealing fashion. Among several ports, SNK also developed one under the subtitle ''Global Match'' with online features.<ref name="officialwebsite">{{cite web |title=Official website |url=https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/us/games/kof97gm/ |website=The King of Fighters '97 Global Match |publisher=] |access-date=9 July 2024}}</ref> ''KOF '97'' was the first game in the series to be directed by its battle system's designer Toyohisa Tanabe. He replaced Masanori Kuwasashi, who stopped working on the series after '']''. Creation of the game's characters was difficult due to the need to create bosses, most notably ]'s berserker form, andthe final boss Orochi, to properly tell the game's story in an appealing fashion. Among its several ports, SNK developed a version of ''KOF '97'' subtitled ''Global Match'' that has online features.


The game was praised by game designers upon release thanks to the handle of the narrative though mixed feelings occured when critics wondered if the controls and balance were better than previous installments. Nevertheless, each port of the game managed to sell a positive amount of copies. The game was followed by '']'' next year which serves as a "Dream Match" that gathers most of the Orochi arc cast but without a scenario to follow. SNK would eventually release '']'' in the next year featuring a completely new story arc and cast. ] also created a ] with ]s titled '']'' that retells the events of ''The King of Fighters '97'' but primarily focused on Kyo's life. Upon its release, game designers praised ''KOF '97'' for the handling of its narrative, though critics wondered if the controls and balance were better than those of previous installments. Each port of the game sold fairly well, and it was followed by '']'', which includes most of the Orochi arc cast, who fight in a non-canonical tournament. In 1999, SNK released '']'', which has a new story arc and cast. ] also created a ] with ] elements titled '']'', which retells the events of ''The King of Fighters '97'' but primarily focuses on Kyo's life. A spin-off ] titled ''The King of Fantasy'' was written in 2019.


==Gameplay== ==Gameplay==
] in Extra Mode battling ] in Advanced Mode.]] ] in Extra Mode battling ] in Advanced Mode.]]


''KOF '97'' follows the same format as the previous ''KOF'' games, but introduces two distinct playing styles which the player can select before choosing their team: Advanced and Extra. The fighting game uses the same format as the previous ''KOF'' installment; these involve the use of three-characters teams but introduces two playing styles, "Advanced" and "Extra", which the player can select before choosing their team.


Advanced mode is based on the previous game in the series, '']'', but features a revamped Power Gauge.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Coin Operated |magazine=]|issue=24 |publisher=] |date=October 1997|page= |url=https://archive.org/details/Sega_Saturn_Magazine_Issue_24_1997-10_EMAP_Images_GB |access-date=December 3, 2019}}</ref> Instead of charging the Power Gauge, the Power Gauge is now filled whenever the player strikes the opponent or by performing Special Moves. The player can stock up to three Power Gauges. The player can use one stock of the Power Gauge to perform a Super Special Move or enter a "MAX" mode, in which the player{{'}}s defensive and offensive strength are increased. Performing a Super Special Move while in MAX mode will make the player perform a more powerful Super Special Move.<ref name=NintendoLife/> Advanced mode is based on '']'' including the ability dodge moves, counterattack or plan jumps but has a redesigned Power Gauge.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Coin Operated |magazine=]|issue=24 |publisher=] |date=October 1997|page= |url=https://archive.org/details/Sega_Saturn_Magazine_Issue_24_1997-10_EMAP_Images_GB |access-date=December 3, 2019}}</ref> The Power Gauge, instead of charging, is now filled whenever the player strikes the opponent or when Special Moves are performed. The player can stock up to three Power Gauges. The player can use one stock of the Power Gauge to perform a Super Special Move or enter a "MAX" mode, in which the player{{'}}s defensive and offensive strength are increased. By performing a Super Special Move while in MAX mode, the player can perform a more-powerful Super Special Move.<ref name=NintendoLife/>


Extra mode is based on the first two games in the series, '']'' and '']''. Like in those games, the player fills the Power Gauge by charging it or defending against the opponent{{'}}s attacks. After the gauge is filled, the player enters MAX mode and like in Advanced, their character's offense and defense will increase. The player can only perform Super Special Moves in MAX mode or when the life gauge is near empty and flashing red. When the player performs a Super move in MAX mode while the life gauge is flashing red, then the Super move will be even more powerful. The Emergency Roll maneuver from ''KOF '96'' used in Advanced mode is replaced by the side-step from ''KOF '94'' and ''KOF '95''.<ref name="HG101"/> Extra mode is based on the first two games in the series, '']'' and '']''. As in those games, the player fills the Power Gauge by charging it or defending against the opponent{{'}}s attacks. After the gauge is filled, the player enters MAX mode and, as in Advanced mode, their character's offense and defense will increase. The player can only perform Super Special Moves in Max mode or when the life gauge is nearly empty and flashing red. The Super move will be even more powerful when the player performs a Super move in MAX mode while the life gauge is flashing red. The Emergency Roll maneuver from ''KOF '96'' used in Advanced mode is replaced with the side-step from ''KOF '94'' and ''KOF '95''.<ref name="HG101"/>


==Plot and characters== ==Plot and characters==
{{see also|List of The King of Fighters characters}} {{see also|List of The King of Fighters characters}}
Despite the chaos sorrounding at the end of the previous game, the The King of Fighters tournament is a huge commercial success and sparked a worldwide fighting craze. Within a few months of the tournament ending, various large corporations had held smaller KOF tournament qualifiers and constructed special KOF stadiums around the world, building the excitement up for the next tournament. News of the tournament spread through every form of media and fans and new fighters from across the globe come to watch the preliminary matches. All of the characters from the previous game return, with the exception of the Boss Team which was disbanded after its first appearance, ] who went off to search for her father, and ] who were killed by ] after he was possessed by the Riot of Blood at the conclusion of the previous game. ], the sub-boss in the previous game, takes Kasumi{{'}}s place in the Women Fighters Team, while ]'s underling ], who previously participated in '']'' tournament, returns to join forces with female agent ] and wanted felon ] (both from '']'') to form the unlikely "'97 Special Team". Iori returns as a Team Edit character along with Shingo Yabuki, a high school student who patterns his fighting style after his idol and reluctant mentor ]. An alternative version of Kyo with his pre-''KOF '96'' moveset also appears as a hidden character.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://game.snk-corp.co.jp/official/online/orochi/kof97.php|title=The King of Fighters '97|work=SNK|language=Japanese|access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref> The highly successful and lucrative King of Fighters (KOF) tournament has sparked a worldwide fighting craze. Within a few months of the tournament ending, large corporations had held smaller KOF tournament qualifiers and constructed special KOF stadia around the world to hype the next tournament. News of the next tournament spreads and new fighters arrive to watch the preliminary matches. All of the previous game's characters, except the disbanded Boss Team, return. ] went to search for her father, and ] were killed by ] after he was possessed by the previous game's Riot of Blood. ], the sub-boss in the previous game, takes Kasumi{{'}}s place in the Women Fighters Team. ]'s underling ], who participated in '']'', returns to work with the agent ] and the wanted felon ] (both from '']'') to form the "'97 Special Team". Iori returns as a Team Edit character along with Shingo Yabuki, a high-school student who patterns his fighting style on that of his idol and reluctant mentor ]. An alternative version of Kyo with his pre-''KOF '96'' moveset appears as a hidden character.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://game.snk-corp.co.jp/official/online/orochi/kof97.php|title=The King of Fighters '97|work=SNK|language=Japanese|access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref>


Iori and Leona appeer fight as mid-boss characters in the Riot of the Blood curse depending on which characters the player is using. A team of all new characters also appears in the form of the "New Faces Team", consisting of bandmates ], ], and Chris. The New Faces Team will be revealed to be the last three servants from Orochi during the Arcade Mode. Additionally, they fight as sub-boss characters having more powerful abilities than their common forms. Once they are beaten, Orochi will possess Chris' body to fight as the final boss character. Depending on team chosen Orochi will be sealed to hide the next match with the New Faces Team offering their lives to their lord. If the Hero Team wins the final battle, Kyo is challenged by Iori in a one-on-one fight. The plot is further altered if the player uses the Sacred Treasures Team, it is revealed Kyo's girlfriend Yuki is a descendant of the Yukinada meant to be offered to revive Orochi. The defeated Orochi tries to use Iori due to sharing the curse of his lineage but he turns against him. Kyo joins in order to definitely defeat the enemy after hearing a conversation with Yasakani, Iori's predecesor.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Iori:''' Aaaaah!! /'''Orochi:''' Kill Kusanagi and Yata! Break the Shingi troica! Fight, my Orochi son! Listen, Yagami! /'''Iori:'''Ahhhhhhh!!!/'''Orochi:''' Ah?!|title=The King of Fighters '97 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=July 28, 1997 |platform=Neo Geo}}</ref><ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Kyo:''' Finish it Kagura! Can you do it? /'''Chizuru:''' As a mirror keeper... I must do it! /'''Orochi:''' Fools! A waste of time! If I release my remaining power.../'''Iori:''' Waahh!/'''Chizuru:''' His power... too strong! Kusanagi! Quickly... /'''Kyo:''' Heeaahhh! Woooohh!|title=The King of Fighters '97 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=July 28, 1997 |platform=Neo Geo}}</ref> I Iori and Leona appear to fight as mid-boss characters in the Riot of the Blood curse, depending on which characters the player is using. A team of all-new characters, ], ], and Chris, form the "New Faces Team", which is revealed to be the last-three servants from Orochi during the Arcade Mode. The New Faces Team fights as sub-boss characters, having more powerful abilities than their common forms. Once they are defeated, Orochi possesses Chris' body to fight as the final boss character. Depending on team chosen, Orochi is sealed to hide the next match with the New Faces Team, offering their lives to their lord. If the Hero Team wins the final battle, Iorichallenges Kyo to a one-on-one fight. The plot is further altered if the player uses the Sacred Treasures Team; it is revealed Kyo's girlfriend Yuki is a descendant of the goddess ], who is meant to be offered to revive Orochi. The defeated Orochi tries to use Iori's curse to turn him against his teammates but Iori resits and Kyo finishes Orochi.<ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Iori:''' Aaaaah!! /'''Orochi:''' Kill Kusanagi and Yata! Break the Shingi troica! Fight, my Orochi son! Listen, Yagami! /'''Iori:'''Ahhhhhhh!!!/'''Orochi:''' Ah?!|title=The King of Fighters '97 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=July 28, 1997 |platform=Neo Geo}}</ref><ref>{{cite video game|quote='''Kyo:''' Finish it Kagura! Can you do it? /'''Chizuru:''' As a mirror keeper... I must do it! /'''Orochi:''' Fools! A waste of time! If I release my remaining power.../'''Iori:''' Waahh!/'''Chizuru:''' His power... too strong! Kusanagi! Quickly... /'''Kyo:''' Heeaahhh! Woooohh!|title=The King of Fighters '97 |developer=SNK |publisher=SNK |date=July 28, 1997 |platform=Neo Geo}}</ref>


New characters to the series are marked below in '''bold''': New characters to the series are marked below in '''bold''':
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==Development== ==Development==
] slaying the ] that influenced the franchise's first story arc end with this installment.]]
''The King of Fighters '96'' was the last game directed by Masanori Kuwasashi as he expressed pressure with the annual release leading to his eventual replacement with battle designer Toyohisa Tanabe as the next director who would end the Orochi arc with ''The King of Fighters '97''. Tanabe kept in charge of balancing characters. The main objective with the game was ending the Orochi story arc by revealing the title villain who would take human form and face the Sacred Treasures Team. With ''The King of Fighters '96'' experimenting new systems, ''The King of Fighters '97'' was meant to improve on them.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=57}}</ref> Among other subplots, Leona was revealed to be related with the Orochi with missing character Heidern acting as her father figure.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=445}}</ref> Key arts of snakes were heavily featured in promotion of the game to symbolize the stronger presence of Orochi.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=447}}</ref> In order to decide who would become the members of the '97 Special Team, three polls were conducted by the video game journals '']'', ''Gamest'' and ''Neo Geo Freak'', in which readers voted who was the character they wanted to see in the team. The Neo Geo Freak's winner was Billy Kane and Famitsu's winner was Ryuji Yamazaki. Blue Mary was first in the Gamest poll, barely beating ] from the '']'' series who was second in the poll via a few mere votes. Additionally, the three journals created a team, which players can view an image of them after beating the game in the Japanese version. The special team created by the Neo Geo Freak's staff was a team of fire wielders: Billy, Kyo Kusanagi, and Mai Shiranui. The Gamest's team created was composed of Terry Bogard, Blue Mary and Joe Higashi, while Famitsu created a team composed of Chang Koehan, Choi Bounge and Ryuji Yamazaki.<ref>{{Cite book | year=2000 | title=All About SNK Head-to-Head Fighting Game 1991–2000 | language=ja | publisher=Dempa Shimbunsha |isbn= 978-4-88554-677-8}}</ref> Although Blue Mary already had two designs in the ''Fatal Fury'' series at this point (her original ''Fatal Fury 3'' design and her ''Real Bout Special'' design), her designer wanted to use her ''Fatal Fury 3'' design as he liked it more.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=mary| title=Blue Mary official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-11| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207095108/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=mary| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref> In order to have all of the eight servants from Orochi confirmed by this game, Yamazaki was chosen to be the new member as the staff noted him to be a good villain and liked that he was similar to a snake (as the ancient Orochi was a giant snake). In order to adapt him to ''KOF'', the game planner had to provide new moves to Yamazaki. The new moves were initially noted to be failures, but designers later thought of them as successful.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yamazaki| title=Ryuji Yamazaki official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418094231/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yamazaki| archive-date=2009-04-18}}</ref> In particular, Yamazaki was to different from his ''Fatal Fury'' persona after Tanabe got the producer's permission.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=501}}</ref> The gameplay was created to appeal to ''The King of Fighters '95'' and ''The King of Fighters '95'' as well as ''The King of Fighters '96'' gamers as the original two games had their own fighting system. Moreover, Kyo's original projectile version was added as an alternative playable versionsince he was popular within gamers. There was an objective to give players a large amount of combos with the two systems the game uses.<ref>{{cite web|title=The King of Fighters '97|url=https://archive.org/details/vol.-112-2/page/n32/mode/1up|website=Archive|access-date=November 15, 2024}}</ref>


There were two weeks of balances for the game.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=512}}</ref> The New Faces Team was created to offset the remaining top three characters. Their members were developed to be the Hero Team's counterparts; Chris manipulates fire like Kyo, Shermie uses lightning like Benimaru Nikaido and Yashiro Nanakase is a giant man like Goro Daimon.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yashiro| title=Yashiro Nanakase official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216115805/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yashiro| archive-date=2009-02-16}}</ref> The plot element of Chris acting as Orochi's new body was developed since initial stages of production, but the staff had already thought of using other ideas.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=chris| title=Chris official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216115622/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=chris| archive-date=2009-02-16}}</ref> At the inception of production, the plan was for Chris to use the "Flame of Darkness (Black Flame)," but due to difficulties of seeing the black flame in the screen it was changed to the purple ones.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-chris| title=Orochi Chris official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207095902/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-chris| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref> The final boss character, Orochi, was first meant to be "a buck-naked Chris" fighting with a shining energy ball. However, it was opted to his current design after developers made a survey in which there were only two votes in favor of the first design. His design codename was "Chief", but several people were against giving him the name of "Orochi".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi| title=Orochi official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207192441/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref> The series' previous installment, '']'', was the last game to be directed by Masanori Kuwasashi, who experienced pressure with the annual-release schedule. Kuwasashi was replaced with battle designer Toyohisa Tanabe, who ended the Orochi arc with ''The King of Fighters '97''. Tanabe was charge of balancing characters; his main objective was to end the Orochi story arc by revealing the title villain who would take human form and face the Sacred Treasures Team, who debuted in the previous game. ''KOF '97'' was intended to improve on the previous game's new, experimental systems.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=57}}</ref> The Orochi arc was planned since the series' beginning; the protagonist ] was inspired by Japanese myths, especially a move titled "Orochinagi" that is featured in the climatic battle against the demon.<ref name="moves">{{cite web|url=https://itsfantastic.moe/all-about-the-king-of-fighters-94-developer-interview/|title=All About The King of Fighters '94 Developer Interview|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=ItsFantasticMoe|date=December 23, 2020|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220144918/https://itsfantastic.moe/all-about-the-king-of-fighters-94-developer-interview/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kyo| title=Kyo Kusanagi Official Profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=March 24, 2008| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410025630/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=kyo| archive-date=April 10, 2008| df=mdy-all}}</ref>


The narrative of ''KOF '97'' focuses on Kyo's design and moves,and his social life because the antagonists almost sacrifice his girlfriend Yuki. Although Yuki only has one line in the game, SNK carefully chose a voice actor the character, who speaks in the Sacred Treasures Team's ending.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303225012/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yuki|url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yuki|title=Yuki|work=SNK Playmore|archive-date=March 3, 2009|access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref> The gameplay was created to appeal to players of ''The King of Fighters '95'' and ''The King of Fighters '96'', which had their own fighting system. Kyo's original projectile version was added as an alternative playable version because he was popular with gamers. There was an objective to give players a large number of combos. The game uses two fighting systems.<ref>{{cite web|title=The King of Fighters '97|url=https://archive.org/details/vol.-112-2/page/n32/mode/1up|website=Archive|access-date=November 15, 2024}}</ref> There were two weeks of balances for the game.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=512}}</ref>
Iori Yagami in his Orochi form was originally meant to be the final boss of the game after the player beats the New Faces Team in their Orochi forms. However, it was later decided to make Orochi Iori the mid-boss with Orochi becoming the final boss and the New Faces Team as the sub-bosses.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-iori| title=Orochi Iori Yagami official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207201041/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-iori| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref> Series flagship director, Toyohisa Tanabe, states that the staff was initially reluctant to add this version of Iori to the series' roster&nbsp;— worried about fans' reactions&nbsp;— but did so to add more impact to the Orochi Saga's climax. He was particularly pleased to see surprised reactions from female fans to this form during KOF '97's location testing.<ref>{{Cite book | year=2005 | editor-first=Akihiko | editor-last=Ureshino | title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader | page=144 | language=ja | publisher=Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. | isbn= 4-8222-1711-6}}</ref> After deciding Iori as the mid-boss character, developers also were focused in adding Leona as an alternative mid-boss character if players were already using Iori in the game. As such, several advertisements were added such as televisions broadcasts, sent to be given as a message to the player about a "fork in the game" to give hints about Orochi Leona.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-leona| title=Orochi Leona official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207203805/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-leona| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref>


In ''The King of Fighters '96'', several moves from Kyo were changed in order to adapt him to the new game system. However, the original moveset was still popular between gamers and as such, an alternative version from Kyo was added to ''KOF '97''.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=94ver-kyo| title=94 Kyo official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801063531/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=94ver-kyo| archive-date=2008-08-01}}</ref> The introduction of this version was noted to be "a hit" with gamers. The staff kept adding new alternative versions of other characters to the sequels. This later led to the creation of the Kyo clones (Kyo-1 and Kyo-2) from '']''.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=95ver-kyo| title=95 Kyo official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410025355/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=95ver-kyo| archive-date=2008-04-10}}</ref> Among other subplots, ] in his Orochi form was originally meant to be the final boss of the game after the player beats the New Faces Team in their Orochi forms. It was later decided to make Orochi Iori the mid-boss, Orochi would become the final boss, and the New Faces Team would be sub-bosses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-iori| title=Orochi Iori Yagami official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207201041/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-iori| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref> Tanabe stated the staff was initially reluctant to add this version of Iori to the series' roster due to worries about fan reactions, but did so to add more impact to the Orochi Saga's climax. He was particularly pleased to see surprised reactions from female fans to this form during ''KOF '97''{{'}}s location testing.<ref>{{Cite book |year=2005 |editor-first=Akihiko |editor-last=Ureshino |title=The King of Fighters Perfect Reader |page=144 |language=ja |publisher=Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. |isbn= 4-8222-1711-6}}</ref> After deciding Iori as the mid-boss character, developers focused on adding ] as an alternative mid-boss character if players were already using Iori in the game. As such, several television advertisements, and advertisements in other media, were produced to notify players about a "fork in the game" and to give hints about Orochi Leona.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-leona| title=Orochi Leona official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207203805/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-leona| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref> Leona was revealed to be related with the Orochi, and the missing character Heidern acted as Leona's father figure.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=445}}</ref> Key arts of snakes were heavily featured in promotion of the game to symbolize the stronger presence of Orochi.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=447}}</ref>

The New Faces Team was created to offset the remaining top-three characters. The team-member characters were developed as a counterpart to the Hero Team; Chris manipulates fire like Kyo, Shermie uses lightning like ] and ] is a male giant like Goro Daimon.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yashiro| title=Yashiro Nanakase official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216115805/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yashiro| archive-date=2009-02-16}}</ref> The plot element of Chris acting as a new body for Orochi was developed in the early stages of production, but the staff considered using other ideas.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=chris| title=Chris official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216115622/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=chris| archive-date=2009-02-16}}</ref> At the start of production, the plan was for Chris to use the "Flame of Darkness (Black Flame)" but because viewing the black flame on a screen was difficult, its color was changed to purple.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-chris| title=Orochi Chris official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207095902/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi-chris| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref> The final boss character Orochi was fist intended as "a buck-naked Chris" fighting with a shining energy ball. His final design was chosen after developers conducted a survey in which only two responders favored the first design. Orichi's character-design codename was "Chief", but several people opposed giving him the name "Orochi".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi| title=Orochi official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207192441/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=orochi| archive-date=2009-02-07}}</ref>

In regards to characters from other series, ] from '']'' was favored over her initial design.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=mary| title=Blue Mary official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-11| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207095108/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=mary| archive-date=2009-02-07|url-status=dead}}</ref> To have all eight of the servants of Orochi confirmed in this game, ] from Fatal Fury 3 was chosen as the new member because the developers considered him to be a good villain and liked his snake-like appearance—the ancient Orochi was a giant snake. To adapt the character for ''KOF '97'', the game planner provided Yamazaki with new moves.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yamazaki| title=Ryuji Yamazaki official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418094231/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=yamazaki| archive-date=2009-04-18}}</ref> Yamazaki was too different from his ''Fatal Fury'' persona after Tanabe got the producer's permission.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=501}}</ref>

The video-game journals '']'', ''Gamest'' and ''Neo Geo Freak'' conducted three reader polls to decide which characters would become members of '97 Special Team. ''Neo Geo Freak''{{'}}s winner was ], ''Famitsu''{{'}}s was Yamazaki, and ''Gamest''{{'}}s was Blue Mary, who came second to ] from the '']'' series. The three journals also created a team; players could view an image of them after beating the Japanese version of the game. ''Neo Geo Freak''{{'}}s staff chose a team of fire wielders: Billy, Kyo, and Mai Shiranui. ''Gamest''{{'}}s team consisted of Terry Bogard, Blue Mary and Joe Higashi, while ''Famitsu''{{'}}s team was composed of Chang Koehan, Choi Bounge and Ryuji Yamazaki.<ref>{{Cite book |year=2000 |title=All About SNK Head-to-Head Fighting Game 1991–2000 |language=ja |publisher=Dempa Shimbunsha |isbn= 978-4-88554-677-8}}</ref>


==Release== ==Release==
''The King of Fighters '97'' was first released in Japanese arcades on July 28, 1997. It was ported to the Neo Geo AES and Neo-Geo CD on September 25, 1997 and October 30, 1997, respectively. A PlayStation version was also released on May 28, 1998. The Sega Saturn version was published on March 26, 1998 and it requires the same 1MB RAM cartridge utilized by the previous game.<ref name="HG101"/> A "Saturn Best Collection" was released on October 1, 1998, adding a new cover and a lower price.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/history.php?num=kof97| title=The King of Fighters '97 official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320070608/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/history.php?num=kof97| archive-date=2009-03-20}}</ref> ''The King of Fighters '97'' was first released in Japanese arcades on July 28, 1997. It was ported to the ] and the ] on September 25, 1997 and October 30, 1997, respectively. A ] version was released on May 28, 1998. The ] version was published on March 26, 1998; it requires the same 1MB RAM cartridge used by the previous game.<ref name="HG101"/> A "Saturn Best Collection" was first distributed on October 1, 1998, with a new cover and a lower price.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/history.php?num=kof97| title=The King of Fighters '97 official profile| website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website| access-date=2009-03-14| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320070608/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/history/history.php?num=kof97| archive-date=2009-03-20}}</ref><ref name="officialwebsite">{{cite web |title=Official website |url=https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/us/games/kof97gm/ |website=The King of Fighters '97 Global Match |publisher=] |access-date=9 July 2024}}</ref>


An ] version of the game was released as part of ''The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga'' in 2008 for the ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/thekingoffighterscollectiontheorochisaga/similar.html?mode=versions| title=KoF Collection Orochi Releases dates| website=]| accessdate=2008-09-21}}</ref> The Neo Geo AES version was added via emulation to the Wii ] in Japan on September 6, 2011, in North America on March 8, 2012 and in the PAL region on February 9, 2012. Another emulated version was released for ] and ] in 2013. The iOS version supports the ] accessory.<ref name="148Apps"/> An ] version of the game was released as part of ''The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga'' in 2008 for the ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/thekingoffighterscollectiontheorochisaga/similar.html?mode=versions| title=KoF Collection Orochi Releases dates| website=]| accessdate=2008-09-21}}</ref> The Neo Geo AES version was added via emulation to the Wii ] in Japan on September 6, 2011, in North America on March 8, 2012, and in the ] on February 9, 2012. An emulated version was released for the mobile operating systems ] and ] in 2013; the iOS version supports the ] accessory.<ref name="148Apps"/>


The arcade version was emulated and released as part of the '']'' series for the ] and ] on November 2, 2017 with releases for ], ], and iOS following afterwards.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nelson |first1=Jared |title=Out Now: ‘Little Nightmares’, ‘SpongeBob – The Cosmic Shake’, ‘Revelation M’, ‘My Little Blood Cult’, ‘Aerofly FS Global’, ‘M.A.D. Cows’, ‘Rayceptor’ and More |url=https://toucharcade.com/2023/12/14/best-new-iphone-games-december-14th |website=] |access-date=9 July 2024 |date=14 December 2023}}</ref> Another emulated release of the arcade version titled ''The King of Fighters '97 Global Match'' featuring online multiplayer was released in 2018 for the ], ], and ] via ]. The arcade version was emulated as part of the '']'' series for the ] and ] on November 2, 2017, with releases for ], ], and iOS following.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nelson |first1=Jared |title=Out Now: ‘Little Nightmares’, ‘SpongeBob – The Cosmic Shake’, ‘Revelation M’, ‘My Little Blood Cult’, ‘Aerofly FS Global’, ‘M.A.D. Cows’, ‘Rayceptor’ and More |url=https://toucharcade.com/2023/12/14/best-new-iphone-games-december-14th |website=] |access-date=9 July 2024 |date=14 December 2023}}</ref> Another emulated release of the arcade version titled ''The King of Fighters '97 Global Match'', featuring online multiplayer, was released in 2018 for the ], ], and Microsoft Windows via ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/es-es/news/latest/2019/2/16/the-king-of-fighters-97-global-match-para-ps4-y-psvita-tendr-edicin-fsica-limitada|title=The King of Fighters ’97 Global Match para PS4 y PSVita tendrá edición física limitada|website=Crunchyroll|language=Spanish|access-date=December 14, 2024}}</ref>


==Reception== ==Reception==
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'']'' wrote said the presentation was the best in the series, becoming of one of the best in the 2D fighting genre.<ref name="AllGame"/> '']'' appreciated the new characters and their playstyle. They also commended the seamless integration of the story into the game. While the gameplay changes were lauded as "great", the game was criticized for being unbalanced. The controls were described as more responsive than in any previous entry in the series. The game's soundtrack received praise, although it was noted that players don't hear much of it during the game.<ref name="HG101">{{cite web |last1=Rasa |first1=Chris |title=King of Fighters ’97, The |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/the-king-of-fighters-97/ |website=] |access-date=9 July 2024 |date=14 August 2017}}</ref> Reviewing the Virtual Console release, '']'' compared the game to '']'', saying the difference is huge: ''{{'}}97'' has more characters, improved animation and backgrounds, and more balanced ].<ref name="NintendoLife"/> In 2021, '']'' noted ''{{'}}97'' as "the most well-loved and well-known" game by ''The King of Fighters'' fan community.<ref name="Sportskeeda">{{cite web |last1=Banerjee |first1=Sampad |title=5 best King of Fighters titles for new players to explore before the upcoming KOF 15 |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/king-fighters-new-trailer-top-5-king-fighters-games-play |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=9 July 2024 |date=2 September 2021}}</ref> Critics praised ''The King of Fighters '97'' for its characters and narrative. '']'' wrote the game's presentation was the best in the series, calling it one of the best 2D fighting games.<ref name="AllGame"/> '']'' appreciated the new characters and their playstyle, and commended the seamless integration of the story into the game. The reviewer praised the gameplay changes as "great" but criticized the game was for being unbalanced, and described the controls as more responsive than in any previous entry in the series. The reviewer praised the game's soundtrack but noted players do not hear much of it during the game.<ref name="HG101">{{cite web |last1=Rasa |first1=Chris |title=King of Fighters ’97, The |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/the-king-of-fighters-97/ |website=] |access-date=9 July 2024 |date=14 August 2017}}</ref> Reviewing the Virtual Console release, '']'' compared ''KOF '97'' to '']'', saying the difference is huge; ''KOF {{'}}97'' has more characters, improved animation and backgrounds, and more balanced ].<ref name="NintendoLife"/>


In 2021, '']'' noted ''KOF {{'}}97'' as "the most well-loved and well-known" game by the series' fan community.<ref name="Sportskeeda">{{cite web |last1=Banerjee |first1=Sampad |title=5 best King of Fighters titles for new players to explore before the upcoming KOF 15 |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/king-fighters-new-trailer-top-5-king-fighters-games-play |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=9 July 2024 |date=2 September 2021}}</ref> The website '']'' said the addition of the new Sacred Treasure Team is a proper conclusion to the Orochi story arc and praised the characters, most notably Kyo's arc, who has to deal with Orochi to save his girlfriend.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature |title=History Of... The King of Fighters, SNK's classic team-based 2D fighting series |website=] |access-date=August 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004214749/http://www.1up.com/features/history-ofthe-king-fighters |archive-date=October 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://4thletter.net/2013/07/the-top-200-fighting-game-endings-part-ten/|title=The Top 200 Fighting Game Endings: Part Ten |publisher=4thletter|access-date=April 19, 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125062206/http://4thletter.net/2013/07/the-top-200-fighting-game-endings-part-ten/|archive-date=January 25, 2016}}</ref> According to '']'' Kyo is the most-heroic character in the series, considering his role in the Orochi arc where he faces enemies with the Hero Team and Sacred Treasures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/where-the-worlds-best-fighting-game-characters-come-fro-1627582335|title=Where The World's Best Fighting Game Characters Come From|website=Kotaku|access-date=October 29, 2024|date=August 27, 2014|author=Jafffe, Alex}}</ref> Media also praised the inclusion of Iori's and Leona's Orochi forms for their behavior and the violent methods they display in the story.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://atomix.vg/el-glosario-de-the-king-of-fighters/#google_vignette|title=El Glosario de The King of Fighters|website=Atomix|access-date=November 29, 2024 |language=Spanish}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/us/games/fighting-games/265246/the-20-best-altered-fighting-game-characters|title=The 20 Best Altered Fighting Game Characters|date=May 31, 2017|publisher=Den of Geek|access-date=June 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706031040/http://www.denofgeek.com/us/games/fighting-games/265246/the-20-best-altered-fighting-game-characters|archive-date=July 6, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
''Video Games'' and ''MAN!AC'' gave positive reviews for the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation ports respectively but criticized the excessively lengthy load times.<ref name="VideoGames1"/><ref name="MAN!AC1"/> In conclusion, ''Video Games'' deemed ''{{'}}97'' slightly worse than ''{{'}}96''.<ref name="VideoGames1"/> Comparing the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation ports, the magazine said the PlayStation version has marginally shorter load times.<ref name="VideoGames2">{{cite magazine |last1=Karels |first1=Ralph |title=Import - King of Fighters '97 (PS) |journal={{ill|Video Games (magazine)|lt=Video Games|de|Video Games}} |date=September 1998 |issue=9/98 |page=75 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/a/a2/VideoGames_DE_1998-09.pdf |publisher={{ill|Weka Group|de|Weka Group}} |language=German}}</ref> ''Consoles News'' said the PlayStation version's load times were optimized and noted is as the best PlayStation port of an SNK game. Although, it was said to be inferior to the Sega Saturn port.<ref name="ConsolesNews"/> '']'' said that ''{{'}}97'' was a return to form for the series after the disappointment of ''{{'}}96''. Overall, it was noted as a "great game" and a "fantastic update".<ref name="SegaSaturnMagazine"/> ''Fun Generation'' didn't like the visual presentation, the long load times, and called the music some of the worst on the PlayStation. The game was praised for its solid playability and was recommended only to experienced fighting game fans.<ref name="FunGeneration"/> ''Mega Fun'' complained about the small sprites compared to the arcade version and called the gameplay tired.<ref name="MegaFun"/>


''{{ill|Video Games (magazine)|lt=Video Games|de|Video Games}}'' and '']'' gave positive reviews for the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation ports, respectively, but criticized the excessively lengthy load times.<ref name="VideoGames1"/><ref name="MAN!AC1"/> ''Video Games'' deemed''KOF {{'}}97'' slightly worse than ''KOF {{'}}96''.<ref name="VideoGames1"/> Comparing the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation ports, the magazine said the PlayStation version has marginally shorter load times.<ref name="VideoGames2">{{cite magazine |last1=Karels |first1=Ralph |title=Import - King of Fighters '97 (PS) |journal={{ill|Video Games (magazine)|lt=Video Games|de|Video Games}} |date=September 1998 |issue=9/98 |page=75 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/a/a2/VideoGames_DE_1998-09.pdf |publisher={{ill|Weka Group|de|Weka Group}} |language=German}}</ref> ''Consoles News'' said the PlayStation version's load times were optimized and noted it as the best PlayStation port of an SNK game, but was said it is inferior to the Sega Saturn port.<ref name="ConsolesNews"/> '']'' said ''KOF {{'}}97'' was a return to form for the series after the disappointment of ''KOF {{'}}96''. Overall, it was noted as a "great game" and a "fantastic update".<ref name="SegaSaturnMagazine"/> ''Fun Generation'' did not like the visual presentation and the long load times, and called the music some of the worst on the PlayStation. The reviewer praised the game for its playability and recommended it only for experienced fighting-game fans.<ref name="FunGeneration"/> '']'' complained about the small sprites compared to those in the arcade version, and called the gameplay tired.<ref name="MegaFun"/>
''148Apps'' said the "iOS port holds up incredibly well". They praised the wealth of control options.<ref name="148Apps"/> ''Slide to Play'' said the virtual controls work well but the button layout is too cluttered.<ref name="SlideToPlay"/> '']'' reviewer called ''{{'}}97'' the best of the Orochi Saga games but said it just doesn't work well with ] controls.<ref name="PocketGamer"/> '']'' reviewed the 2023 version: "I think it’s only a better set of multiplayer options away from being the best possible mobile port it could be."<ref name="TouchArcade"/> ''Global Match'' received a poor grade by ''Gaming Age'' for not providing modern games several modes to learn how to play charaters and instead force them to play directly while also acknowledging there is an input lag as well as difficulty.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gaming-age.com/2018/06/the-king-of-fighters-97-global-match-review-for-ps4-ps-vita/|title=The King of Fighters ’97 Global Match review for PS4, PS Vita|website=Gaming Age|access-date=October 26, 2024|author=Pollesel, Matthew}}</ref> Bonus Stage UK was more positive to the presentation and input lag, making the game more appealing to players if they ignore such issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bonusstage.co.uk/archives/158885|title=The King of Fighters ’97 Global Match Review|website=Bonus Stage uk|access-date=October 26, 2024|author=Bruton, Kenneth}}</ref>


''148Apps'' said the "iOS port holds up incredibly well" and the reviewer praised the wealth of control options.<ref name="148Apps"/> '']'' said the virtual controls work well but the button layout is too cluttered.<ref name="SlideToPlay"/> '']'' reviewer called ''KOF {{'}}97'' the best of the Orochi-Saga games but said it does not work well with ] controls.<ref name="PocketGamer"/> '']'' reviewed the 2023 version approving the multiplayer options that makes one of the best mobile ports ever..<ref name="TouchArcade"/> On a more negative note, '']'' gave the game a D+, saying the game is difficult to play and does not provide tutorials to learn how to play characters, and noted an input lag.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gaming-age.com/2018/06/the-king-of-fighters-97-global-match-review-for-ps4-ps-vita/|title=The King of Fighters ’97 Global Match review for PS4, PS Vita|website=Gaming Age|access-date=October 26, 2024|author=Pollesel, Matthew}}</ref> Kenneth Brunton, writing for '']'', was more positive to the presentation and input lag, making the game more appealing to players if they ignore such issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bonusstage.co.uk/archives/158885|title=The King of Fighters ’97 Global Match Review|website=Bonus Stage uk|access-date=October 26, 2024|author=Bruton, Kenneth}}</ref>
===Legacy===
The game was followed by '']''. The developers' aim bringing back old characters. The same applied to Vice and Mature who were given new moves.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=139}}</ref>

A game with the titled '']'' was developed by ] and ] was released on August 27, 1998 in Japan for the Sony PlayStation based on Masato Natsumoto's ] with the same name. The game is presented as a ] set before ''The King of Fighters '97'' with fights arranged in a similar fashion to turn-based ]s. The character primarily confronts Kyo since he meets his fan Shingo Yabuki and prepares for the next tournament. Besides Goro and Benimaru, Kyo can recruit alternate teammates by travelling around the world and socializing with them. However, constant lack of activities can result in Iori Yagami attacking Kyo's friends and they losing interest in Kyo. Besides the common gameplay, there is a story mode where Chizuru Kagura helps Kyo learn about the heritage and tests him to develop his power to prepare for the impending battle against Orochi's servants in 1997 tournament. Besides the characters from the games, the visual novel introduces more people related to Kyo including his cousins Souji and Aoi as the former entrusted the protagonist the future of the Kusanagi after being corrupted with Orochi's power.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/king-of-fighters-kyo-the/|title=The King of Fighters Kyo - PlayStation (1998)|website=HardcoreGaming|access-date=August 31, 2024}}</ref>


===Sales=== ===Sales===
In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''The King of Fighters '97'' on their September 1, 1997 issue as being the second most-successful arcade game of the month.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)|magazine=]|issue=548|publisher=]|date=1 September 1997|page=21|lang=ja}}</ref> By August 1998, ''The King of Fighters '97'' had shipped 50,000 arcade sets in Japan and an additional 100,000 overseas, the highest number among Neo Geo games.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=SNK Reports Fiscal Results |magazine=]|issue=569|publisher=]|date=1 August 1998|page=26|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19980801p.pdf}}</ref> According to '']'', the AES version sold over 19,900 copies in its first week on the market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|title=Game Search|website=Game Data Library|access-date=2020-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424035430/https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|archive-date=2019-04-24|url-status=live}}</ref> In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''The King of Fighters '97'' in its September 1, 1997, issue as being the second-most-successful arcade game of the month.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)|magazine=]|issue=548|publisher=]|date=1 September 1997|page=21|lang=ja}}</ref> By August 1998, ''The King of Fighters '97'' had shipped 50,000 arcade sets in Japan and 100,000 overseas, the highest number among Neo Geo games.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=SNK Reports Fiscal Results |magazine=]|issue=569|publisher=]|date=1 August 1998|page=26|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19980801p.pdf}}</ref> According to '']'', the AES version sold over 19,900 copies in its first week on the market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|title=Game Search|website=Game Data Library|access-date=2020-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424035430/https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search|archive-date=2019-04-24|url-status=live}}</ref>

During its release week, the Sega Saturn port of the game sold 94,327 copies in Japan. As of 2004, the game had sold 156,717 copies in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=July 14, 2009|url=http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/sat.php|title=Sega Saturn Japanese Ranking|publisher=Japan Game Charts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924030552/http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/sat.php|archive-date=September 24, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The PlayStation port sold 160,124 units.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227141202/http://geimin.net:80/da/db/1998_ne_fa/index.php|archive-date=December 27, 2008|url=http://geimin.net:80/da/db/1998_ne_fa/index.php|title=1998年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP100|publisher=Gemin|access-date=October 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gematsu.com/2018/01/king-fighters-97-global-match-announced-ps4-ps-vita-pc |title=The King of Fighters '97 Global Match announced for PS4, PS Vita, and PC |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=28 January 2018 |access-date=2018-01-28 |website=Gematsu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129004328/https://gematsu.com/2018/01/king-fighters-97-global-match-announced-ps4-ps-vita-pc |archive-date=2018-01-29}}</ref>

===Legacy===
''The King of Fighters '97'' was followed by '']''. The developers wanted to bring back old characters, and Vice and Mature were given new moves.<ref>{{cite book |title=The King of Fighters: The Ultimate History |date=2022 |publisher=Bitmap Books |isbn=9781838019181 |page=139}}</ref> The introduction of the classic Kyo Kusanagi from ''KOF '97'' was noted to be "a hit" with gamers. The developers added new alternative versions of other characters to the sequels, leading to the creation of the Kyo clones Kyo-1 and Kyo-2, from '']'', and the now-more-experienced Kyo had new moves.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=95ver-kyo |title=95 Kyo official profile |website=King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website |access-date=2009-03-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410025355/http://kofaniv.snkplaymore.co.jp/english/character/index.php?num=95ver-kyo |archive-date=2008-04-10}}</ref>


] and SNK developed a game titled '']'', which was based on Masato Natsumoto's eponymous ], was released on August 27, 1998, in Japan for the Sony PlayStation. The game is presented as a ] set before ''The King of Fighters '97'', with fights arranged in a similar fashion to turn-based ]s. The player-character primarily confronts Kyo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/king-of-fighters-kyo-the/ |title=The King of Fighters Kyo - PlayStation (1998) |website=HardcoreGaming |access-date=August 31, 2024}}</ref>
During its release week, the Sega Saturn port of the game sold 94,327 copies in Japan. As of 2004, the sales went to 156,717.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=July 14, 2009|url=http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/sat.php|title=Sega Saturn Japanese Ranking|publisher=Japan Game Charts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924030552/http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/sat.php|archive-date=September 24, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The PlayStation port sold 160,124 units.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227141202/http://geimin.net:80/da/db/1998_ne_fa/index.php|archive-date=December 27, 2008|url=http://geimin.net:80/da/db/1998_ne_fa/index.php|title=1998年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP100|publisher=Gemin|access-date=October 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gematsu.com/2018/01/king-fighters-97-global-match-announced-ps4-ps-vita-pc |title=The King of Fighters '97 Global Match announced for PS4, PS Vita, and PC |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=28 January 2018 |access-date=2018-01-28 |website=Gematsu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129004328/https://gematsu.com/2018/01/king-fighters-97-global-match-announced-ps4-ps-vita-pc |archive-date=2018-01-29}}</ref>


''KOF '97'' also inspired a spin-off ] titled {{nihongo |''The King of Fantasy: Yagami Iori's Another World ~Remember When You See The Moon!~'' |ザ・キング・オブ・ファンタジー 八神庵の異世界無双 ~月を見るたび思い出せ!~ |The King of Fantasy: Yagami Iori no Isekai Musō ~Tsukio Miru Tabi Omoidase!~}}, which was written by Nobuhiko Tenkawa and illustrated by ]. It was published in 2019 by ]. The novel primarily focuses on Iori and Kyo, who are trapped in another world after Orochi's defeat, and the meet alternate versions of the characters from the games.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kadokawa.co.jp/product/321903000741/ |title=THE KING OF FANTASY 八神庵の異世界無双 月を見るたび思い出せ!|website=Kadokawa Shoten |access-date=December 14, 2024 |language=Japanese}}</ref>
{{clear}} {{clear}}



Latest revision as of 01:23, 19 January 2025

1997 video game

1997 video game
The King of Fighters '97
Arcade flyer featuring (from left to right): Iori Yagami, Billy Kane, Kyo Kusanagi, Shingo Yabuki, Blue Mary, and Chris.
Developer(s) SNK
Publisher(s) SNK
Director(s)Toyohisa Tanabe
Producer(s)Takashi Nishiyama
Designer(s)Akiko Yukawa
Aska Tahara
Chikara Yamasaki
Programmer(s)S. Fujinuki
Souta Ichino
Artist(s)Toshiaki Mori
Composer(s)Akihiro Uchida
Hideki Asanaka
Toshio Shimizu
SeriesThe King of Fighters
Platform(s)Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
Release July 28, 1997
  • Arcade
    • WW: 28 July 1997
    Neo Geo AES
    • WW: 25 September 1997
    Neo Geo CD
    • WW: 30 October 1997
    Saturn
    • JP: 26 March 1998
    PlayStation
    Original release
    • JP: 28 May 1998
    Re-release
    • JP: 24 June 1999
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

The King of Fighters '97, often shortened as KOF '97, which is the fourth game in The King of Fighters (KOF) series, is a fighting video game that was produced in 1997 by SNK for its Neo Geo multi-video system (MVS) arcade platform and its AES home console. The game was ported to the Neo Geo CD console and released worldwide; it was also ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn consoles and released in Japan. KOF '97 is the last game in the "Orochi Saga" storyline, which begins in The King of Fighters '95. The new tournament focuses on the servants of the demon Yamata no Orochi, also known as the "Will of Gaia", who plan to revive their master by gathering energy and sacrifices from the fighters in the KOF tournament. SNK created multiple playable characters and enhanced versions of five characters who serve as both hidden and boss characters.

KOF '97 was the first game in the series to be directed by its battle system's designer Toyohisa Tanabe. He replaced Masanori Kuwasashi, who stopped working on the series after The King of Fighters '96. Creation of the game's characters was difficult due to the need to create bosses, most notably Iori Yagami's berserker form, andthe final boss Orochi, to properly tell the game's story in an appealing fashion. Among its several ports, SNK developed a version of KOF '97 subtitled Global Match that has online features.

Upon its release, game designers praised KOF '97 for the handling of its narrative, though critics wondered if the controls and balance were better than those of previous installments. Each port of the game sold fairly well, and it was followed by The King of Fighters '98, which includes most of the Orochi arc cast, who fight in a non-canonical tournament. In 1999, SNK released The King of Fighters '99, which has a new story arc and cast. Yumekobo also created a visual novel with role-playing game elements titled The King of Fighters: Kyo, which retells the events of The King of Fighters '97 but primarily focuses on Kyo's life. A spin-off light novel titled The King of Fantasy was written in 2019.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Shermie in Extra Mode battling Ralf Jones in Advanced Mode.

The fighting game uses the same format as the previous KOF installment; these involve the use of three-characters teams but introduces two playing styles, "Advanced" and "Extra", which the player can select before choosing their team.

Advanced mode is based on KOF '96 including the ability dodge moves, counterattack or plan jumps but has a redesigned Power Gauge. The Power Gauge, instead of charging, is now filled whenever the player strikes the opponent or when Special Moves are performed. The player can stock up to three Power Gauges. The player can use one stock of the Power Gauge to perform a Super Special Move or enter a "MAX" mode, in which the player's defensive and offensive strength are increased. By performing a Super Special Move while in MAX mode, the player can perform a more-powerful Super Special Move.

Extra mode is based on the first two games in the series, KOF '94 and KOF '95. As in those games, the player fills the Power Gauge by charging it or defending against the opponent's attacks. After the gauge is filled, the player enters MAX mode and, as in Advanced mode, their character's offense and defense will increase. The player can only perform Super Special Moves in Max mode or when the life gauge is nearly empty and flashing red. The Super move will be even more powerful when the player performs a Super move in MAX mode while the life gauge is flashing red. The Emergency Roll maneuver from KOF '96 used in Advanced mode is replaced with the side-step from KOF '94 and KOF '95.

Plot and characters

See also: List of The King of Fighters characters

The highly successful and lucrative King of Fighters (KOF) tournament has sparked a worldwide fighting craze. Within a few months of the tournament ending, large corporations had held smaller KOF tournament qualifiers and constructed special KOF stadia around the world to hype the next tournament. News of the next tournament spreads and new fighters arrive to watch the preliminary matches. All of the previous game's characters, except the disbanded Boss Team, return. Kasumi Todoh went to search for her father, and Mature and Vice were killed by Iori Yagami after he was possessed by the previous game's Riot of Blood. Chizuru Kagura, the sub-boss in the previous game, takes Kasumi's place in the Women Fighters Team. Geese Howard's underling Billy Kane, who participated in The King of Fighters '95, returns to work with the agent Blue Mary and the wanted felon Ryuji Yamazaki (both from Fatal Fury 3: Road to the Final Victory) to form the "'97 Special Team". Iori returns as a Team Edit character along with Shingo Yabuki, a high-school student who patterns his fighting style on that of his idol and reluctant mentor Kyo Kusanagi. An alternative version of Kyo with his pre-KOF '96 moveset appears as a hidden character.

Iori and Leona appear to fight as mid-boss characters in the Riot of the Blood curse, depending on which characters the player is using. A team of all-new characters, Yashiro Nanakase, Shermie, and Chris, form the "New Faces Team", which is revealed to be the last-three servants from Orochi during the Arcade Mode. The New Faces Team fights as sub-boss characters, having more powerful abilities than their common forms. Once they are defeated, Orochi possesses Chris' body to fight as the final boss character. Depending on team chosen, Orochi is sealed to hide the next match with the New Faces Team, offering their lives to their lord. If the Hero Team wins the final battle, Iorichallenges Kyo to a one-on-one fight. The plot is further altered if the player uses the Sacred Treasures Team; it is revealed Kyo's girlfriend Yuki is a descendant of the goddess Kushinadahime, who is meant to be offered to revive Orochi. The defeated Orochi tries to use Iori's curse to turn him against his teammates but Iori resits and Kyo finishes Orochi.

New characters to the series are marked below in bold:

Hero Team

Fatal Fury Team

Art of Fighting Team

Ikari Warriors Team

Psycho Soldier Team

Korea Justice Team

Women Fighters Team

New Faces Team

  • Yashiro Nanakase
  • Shermie
  • Chris

Special Team

Sub-Boss Team

  • Orochi Yashiro
  • Orochi Shermie
  • Orochi Chris

Single Entries

  • Iori Yagami
  • Kyo Kusanagi '94 Version
  • Orochi
  • Orochi Iori
  • Orochi Leona
  • Shingo Yabuki

Development

The myths of Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi that influenced the franchise's first story arc end with this installment.

The series' previous installment, The King of Fighters '96, was the last game to be directed by Masanori Kuwasashi, who experienced pressure with the annual-release schedule. Kuwasashi was replaced with battle designer Toyohisa Tanabe, who ended the Orochi arc with The King of Fighters '97. Tanabe was charge of balancing characters; his main objective was to end the Orochi story arc by revealing the title villain who would take human form and face the Sacred Treasures Team, who debuted in the previous game. KOF '97 was intended to improve on the previous game's new, experimental systems. The Orochi arc was planned since the series' beginning; the protagonist Kyo Kusanagi was inspired by Japanese myths, especially a move titled "Orochinagi" that is featured in the climatic battle against the demon.

The narrative of KOF '97 focuses on Kyo's design and moves,and his social life because the antagonists almost sacrifice his girlfriend Yuki. Although Yuki only has one line in the game, SNK carefully chose a voice actor the character, who speaks in the Sacred Treasures Team's ending. The gameplay was created to appeal to players of The King of Fighters '95 and The King of Fighters '96, which had their own fighting system. Kyo's original projectile version was added as an alternative playable version because he was popular with gamers. There was an objective to give players a large number of combos. The game uses two fighting systems. There were two weeks of balances for the game.

Among other subplots, Iori Yagami in his Orochi form was originally meant to be the final boss of the game after the player beats the New Faces Team in their Orochi forms. It was later decided to make Orochi Iori the mid-boss, Orochi would become the final boss, and the New Faces Team would be sub-bosses. Tanabe stated the staff was initially reluctant to add this version of Iori to the series' roster due to worries about fan reactions, but did so to add more impact to the Orochi Saga's climax. He was particularly pleased to see surprised reactions from female fans to this form during KOF '97's location testing. After deciding Iori as the mid-boss character, developers focused on adding Leona Heidern as an alternative mid-boss character if players were already using Iori in the game. As such, several television advertisements, and advertisements in other media, were produced to notify players about a "fork in the game" and to give hints about Orochi Leona. Leona was revealed to be related with the Orochi, and the missing character Heidern acted as Leona's father figure. Key arts of snakes were heavily featured in promotion of the game to symbolize the stronger presence of Orochi.

The New Faces Team was created to offset the remaining top-three characters. The team-member characters were developed as a counterpart to the Hero Team; Chris manipulates fire like Kyo, Shermie uses lightning like Benimaru Nikaido and Yashiro Nanakase is a male giant like Goro Daimon. The plot element of Chris acting as a new body for Orochi was developed in the early stages of production, but the staff considered using other ideas. At the start of production, the plan was for Chris to use the "Flame of Darkness (Black Flame)" but because viewing the black flame on a screen was difficult, its color was changed to purple. The final boss character Orochi was fist intended as "a buck-naked Chris" fighting with a shining energy ball. His final design was chosen after developers conducted a survey in which only two responders favored the first design. Orichi's character-design codename was "Chief", but several people opposed giving him the name "Orochi".

In regards to characters from other series, Blue Mary from Fatal Fury 3 was favored over her initial design. To have all eight of the servants of Orochi confirmed in this game, Ryuji Yamazaki from Fatal Fury 3 was chosen as the new member because the developers considered him to be a good villain and liked his snake-like appearance—the ancient Orochi was a giant snake. To adapt the character for KOF '97, the game planner provided Yamazaki with new moves. Yamazaki was too different from his Fatal Fury persona after Tanabe got the producer's permission.

The video-game journals Weekly Famitsu, Gamest and Neo Geo Freak conducted three reader polls to decide which characters would become members of '97 Special Team. Neo Geo Freak's winner was Billy Kane, Famitsu's was Yamazaki, and Gamest's was Blue Mary, who came second to Duck King from the Fatal Fury series. The three journals also created a team; players could view an image of them after beating the Japanese version of the game. Neo Geo Freak's staff chose a team of fire wielders: Billy, Kyo, and Mai Shiranui. Gamest's team consisted of Terry Bogard, Blue Mary and Joe Higashi, while Famitsu's team was composed of Chang Koehan, Choi Bounge and Ryuji Yamazaki.

Release

The King of Fighters '97 was first released in Japanese arcades on July 28, 1997. It was ported to the Neo Geo AES and the Neo-Geo CD on September 25, 1997 and October 30, 1997, respectively. A PlayStation version was released on May 28, 1998. The Sega Saturn version was published on March 26, 1998; it requires the same 1MB RAM cartridge used by the previous game. A "Saturn Best Collection" was first distributed on October 1, 1998, with a new cover and a lower price.

An emulated version of the game was released as part of The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga in 2008 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Wii. The Neo Geo AES version was added via emulation to the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on September 6, 2011, in North America on March 8, 2012, and in the PAL region on February 9, 2012. An emulated version was released for the mobile operating systems iOS and Android in 2013; the iOS version supports the iCade accessory.

The arcade version was emulated as part of the ACA Neo Geo series for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 2, 2017, with releases for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and iOS following. Another emulated release of the arcade version titled The King of Fighters '97 Global Match, featuring online multiplayer, was released in 2018 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Microsoft Windows via Steam.

Reception

Critical reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameNG: 4/5
Nintendo LifeWii: 8/10
Pocket GamerAND/iOS: 3/5
TouchArcadeiOS: 3.5/5
148AppsiOS: 4/5
Consoles NewsPS1: 8/10
Fun GenerationPS1: 6/10
MAN!ACSaturn/PS1: 85%
Mega FunPS1: 18%
Sega Saturn MagazineSaturn: 91%
Slide to PlayiOS: 3/4
Video GamesNGCD: 79%

Critics praised The King of Fighters '97 for its characters and narrative. AllGame wrote the game's presentation was the best in the series, calling it one of the best 2D fighting games. Hardcore Gaming 101 appreciated the new characters and their playstyle, and commended the seamless integration of the story into the game. The reviewer praised the gameplay changes as "great" but criticized the game was for being unbalanced, and described the controls as more responsive than in any previous entry in the series. The reviewer praised the game's soundtrack but noted players do not hear much of it during the game. Reviewing the Virtual Console release, Nintendo Life compared KOF '97 to KOF '95, saying the difference is huge; KOF '97 has more characters, improved animation and backgrounds, and more balanced artificial intelligence.

In 2021, Sportskeeda noted KOF '97 as "the most well-loved and well-known" game by the series' fan community. The website 1Up.com said the addition of the new Sacred Treasure Team is a proper conclusion to the Orochi story arc and praised the characters, most notably Kyo's arc, who has to deal with Orochi to save his girlfriend. According to Kotaku Kyo is the most-heroic character in the series, considering his role in the Orochi arc where he faces enemies with the Hero Team and Sacred Treasures. Media also praised the inclusion of Iori's and Leona's Orochi forms for their behavior and the violent methods they display in the story.

Video Games [de] and MAN!AC gave positive reviews for the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation ports, respectively, but criticized the excessively lengthy load times. Video Games deemedKOF '97 slightly worse than KOF '96. Comparing the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation ports, the magazine said the PlayStation version has marginally shorter load times. Consoles News said the PlayStation version's load times were optimized and noted it as the best PlayStation port of an SNK game, but was said it is inferior to the Sega Saturn port. Sega Saturn Magazine said KOF '97 was a return to form for the series after the disappointment of KOF '96. Overall, it was noted as a "great game" and a "fantastic update". Fun Generation did not like the visual presentation and the long load times, and called the music some of the worst on the PlayStation. The reviewer praised the game for its playability and recommended it only for experienced fighting-game fans. Mega Fun complained about the small sprites compared to those in the arcade version, and called the gameplay tired.

148Apps said the "iOS port holds up incredibly well" and the reviewer praised the wealth of control options. Slide to Play said the virtual controls work well but the button layout is too cluttered. Pocket Gamer reviewer called KOF '97 the best of the Orochi-Saga games but said it does not work well with touchscreen controls. TouchArcade reviewed the 2023 version approving the multiplayer options that makes one of the best mobile ports ever.. On a more negative note, Gaming Age gave the game a D+, saying the game is difficult to play and does not provide tutorials to learn how to play characters, and noted an input lag. Kenneth Brunton, writing for Bonus Stage UK, was more positive to the presentation and input lag, making the game more appealing to players if they ignore such issues.

Sales

In Japan, Game Machine listed The King of Fighters '97 in its September 1, 1997, issue as being the second-most-successful arcade game of the month. By August 1998, The King of Fighters '97 had shipped 50,000 arcade sets in Japan and 100,000 overseas, the highest number among Neo Geo games. According to Famitsu, the AES version sold over 19,900 copies in its first week on the market.

During its release week, the Sega Saturn port of the game sold 94,327 copies in Japan. As of 2004, the game had sold 156,717 copies in Japan. The PlayStation port sold 160,124 units.

Legacy

The King of Fighters '97 was followed by The King of Fighters '98. The developers wanted to bring back old characters, and Vice and Mature were given new moves. The introduction of the classic Kyo Kusanagi from KOF '97 was noted to be "a hit" with gamers. The developers added new alternative versions of other characters to the sequels, leading to the creation of the Kyo clones Kyo-1 and Kyo-2, from The King of Fighters '99, and the now-more-experienced Kyo had new moves.

Yumekobo and SNK developed a game titled The King of Fighters: Kyo, which was based on Masato Natsumoto's eponymous manga, was released on August 27, 1998, in Japan for the Sony PlayStation. The game is presented as a visual novel set before The King of Fighters '97, with fights arranged in a similar fashion to turn-based role-playing games. The player-character primarily confronts Kyo.

KOF '97 also inspired a spin-off light novel titled The King of Fantasy: Yagami Iori's Another World ~Remember When You See The Moon!~ (ザ・キング・オブ・ファンタジー 八神庵の異世界無双 ~月を見るたび思い出せ!~, The King of Fantasy: Yagami Iori no Isekai Musō ~Tsukio Miru Tabi Omoidase!~), which was written by Nobuhiko Tenkawa and illustrated by Eisuke Ogura. It was published in 2019 by Kadokawa Shoten. The novel primarily focuses on Iori and Kyo, who are trapped in another world after Orochi's defeat, and the meet alternate versions of the characters from the games.

Notes

  1. Japanese: ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ'97, Hepburn: Za Kingu Obu Faitāzu '97
  2. ^ Boss character

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