A guy, some clones, and a god walk into a bar…
We’re just a few weeks away from the launch of the great-lookingKing of Fighters XVand, quite honestly, the buzz around it is far bigger than many of the legendary franchise’s more-recent entries. Cottoning on to the fact that the new sequel might be attracting new fans,SNK superfan NeoGeoNowis releasing a series of videos to get folks up to speed onKoF‘s surprisingly deep and complex lore.
It’s noKingdom Hearts, but with over 100 fighters, three arcs, and over 12 games, there’s a lot to cover.
This first video looks at the firstKing of Fightersarc, known to devotees as “The Orochi Saga.” SpanningThe King of Fighters ’94, The King of Fighters ’95, The King of Fighters ’96,andThe King of Fighters ’97,this narrative concerns rival poster boys Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami. While the two resident hunks are in a deeply embittered rivalry, they are brought together by the mysterious Chizuru Kagura to prevent the return of the terrifying, world-destroying demon, Orochi.
Of course, this is just a brief overview ofKing of Fighters’lore. Back in the day,each and everyteam and character has their own plotline, running through each and every game. Seriously, I used to have them all printed out and stored in a ring binder because I’m a massive fucking nerd. However, these new videos, clearly the result of many hours of hard work, will offer you the bullet-point version ofKoF‘s decades-long lore.
No doubt the next lore video will look at the interminable NESTS saga, coveringThe King of Fighters ’99toThe King of Fighters 2001. Great new characters and fab fashion, but clones, clones, and more clones.
The King of Fighters XVlaunches February 17 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.
