The King of Fighters '97

The King of Fighters '97 for PlayStation is SNK’s 2D team fighting game, released in Japan on May 28, 1998. It is the fourth numbered entry in The King of Fighters series and a home conversion of SNK’s 1997 Neo Geo arcade game. Ukiyotei developed this PlayStation version and SNK published it. Built around fast one-on-one rounds between three-person teams, KOF ’97 brings together characters from across SNK fighting games while carrying the series’ ongoing tournament story toward the conclusion of its Orochi saga.

A match begins by selecting three fighters, then sending them into battle one at a time. The winner stays on screen to face the next opponent, so preserving health, reading an opponent’s habits, and choosing a strong order all matter. Standard movement, jumps, attacks, throws, special moves, and defensive options give each fighter a distinct rhythm, while the team format lets players build a group around familiar favorites or experiment with combinations in Edit Team. The PlayStation game supports one or two players, whether facing the computer’s tournament ladder alone or challenging another player locally.

KOF ’97’s defining mechanical addition is its choice of two fighting systems before the team is chosen. Advanced Mode develops the approach used in KOF ’96: its Power Gauge is built through offense and special moves, can be stocked, and can be spent on stronger Super Special Moves or MAX status. It also uses an emergency roll for evasive movement. Extra Mode recalls the earlier KOF ’94 and KOF ’95 style, allowing the gauge to be charged directly or filled while defending; it substitutes a sidestep for the roll and changes the circumstances in which powerful attacks become available. The two systems make the same roster feel meaningfully different without changing the game’s basic three-on-three structure.

The tournament draws established KOF regulars and guests from other SNK series. Newcomers include Kyo Kusanagi’s eager student Shingo Yabuki and the New Faces Team of Yashiro Nanakase, Shermie, and Chris. Blue Mary, Ryuji Yamazaki, and Billy Kane form a special team drawn from Fatal Fury, expanding the crossover character lineup. Team Edit makes it possible to create custom trios rather than remain with the preset groups, and some selected combinations lead to different story scenes and endings. Hidden characters and altered boss encounters add further variations for players who revisit the game with different teams.

The story follows a renewed King of Fighters tournament after the unexplained catastrophe surrounding KOF ’96. As fighters arrive with their own reasons for entering, the event becomes tied to Orochi and to the danger surrounding Kyo, Iori Yagami, Chizuru Kagura, and their connection to the Sacred Treasures. The arcade progression can branch around the team selected, including encounters involving the Riot of the Blood. That focus makes KOF ’97 more closely tied to its plot than a simple exhibition fighter: the selected characters help determine which pieces of the final chapter are seen before the decisive battle.

On PlayStation, KOF ’97 gives the annual SNK fighter a console-specific presentation while retaining the series’ sprite-based combat and team strategy. The port includes an artwork gallery and an unlockable demo feature for revisiting sequences associated with completed teams. Its release followed the original MVS arcade board, Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD editions, as well as a Sega Saturn version released earlier in 1998. For players exploring the PlayStation library or the wider KOF timeline, The King of Fighters ’97 is the installment where the Orochi storyline reaches its climax and where Advanced and Extra Mode offer two approaches to the same competitive foundation.