In spite of this incident, however, the KOF '96 tournament was an overwhelming commercial success. A few months after, the event triggered a fighting craze and various large corporations, expressing interest in the fad, offered to sponsor subsequent tournaments, leading to a demand for an eagerly awaited KOF '97. The fad reached all over the globe and in no time KOF '97 came into being.

With the decision to hold the tournament, fighters began to gather at various venues for the preliminary matches and approached the tournament with various motives, some came to test their abilities while others entered for wealth and fame. Word of the tournament came through all forms of the media, and fans from far and wide gathered to witness the white-hot preliminary battles. Concomitant to the preliminary matches, came the construction of various KOF stadiums throughout the world. Naturally the anticipation for the KOF '97 tournament exceeded historical precedent and it soon became obvious to everyone that the current tournament, as with the previous one, would reach a remarkable climax.

What team will win the tournament that the eyes of the whole world will look on and wear the KOF crown of victory? And does an incident similar to the unexpected accident of last year's tournament threaten to mar the festivities? All of the world's attention is focused on this year's tournament. KOF '97 is here!
 

 
PREVIEW:  In February 20177, SNK officially announced The King of Fighters '97: Global Match, an online-enabled version of the classic 2D fighter from... you guessed it... 1997. Not many details are available yet, but KOF '97: Global Match has been confirmed for release on Playstation 4 and Playstation Vita (with cross-play), as well as Steam in April 2018. 

 
Now with more gameplay and team customization options than ever, KOF '97 was already the best KOF game to date. On top of new gameplay and character tweaks, the character order selection, Versus screen, and pre-fight interactions also breathed new life into the graphics engine. Colors and character sprites seem brighter and more vibrant than in past games, and the stage designs are some of the most energetic to date. KOF '97's artwork and soundtrack also helped the game stand out from the crowd. 
 

Page Updated: February 9th, 2018 Developer(s): SNK Publisher(s): SNK Artwork by: Shinkiro Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Steam Release Date(s): April 2018 Characters:  Kyo, Benimaru, Daimon, Andy, Terry, Joe, Ryo, Robert, Mai, King, Yuri, Ralf, Leona, Clark, Athena, Kensou, Chin, Chizuru, Yashiro, Shermie, Chris, Shingo, Iori, Chang, Kim, Choi, Yamazaki, Blue Mary, Billy Kane, Orochi, Orochi Chris, Orochi Shermie, Orochi Yashiro Featured Video: Related Games: The King of Fighters '97, KOF R1, KOF '94, KOF '94: Re-bout, KOF '95, KOF '96, KOF '98, KOF '98: Ultimate Match, KOF '99, KOF 2000, KOF 2001, KOF 2002, KOF 2002: Unlimited Match, KOF 2003, KOF XI, KOF XII, KOF XIII, KOF XIV, KOF: Maximum Impact, KOF: Maximum Impact MANIAX, KOF: Maximum Impact 2, KOF: Maximum Impact Regulation A, KOF: Neowave, KOF EX Neo Blood, KOF EX2 Howling Blood, KOF R2, KOF Collection: Orochi Saga    Gameplay Engine    Story / Theme    Overall Graphics    Animation    Music / Sound Effects    Innovation    Art Direction    Customization     Options / Extras     Intro / Presentation     Replayability / Fun     "Ouch" Factor     Characters     BOTTOM LINE          First Impression: It's curious that SNK would re-release KOF '97... with a title change and all. KOF '98: Ultimate Match and KOF 2002: Unlimited Match were decent re-releases, but the newer PS4 ports of Garou: Mark of the Wolves and The Last Blade 2 also had online modes... and they didn't get a name change or anything. I wonder what their reasoning for that is.  In any case, I'm sure fans of the 1997 classic will enjoy playing online. I wonder if they'll add any new characters.     ~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen      Click Here for more animated backgrounds!