Jump to content

K'

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from K′)

K′
The King of Fighters character
First gameThe King of Fighters '99 (1999)
Created byShin'ichi Morioka
Voiced byJapanese
Yuuki Matsuda[1] (KOF '99 - KOF XIII)
Yoshihisa Kawahara (KOF XIV - onwards)
Yūki Ono (KOF for Girls)[2]
English
Andrew Scott (KOFMI series - KOF: Another Day)
In-universe information
Fighting stylePure violence (暴力) + Jeet Kune Do

K Dash (Japanese: ケイ・ダッシュ, Hepburn: Kei Dasshu, commonly stylized as K′ and also known as K Prime in certain English language materials) is a character from The King of Fighters fighting game series developed by SNK. He debuted as the leader of the Hero Team in The King of Fighters '99, released in 1999. He often stars as the reluctant hero. K′ is a young man who lost all his memories when the NESTS syndicate captured him and injected the DNA of Kyo Kusanagi to replicate his pyrokinetic abilities. While rebelling against organization, K' forms multiple bonds with other NESTS agents. Aside from the main series, K' also appears in several other media series, such as spin-offs and crossover video games, as well as printed adaptations of the series.

He was created to be a "dark hero" in contrast to the series' previous protagonist Kyo. While K''s gameplay has been altered across the franchise in order to be more stylish, his physical appearance has generally remained unchanged. SNK artist Falcoon still tried giving K' different outfits in the Maximum Impact spin-offs in order to attract more gamers as well as giving him more variety.

Since his introduction in the series, K' has received both praise and criticism by video game publications. The character's gameplay and role in the story has been praised to the point of often being listed as one of best ones from the series. His absence in The King of Fighters XII was controversial and his return in the following game was due mainly to his popularity as a character.

Conception and creation

[edit]

To contrast the previous protagonist of the series, Kyo Kusanagi, K' was made to be the "dark hero".[3] During the early phases of the development of The King of Fighters '99, the introduction of K' to the series was meant to remove popular characters Kyo and Iori Yagami from the roster—though this idea was scrapped before the game's release.[4] Eiji, one of the game's designers, commented that he thought K' would be more popular than he turned out to be, noting that K' was too plain.[5] Nevertheless, character designer Tatsuhiko Kanaoka, better known as "Falcoon", said K' was one of his favorite original King of Fighters characters.[6] He further compared him with Dante, the main character of Devil May Cry based on their anti-heroic traits.[7] Fellow designer Hiroaki Hashimoto said that while most characters felt difficult to illustrate, K' did not give him problems, making him the easiest character during his game debut, The King of Fighters 2000.[8] Furthermore, Hiroaki said that he has memorised the design of K' to the point he never needed to check an image in order to draw a different stance involving the character. In one of the images he made, Hiroaki's superiors said that his eyes were incorrectly colored but Hiroaki insisted it was made on purpose and as in multiple arts K' stares at Kula Diamond and thus his eye color reflects Kula's.[9] In terms of design, Shin'ichi Morioka was responsible for the K''s look. He based K' on Cool, a character from the arcade fighting game The Fallen Angels.[10] When drawing him, Falcoon states K' can be challenging due to similar parts within his appearance.[11] When exploring K''s role in KOF: Maximum Impact 2, Ureshino took notes from SNK members who worked in The King of Fighters 2001 as he was not present for such work. He enjoyed the handling of the NESTS' experiments and wanted to explore more K' and Kula's relationship in upcoming works.[12]

Writer Akihiko Ureshino said K' has a hard time coming up with a motivation to participate in the game because of his attribute of "hating KOF". Following on from last time, here are some random thoughts about the people around him. For K', Maxima is not a rival, nemesis, senior, or lover, but a colleague. For K', Maxima was like a living smart speaker who looked after him in every way. Even after overcoming the battle with NESTS at the end of 2001, a friendship probably had not developed between the two, but the fact that they continue to act together despite being able to escape on their own is because both K' and Maxima recognize each other as a kind of comrades in arms K' and the others have a pseudo-family-like character structure. With just the absent-minded but "earnest father" Whip, the "dependable mother" Maxima, and the rebellious son K', the family would be too strained and unbalanced, but with the addition of the innocent "younger sister" Kula, helped give the cast a more lovable status. Despite highly unsociable, K' becomes more open to other due to his interactions with Kula. K9999 was more of a pushover than a rival to K'. They do not share the same friendly rivalry like Iori to Kyo, and it's not a problem if he's not around. The novelization of 2001 was written with this in mind.[13]

While the character has always worn a black clothing, Falcoon has attempted to do a simpler designs that might show more sex appeal while at the same time giving him more variety in terms of clothing.[14] For the spin-off games known as Maximum Impact, Falcoon, produced multiple alternate costumes. The normal costume that has uniform levels of a hard image throughout. Whether it's his "color E" with its overflowing roughness that is evocative of a wild dog or his "color G" that emphasizes himself as a motorcyclist, this is a design that has succeeded in magnifying his image on many levels regardless of the variation according to Falcoon. Him exposing his upper-half with his "another color" and having characteristics such as sunglasses on him, a wild image of him is portrayed.[15] Music composer Sha-V suggested that K' should yell "Dora!" or "Ora!" to mirror Kyo and Iori's shouts, "Kurae!" and "Doushita!" respectively. Konny, another music composer, jokingly wondered if K' is trying to say the word "dry", since the first word of his yell was "Dorei!"[16] Originally, K' was voiced by Yuuki Matsuda. However, by The King of Fighters XIV, he was replaced by Yoshihisa Kawahara.[17] For the otome game, The King of Fighters: For Girls, Yūki Ono is voicing the character who worked hard with Maxima's voice actor to perform a duet. He enjoy this take of the characters and was looking forward to the audience's reaction.[18]

It has been noted by several of the series' designers that K' is one of the most difficult characters to illustrate, since his look is very different when he is drawn by different illustrators.[19] In the early development of the game, K' had a slicked back hairstyle, but as it was nixed by his powers, the character's hair was changed. They also jokingly mentioned that the reason for his hair being bushier than it needed to be may be a reflection of the conditions around him. The King of Fighters '99 was developed at the same time as Garou: Mark of the Wolves; developers noted several similarities between K' and Mark of the Wolves' main character, Rock Howard, which caused K''s designer to become very nervous.[20] For The King of Fighters XIII, the producer Masaaki Kukineo mentions that the team were pursuing a more "cooler" version of K' where he now keeps his sunglasses on during the fight. He wanted fans to pay close attention to his new animations. [21]

The destruction of K''s glove in The King of Fighters inspired the character's stances in later games.

Fighting style

[edit]

K''s fighting style is simply called Pure Violence (暴力, Bōryoku), which involves him using the fire from his right hand along with martial arts moves, including some of similar movement from Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia.[20] The producer of The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match, Neogeo Hakase, advised advanced players to use K' stating that once the player had learned how to control him, the character would become very strong during fights.[22] The character also uses Jeet Kune Do moves like the one-inch punch, as references to late martial artist Bruce Lee.[23] His gameplay mechanics were developed so that gamers who had used him before would not find his new gameplay mechanics strange. He was made to be good at long distances and medium distances. In addition, SNK tried making it possible to use the technical composition and usage in the same way as the past title. In contrast to Kyo's flames, K''s were designed with intention of making them look more violent. SNK recommended players using the Crow Bites (クロウバイツ, Kurō Baitsu) EX mode which was based on KOF 2003's Heavens Drive (ヘブンズドライブ, Hebunzu Doraibu) in order to create multiple attacks in a single combo.[24]

As a result of various The King of Fighters endings showing K' removing his red glove, a special move was required to show him doing the same thing. After thinking of several methods that would show this, the staff was inspired by The King of Fighters HK Comics printed adaptations in which the character's glove once broke after defeating his opponent, leading to his winpose that happens only after he has used his strongest technique. The team made various revisions of K''s "Chain Drive" (チェーンドライブ, Chēn Doraibu) technique that required multiple touches to generate a major visual impact. This technique was named the Hyper Chain Drive. In order to better follow the material that inspired the move, the staff decided to make K' fight while wearing his sunglasses. This version generated popular response according to the developers.[24]

Appearances

[edit]

In video games

[edit]

An antisocial teenager,[25][26] K' makes his debut as a playable character in The King of Fighters '99. K' and his comrade Maxima hear of a King of Fighters tournament being held by NESTS and decide to participate in it and face NESTS head-on. They form a "Hero Team" along with Benimaru Nikaido and Shingo Yabuki.[27] The Hero Team is taken to a NESTS base, where they meet NESTS' agent Krizalid, who claims that K' was cloned from him; both are ignorant of the fact that K′ was the original.[28][29] Following Krizalid's defeat, K' and Maxima become targets of NESTS.[30] In The King of Fighters 2000, K' and Maxima enter a new tournament, along with mercenaries Vanessa and Ramón. K′ and Maxima enter the tournament to discover NESTS' scheme, but Vanessa and Ramón are using them to find NESTS.[31] K′ and his team make it to the finals and face NESTS' agent Zero. After Zero's defeat, K' has a dream involving his sister. He wakes up with Maxima as well as Whip, the clone of his sister.[32]

In The King of Fighters 2001, K', Maxima, and Whip are joined by Lin, a Hizoku assassin who has a grudge against Ron, who betrayed the Hizoku to join NESTS.[33] During the tournament, K' and his team face the original Zero, the one they met during the events of The King of Fighters 2000 having been a clone, and the new NESTS leader, Igniz, who has the secrets to unlock K''s memories.[34] After Igniz commits suicide, K′ forms an alliance with Kula Diamond, a clone designed to be the Anti-K', and her guardian Diana to continue their lives.[35][36] In The King of Fighters 2002, a game without a storyline, K′ is a playable character, along with Maxima and Whip.[37]

In The King of Fighters 2003, K' and Maxima are requested to enter that year's tournament by Chin Gentsai to investigate a dark wave around the King of Fighters.[38] In the finals, K' faces Mukai, a demon who belongs to the group "Those from the Past". Although K' defeats Mukai, he is bothered by Mukai's taunts about reaching his true potential.[39] In The King of Fighters XI, K' enters the tournament with Maxima and Kula, in order to surpass his limits.[40] Following the tournament K' and his partners are invited by Whip's team to investigate the existence of Mukai's allies.[41] The King of Fighters XIII retains the same team from The King of Fighters XI, with K′ teaming with Kula and Maxima. Once again forced to team up, K' and his comrades continue investigating the motives behind Mukai's superiors in a ruins. During the ending, the group go to take a vacation but are attacked by soldiers.[42][43] K''s team once again join the tournament in The King of Fighters XIV following requests from Whip's team to search missing NESTS agents. In the ending, the team goes on a search for the mysterious fighter that interrupted the tournament.[44][45] He is set to return in The King of Fighters XV, having had been persuaded by both Maxima and Whip to find and apologize to Kula for being to careless towards her and resulting her to join a team consisting defected NESTS agents Angel and the mysterious Krohnen McDougall.[46]

Aside from the main series, K' has also appeared in other media from The King of Fighters series. K' appears in the spin-off video game series The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact and Neowave. In Neowave, K' is playable, as are Maxima and Whip; while in Maximum Impact, he fights alone (as do all characters in the game).[47][48] While only appearing as an assist character in The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood, K' can be unlocked across the game.[49] In the Maximum Impact series, he enters into the King of Fighters tournaments searching for the host who sponsored it and meet the doctor who might repair Maxima's cybernetic body. He is also present in The King of Fighters All Star where writer Akihiko Ureshino regard this portrayal of K' more aggressive and talkative than the original one.[50][51] In the crossover video game Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, K' is featured as a playable character. In his ending, a frustrated K' feeks relief after realizing that while his memories still have not come back, he formed bonds with Maxima and Kula.[52][53] He is also a character card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter DS,[54] He is also present in the RPG Kimi wa Hero,[55] and Clash of Kings.[56] Though unplayable, K' appears The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise,[57] as well as in Kula's endings from both Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting and SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy.[58][59]

In other media

[edit]

In the anime The King of Fighters: Another Day, K' is featured prominently in the third chapter.[60] K' also appears in the manhua adaptation of The King of Fighters: Zillion that was created by Andy Seto. He stars in other manhua for the games, starting with The King of Fighters 2001 through 2003, as well as the Maximum Impact series.[61] In the KOF XII manhua, K' seen fighting against Mukai's ally, Magaki, but with the help of Kula and Nameless, another NESTS former agent.[62] Another adaptation of the NESTS games focuses on K''s life ever since his rebellion against the group until Zero's defeat.[63][64] He also appears in the CD dramas KOF 2000, in which he confronts Kula, Diamond, and in KOF: Mid Summer Struggle, in which he appears in a fake King of Fighters tournament.[65][66] The manga A New Beginning features K', Kula and Maxima joining into another tournament.[67] He is also present in multiple novelizations of the series by Akihiko Ureshino.[68][69] The character has appeared in a dating sim part of the Days of Memories series and the otome game King of Fighters for Girls.[70][71]

Reception

[edit]

The character K' been used as the mascot for The King of Fighters's 15th anniversary.[72] He has received praise and criticism from several video game publications and other media. Uve Juegos regarded K' as one of the best new characters from The King of Fighters '99 while[73] Scott Daylor from CultureCuartel labelled him a "lame" addition to the character roster.[74] HoneyAnime listed him as the 8th best KOF character due to his personality and fighting stye,[75] while Top Ten's readers voted him as the third KOF character.[76] Andres Rojas from Nintendo World Report referred to K' as "a fighter not to be reckoned with" as well as a comical "Michael Jackson wannabe".[77] 1UP.com praised K' as among the most inspired new character designs in The King of Fighters series since Iori Yagami in The King of Fighters '95, noting his unique fighting style: merely "Violence" which contrasted with other known fighting styles. Additionally, 1UP.com noted that anything involving the character's sunglasses qualified as the best pose from the game.[78] Similarly, Josh Kramer of Thunderbolt enjoyed K''s design alongside Iori.[79] In another review, Jeremy Dunham of IGN noted that Eolith had re-voiced K' in The King of Fighters 2001 for PlayStation 2, listing the character among those that provided "plenty of old-school enjoyment".[80] Gaming Age writer Jeff Keely took a liking to K' due to how he uses Kyo's techniques but in projectile forms.[81] Arcade Sushi ranked him as the "5th best fighting game good guy" finding his fighting style superior to Kyo's finding the former "cool".[82] Den of Geek listed K' as the 24th best The King of Fighters with the writer finding his story as one of the best parts from the NESTS saga despite initially disliking him. Additionally, the writer enjoyed his fighting style calling his "badass animations".[83] On the other hand, Complex listed him as one of gaming's "douchiest" characters based on his outfit and the way he attacks enemies.[84] 4thLetter enjoyed the contrast between K''s characterization from his teammates, Maxima and Kula, noting that the team's ending from XIII has him enjoying a vacation by beating up unknown enemies.[85] In a history article of SNK, GameSpot described Kula as the yin to K''s yang due to how different are both characters in terms of elements they control while fighting.[86]

On the official SNK Playmore King of Fighters anniversary website, an image of K' drawn in the style of the other The King of Fighters XII participants appeared, along with a similar image of Mai Shiranui, leading to speculation that they would appear in the game.[87][88] UTV Ignition Entertainment's business development director Shane Bettenhausen refused to answer these rumors, but noted fans asked more often about Mai's absence.[89] None of them made it into the game which caused discontent within gamers.[90][91] In an official press releases by Atlus regarding The King of Fighters XIII, it was stated that K''s return was because of popular demand.[92][93] His return along with his two teammates, Maxima and Kula, as well as Mai, has been met with praise by video game publications,[94][95] with GamePro labeling as one of the best ones alongside Mai based on their appearances.[96] Shoryuken noted that despite how overpowered K' became in the patched version of KOF XIV, players would enjoy playing as him,[97] while Vandal referred to him as series' most popular characters.[98] A reviewer from GameSpot stated he played 20 hours of KOF XIV maining mostly K' before doing an article about the game which he enjoyed.[99] PlayStation Universe regarded K' as "one of the coolest, most popular characters in the KOF Series" while also making sure people come to enjoy his moves alongside Kula's.[100] Despite concerns with the 3D models of the cast from XIV, Meristation noted K' was still recognizable from his previous incarnations thanks to the level of detail in his design.[101] Critics have also commented on the character's role in the printed adaptations of the franchise. A. E. Sparrow, reviewing the graphic novel King of Fighters 2003: Volume 4 for IGN, commented that K' is "sufficiently heroic" with the comic allowing the exploration of his motivations.[102] Reviewing volume five, Mania Entertainment's Ben Leary said the K'-heavy storyline makes "one of the wildest transitions I've seen in a comic yet" with K' involved in a conflict related to Japanese mythology for no apparent reason. However, he said that the way K' receives new powers to defeat Mukai is "self-contradictory" and that "nothing really happens as a result" of this event.[103] Famitsu noted that while K' was originally a weak fighter, The King of Fighters XV made his fight style more effective to use even if his new Climax requires more focus to properly execute.[104]

Merchandising based on K' has been released including action figures and clothing for cosplaying.[105][106]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ SNK. The King of Fighters '99 (Neo Geo). SNK. Level/area: Credits.
  2. ^ "『KOF』の女性向け『KOF乙女』発表。友情あり恋愛ありのイケメン格闘家育成ゲーム". dengekionline.com (in Japanese). June 12, 2019. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  3. ^ Akihiko Ureshino, ed. (September 20, 2005). The King of Fighters Perfect Reader (in Japanese). Nikkei Business Publications. p. 139. ISBN 978-4-8222-1711-2.
  4. ^ SNK Playmore. "Kyo Kusanagi-1 Official Profile". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  5. ^ SNK Playmore. "Interview with Eiji". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  6. ^ "Interview with Falcoon". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  7. ^ "Falcoon". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  8. ^ "Hiroaki". SNK. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  9. ^ "The Illustrators of SNK – 2001 Developer Interview". Shmuplations. Archived from the original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  10. ^ "クール". Atwiki. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  11. ^ "京に代わる新主人公として99年に登場したK'。彼を描くのは難しく、少し気を抜くとロックや楓(覚醒)が混じりこんでしまう。要はパーツが似ているということだ。寡黙でスレたダークヒーローとして出発した彼はKOFの中でもかなりお気に入り". Twitter. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  12. ^ "で、キャンディーって直ったの?". SNK Playmore (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  13. ^ "【SNK】K'と○○【KOF】". Note. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  14. ^ "Falcoon". Twitter. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  15. ^ The King of Fighters Maximum Impact Artbook (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. June 17, 2006. p. 52. ISBN 978-4-7973-3543-9.
  16. ^ "KOF 2000 Diary" (in Japanese). Neo Geo official website archived by Personal Triticom. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  17. ^ "The King of Fighters XIV cast". SNK. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  18. ^ "Yuki Ono". Kof G. Archived from the original on January 21, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  19. ^ "Interview with Wing Yan and King Tung". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  20. ^ a b "K' Official Profile". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  21. ^ "早く遊んでほしい! 『KOF XIII』開発スタッフ2人が稼働直前の気持ちを告白!" (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. July 13, 2011. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  22. ^ "INTERVIEW WITH NEOGEO HAKASE THE PRODUCER OF KOF 2002 UM". SNK Playmore. Facebook. November 15, 2010. Archived from the original on December 3, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  23. ^ "◆ ワイン<わいん" (in Japanese). Neo Geo. Archived from the original on November 16, 2001. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  24. ^ a b "チーム紹介 K'チーム" (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. July 18, 2011. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  25. ^ SNK Playmore. The King of Fighters XIII. Atlus. Yuri: You're always scowling. Does any good ever come of just scowling all the time!?" / K′: "What do YOU think!? Of course not. Don't be an idiot." Yuri: "Then why are you such a sourpuss all the time?" / K': "I'm sick of all your rambling... This is just who I am.
  26. ^ SNK Playmore. The King of Fighters XIII. Atlus. Kensou: "What are you still being so nihilistic for? That stopped being cool ages ago! It's all about having a sense of humor now! You should memorize a couple of good jokes!" / K′:' "What are you on about? It doesn't sound so funny to me... It's more annoying than anything else... Get out of here before you get hurt!"
  27. ^ "Hero Team Story 99". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on June 29, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  28. ^ SNK (July 22, 1999). The King of Fighters '99 (Neo Geo). SNK. Whip: You really are a simp. Who else can it be, but K′? / Krizalid: But, he's my clone...! Oh, no! It can't be! / Whip: You got it, gruel breath. You're one of K's clones!
  29. ^ SNK (July 22, 1999). The King of Fighters '99 (Neo Geo). SNK. Shingo: Kyo Kusanagi! / Krizalid: Actually, he's a clone taken after the Orochi battle. The real one eluded us. And K′, there, is my clone. A product of our Vtechnology.K': Saaay what? / Krizalid: You think differently? Remember your parents' faces? Your childhood...? Can't do it, can you? / K':: Uh, n, no... Benimaru: Just what're you scheming? / Krizalid: Clones'll seize major cities and our Cartel will rule!/Benimaru: What!? / Krizalid: K', Maxima, your final mission, help create the trigger data./Maxima: Trigger data?/Krizalid: The killer instinct! You want it, huh, K'? /K': Well, uh.../Krizalid: I'll take that as a, 'yes.' Seize them, you clones!
  30. ^ SNK (July 22, 1999). The King of Fighters '99 (Neo Geo). SNK. ????: We are NESTS Cartel. The new world order. Out future, is now!/ Shingo: We've lost everybody./ Benimaru: Let's get going, we're not safe here./Shingo: Aaaah!/Benimaru: Shingo!/Maxima: Oh, what now!? Maybe I can get out in the confusion. K'! Are you okay?/K′: The Globe's gone crazy!/Maxima: Holy shish-kabob, K'! You're going to be toast!/K′: What, this? You can take it? Are you up to it, Maxima?/Maxima: If it's like the last time, I can handle a 100 blasts... I think./K': Whooo-ooooh!
  31. ^ "Hero Team Story 2000". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  32. ^ SNK (July 26, 2000). The King of Fighters 2000 (Neo Geo). SNK. Maxima: Who are you...!?/K′: .../Maxima: What'll it be? Do you believe?/K': I do as I please. You serious? There're only 3 of us here!? This ain't going to be easy!
  33. ^ "Hero Team Story 2001". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on June 29, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  34. ^ BrezzaSoft (November 15, 2001). The King of Fighters 2001 (Neo Geo). Eolith. Igniz: Welcome back, K′. You had to win, I created you. You standing here, K', means my clones have succeeded. / K': Say again, ugly? / Igniz: You were selected from the start to do my bidding. You, Maxima, Whip, no, Seirah... Exited NESTS to grow... But you, along with Kula, had to be relieved of your memories. To become the strongest, you had to fight without thinking.
  35. ^ BrezzaSoft (November 15, 2001). The King of Fighters 2001 (Neo Geo). Eolith. Igniz: If I am not worthy to become a god... I shall become a demon! All will return to nothing!"/ Whip: He's going to blow us up!/ .../ Whip: Time to return a favor, eh?/ K′: ...Yeah, I guess so. Let's go! Our real battle is about to begin.
  36. ^ BrezzaSoft (November 15, 2001). The King of Fighters 2001 (Neo Geo). Eolith. K′: Thanks to them, I am free. My long captivity is over! / Kula: Uh-huh. / K': Let's blow this place. Time to make up for a lit bad for a gaggle of women, winning the KOF...
  37. ^ "King of Fighters 2003". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  38. ^ "K' Team Story 2003". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  39. ^ SNK Playmore (November 15, 2003). The King of Fighters 2003 (Neo Geo). SNK Playmore. Mukai: I'll be looking forward to it... K′: ........!!! GOOOH-KAAAAHHH!!!!
  40. ^ "K' Team Story XI". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  41. ^ SNK Playmore. The King of Fighters XI (PlayStation 2). SNK Playmore.
  42. ^ "The King of Fighters XIII Characters" (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on April 28, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  43. ^ SNK Playmore. The King of Fighters XIII. Index Digital Media.
  44. ^ "K's Prologue Story". SNK. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  45. ^ SNK Playmore. The King of Fighters XIV (PlayStation 4). SNK.
  46. ^ "King of Fighters XV Game Highlights Character K' in Trailer". Anime News Network. June 14, 2023. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  47. ^ "The King of Fighters Neowave official website". SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
  48. ^ "The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2 official website". SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
  49. ^ "Trucos The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood" (in Spanish). Eliteguias. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  50. ^ "【新作】『KOF』シリーズの大ファンが見た『KOF ALLSTAR』の魅力とは?". Famitsu. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  51. ^ Akihiko Ureshino [@a_ureshino] (February 6, 2020). "おるすたくんのK'、やたら饒舌でアグレッシブだな。" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  52. ^ "Neo Geo Battle Coliseum official website". SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on November 4, 2006. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
  53. ^ SNK Playmore. NeoGeo Battle Coliseum (PlayStation 2). SNK Playmore.
  54. ^ "SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  55. ^ "「キミヒロ×KOF」コラボイベント第2弾開催!" (in Japanese). SNK. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  56. ^ "Clash of Kings". Appbank. August 25, 2018. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  57. ^ "DC KOF '99 Evolution". NeoGeo. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  58. ^ SNK Playmore. Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting (PlayStation 4). SNK.
  59. ^ SNK Playmore. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy (PlayStation 4). SNK.
  60. ^ SNK Playmore. KOF Maximum Impact 2 (PlayStation 2). SNK Playmore. Level/area: The King of Fighters: Another Day.
  61. ^ "Remembrances of KOF: An Interview with Eiji". King of Fighters 10th Anniversary Official Website. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  62. ^ Otto, Nekketsu (2009). The King of Fighters XII, Volume 12. Lucky Dragon Comics. ISBN 978-2-07-332100-8.
  63. ^ Ricky. King of Fighters R-X. Vol. 1. SNK Playmore.
  64. ^ Ricky. The King Of Fighters Remix: The End of NESTS EPISODE. Vol. 1. SNK Playmore.
  65. ^ Ureshino, Akihiko (September 20, 2000). The King of Fighters 2000. Scitron.
  66. ^ Ureshino, Akihiko (September 16, 2005). The King of Fighters Perfect Reader. SNK Playmore. ISBN 9784822217112.
  67. ^ "Round 2" (in Japanese). Shonen Magazine. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  68. ^ Ureshino, Aikhiko (2000). ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ2000―ICICLE DOLL [The King of Fighters 2000 ~ICICLE DOLL] (in Japanese). SNK. ISBN 978-4757702790.
  69. ^ Ureshino, Aikhiko (1999). ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ'99―BEYOND THE"K" [The King of Fighters '99 ~BEYOND THE "K"] (in Japanese). SNK. ISBN 978-4757205970.
  70. ^ "SNK, Victor Entertainment Reveal 'King of Fighters for Girls' Smartphone Game". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 13, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  71. ^ "僕と彼女と古都の恋" (in Japanese). SNK Playmore. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  72. ^ "The King of Fighters Official Website". The King of Fighters 15th anniversary official website (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
  73. ^ "Cuatro ya son multitud". Uvejuegos. Archived from the original on October 14, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  74. ^ Daylor, Scott (May 15, 2002). "King of Fighters '99 Review". CultureCuartel.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  75. ^ "Top 10 King of Fighters Characters". Top Tens. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  76. ^ "Top 10 Best King of Fighters Characters Best List". Honey Anime. May 15, 2016. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  77. ^ Rojas, Andres (July 20, 2001). "King of Fighters EX: Neoblood". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  78. ^ "History Of... The King of Fighters, SNK's classic team-based 2D fighting series". 1UP.com. UGO Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  79. ^ Kramer, Josh (February 26, 2005). "King of Fighters 02/03". Thunderbolt. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  80. ^ Dunham, Jeremy (December 11, 2003). "King of Fighters 2000/2001". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  81. ^ Keely, Jeff. "King of Fighters '99- Evolution". Gaming Age. Archived from the original on November 23, 2002. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  82. ^ "10 Best Fighting Game Good Guys". Arcade Sushi. June 4, 2013. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  83. ^ "King of Fighters: Ranking All the Characters" (Press release). Den of Geek. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  84. ^ "The 25 Douchiest Video Game Characters" (Press release). Complex. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  85. ^ "The Top 200 Fighting Game Endings: Part Four". 4thLetter. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  86. ^ "The History of SNK". GameSpot. June 11, 2004. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  87. ^ McWhertor, Michael (April 10, 2009). "Are These Your New King Of Fighters XII Fighters?". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 5, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
  88. ^ Barres, Nick Des. "King of Fighters XII Home Characters Revealed". 1UP.com. UGO Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  89. ^ Li, Richard. "The King of Fighters 12 Preview". 1UP.com. UGO Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  90. ^ "The King of Fighters XII - Review". Eurogamer. August 26, 2009. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  91. ^ Alexandre, Vitor (August 27, 2009). "The King of Fighters XII - Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 28, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  92. ^ Fletcher, JC (June 7, 2011). "The King of Fighters XIII makes a royal appearance on PS3 and Xbox, escorted by Atlus". Joystiq. Archived from the original on August 29, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  93. ^ O'Connor, Alice (June 8, 2011). "King of Fighters XIII coming to North America". Shack News. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  94. ^ Edwards, Matt (November 28, 2011). "The King of Fighters 13 Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  95. ^ Patterson, Eric L. (November 21, 2011). "EGM Review: The King of Fighters XIII". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on July 16, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  96. ^ "Review: The King of Fighters XIII (360/PS3)". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 1, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  97. ^ "Playergodaines shares K' Combos for King of Fighters XIV version 2.01". Shoryuken. May 14, 2017. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  98. ^ "SNK presenta a los tres últimos luchadores revelados de The King of Fighters XIV". Vandal. February 2016. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  99. ^ "GameSpot The King of Fighters XIV Reviews PS4". GameSpot. August 22, 2016. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  100. ^ "New King of Fighters XIV Roster Details Revealed". PlayStation Universe. January 29, 2016. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  101. ^ "The King of Fighters XIV, Impresiones E3". Meristation. June 17, 2016. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  102. ^ Sparrow, A.E. (May 27, 2008). "King of Fighters 2003: Volume 4 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2008.
  103. ^ Leary, Ben (October 15, 2008). "King of Fighters 2003 Vol. #05". Mania. Demand Media. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  104. ^ "『KOF XV』K´やブルー・マリーなど個性あふれる人気キャラクターたちを最速レビュー! 12月18日より第2回βテストが開催". Famitsu. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  105. ^ "ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ K'". Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  106. ^ "女性Sサイズ★コスプレ衣装★14958★ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ THE KING OF FIGHTERS★K' ケイ・ダッシュ". Retrieved October 7, 2015.[permanent dead link]