The King of Fighters XIV resurrects a classic fighting game in 3D

By Danny Cowan September 15, 2015

Once a fierce competitor to Capcom’s Street Fighter series in the mid-’90s, SNK’s team-based fighting game franchise The King of Fighters will shift to 3D for its latest sequel launching for the PlayStation 4 in 2016.

Announced at Tokyo Game Show, The King of Fighters XIV will bring its cast of familiar SNK franchise characters to a new console generation, though few details regarding the upcoming series revamp are known at the moment.

Recommended Videos

Debuting in 1994, the King of Fighters series assembles its cast from a number of 2D fighters released for SNK’s hybrid console and arcade unit, the Neo Geo. Many featured characters hail from SNK’s flagship fighting game franchises Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting. The games also feature cameos and playable characters from lesser-known SNK arcade games like Psycho Soldier and Ikari Warriors, establishing crossover potential that rival developer Capcom later explored in its Marvel vs. Capcom series.

Capcom and SNK traded hits throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s, and eventually teamed up for the 2D fighters Capcom vs. SNK, Capcom vs. SNK 2, and SNK vs. Capcom. The publishers also collaborated in developing a number of crossover titles for SNK’s portable console, the Neo Geo Pocket Color.

SNK halted development of new games for consoles and arcades following its closure in 2001. The company later returned as the rebranded SNK Playmore, releasing several more entries in its popular Metal Slug and The King of Fighters series.

Though it has its roots in 2D gameplay, the King of Fighters franchise briefly shifted to 3D for KOF: Maximum Impact and its sequel on the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox. SNK Playmore then returned to a traditional 2D presentation for 2009’s The King of Fighters XII and its 2011 follow-up The King of Fighters XIII for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

A specific release date for The King of Fighters XIV is not yet known. While the game has been confirmed for the PlayStation 4, it’s not clear whether The King of Fighters XIV is a platform exclusive. Plans for a North American release were not announced.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

Your video game consoles could become much more expensive soon

A PS5 Pro sits on a table with a DualSense.

People have a lot of questions about what a second Donald Trump presidential administration will look like, and one of the big concerns surrounds proposed tariffs on foreign imports, with larger ones targeted for China. If these are passed, it could signal a big change in how video game hardware and software is manufactured and could lead to increased costs for players.

Digital Trends spoke to analysts about the potential impact that tariffs could have on tech like game consoles. As of this writing, the proposal is to implement a 10% or 20% tariff on all imports, but a specific 60% tariff on Chinese imports. Some analysts we reached out to declined to comment on the impact of the tariffs because while Trump has discussed a plan, it hasn't gone into effect and might not. Others, like Serkan Toto of Japanese games industry consulting firm Kantan, warned that consumers could be the ones paying the cost if plans go into effect.

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Infinity has a new name and no microtransactions

Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows fighting an enemy. He's dressed in his samurai armor.

Ubisoft quietly confirmed new details on Assassin's Creed Infinity, a hub that's set to launch alongside Assassin's Creed Shadows, on the franchise's official Reddit on Friday. It not only revealed that Animus Hub would be the official name, but that the rewards would be free.

The post was in response to a datamined leak (since taken down via DMCA request) that purportedly revealed a lot of information about the Animus Hub and how it would integrate with Assassin's Creed Shadows. Along with revealing the new name, we learned that the Animus Hub would include a battle pass with cosmetics that can be purchased with Isu Coins, the in-game currency. This led to people assuming that there would be microtransactions involved.

Gaming

The best cards in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

Pokemon TCGP cards displayed.

Cards are what make up the entirety of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. You want to collect the rarest cards from Booster Packs to show your friends or win battles against them. But if you want to create the best possible deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket, you'll need the best cards.

While the mainline Pokémon games are focused more on turn-based battles with real Pokémon, the Trading Card Game, now available on everyone's mobile device, has a myriad of cards that range from useless to overpowered. We'll give you a rundown of the best cards you should be using in at least one of your decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
The best Pokémon TCG Pocket cards
Gardevoir