【 HOME VERSIONS 】Released September 27th, 1996

An ambitious title with a drastically changed system.

The fight is now more fast-paced.

Through the major system changes like the addition of emergency evasion moves and small and medium jumps, KOF '96 lets you enjoy even speedier action. It also makes clear once and for all the existence of Orochi through its story that depicts the fateful battle between Kyo and Iori around which this event takes place. Find out just what the Orochi mystery is all about, one tantalizing morsel at a time.

🎮 STORY OF KOF '96

• The King of Fighters is now a major worldwide event sponsored by a swathe of corporate giants—a far cry from its rather enigmatic history.
• Preliminary contests are held across the world, with the usual KOF combatants settling in naturally among the top nine teams. It goes without saying that crowds can't wait to see their favorites duking it out in the arena.
• This time around, one team in particular is raising its fair share of eyebrows. Three leviathans of the underworld, who had once sought to conquer the four corners of the earth, are now but mere competitors: Geese Howard, Wolfgang Krauser, and Mr. Big. Might their end goal be the demise of the Bogard brothers, as well as the disciples of Kyokugen Karate?
• And what of the returning Iori Yagami, who enters the fold with a pair of mysterious women in tow? How does he intend to settle the 660-year rivalry with Kyo Kusanagi, which has cursed their family trees since ancient times?
• Just as the King of Fighters looked set to enjoy mainstream status, dark clouds have now begun to loom overhead—casting a sinister shadow over its fervor and fanfare.