Play King of Fighters 1997 Online

King of Fighters '97 came out on the Neo Geo in 1997, developed and published by SNK. It was one of the last major fighting games on that hardware before the shift to newer systems, and it built on everything the series had done up to that point. The roster was huge, pulling characters from Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and other SNK series, all redesigned with detailed, expressive pixel art.

You pick a team of three fighters and take them through a series of one-on-one matches, trying to drain each opponent's health bar. The game uses a four-button layout for punches and kicks, and it introduced the Advanced and Extra system styles, which change how your super meter builds and how you execute special moves. Matches are fast, with a lot of emphasis on combos, counters, and knowing when to burn meter for a desperate super move. It feels tight and demanding, with just enough flair to make every round exciting.