Play The King of Fighters 2001 (Set 1) Online
Pick four fighters, swap them mid-combo, and try not to panic when your health’s low—tagging in a fresh teammate at the last second never gets old. The sprites still pop, and that crunchy early 2000s soundtrack nails the arcade vibe.
Game Overview
If you're into classic fighting games, The King of Fighters 2001 is one of those Neo Geo gems that still holds up. The roster is stacked with familiar faces—Iori, Kyo, Terry Bogard—but the real twist here is the team system. You pick four fighters and swap them mid-match, which adds this weirdly satisfying layer of strategy. At first, I kept forgetting to tag out and got wrecked, but once you get the rhythm down, pulling off a last-second switch to finish someone off feels amazing.
The sprites are crisp, the animations are smooth, and the soundtrack has that early 2000s arcade vibe—lots of synth and electric guitar. Some of the stages feel a little plain compared to later entries, but the core gameplay is as tight as ever. Just don’t expect any fancy modern mechanics—this is pure, old-school footsies and combo timing.
It’s not the most balanced KOF out there (looking at you, K9999), but if you want a solid arcade brawler with that classic Neo Geo feel, this one’s worth a few rounds.
Download The King of Fighters 2001 (Set 1) ROM
You can download this ROM to play The King of Fighters 2001 (Set 1) offline using an Neo Geo emulator (Top Emulators).
*This ROM is provided for backup and educational purposes only.
