The King of Fighters is a successful fighting game series released by SNK. In 1994, this series began with The King of Fighters ’94 for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system. The game also received console ports for the Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD. In 2008, the game was one of sixteen games included in SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 making it available for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii. King Of Fighters ’94 was received well and won Best Fighting Game awards in 1994. The game also received a remake that released in Japan in 2004.
The Premise Of King of Fighters ’94
SNK’s fighting games tend to have similar gameplay systems. The King of Fighters ’94 is no different than previous SNK games like Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and Samurai Shodown. The title uses a four-attack button configuration that allows for a light punch, a light kick, a strong punch, and a strong kick. Each character has unique moves that can be performed with motion inputs and button presses. The King of Fighters ‘ 94 innovated fighting games by having 3 vs 3 team-based matches instead of the traditional round-based format. The match ends when all three members of either team lose all their health.
The Main Characters of King of Fighters ’94
King of Fighters ’94 has 24 playable characters and one final boss that is not playable.
- Kyo Kusanagi – a high school student whose family possesses ancient pyrokinetic abilities. He fights using Kenpo.
- Benimaru Nikaido – a model who fights with shootboxing and also has electrokinetic abilities.
- Goro Daimon – a large judoka who has geokinetic abilities.
- Terry Bogard – protagonist of the Fatal Fury series who has been trained in various fighting styles such as Karate, Kickboxing, and Kung Fu. He can also attack with ki-based techniques he learned from his master, Tung Fu Rue.
- Andy Bogard – brother of Terry, who is trained in Koppojutsu and Shiranui-Ryu Ninjutsu. He also has ki-based techniques he learned from Tung Fu Rue.
- Joe Higashi – a Muay Thai fighter with aerokinetic abilities.
- Ryo Sakazaki – protagonist of the Art of Fighting series and the first champion of the KoF tournament who practices Kyokugenryu Karate, which is similar to Kyokushin Karate but also contains ki-based techniques. He fights with a traditional version of Kyokugenryu.
- Robert Garcia – Ryo’s best friend and friendly rival who fights using a kick-heavy version of Kyokugenryu Karate.
- Takuma Sakazaki – Ryo’s father and a master of Kyokugenryu Karate, the only one who can perform the most advanced techniques of the style.
- Mai Shiranui – a kunoichi who practices her family’s martial art, Shiranui-Ryu Ninjutsu.
- Yuri Sakazaki – younger sister of Ryo, who fights with an unorthodox take on Kyokugenryu Karate.
- France King – a bar owner who fights with her kick-heavy take on Muay Thai. Can also throw ki-based attacks with her kicks.
- Ralf Jones – protagonist of the Ikari Warriors series. A mercenary whose fighting style is based on hard punches.
- Clark Steel – Ralf’s best friend and the other protagonist of the Ikari Warriors series. He fights with a wrestling-based fighting style.
- Heidern – the commander of the Ikari Warriors mercenary unit whose hands can cut like knives and he can also throw slashes as projectiles.
- Kim Kaphwan – a Taekwondo master with a strong sense of justice who is trying to rehabilitate the two criminals in his team.
- Chang Koehan – a very large criminal who fights with a large metal ball attached to a chain.
- Choi Bounge – a very small criminal who fights with Freddy Krueger-esque claws.
- Athena Asamiya – the protagonist of Psycho Soldier and an idol with psychokinetic abilities and Kung Fu training, though her fighting style emphasizes the former.
- Sie Kensou – the self-proclaimed love interest of Athena. He has the same psychokinetic abilities as Athena, though his fighting style emphasizes his Kung Fu.
- Chin Gentsai – master of Athena and Sie and a master of various styles of Kung Fu, though he fights primarily with Drunken Boxing.
- Heavy D! – a professional boxer who was banned from regular competition after severely injuring his opponent.
- Lucky Glauber – a former professional basketball player and a Karate champion with a penchant for street fighting.
- Brian Battler – an American football player who also makes use of wrestling.
- Rugal Bernstein – an arms dealer and the organizer of The King of Fighters tournament. He is capable of copying any technique after seeing it performed once.
Other Titles In The Series
- The King of Fighters ’94
- The King of Fighters ’95
- The King of Fighters ’96
- The King of Fighters ’97
- The King of Fighters ’98
- The King of Fighters ’99
- The King of Fighters XI
- The King of Fighters XII
- The King of Fighters XIII
- The King of Fighters XIV
- The King of Fighters XV
- The King of Fighters 2000
- The King of Fighters 2001
- The King of Fighters 2002
- The King of Fighters 2003
- The King of Fighters All Star
- The King of Fighters Neowave
- King of Fighters R-1
- King of Fighters R-2
- KOF: Maximum Impact
- KOF: Maximum Impact 2
The King of Fighters ’94 Cheat Codes
Alternate Costumes
Press D when you select your team or character to get their alternate costume.
Blood Code
To enable the censored blood from the non-Japanese regions, wait for the high scores to appear in the opening demo, then press A+D on controller one and B+C on controller two at the same time. Then press START.
Winning Pose Select
To select a winning pose, press A, B, or C after the last attack but before the pose sequence begins. If your characters is the losing fighter, press A, B, or C on controller 2.
Play as the Bosses
Pick team edit. At the screen where you pick your fighters hold Start and press Up+B, Right+C, Left+A, Down+D. Saishu Kusanagi and Omega Rugal will appear.
Arcade Specific Codes
Special KO Animations
If you use a projectile or super to win, you’ll get unique KO animations for a few characters. Yuri and King’s tops will be burned off, there will be a spatter of blood as Athena falls backward, and Mai will drop the fan she normally holds.
Team Assists
If your character is dizzy or being held in an opponent’s grab, make sure they’re standing close to one of their teammates and press the A. B, and C buttons at the same time. If your teammate hasn’t been defeated yet, they’ll jump forward and attack your opponent, thus giving you time to recover. However, CPU opponents can do this as well; if you someone how manage to get Rugal dizzy, his panther will attack you.
The King of Fighters ’94 Cheat Code FAQs
How do I beat Rugal? While Rugal is definitely a challenge he is beatable. Try to evade every Reppuken and Kaiser Wave used on you. Don’t jump at him if he’s charging power. Try to keep him from reaching maximum power. If he starts charging, try to punish him with a combo. He won’t stop charging until he reaches maximum. If he goes on the offensive, he usually finishes his combo with Genocide Cutter. This attack leaves him open for counterattacks. If he approaches you with a dash try and dash away before pressing C or D to tech his grab. Another option is dragon punching ( if your character has one).
Who is the best character in The King of Fighters ’94? According to the pro players and enthusiasts of the King of Fighters series, the best characters in The King of Fighters ’94 are: obert, Ryo, Terry, Andy, Daimon, Heidern, and Takuma.