The King of Fighters Lives On in China and Latin America

If you’re a fighting game diehard then you’ve probably heard the jokes hundreds of times before.

“Mexicans love The King of Fighters.”

“Latinos are the best at The King of Fighters games.”

“In China, The King of Fighters may as well be their Street Fighter.”

A search of various fighting-game forums, like the once-popular community site Shoryuken.com, will show that these aren’t just jokes for a quick laugh. I’ve come across stories about fans of the series finding out their non-gamer Hispanic and Latin American friends held a spot in their heart for the series. Other stories tell of traveling to cities in Mexico and playing with neighborhood friends on family owned arcade cabinets.

After hearing so many similar stories, it’s easy to see that the game has some cultural history. In Mexico, the classic breakdance move known as “flare” was renamed “La Yashiro” after the KOF character.

Even before there were internet forums, people familiar with the The King of Fighters’ competitive scene knew there was some truth to these statements usually tossed around for laughs. This belief was strictly based on the nationalities of the players topping tournaments, whether one witnessed it or simply heard the stories from more-traveled players.

This trend continues today. These communities from China, Mexico, and the rest of Latin America, with their star players, are expected to be a dominant force in the upcoming KOF game, The King of Fighters XV. While the strong showing from these countries in the competitive KOF scene is evident, not everyone knows how the series came to be so significant globally. Funny enough, all of those players share very similar stories that go back to SNK, the company behind KOF and its legendary MVS arcade system, the Neo Geo.

The NEO GEO “Multi Video System” was a coin-operated arcade machine released in Japan and North America in 1990. It was special because it allowed cabinet owners to put six cartridges into a single unit, allowing players a choice of game titles. This made the MVS an obvious choice for arcades that didn’t have much space, allowing them to save money and room while still offering the selection of larger shops. Since the games were stored on cartridges, it was much easier to swap out games and cabinet artwork. Additionally, this new arcade unit offered exclusive SNK titles like Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, Metal Slug, and of course The King of Fighters, adding to its appeal.