The eleventh installment in SNK Playmore’s long-running King of Fighters series and the ninth event in the official storyline, The King of Fighters XI is the first game in the series to abandon the series’ traditional numbering convention and the first game in the series to exceed the hardware capabilities of the Neo-Geo system. The competition and the competitors return after a two-year hiatus following the contentious comeback of the Orochi power in the 2003 King of Competitors tournament. Others attend the game to settle past scores, while others are inspired to study the current Orochi situation and the antagonistic combatant Ash Crimson…
The King of Fighters XI roster includes 33 “team” fighters, 7 PS2 unique characters, 5 mid-boss characters, and 2 boss characters. This gives the player a total of +40 characters to choose from. Many characters are returners from previous KOF games, but significant new faces include the compelling incarnations of Oswald, Duck King, Bonne Jenet, Elisabeth Blanctorche, and Gai Tendo.
The “tag system” from King of Fighters 2003 is still used in KOF XI. However, advancements in arcade technology have resulted in numerous gameplay adjustments since the game’s first release in 2003. A new power stock system, “Skill Stocks,” has been added for usage with a few extra special moves known as “Shifts.” A character can utilize a “Quick Shift” to tag in another fighter while in the middle of a combo and a “Saving Shift” to tag out if they are about to be defeated. The “Dream Cancel” move has also been included in the system. Dream Cancels can replace one activity with another, allowing a fighter to replace a Desperation Move with a Leader’s Desperation Move. The “Time Out” mechanism has also been updated; the system now considers the number of fighters defeated on a team and the amount and power of attacks launched by a team when determining its verdict.
