The King of Fighters 2000
Seventh KOF installment; last KOF developed by the original SNK before bankruptcy.
The King of Fighters 2000, also known as KOF 2000 or KOF '00, is a fighting game released for the Neo Geo arcade and home systems in 2000. It is the seventh Neo Geo entry in the series and the last KOF developed by the original SNK before bankruptcy. The game follows *The King of Fighters '99* and was ported to the Dreamcast in Japan and the PlayStation 2 in 2002. Its story centers on a tournament organized by Heidern, commander of the Ikari military forces, who wants to capture the missing K' and Maxima to interrogate them about their former group, the NESTS cartel. The gameplay keeps the Striker system from earlier games, where assisting characters help in fights, but it was tweaked to allow for more combos.
SNK filed for bankruptcy while the game was being made. As staff members left, including producer Takashi Nishiyama, the final product ended up with bugs and glitches. The main goal for the developers was to improve the Striker Match mode first introduced in *KOF '99*. To add depth to the NESTS storyline, SNK introduced Kula Diamond as a new enemy for K'. Other new characters were meant to appeal to different audiences. The PlayStation 2 version was released separately in North America and Europe; a later bundle with *The King of Fighters 2001* was a different release. This bundle was the first release from SNK Playmore USA in those regions; in Europe, Ignition Entertainment handled the publishing.
Critics mostly praised the fighting system and characters, seeing them as improvements for the franchise. However, opinions were mixed on the graphics and backgrounds, leading to divided views on whether it ranks among the series' best games, as many felt earlier installments were more appealing. In Japan, two novelizations and an audio drama were also published.
**Gameplay**
*The King of Fighters 2000* is a 2D fighting game focused on combos and special moves to drain an opponent's health and defeat a three-member team. It follows the series' tradition of forming teams of three fighters but places more emphasis on assistants. The gameplay builds on *The King of Fighters '99* and expands the Striker Match format, which lets a fourth character assist the active fighter. Players can refill Strike Bombs by losing rounds or taunting the opponent. A new feature gives the player two choices after selecting a Striker: the regular character or an alternate versi
- Developer
- SNK
- Publisher
- SNK
- Platforms
- Neo Geo, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2
- Release Year
- 2000
- Genre
- 2D fighting game
- Series
- The King of Fighters
- Notable Feature
- Expanded Striker System with Another and Maniac Strikers
Lore & Background
The King of Fighters 2000 focuses on a tournament held by Heidern, commander of the Ikari military forces, who seeks to interrogate K' and Maxima about the NESTS cartel. The gameplay retains the Striker system from The King of Fighters '99 but was modified to generate more combos. New additions include Another Strikers and Maniac Strikers, the latter selectable via codes in the arcade version. The plot involves a betrayal by Lin, revealed to be a clone of the real Lin, working for a high-ranking NESTS member named Zero, who uses a space-based satellite weapon called the Zero Cannon to destroy most of South Town.
Reader's Guide
The King of Fighters 2000 is significant as the final game SNK produced before its bankruptcy, and it represents a transitional point in the series. The game expanded the Striker System introduced in KOF '99, adding Another and Maniac Strikers for more strategic combos. Critical reception to the fighting system and characters was mostly positive, though graphics and backgrounds received mixed reactions. The game introduced new characters such as Kula Diamond, Ramon, Vanessa, and Seth, designed to appeal to different audiences. The PlayStation 2 version was released in North America and Europe in a two-in-one bundle with The King of Fighters 2001, published by SNK Playmore USA. Despite bugs and glitches due to staff departures during development, the game is remembered for its refined combat mechanics and narrative expansion of the NESTS storyline.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally planned as The King of Fighters Millennium, but the subtitle w
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