The King of Fighters '94

The King of Fighters '94 (KOF '94) is a 1994 crossoverfighting game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geoarcade and home systems. It was released for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system, and the Neo Geo AES and CD home consoles. It is the first installment in The King of Fighters series. It features characters from SNK's previous fighting game properties, such as Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting, alongside updated versions of characters from Ikari Warriors and Psycho Soldier, and several new, original characters. The story centers on The King of Fighters tournament organized by the wealthy criminal Rugal Bernstein.

SNK designer Takashi Nishiyama appointed Masanori Kuwasashi as the game's director after admiring his work at Irem. Kuwasashi's first project at SNK was Baseball Stars Professional, where he met Toyohisa Tanabe, who would later become the series' battle designer. Together, they aimed to create an all-star fighting game combining established SNK characters with new ones. This led to the creation of the Japan Team, led by the new protagonist Kyo Kusanagi, a high school delinquent and martial artist who wields pyrokinetic powers.

KOF '94 was developed with the concept of bringing together characters from SNK's various properties to attract their respective fanbases. The game's character designs and innovative Team Battle System—where players compete using three-member teams instead of individual fighters—were widely praised by critics and players. The game's success prompted SNK to launch The King of Fighters series, beginning with KOF '95, which eventually became the company's flagship franchise.

In 2004, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the series, SNK released a remake titled The King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout for the PlayStation 2, featuring higher-resolution graphics and 3D environments. KOF '94 has also been included in the SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 compilation for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii, and is available individually for digital distribution on modern platforms. An Xbox version of KOF '94 Re-Bout was advertised on the back of the Samurai Shodown V manual, as an "Only on Xbox" title, but never released.