I like KOF, but... How do I even play it?

[union7512]

Union here, and I LOVE the KOF, but as much as I love it, how do I play it?
I don't have the new games available, the latest I have is KOF XI, but i still want tips and tricks to make playing KOF easy.
How do I play it, sincerely, union7512

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

I was in the same boat as yourself several years ago. Sure, I played KOF on arcade similarly to SF series by performing similar special attack motions and throwing out punches and kicks. It wasn't until years later I decided to learn how to play the game correctly. Dandy J's guide is very useful I linked below, he goes over the fundamentals and basic mechanics to get you started.



I clipped out a essential reminder on the most common approach you will come across- that is pretty much universal throughout the entire series meaning you can take Dandy J's guide and screenshot and apply them to majority of the games in the series.

KOF is more of a momentum based fighter compared to SF, running is important and getting down all the jump (hops, hyper hops etc.) in order to apply pressure and get combos started. Unlike SF gameplay which plays more grounded.

 

[Jotaro]

i will give you the most obvious advice, never mash, in any fighting game, lol

learn the basic terms, zoning, space, timing

The Fighting Game Glossary | infil.net

Browse and explore the definitions for over 800 fighting game terms, complete with video examples and Japanese translations.

glossary.infil.net

have fun

 

[Scotty Scotty]

Well, as with any fighting game, the key is to learn every character's techniques and use that knowledge to develop strategies that will turn the tides in your favor.
Also, don't just button mash. That's a death wish lol.

 

[Xdqwerty Xdqwerty]

Try out every combination of buttons and movement until something different happens

 

[RebelofDaNeonGod]

Find an older Mexican/South American near you, ask them to play a couple of rounds of KOF. There is a 8/10 chance that they are cracked at KOF.

 

[Captain Murphy]

Union here, and I LOVE the KOF, but as much as I love it, how do I play it?
I don't have the new games available, the latest I have is KOF XI, but i still want tips and tricks to make playing KOF easy.
How do I play it, sincerely, union7512

The best way to play KoF is to eject it from the console and insert Street Fighter 2 for SNES instead

 

[petran79]

Find an older Mexican/South American near you, ask them to play a couple of rounds of KOF. There is a 8/10 chance that they are cracked at KOF.

or visit Fightcade.OG Kof98 + 2002 are the preferred version for many instead of the UM versions on current stores

 

[SliperyHippo]

or visit Fightcade.OG Kof98 + 2002 are the preferred version for many instead of the UM versions on current stores

Fightcade is a genuine game changer and I think it's a must for everyone even slightly interested in fighting games. I'm not joking, if you just download it- and the JSON from the reddit that automatically downloads the games for you- you can get into a KOF match faster than you can type "games?" in the KOF 2002 chat.

 

[aru.aru]

Union here, and I LOVE the KOF, but as much as I love it, how do I play it?
I don't have the new games available, the latest I have is KOF XI, but i still want tips and tricks to make playing KOF easy.
How do I play it, sincerely, union7512

Normal->Command Normal->Special is like the most basic type combo you can do, and it works for like every character. After you find a team you vibe with, either join a discord, YouTube some tutorials, or go to your local Latino or Chinese(depending on geography) Grocer/restaurant/laundry(anywhere with uncs) and seek out a master to teach you the ways.

XI is fun, but most people I know play 98, 2002, 2002UM, XIII, XV. It's mostly down to preference, and if it's on Fightcade, you're guaranteed to find games. CVS2 is also a fun middle ground if you're coming from Capcom fighters.

 

[Miles Miles]

Meanwhile I don't know how to properly play fighting games at all.

 

[aru.aru]

Meanwhile I don't know how to properly play fighting games at all.

"That's my secret cap. I'm always mashing"

 

[FrMZ]

Are you familiar with any other fighting games? If so, the main things to consider in KOF are the movement options. Unlike most Street Fighter games in where jumping is risky, in KOF you can hop very fast and roll to dodge attacks or hyperjump to close long distances quickly.

The first video in the thread is a very good introduction to these options but I'd say the most basic thing to get is how you should use those options to keep the offensive going and make it hard for the opponent to find a gap to escape or retaliate (or leave gaps on purpose to bait them into making mistakes)

As for combos, they're very simple prior to KOF 2002 so just going for "normal into special" should be good enough until you feel comfortable with the gameplay. Newer KOF games (I think 2003 and onwards?) have a universal combo logic that goes "Normal Move > Command Move > Special" but this isn't universal in the earlier titles.

Here is a useful video about "shorcuts" also, not that important for a beginner but can come in handy once you want to make your combos stronger: