Neo Geo 041 |《The King of Fighters ’94》｜SNK 格鬥遊戲夢幻大集合的起點 | Neo Geo The King of Fighters ’94｜Where SNK’s Fighting Dream Team Began
《The King of Fighters ’94》是 SNK 於1994年推出的經典對戰格鬥遊戲，首次把《餓狼傳說》、《龍虎之拳》等作品的角色集合在同一個格鬥舞台，並以三人組隊戰建立全新玩法，成為後來 KOF 系列的重要起點。
The King of Fighters ’94 brought SNK’s most recognisable fighting characters together for the first time in a single tournament. Released in 1994, its three-member team battles, distinctive characters and crossover concept created the foundation for one of the most influential fighting-game series of the 1990s.
遊戲內容
《The King of Fighters ’94》簡稱《KOF ’94》，是 SNK 於1994年推出的格鬥遊戲，也是《The King of Fighters》系列的第一作。遊戲最重要的創新，是把 SNK 過去不同格鬥作品的角色放進同一個世界之中，讓玩家可以看到來自《餓狼傳說》、《龍虎之拳》等作品的角色首次正式同台對戰。與當時不少一對一格鬥遊戲不同，《KOF ’94》採用三人組隊戰形式，玩家不是只選擇一名角色，而是先組成一隊三人，然後依次與其他隊伍進行戰鬥。這個概念成為整個 KOF 系列最重要的特色之一，也令遊戲從眾多90年代格鬥作品中迅速建立自己的身份。遊戲故事設定在一場名為「The King of Fighters」的世界格鬥大賽中，一名神秘人物 Rugal Bernstein 向世界各地的格鬥家發出邀請，要求他們組隊參賽。表面上這是一場國際格鬥大賽，但隨著比賽推進，玩家會逐漸發現 Rugal 背後另有目的。遊戲的主要隊伍包括 Japan Team、Italy Team、Mexico Team、Korea Team、China Team、England Team、Brazil Team 及 USA Team，每隊均由三名角色組成。日本隊由草薙京（Kyo Kusanagi）、二階堂紅丸（Benimaru Nikaido）及大門五郎（Goro Daimon）組成，亦成為系列最具代表性的核心隊伍之一。草薙京在本作首次登場，之後更成為 KOF 系列最重要的主角之一。其他隊伍則集合了大量 SNK 經典人物，例如《餓狼傳說》的 Terry Bogard、Andy Bogard、Joe Higashi，《龍虎之拳》的 Ryo Sakazaki、Robert Garcia 及 Yuri Sakazaki，以及來自其他作品的新角色。這種角色交叉安排，是《KOF ’94》最吸引玩家的地方之一。當年玩家可以在同一款遊戲中看到原本分屬不同系列的角色互相較量，對SNK粉絲而言具有相當強烈的新鮮感。遊戲操作採用 Neo Geo 典型四按鍵系統，包括輕拳、輕腳、重拳及重腳。方向控制配合不同按鍵，可以施展投技、特殊技及必殺技。每名角色都有自己的招式表，而不同角色之間的攻擊距離、速度及戰鬥方式差異相當明顯。與單純選擇一名強力角色相比，玩家需要思考三名角色之間的配合，這也是遊戲策略的重要部分。三人戰隊模式並不是簡單地把三場一對一戰鬥放在一起。角色在一場戰鬥中被擊敗後，下一名隊員會接替上場，而勝利者可以保留部分體力進入下一輪，因此如何安排角色出場順序會直接影響整場比賽。玩家可以先派出自己最熟悉的角色，也可以保留某些角色等待後面的對手。這種戰術安排使 KOF ’94 比傳統一對一格鬥更加重視整體隊伍管理。遊戲另一個重要系統是防禦及能量相關機制。玩家在戰鬥中可以累積能量，並在適當時機使用強力攻擊。當角色進入危險狀態時，玩家可以嘗試利用必殺技扭轉戰局。這些系統雖然與後期 KOF 作品相比仍然相對簡單，但已經建立了系列日後不斷發展的基本方向。畫面方面，《KOF ’94》充分利用 Neo Geo 硬件的大型角色精靈和色彩表現。每個隊伍都有具有地域特色的戰鬥背景，角色動畫亦相當豐富。草薙京的火焰、紅丸的電擊、大門的柔道招式，以及 Terry 的 Power Wave 等招式，都成為當時玩家容易辨認的視覺標誌。音樂方面，每支隊伍亦擁有自己的主題曲，令不同隊伍形成鮮明的氣氛。這種「角色＋隊伍＋音樂」的整體設計，後來成為 KOF 系列非常重要的品牌特色。《KOF ’94》還具有一個非常重要的歷史意義，就是它開始建立 SNK 自己的格鬥遊戲宇宙。在此之前，《餓狼傳說》、《龍虎之拳》等作品各自擁有自己的角色及故事，而《KOF ’94》把它們連接起來，讓不同系列的角色可以在同一個世界中交流。這個概念後來不只是延續成一個遊戲系列，更發展成龐大的角色世界。草薙京、八神庵、神樂千鶴等角色逐漸形成自己的故事線，而 KOF 亦成為 SNK 最具代表性的品牌之一。值得注意的是，《KOF ’94》與後來作品在系統上仍有不少差異。例如後期系列著名的角色自由組隊、援護系統、MAX 系統、Power Gauge 變化等，都不是在第一作完整出現。因此今天重新遊玩《KOF ’94》，會感受到它比後期作品更加樸素直接，但這種早期設計反而能讓玩家清楚看到 KOF 最初的遊戲理念。它並不是單純將不同角色放在一起，而是利用「三人隊伍」重新定義格鬥遊戲的比賽方式。1994年的街機市場正值格鬥遊戲高速發展時期，《Street Fighter II》已經建立龐大影響力，《Fatal Fury》、《Samurai Shodown》、《Art of Fighting》等SNK作品亦各具特色。《KOF ’94》選擇從「角色大集合」及「團隊戰」兩個方向突破，成功建立不同於其他作品的市場定位。對 Neo Geo 而言，這款遊戲更成為硬件平台的重要代表作品。後來每年推出的 KOF 新作逐漸成為 Neo Geo 時代的年度盛事，玩家期待的不只是新的招式及角色，也包括新的故事、隊伍和系統。回看《The King of Fighters ’94》，它可能沒有後期 KOF 作品那麼成熟，但它的重要性毋庸置疑。它第一次讓 SNK 的不同格鬥角色真正聚集在同一個舞台，並透過三人組隊戰建立系列獨有的玩法。對喜歡 Neo Geo、90年代街機文化以及格鬥遊戲歷史的玩家而言，《KOF ’94》不只是一款舊遊戲，更是整個 KOF 王朝正式開始的地方。
遊戲資料表
遊戲名稱：The King of Fighters ’94
發行年份：1994年
開發公司：SNK
平台：Neo Geo MVS、Neo Geo AES、Neo Geo CD
遊戲類型：2D 對戰格鬥
遊玩人數：1–2人
特色：三人組隊戰、SNK 經典角色夢幻集合、草薙京首次登場、隊伍主題音樂、Rugal Bernstein、跨系列角色世界觀
English Version
The King of Fighters ’94, commonly known as KOF ’94, is the game that established one of SNK’s most important fighting franchises. Released in 1994, it was developed for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system and later appeared on the Neo Geo AES and Neo Geo CD. Rather than creating another completely separate fighting universe, SNK used the game to bring characters from several existing franchises together. Fighters from Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting appeared alongside newly created characters, turning KOF into a crossover tournament unlike anything previously seen in the company’s major fighting series. The most important innovation was the three-member team battle. Instead of selecting one fighter for an entire match, the player chooses a team of three characters. Each fighter enters the battle individually, and when one is defeated, the next member takes over. This simple idea dramatically changes the strategy of a fighting game. Players have to consider not only the strengths of individual characters but also the order in which their fighters enter the match. A character that survives with some health can continue fighting the next opponent, meaning that an early victory can provide a valuable advantage later in the match. The tournament itself is organised around national-style teams. The original game features eight main teams, including Japan, Italy, Mexico, Korea, China, England, Brazil and the United States. Each team contains three fighters, creating a total roster of 24 main characters. The Japan Team consists of Kyo Kusanagi, Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon. Kyo makes his debut in this game and would eventually become one of the defining protagonists of the entire KOF franchise. Other characters were already familiar to SNK fans. Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi came from Fatal Fury, while Ryo Sakazaki, Robert Garcia and Yuri Sakazaki represented Art of Fighting. Bringing these characters together was a major attraction in arcades because players could finally imagine how fighters from different SNK games would perform against one another. The game’s story centres on an international fighting tournament organised by the mysterious Rugal Bernstein. Although the competition initially appears to be a conventional world championship, the player gradually discovers that Rugal’s intentions are far more sinister. This story structure gave SNK an opportunity to connect its different characters while simultaneously creating a new antagonist and a new fictional world. Rugal would become one of the most recognisable villains in KOF history. The control system follows the familiar four-button Neo Geo layout: light punch, light kick, heavy punch and heavy kick. Directional inputs can be combined with buttons to perform throws, command attacks, special moves and powerful finishing techniques. Each character has a distinctive move set and fighting style. Kyo uses fire-based techniques, Benimaru specialises in electric attacks and agile movement, while Goro Daimon relies heavily on throws and judo-based techniques. The variety of fighting styles encourages players to experiment with different three-person combinations. KOF ’94 also introduced the basic energy and special-move concepts that would become increasingly sophisticated in later entries. Compared with modern fighting games, its mechanics are relatively straightforward, but this simplicity gives the original game a direct arcade feel. The focus is on movement, timing, attacks, defence and choosing the right fighter at the right moment rather than mastering a huge number of interconnected systems. Visually, the game makes strong use of Neo Geo hardware. Characters are large and clearly animated, while each team receives a stage with its own visual identity. Fire effects, electricity, throws and special attacks provide memorable animation during battles. Music is also closely connected to the team concept, with different groups receiving their own musical themes. This combination of characters, national teams, stages and music helped create a stronger identity than a conventional fighting game roster alone could provide. Historically, KOF ’94 is particularly important because it began to connect SNK’s separate fighting-game universes. Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting had previously existed as individual franchises, each with their own characters and stories. KOF provided a new setting where those characters could interact with newly created fighters. Over time, this crossover concept developed into a much larger fictional universe involving characters such as Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami and Chizuru Kagura. The first game therefore served as the foundation for stories and rivalries that would continue for decades. The mechanics of KOF ’94 are also noticeably different from later entries. The series would eventually introduce more flexible team creation, different power systems, advanced combo mechanics and other features. The original game is much more straightforward, and players select from predefined national teams rather than freely assembling any three characters they want. This limitation is actually an important part of the game’s historical identity because it shows how SNK was still experimenting with the concept. In the competitive arcade environment of 1994, the fighting-game genre was already dominated by major titles, especially Street Fighter II. SNK had its own successful series, including Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and Samurai Shodown. KOF ’94 took a different approach by combining characters from these games and introducing team-based combat. Instead of trying to compete simply through another one-on-one fighter, SNK created a game built around a broader cast and a completely different match structure. The result was successful enough to establish KOF as one of SNK’s most important franchises. For Neo Geo, KOF ’94 became more than another arcade release. The annual KOF games would eventually become major events for Neo Geo players, with each new entry bringing new characters, teams, stories and gameplay systems. Looking back, the original KOF may appear simpler than later versions, but its importance is impossible to overlook. It created the three-member team format, introduced Kyo Kusanagi and established the crossover universe that would become the heart of SNK’s fighting-game identity. For fans of Neo Geo, arcade history and classic fighting games, The King of Fighters ’94 is not simply the first game in a long series. It is the starting point of the entire KOF legacy.
Game Data Table
Title: The King of Fighters ’94
Year: 1994
Developer: SNK
Platform: Neo Geo MVS, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD
Genre: 2D Versus Fighting
Players: 1–2 players
Features: Three-member team battles, crossover SNK characters, Kyo Kusanagi’s debut, team-based themes, Rugal Bernstein and the beginning of the KOF universe
總結
《The King of Fighters ’94》以三人組隊戰及 SNK 角色大集合重新定義街機格鬥遊戲，並正式開啟 KOF 系列長達數十年的傳奇歷史。
English Version
KOF ’94 established SNK’s legendary crossover fighter through three-person teams and a memorable cast, creating the foundation for one of the longest-running fighting-game series in arcade history.
