The maximum number of gauges stored, and each gauge's charge rate, are determined by how many Fighters they have access to. When a fighter is defeated, the progress of the current gauge is lost, but all stored gauges are kept. When a player fills the gauge up, it is stored and, if the player has less than their maximum number of gauges stored, a new gauge replaces it. The gauge is charged mainly by performing special moves, but is also charged at a slower pace by both giving and receiving damage. Some characters' moves have a "Wire Whip" property, bouncing the enemy off the screen for an extended combo.Įach player has their own Power Gauge, displayed at the bottom of the screen.Counter Mode and Armor Mode systems removed.The less Fighters in the team, the more efficient it becomes. Power Gauge changed to accommodate the Tactical Order System.Strike Bomb system removed (with Strikers using the Power Gauge instead). New "Tactical Order System" and updated Striker system.Fights are played in traditional rounds (one-round, best-of-three, and best-of-five). They also choose the Striker order of the other three characters (with the order chosen determining their summon command). Prior to each match, each player chooses which character they wish to fight with. Solo Mode - Players choose four characters for their team.The match ends when all Fighters of one team are eliminated. Fights are played in single-elimination rounds, with the winner of each round receiving some of their vitality back. Prior to each match, each player chooses which characters are Fighters and which characters are Strikers (with the order chosen determining their summon command).
Most of the gameplay remains the same as its predecessor, with some new additions and changes (including updated movelists for all characters). The King of Fighters 2001 plays like a traditional 2D fighting game, using four buttons (Light Punch, Light Kick, Strong Punch, and Strong Kick).
A new worldwide King of Fighters tournament (as much of a spectacle as the 1997 tournament) is hosted by the NESTS syndicate themselves, bringing their mysterious plans involving the series protagonists ( Kyo Kusanagi and K') and their rivals ( Iori Yagami and Kula Diamond) into fruition. The final part of the "NESTS Saga" arc, the game's story takes place a year after the destruction of the Zero Cannon (which had decimated most of the city of South Town). The game also revamps the Striker system to use the Power Gauge instead, and adds the "Wire Whip": a technique that bounces enemies off the side of the screen for additional juggling. The eighth installment of the King of Fighters series, the sequel to The King of Fighters 2000, and the first in the series developed after SNK's bankruptcy, King of Fighters 2001 introduces the "Tactical Order System": a revamp of the "Striker" mechanic that allows players to form any combination of both Fighters and Strikers with their four-man team (including a safe four-Fighter team with limited tech and a risky one-Fighter team with additional tech).
It was subsequently released for the Neo Geo AES (by SUN in Japan and by Eolith outside of Japan) on March 14, 2002. The King of Fighters 2001 is a 2D tag-team fighting game developed by Eolith (in conjunction with BrezzaSoft) and released by Playmore (under the SNK brand, and released by Eolith outside of Japan) for arcades (running Neo Geo MVS hardware) on November 15, 2001.