kof still stands as one of the few fighting game series that are actually made for the fanbase rather than appealing to outside audiences. make of that what you will—it of course makes the games markedly niche—but for those it appeals to, it feels second to none. probably my favourite thing about kof is its roster of characters that are each their own take on a versatile, refined shoto playstyle rather than half of the cast being primarily shallow, overpowering gimmicks (something sf and tekken are struggling with lately).

the big 3 might include MK for some—but for people like me who are passionate about 2D fighting game design, KOF has to take its place. if only it managed to reach the popularity of others, because i really think KOF15 is a great competitive game that has maybe the least design frustrations of any modern fighting game. fun movement, offense and neutral; all with very few knowledge checks or unintuitive, overwhelming, or flowcharty mechanics.