“The King of Fighters ’97” was the last game in the series to be directed by Masanori Kuwasashi, who was reportedly frustrated by the time demands of producing an annual edition of the series.

The Japanese version of “The King of Fighters ’97” had three special endings that were promotional ads for Japanese video game magazines such as Famitsu.

“The King of Fighters ’97” had an extremely popular reception in China, with a fanbase that far surpassed those in the United States and even Japan. Chinese fans have even hacked the game and created their own unofficial versions with added features.

“The King of Fighters ’97” helped boost the popularity of its most famous female fighter, Mai Shiranui, by giving her flashier animations.

SNK released special CDs and other media to expand on the game’s lore, which fans could obtain.

Fans who hacked the arcade ROM made the main villain, Orochi to be fully playable.