King of Fighters Stadium
| Fatal Fury King of Fighters Stadium | |||||
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| Universe | Fatal Fury | ||||
| Appears in | Ultimate | ||||
| Availability | Downloadable | ||||
| Crate type | Normal | ||||
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King of Fighters Stadium (KOFスタジアム,KOF Stadium) is adownloadable stage forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was released on November 6th, 2019 as part of Challenger Pack 4, being the home stage ofTerry. The stage is a large arena themed around the King of Fighters tournament, which was featured in theFatal Fury series before branching out into its own series with the same name.
Stage overview[edit]
The stage's layout is a simple flat ring, similar to most stages in theFatal Fury andThe King of Fighters series, which is slightly elevated above ground level. It takes place in a large, arena-like stadium close to the center of agridiron football field. Similar to bothPokémon Stadium andBoxing Ring, a large jumbotron that records the on-screen action can be seen in the background. Invisible walls are on both sides of the stage, blocking the respectiveblast lines; these walls can be broken by dealing enough knockback to a fighter, akin to the shields inHome-Run Contest fromBrawl onwards. The nature of these walls make this the only stage in the game on which it is not possible to self-destruct by crossing the side blast zones.
Fighters can still be knocked into the vertical blast zones with enough knockback. In addition to the invisible walls of the side, there is also an invisible ceiling above the upper blast zone, which prevents players from getting over the walls, as technical limitations prevent them from having an infinite height.
This stage's side blast zones have a special mechanic where if a fighter somehow gets beyond the blast lines, they will not be KO'd right away, but will be instead be KO'd after 100 frames (60 frames prior to 12.0.0) if they do not return to being within the blast lines. This is to prevent fighters from being KO'd by throws that can temporarily shift an opponent's position to beyond the walls and into the blast zones. This mechanic can be seen using a glitch withVillager andIsabelle'sFinalSmashes, which when used right against the walls on an opponent, will cause said opponent to clip through the walls at the end of the moves. The opponent won't be KO'd right away, but instead is KO'd when the 100 frames elapse. Prior to 12.0.0, it was also possible to KO an opponent usingIke's back throw right up against the wall while he was under the effect of the critical super giantSpirit effect and a timer.
While it is possible totech on the invisible wall, it is not possible towall jump,wall cling, or stick to the surface with moves likeDragon Lunge orSword of the Creator. Additionally, as with the Home-Run Stadium, the wall is not always attached to the blast lines; shouldSudden Death occur, the blast lines will eventually be placed inside the wall.[1]
Background characters fromFatal Fury andThe King of Fighters make cameos just outside of the ring, similarly to how they do while watching the fight in the earlyThe King of Fighters games. There are 20 in total, but only three or four will appear in a single match. While they are normally random, the choice of music will guarantee specific characters to appear. If there are more than four players in a match, no background characters will appear.
Several additional effects occur whenever a player scores a KO: the crowd cheers, background characters react, smoke machines on the football field deploy multicolored smoke trails, sparklers on the arena activate, and the "King of Fighters" logo above the jumbotron lights up in multiple colors.
Hazards off[edit]
No changes are made when hazards are turned off.
Ω form and Battlefield form[edit]
TheΩ form andBattlefield form are set far above the ground overlooking the field. The main platform resembles the ring of the normal form, but resized and reshaped to matchFinal Destination andBattlefield, respectively. The three soft platforms of the Battlefield form are metallic and are unique to this form. The invisible walls of the normal form are removed in keeping with the stages of their respective forms. The character cameos remain present in both forms, appearing in the background of the main platform. The additional effects that occur after a KO remain in both forms.
Ω form
Battlefield form
Background characters[edit]
The following characters cameo in the background of the stage. In addition to their idle animations, these characters will strike a pose or cheer in response to KOs. The idle and cheering animations that the background characters have are based on their background animations inThe King of Fighters series from'94 to'98 during a match and when the player wins a round, respectively. However, some characters have had theirs significantly altered, such as Chang and Choi, who use their winposes, while some have poses based on entirely different games, most notably Rock, who never appeared in games that have that feature.
Fatal Fury[edit]
- Andy Bogard - Briefly bends one leg against the other and flips his hair, then flashes a smile with a thumbs up. His design is based off of his original appearance in the earlyFatal Fury andThe King of Fighters games.
- Joe Higashi - Throws out a pair of two rapid punches before raising his fist victoriously and striking a pose with his leg raised. His design is based off of his original appearance in the earlyFatal Fury andThe King of Fighters games.
- Geese Howard - Stands with his arms crossed, frequently laughing. His design is primarily based on his outfit fromFatal Fury: King of Fighters, though his white shirt is folded down to his waist with his hakama, much likeFatal Fury Special andThe King of Fighters from '96 onwards.
- Billy Kane - Sets his signature staff standing up beside him, briefly twirling it and setting it on his shoulder before returning it to its original position. His appearance derives fromReal Bout Fatal Fury andThe King of Fighters '97 onwards.
- Rock Howard - Briefly gives a thumbs up before setting his hand at his side. He will occasionally charge chi in his hand before briefly falling limp, exhausted. This is based on his victory pose inGarou: Mark of the Wolves whenever he finishes a round with Raging Storm or Neo Deadly Rave. His appearance is based onThe King of Fighters XIV with the "Keep the Faith" slogan on the back of his jacket.
- Tung Fu Rue - Strokes his beard with one hand, frequently alternating the hand used while occasionally nodding. His design is taken fromFatal Fury: King of Fighters andFatal Fury Special.
- Kim Kaphwan - Reels back with his fists pumped to his side before setting them both on his hips. His design is based off of every appearance he has made inThe King of Fighters series.
- Blue Mary - Performs a finger gun motion with a wink before slightly turning her back and blowing a kiss. Her design is taken fromThe King of Fighters XIV.
- Ryuji Yamazaki - Keeps his hands tucked in his pockets, occasionally taking both of them out to maniacally laugh. His design is taken fromThe King of Fighters XIV.
Art of Fighting[edit]
- Ryo Sakazaki - Quickly raises a victorious hand in a manner similar to Joe before leaning forward with a pumped fist and a grin. His design is primarily based on his appearances in the originalArt of Fighting and the earlyThe King of Fighters games.
- Yuri Sakazaki - Cheers by raising her fist, throwing out two punches, and jumping with both of her hands creating a peace symbol. Her design is taken from virtually every appearance she makes, retaining a more subdued color scheme like that inThe King of Fighters series. She has long braided hair, like in the games beforeThe King of Fighters XIII.
- King - Slightly turns her shoulder and gives a thumbs up, occasionally twirling her arm and holding out her open palm. Her design primarily takes fromThe King of Fighters XIV.
The King of Fighters[edit]
- Kyo Kusanagi - Briefly showcases a small flame in his open palm before closing it shut and pumping his fist victoriously. His design is based off of his iconic Rugal/Orochi saga outfit in the earlyThe King of Fighters games.
- Iori Yagami - Waves his hand with his signature purple flames creating a trail, closing his hand and turning his back to the screen. His design derives from the first elevenThe King of Fighters games and his DLC appearance inThe King of Fighters XIII.
- Goro Daimon - Stands with his arms crossed, frequently nodding. His design is based on every appearance he has made.
- Chang Koehan - Raises and waves his signature ball and chain in a rhythmic motion. His design is primarily based on his appearances inThe King of Fighters '94 andThe King of Fighters '95.
- Choi Bounge - Hops around on alternating feet before pressing his wrists together and performing a slithering-esque dance. Much like Chang, his design is based on his appearances in the first twoThe King of Fighters games.
Psycho Soldier[edit]
- Athena Asamiya - Performs two different cheering poses: one where she spins and stands on one foot with a peace symbol against her eye, and another in which she jumps onto one foot and raises her hand. Her design is based onThe King of Fighters '95 andCapcom vs. SNK 2.
Ikari Warriors[edit]
- Ralf Jones - Punches his open palm before pumping his fists. His design is taken from the earlyThe King of Fighters games, as well as his appearance inMetal Slug.
- Clark Still - Holds onto the tip of his hat, occasionally raising both his hands in a cheering motion. Much like Ralf, Clark's design is taken from the earlyThe King of Fighters games andMetal Slug.
Andy Bogard
Joe Higashi
Geese Howard
Billy Kane
Rock Howard
Tung Fu Rue
Kim Kaphwan
Blue Mary
Ryuji Yamazaki
Ryo Sakazaki
Yuri Sakazaki
King
Kyo Kusanagi
Iori Yagami
Goro Daimon
Chang Koehan (left) and Choi Bounge (right)
Athena Asamiya
Ralf Jones (left) and Clark Still (right)
Cameos for specific music[edit]
During the "Mr. Sakurai Presents Terry Bogard" video,Masahiro Sakurai notes that some character cameos will always appear depending on the music track that is playing. The following is a list of confirmed cameos with accompanying music.
| Song | Cameo |
|---|---|
| Soy Sauce for Geese - FATAL FURY SPECIAL Soy Sauce for Geese - KOF XIV | Geese Howard |
| Pasta - FATAL FURY 2 | Andy Bogard |
| A New Poem That the South Thailand Wants to Tell - FATAL FURY 2 | Joe Higashi |
| Let's Go to Seoul! - FATAL FURY 2 | Kim Kaphwan |
| The London March - FATAL FURY 2 | Billy Kane |
| Ne! - KOF '94 | Yuri Sakazaki, King, Blue Mary |
| DESERT REQUIEM ~Operation02UM~ - KOF 2002 UM W.W.III - KOF XIV IKARI - KOF XIV | Ralf Jones, Clark Still |
| ESAKA!! - KOF 2002 UM Esaka Continues... - KOF XIII Yappari ESAKA - KOF XIV | Kyo Kusanagi, Goro Daimon |
| Stormy Saxophone 2 - KOF '96 | Iori Yagami |
| New Order - KOF XIV | Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami |
| Tame a Bad Boy - KOF XIII | Kim Kaphwan, Chang Koehan, Choi Bounge |
| Forest World - Athena Psycho Soldier Theme Psycho Soldier Theme (Overseas Version) | Athena Asamiya |
| ART of FIGHT - Art of Fighting Art of Fighting Ver.230000000.0 - FATAL FURY SPECIAL | Ryo Sakazaki, Yuri Sakazaki |
Origin[edit]
Rather than being a stage based on Terry, such as his iconic Transcontinental Railroad stage, King of Fighters Stadium is an original design based on the various arenas fromThe King of Fighters series. Its overall open-field design, muted metallic tone, and design of the stands along with the jumbotron bearing theKing of Fighters logo, most prominently resembles a mixture of the Stadium stage fromXII and the Antonov Super Arena fromXIV. However, the bold green design of this logo is completely original toSmash, and the circular design of the main platform appears closest to Kagura Stadium from '96, including the "KOF" logo in the center, which has aSmash logo in place of the "O". While these stadium stages inThe King of Fighters series all appear to be dedicated venues for fighting tournaments, the one seen inSmash is an adapted American football stadium.
The layout of the stage is designed after a traditional fighting game like theFatal Fury series, where the layout is flat and even, and ringouts are uncommon. The breakable walls are inspired byReal Bout Fatal Fury, which features a similar mechanic; in that game, however, the walls permanently break after enough damage, and they are usually not invisible. The stage's day/night cycle is a reference to a similar effect many stages in theFatal Fury andThe King of Fighters series go through, namely shifting from day to evening to night (not always in this order) as rounds begin and end.
"King of Fighters" is a recurring tournament in SNK's gaming universe. The concept was first introduced inFatal Fury: King of Fighters, although canonically, the first time a King of Fighters tournament was ever held was inArt of Fighting 2. Recently, the tournament's most prominent appearances are inThe King of Fighters series, which was based on the idea developed in both series, as well as Ryo Sakazaki's appearance as a secret extra opponent inFatal Fury Special.
Banners in the background include the logos for Alpha and Arex, recurring brands inThe King of Fighters series, as well asFatal Fury andKing of Fighters themselves, many of which incorporate theSmash logo. One banner reads "Neo Challenger", as a reference to both theNeo Geo and Terry's status as a newcomer toSmash, and another is SNK's logo edited to read "SSB". To the right of the stage, there is a banner that reads "Welcome to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate".
Tournament legality[edit]
King of Fighters Stadium has widely been considered banned in tournaments. The walls that can only be broken with sufficient knockback can allow for relatively easy 0-to-death combos if a player can back the opponent into the corner. The walls combined with the incredibly high upper blast zone also provide a borderline unfair advantage to characters with potent vertical K.O. options and high base knockback.
Update history[edit]
Increased the amount of frames a character must spend beyond the blast zone for a KO to register (60 frames → 100 frames)
This removes most exploits of a character being able to KO an opponent earlier than intended via shifting their hurtbox beyond the invisible walls during a throw.- This removes a bug whereIke could KO an opponent earlier than intended via performing back throw against a wall while under the effect of the critical super giantspirit effect and atimer.
Gallery[edit]
Terry usingBurning Knuckle on the stage, with Clark Still, Ryo Sakazaki and Kim Kaphwan in the background (left to right).
Terryair dodging with Joe Higashi, Iori Yagami and Andy Bogard in the background (left to right).
Terry attackingLink,Villager andFalco withPower Geyser, with Choi Bounge, Billy Kane and Chang Koehan in the background (left to right).
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | KOFスタジアム | KOF Stadium |
 English | King of Fighters Stadium | — |
 French | Stade de King of Fighters | King of Fighters Stadium |
 German | King of Fighters Stadium | — |
 Spanish | Estadio de King of Fighters | King of Fighters Stadium |
 Italian | Stadio di King of Fighters | King of Fighters Stadium |
 Chinese (Simplified) | 拳皇竞技场 | King of Fighters Arena |
 Chinese (Traditional) | 拳皇競技場 | King of Fighters Arena |
 Korean | KOF 스타디움 | KOF Stadium |
 Dutch | King of Fighters-stadion | King of Fighters Stadium |
 Russian | Стадион King of Fighters | King of Fighters Stadium |
Trivia[edit]
- Notably, Mai Shiranui, despite being as prominent of a character as Terry Bogard is in theFatal Fury andThe King of Fighters series, does not make a cameo appearance on this stage. During theMr. Sakurai Presents presentation for Terry,Masahiro Sakurai says that Mai was excluded in order to maintain the game's CERO A rating. In English-localized versions of the presentation, Sakurai is dubbed (in the North American presentation) or subtitled (in the UK/European presentation) as saying that "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is for good boys and girls of many different ages", hence her omission from the stage. In an interview,Yasuyuki Oda was asked if he had any issues with Terry's inclusion inSuper Smash Bros., and he lamented Mai's exclusion by referencing Sakurai's line.[2]
- The back of Billy's jacket, alongside his No Smoking symbol, has text that reads "The Future Is Now", which is SNK's slogan. This slogan is also found on some of the banners in the background of the stage.
- Although not visible in-game, King's bra can be seen in her textures. This bra is a reference to the originalArt of Fighting, in which by destroying her clothes by winning against her with a special move, she would admit to being a woman. This easter egg would carry over to her appearance in the game's sequel as well as her appearances inThe King of Fighters '94, '95,XIII, andXIV.
- Daimon is the only background character who does not appear in Terry'scongratulations screen for hisClassic Mode route.
- Tung, Yamazaki and Rock are the only characters without an associated song that forces their appearance on the stage.
- Super Mushrooms andLightning Bolts, which both notably have the ability to make a fighter giant, cannot spawn on this stage.
- Beastballs cannot spawn on this stage.
- The followingAssist Trophies cannot appear on this stage:Thwomp,Chef Kawasaki,Andross,Tiki,Kapp'n,Devil,Dr. Wright,Flies & Hand,Isaac,Dr. Kawashima,Arcade Bunny,Squid Sisters,Ghosts andWily Capsule. Additionally, the followingPoké Ball Pokémon cannot be summoned:Abra,Alolan Exeggutor,Staryu,Eevee,Scizor,Gardevoir,Kyogre,Giratina,Oshawott,Genesect,Fletchling,Gogoat,Bewear,Pyukumuku,Mimikyu,Lunala andMarshadow.
- This is the largest amount of Pokémon that cannot be summoned on a single stage.
References[edit]
 Fatal Fury universe | |
|---|---|
| Fighter | Terry (SSBU) |
| Stage | King of Fighters Stadium |
| Related | Iori Yagami ·Nakoruru ·Ryo Sakazaki |
| Spirits | Spirits |
| Music | Ultimate |
