The King of Fighters '94

The basic gameplay system of KOF '94 is similar to that of SNK’s earlier fighting games, such as the Fatal Fury series, Art of Fighting and Samurai Shodown . The game uses a four-button attack configuration similar to Fatal Fury 2 and Fatal Fury Special , consisting of a light punch, light kick, strong punch, and strong kick. As in Fatal Fury 2 , specialized techniques are performed through button combinations, allowing players to dodge attacks or execute powerful knockdown moves. As with most fighting games, each character has a set of basic and special moves that can be executed using specific joystick and button inputs.

Each player has a power gauge at the bottom of the screen which charges when the character is blocking or taking attacks. It can also be filled manually by pressing and holding three buttons at the same time, however this leaves the character vulnerable to an attack. Once the power gauge is filled, the player ' s basic attacks become stronger for a short period. While in this state, players can also perform a Super Move, which consumes the entire power gauge.

Players can also access a character’s Super Move when the life gauge is at 25% or lower and flashing red, similar to Fatal Fury 2 . Taunting an opponent can reduce their power gauge, slow down their manual charging, and stop them from reaching the maximum level. KOF ' 94 replaced the traditional round-based format used in preceding fighting games with a format consisting of 3-on-3 team-based matches dubbed the Team Battle System. Instead of choosing a single character, the player selects from one of eight available teams, each consisting of three members.

Before each match, the player chooses the order in which their team members enter the battle. When the match begins, the members chosen to go first on their respective teams will fight. When one character is defeated, the following member of the same team will take his or her place, while the character on the other team will have a small portion of their life restored (if energy was lost during the previous round). If a character is losing a match, the player can call in one of the remaining teammates to perform a support attack.

The match ends when all three members of either team lose.