Bitmap Books is incredibly proud to present THE KING OF FIGHTERS: The Ultimate History. Put simply, KOF is one of the most important fighting game series of all time, and today, in 2022, it is considered versus fighter royalty. But despite this legacy, the history of this long-running and much beloved gaming series has never been comprehensively told, leaving the story of how it came to be, and the cultural phenomenon it became, largely shrouded in mystery.

Here, in the first officially licensed and fully endorsed book of its type, that story is revealed in its entirety. With the help of SNK itself, which has granted unprecedented access to its immense archives of illustrations and artwork, as well as the key members of the original development team, who have spoken in unparalleled detail about how they created the series, this official history delivers a comprehensive visual and written history of KOF. The book celebrates iconic characters in the KOF roster such as Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, as well as hearing from the voice actors who brought them to life; it uncovers never-before-seen details about the mysterious origins of KOF; and delves into the sumptuous pixel art and rich story narratives the series is known for. With its wealth of imagery and information, this is the ultimate KOF history.

This collector’s edition of THE KING OF FIGHTERS: The Ultimate History includes not only the book, but also a heavy-board slipcase to house it. The slipcase includes a series of touch-panels on its fascia, which when pressed, play in-game sound effects for each fighter, and is finished with metallic gold detailing. Only 3,000 units of this ALL-STAR EDITION will be produced, and once they’re sold, it will never be printed again.

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