Independent UK based publisher Bitmap Books is now taking pre-orders for a King of Fighters: The Ultimate History book – an in depth look on SNK’s flagship series.

THE KING OF FIGHTERS: The Ultimate History will be released in two forms: a regular hardback copy for £34.99 ($43), and an all All Star edition for £54.99 ($68).

Both versions include a free pdf copy of the book. With gorgeous illustrations, concept art, and thorough history on the entirety of KOF, this is truly a must have for the biggest fans of the monumental fighter. Shipping of the title will begin on May 23rd.

Here is a video showcasing some of the book’s contents.

Here is a rundown of THE KING OF FIGHTERS: The Ultimate History:

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.

Priced at £34.99, THE KING OF FIGHTERS: The Ultimate History is 544 pages long, hardback and printed to the highest possible standards, using special Pantone ink and high-quality paper. It comes in Standard and an ALL-STAR EDITION, with the latter restricted to just 3,000 units.

All-Star Edition

As with our previous SNK books on the NEOGEO, and METAL SLUG, we’ve worked with SNK to create a special ALL-STAR EDITION. Priced at £54.99, 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. Also included with each ALL-STAR EDITION is a set of five A4 art prints from various KOF games. The art prints are housed within a white envelope, complete with an imitation wax seal, embossed with an ‘R’ – something that fans will remember from the intro to KOF ’94. Finally, each ALL-STAR EDITION will come with a postcard featuring an exclusive illustration by Eisuke Ogura, created especially for this edition. Only 3,000 units of this ALL-STAR EDITION will be produced, and once they’re sold, it will never be printed again.

Book specifications
Standard edition: 544 pages. 210mm × 297mm. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Special Pantone ink used throughout. Hardback. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Black foil-blocked cover and spine. Bookmark ribbon. Shrink-wrapped. Free PDF for viewing on the go.

ALL-STAR EDITION: 544 pages. 210mm × 297mm. Heavy-board electronic slipcase that plays in-game sound effects, embossed with metallic gold foil details. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Special Pantone ink used throughout. Hardback. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Black foil-blocked cover and spine. Bookmark ribbon. Shrink-wrapped. Free PDF for viewing on the go.

Includes interviews with:
Masaaki Kukino, Masanori Kuwasashi, Toyohisa Tanabe, Shinichi Shimizu, Hideki Asanaka and Eisuke Ogura.

Games featured include:
Art Of Fighting, Fatal Fury, KOF ’94, KOF ’95, KOF ’96, KOF ’97, KOF ’98 The Slugfest, KOF R-1, KOF ’99, KOF R-2, KOF 2000, KOF 2001, KOF 2002, KOF 2003, KOF ’94 Re-Bout, KOF XI, KOF ’98 Ultimate Match, KOF XII, KOF 2002 Unlimited Match, KOF XIII, KOF XIV, KOF XV, Street Fighter, Street Smart.

The latest title in the KOF series, The King of Fighters XV, is available on Windows PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. In case you we missed it, you can check out our review here (we highly recommend it).

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