The King of Fighters '96

50 Games like The King of Fighters '96 that you should try

Games like The King of Fighters '96 · Find similar →

More about this game →

The King of Fighters '96 is hard to replace: few games combine fighting mechanics and offline in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 5 gameplay attributes and found 50 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Roof Rage, Injustice 2 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U lead the list, with Roof Rage reaching a 91/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes The King of Fighters '96 special.

iRank72/ 100

Did you find what you were looking for?

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

Tags

OfflineSolo

Year 1996Dev SNK

Quick answer

The closest game to The King of Fighters '96 is Roof Rage — scoring 91/100 on our similarity scale. Injustice 2 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U follow close behind.

#1Roof Rage91 #2Injustice 292 #3Super Smash Bros. for Wii U89 #4The King of Fighters XIII92 #5Super Smash Bros. Brawl89

🗳️

Help us build the best rankings

Community powered

Vote on each result below — good match or not. Every vote directly shapes how we rank similar games for everyone.

Games like The King of Fighters '96

50 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

91

Roof Rage

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

SoloMultiplayerOffline2DMelee

Steam👍 89%· 691

Year 2018Dev Early Melon · Plug In DigitalPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Nintendo

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, vibe casual and melee combat

92

Injustice 2

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

SoloMultiplayerOffline2DMelee

Steam👍 86%· 24KIGDB86· 18OC87· 157

Year 2017Dev NetherRealm Studios · WB GamesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Stands apart with strong narrative focus and melee combat

#3Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

89

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

OfflineSoloMultiplayer2DCo-op

IGDB95· 11OC92· 78

Year 2014Dev Sora · Nintendo

✓ Both are 2D fighting games — sharing fighting mechanics, offline and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, ranged combat and fantasy world

#4The King of Fighters XIII

92

The King of Fighters XIII

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

OfflineSoloMultiplayer2D

IGDB79· 4

Year 2010Dev SNK Playmore · Rising Star GamesOn PlayStation 3

✓ Nearly identical: fighting mechanics, offline and single-player focus.

#5Super Smash Bros. Brawl

89

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

OfflineSoloMultiplayer2DCo-op

IGDB91· 4

Year 2008Dev Sora · Nintendo

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, offline and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: precision platforming, melee combat and ranged combat

#6Mortal Kombat X

90

Mortal Kombat X

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

SoloMultiplayerOffline2DPvP

Steam👍 86%· 60KIGDB84· 18OC84· 94

Year 2015Dev NetherRealm Studios · WB GamesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Both are 2D fighting games — sharing fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Its own twist: dark, oppressive atmosphere, competitive edge and strong narrative focus

#7Mortal Kombat 11

90

Mortal Kombat 11

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

SoloMultiplayerOffline2DPvP

Steam👍 88%· 114KIGDB80· 12OC83· 164

Year 2019Dev NetherRealm Studios · WB GamesOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere, competitive edge and strong narrative focus

#8Mortal Kombat: Deception

92

Mortal Kombat: Deception

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

OfflineSoloMultiplayer2D

IGDB77· 3

Year 2004Dev Midway Games

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, offline and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design

87

Domiverse

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

MultiplayerOfflineSolo2DPvP

Steam👍 96%· 80

Year 2019Dev Haunted TiePlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, multiplayer gameplay and offline

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, punishing difficulty and melee combat

#10SoulCalibur VI

90

SoulCalibur VI

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

SoloMultiplayerOffline2DPvP

Steam👍 83%· 14KIGDB84· 14OC84· 135

Year 2018Dev Project Soul · Bandai Namco EntertainmentOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Its own twist: competitive edge, melee combat and fantasy world

#11ULTIMATE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3

90

ULTIMATE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

MultiplayerSoloOffline2DPvP

Steam👍 92%· 7.5KRAWG👍 75%· 213IGDB77· 17OC78· 29

Year 2011Dev CapcomPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are 2D fighting games — sharing fighting mechanics, multiplayer gameplay and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with competitive edge, melee combat and combat magic

#12Street Fighter 6

89

Street Fighter 6

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

SoloMultiplayerOffline2DPvP

Steam👍 83%· 74KIGDB93· 8OC91· 185

Year 2023Dev CapcomOn Xbox · PS4 · Switch

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, deep RPG systems and action RPG combat

89

Nidhogg

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

OfflineMultiplayerSolo2DPvP

Steam👍 90%· 7.8KRAWG👍 87%· 361MC81IGDB84· 6OC81· 36

Year 2014Dev MesshofPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, offline and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Where it differs: brings sports simulation, competitive edge and melee combat

#14Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

88

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

MultiplayerOfflineSolo2DCo-op

Steam👍 94%· 15KRAWG👍 87%· 440MC86OC87· 165

Year 2022Dev Tribute Games · DotEmuPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are 2D fighting games — sharing fighting mechanics, multiplayer gameplay and offline

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, vibe casual and strong narrative focus

Steam PS Nintendo

88

Slap City

GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter

MultiplayerSoloOffline2DCo-op

Steam👍 95%· 2.9KRAWG👍 79%· 29IGDB85· 1

Year 2018Dev LudosityPlaytime ~3hOn PC

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, multiplayer gameplay and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, melee combat and co op

Games like The King of Fighters '96

Killer Instinct

Killer Instinct

Fighting

TEKKEN 7

TEKKEN 7

Fighting · Sports

Ultra Street Fighter IV

Ultra Street Fighter IV

Fighting

GigaBash

GigaBash

Fighting · Battle Royale

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

Fighting · Platformer

Rivals of Aether

Rivals of Aether

Fighting · Platformer

Streets of Rage 4

Streets of Rage 4

Fighting · Adventure

Super Street Fighter IV

Super Street Fighter IV

Fighting

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

Fighting

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

Fighting

Rankings in the same genre

Best 2D Fighting Games Best Fighting Games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to The King of Fighters '96?: The closest game to The King of Fighters '96 is Roof Rage, scoring 91/100 on our similarity scale. They share 5 gameplay attributes, including fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like The King of Fighters '96?: The three closest games to The King of Fighters '96 are: 1. Roof Rage (91/100, 5 shared attributes) 2. Injustice 2 (92/100, 5 shared attributes) 3. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (89/100, 5 shared attributes). All share The King of Fighters '96's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 5 dimensions.
Is Injustice 2 similar to The King of Fighters '96?: Yes, very much so — Injustice 2 scores 92/100 similarity to The King of Fighters '96. They share 5 attributes, including fighting mechanics and single-player focus. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Fighting games are similar to The King of Fighters '96?: The best Fighting games similar to The King of Fighters '96 are Roof Rage, Injustice 2, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and The King of Fighters XIII. All share the Fighting genre alongside other key The King of Fighters '96 attributes like fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay.
How is similarity to The King of Fighters '96 calculated?: We compare The King of Fighters '96 against every game in our catalog using 5 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the The King of Fighters '96 experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.
Are there free games similar to The King of Fighters '96?: Yes — Brawlhalla is free and scores well on similarity to The King of Fighters '96. It's a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.