iRankGames
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 →
Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentHow this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

The King of Fighters '96 is hard to replace: few games combine fighting mechanics and offline in quite the same way. We compared The King of Fighters '96 against over 6,700 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 70/100 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 70/100 on our similarity scale. Injustice 2 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U follow close behind.

🗳️

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.

Top games similar to The King of Fighters '96

50 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to The King of Fighters '96. Each one has been evaluated across 5 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1Roof Rage
Roof Rage
Fighting2D 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

Here comes a new challenger ! Roof Rage is a fast paced, easy to pick, hard to master, platform fighter. It is both a party game and a competitive game for platform fighter's players.

Released 22 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals53
#2Injustice 2
Injustice 2
Fighting2D 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

Released 21 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Fighting2D 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

Released 18 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode84
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Fighting2D 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

Released 12 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode84
Domiverse
Fighting2D 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

Play as a karate master starfish, a space slug, or a prince sausage firin’ some... BIG LAZEEEERS! Choose one of the 8+ heroes, each with unique skills and try to win the Domiverse Tournament ™. You will dive into a wacky world where each hit kills.

Released 23 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Game mode77Visuals58
The King of Fighters XIII
Fighting2D Fighter
OfflineSoloMultiplayer2D
IGDB79· 4
Year 2010Dev SNK Playmore · Rising Star GamesOn PlayStation 3

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

Released 14 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100
Mortal Kombat X
Fighting2D 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

Released 19 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode90
Mortal Kombat 11
Fighting2D 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

Released 23 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode90
SoulCalibur VI
Fighting2D 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

Released 22 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode91
Street Fighter 6
Fighting2D 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

Released 27 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Visuals85Game mode84
ULTIMATE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3
Fighting2D 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

Marvel and Capcom join forces to deliver the most frenetic 3 vs. 3 tag battles ever with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. This release comes fully loaded, including all previous DLC, and the Marvel vs. Capcom: Official Complete Works.

Released 15 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode91
Nidhogg
Fighting2D 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

###The experiment Experimental side-scrolling fighting game for two players developed and published by the Messhof studio. Players compete in fencing in the pixelated game world.

Released 18 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Game mode88Visuals64
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
Fighting2D 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

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge reunites Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello to kick shell in a beautifully realized pixel art world invoking the turtles’ classic 1987 design.

Released 26 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Game mode82Visuals54
Mortal Kombat: Deception
Fighting2D 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

Released 8 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100
Slap City
Fighting2D 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

Slap City is a streamlined platform fighter with characters and locations from the Ludosity universe! Slap your way through multiplayer modes like Battle and Slap Ball either locally or online, or take on a bunch of single-player challenges!

Released 22 years after The King of Fighters '96.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode81

Complete list of The King of Fighters '96 alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with The King of Fighters '96, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.

Explore games similar to The King of Fighters '96 by category

Rankings in the same genre

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 70/100 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 (70/100, 5 shared attributes) 2. Injustice 2 (70/100, 5 shared attributes) 3. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (68/100, 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 70/100 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 Super Smash Bros. Brawl. 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.