History VideoGame / TheKingOfFighters2001

* '''Team ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'':''' The Kyokugenryu school reunites once more: [[HeirToTheDojo Ryo Sakazaki]], [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob Robert Garcia]], [[GenkiGirl Yuri Sakazaki]] and [[OldMaster Takuma Sakazaki]].

* GameplayAutomation: ''[=KOF 2001=]'' removes the dual Mode systems from ''[='99=]'' and ''2000'', and simplifies Super Cancel from Counter Mode. You no longer have to enter MAX Mode to Super Cancel; as long as you have an extra Power Gauge for it (meaning Super Canceling into a regular Super Move requires two Power Gauge, and a MAX Super requires three), you're good to initiate a combo.

** ...MAX Mode or its equivalent does not exist. No LimitBreak Modes like ''[=KOF '99=]'' and ''2000'', no Leader System like ''2003'' and ''XI'', no ''Art of Fighting''-style Power Gauge like ''[='94=]'' and ''[='95=]'', nothing.

* PlayerParty: While ''[=KOF '99=]'' and ''2000'' always forces one of your four fighters to act as AssistCharacter, ''[=KOF 2001=]''[='s=] Tactical Order Select can manage how many fighters you can summon as one. This means you can have up to three Strikers and send out less fighters in a match, or send out all four fighters without a Striker. It doesn't restrict both players having different number of Strikers, and an extreme case like going OneManArmy against a four-fighter party is possible.

* '''Team Yagami:''' [[BoxingBattler Vanessa]], [[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Seth]] and [[EyepatchOfPower Ramon]] continue their mission, this time teaming up with none other than [[AxCrazy Iori Yagami]].

* HitchhikerHeroes: ''[=KOF 2001=]'' sees the return of Heidern to the Ikari Warriors, forming a team with Ralf, Clark and Leona. So what's become of its original fourth member, Whip? She's joined K' for this game, thanks to her relationship to him and NESTS (this would lead to pairing her with K' and Maxima in ''2002'' and its remake ''Unlimited Match'').

* '''Team ''[[VideoGame/IkariWarriors Ikari]]'':''' With Whip now on the Hero team, [[ColonelBadass Heidern]] finally steps back into action and joins his daughter [[ReiAyanamiExpy Leona]], alongside [[BashBrothers Ralf Jones and Clark Still]].

* OddballInTheSeries: This is the only mainline ''KOF'' where...

* '''Team Korean Justice:''' After [[FriendlyRival Jhun Hoon]] injures himself in a rather embarassing accident, [[JusticeWillPrevail Kim Kaphwan]] entrusts his youngest pupil [[AscendedFangirl May Lee Jinju]] to join him for the tournament, and help keep an eye on [[Acrofatic Chang Koehan]] and [[PintSizedPowerhouse Choi Bounge]].

* '''Hero Team''': [[NinetiesAntiHero K']] and [[{{Cyborg}} Maxima]] set out to claim their revenge on NESTS, this time joined by [[WhipItGood Whip]] and [[PoisonousPerson Lin]].
* '''Japan Team''': [[PlayingWithFire Kyo Kusanagi]] finally stops playing the lone wolf and hooks back up with his old teammates, [[AgentPeacock Benimaru Nikaido]] and [[TheBigGuy Goro Daimon]]; with [[TagalongKid Shingo Yabuki]] joining in as their fourth.
* '''Yagami Team''': [[BoxingBattler Vanessa]], [[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Seth]] and [[EyepatchOfPower Ramon]] continue their mission, this time teaming up with none other than [[AxCrazy Iori Yagami]].
* '''Fatal Fury Team''': Same setup as last year: [[LivingLegend Terry Bogard]], [[HighlyVisibleNinja Andy Bogard]], [[HotBlooded Joe Higashi]] and [[FairCop Blue Mary]].
* '''Art of Fighting Team''': The Kyokugenryu school reunites once more: [[HeirToTheDojo Ryo Sakazaki]], [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob Robert Garcia]], [[GenkiGirl Yuri Sakazaki]] and [[OldMaster Takuma Sakazaki]].
* '''Ikari Warriors Team''': With Whip now on the Hero team, [[ColonelBadass Heidern]] finally steps back into action and joins his daughter [[ReiAyanamiExpy Leona]], alongside [[BashBrothers Ralf Jones and Clark Still]].
* '''Psycho Soldier Team''': Same as last year: [[MagicalGirl Athena Asamiya]], [[TheIdiotFromOsaka Sie Kensou]], [[DrunkenMaster Chin Gentsai]] and [[KidAppealCharacter Bao]].
* '''Women Fighters Team''': [[{{Bifauxnen}} King]], [[MsFanservice Mai Shiranui]] and [[GlacierWaif Hinako Shijou]] return, with [[AnimeChineseGirl Li Xiangfei]] stepping back into the fourth slot in place of [[BadassAdorable Kasumi Todoh]].
* '''Korea Justice Team''': After [[FriendlyRival Jhun Hoon]] injures himself in a rather embarassing accident, [[JusticeWillPrevail Kim Kaphwan]] entrusts his youngest pupil [[AscendedFangirl May Lee Jinju]] to join him for the tournament, and help keep an eye on [[Acrofatic Chang Koehan]] and [[PintSizedPowerhouse Choi Bounge]].
* '''NESTS Team''': After running the previous two tournaments from the shadows, NESTS assemble a team to publicly enter this year including [[AnIcePerson Kula Diamond]], her handler [[ParentalSubstitute Foxy]], the newer recruit [[WrestlerInAllOfUs Angel]] and [[ThisIsADrill K9999]], the latest in their attempts to clone Kyo.

* '''Yagami Team''': [[BoxingBattler Vanessa]], [[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Seth]] and [[EyepatchOfPower Ramon]] continue their mission, this time teaming up with [[AxCrazy Iori Yagami]] as a means of keeping a close eye on him.

* '''NESTS Team''': After running the previous two tournaments from the shadows, NESTS assemble a team to publicly enter this year including [[AnIcePerson KulaDiamond, her handler [[ParentalSubstitute Foxy]], the newer recruit [[WrestlerInAllOfUs Angel]] and [[ThisIsADrill K9999]], the latest in their attempts to clone Kyo.

* '''Hero Team''': K' and Maxima but this time joined by Whip and Lin.
* '''Japan Team''': Kyo finally stops playing the lone wolf and hooks back up with his old teammate, Benimaru and Goro with Shingo joining in as their fourth.
* '''Yagami Team''': Iori hooks up with Vanessa, Seth and Ramon.
* '''Fatal Fury Team''': Same setup as 2000: Terry, Andy, Joe and Blue Mary
* '''Art of Fighting Team''': The Kyokugenryu school reunites once more: Ryo, Robert, Yuri and Takuma.
* '''Ikari Warriors Team''': With Whip now on the Hero team, Heidern steps back into action and joins Leona, Clark and Ralf.
* '''Psycho Soldier Team''': Same as 2000: Athena, Kensou, Chin and Bao.
* '''Women Fighters Team''': Xiangfei trades off with Kasumi while Mai, King and Hinako remain.
* '''Korea Justice Team''': Jhun injuries himself before the tournament, so one of Kim's protegees, newcomer May Lee Jinju, takes his place and joins Kim, Chang and Choi.
* '''NESTS Team''': NESTS own band of fighters including Kula, Foxy, one of her handlers, Agent and wrestler Angel and K9999, the latest in their specialized clones.

** Mid-Boss: Zero (the real one, the one in 2000 was a clone that went rouge), largely there to test the finalists abilities before they reach the NEST base. He has his own specialize strikers which include: his pet lion, Glugan, Ron, Lin's sworn enemy, and a clone of Krizalid.
** Boss: Igniz - A man who quickly pulls a coup just as the finalists arrive at NESTS lunar base and takes over the organization. He seeks to become a god with the energy collected from the tournament.

** Mid-Boss: Zero (the real one, the one in 2000 was a clone that went rouge), largely there to test the Finalist abilites before they reach the NEST base. Has his own specialize strikers which include his pet lion, Glugan, Ron, Lin's swore enemy, and a clone of Krizalid.
** Boss: Igniz - A man who quickly pulls a coup just as the finalist arrive at NESTS lunar base and takes over the organization. Seeks to become a god with the energy collected from the tournament.

[[AssistCharacter Strikers]] have been overhauled once again. This time, up to three members of a team can be assigned as Strikers, with more bars of meter being available if more teammates are given this designation [[note]]For example, a team with 3 Strikers gets four bars, while a team with no strikers has only one.[[/note]]. In addition, Strikers no longer have their own dedicated resource, requiring 1 bar of meter instead.

The game would eventually be released on the UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}} in 2002, and the UsefulNotes/Playstation2 in 2003.

*** Kim and May Lee can do something similar with strong Haki Kyaku and May Lee Kick, respectively, although it's harder to pull off.

The eighth game in ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'' series, and the third and final chapter of the ''NESTS Chronicles''. The game was released on November 15, 2001, and for UsefulNotes/NeoGeo on March 14, 2002. It was one of two games in the series published by Eolith following Creator/{{SNK}}'s bankruptcy.

** Zero has access to three Strikers, something players also can do in Tactical Order Select. What makes him different is that his Strikers are Special Move itself, and it does not spend Power Stock to summon them.

* GrandFinale: This game concludes the NESTS Chronicles arc that started in ''[=KOF '99=]''.

* OneSteveLimit: Averted with Zero. The sub-boss of this game is also named Zero, and even shares a few moves with the one from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2000'', but is otherwise a completely different character. The "original" would later be revealed to be a clone of this new Zero, and is referred to as "Clone Zero" in order to distinguish the two.
* PlayerParty: While ''[=KOF '99=]'' and ''2000'' always forces one of your four fighters to act as AssistCharacter, ''[=KOF 2001=]''[='s=] Tactical Order Select can manage how many fighters you can summon as one. This means you can have up to three Strikers and send out less fighters in a match, or send out all four fighters without a Striker. It doesn't restrict both players having different number of Strikers, and an extreme case like going OneManArmy against a four-fighter party is possible.
* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: Some attacks have a "Wire" effect, causing anyone hit by them to bounce off the wall behind them. There are also "Counter Wire" moves, which only cause this when used to counter an opponent's attack.

* Nerf:
** Stun is removed.
** Super Cancel can now be used without having to spend three Power Gauge stocks and activate the Counter Mode, but instead of using Super Cancel as much as a player can within a time frame, each use depletes Power Gauge.

** Igniz can sometimes guard the player's attack even if he is too late to do so. In a normal circumstance this is undisputedly cheating, but alas, we're talking about a SNKBoss.

* ColonyDrop: Igniz sends NESTS' space station plummeting to earth after he's defeated. Luckily, it lands in the ocean, and the only casualty appears to be Igniz himself.
* PunchedAcrossTheRoom: Some attacks have a "Wire" effect, causing anyone hit by them to bounce off the wall behind them. There are also "Counter Wire" moves, which only cause this when used to counter an opponent's attack.

* ColonyDrop: Igniz sends NESTS' space station plummeting to earth after he's defeated. Luckily, it breaks up harmlessly over the ocean, and the team that defeated him survives.

[[AssistCharacter Strikers]] have been overhauled once again. This time, up to three members of a team can be assigned as Strikers, with more bars of meter being available if more teammates are given this designation [[note]]For example, a team with 3 Strikers gets four bars, while a team with no strikers has only one.[[/note]]. In addition, Strikers no longer require their own resource, requiring 1 bar of meter instead.

[[redirect:VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters]]