The King of Fighters: NESTS Collection

Ah, the NESTS saga, the wild, convoluted, and sometimes messy arc in The King of Fighters that took the series from classic team brawls to full on sci-fi insanity. This era spans KOF ‘99 through 2001, and we have 2003 kinda hanging around but technically belonging to the Ash saga. Still, it’s worth mentioning ‘03 ‘cause it ties up some loose ends. Buckle up, ‘cause this is where SNK went all in with clones, evil syndicates, and Kyo’s DNA being everyone’s Big Mac.

The NESTS saga kicks off with KOF ‘99, where the tournament format gets a shake-up with the Striker system. Suddenly, you’ve got a fourth character tagging in for assists, which is either great or annoying depending on who you ask. Story wise, this is where we learn Kyo’s been cloned (a lot ), and NESTS, this shadowy org, is behind it. The Hero Team (with K’ as the new edgy protagonist) is formed to take ‘em down. The vibe shifts from traditional martial arts to a more cyberpunk feel, and while some fans missed the old-school style, others dug the fresh direction.

2000 doubles down on the Strikers, making them even more broken. The story gets messier, NESTS is still cloning fighters, and now there’s a rogue faction causing chaos. The big twist? The whole tournament was a setup to power a satellite cannon (because why not? ). The game’s balance was all over the place, but the roster was stacked with cool picks like Ramon and Hinako, and the endings were early 2000s cheese.

Then comes 2001, the black sheep of the saga. The graphics took a hit (thanks, financial struggles ), and the Striker system got tweaked into this weird Ratio system where you could stack your team with more strikers but fewer actual fighters. The story wraps up with K’ and crew finally storming NESTS’ HQ, leading to a showdown with Igniz, the big bad who’s basically a god complex in a white suit. The gameplay’s janky, but the lore payoff is satisfying, Igniz’s boss fight is brutal, and the ending sets up K’s crew as the new faces of the series.

2002 ditches the story completely and just throws every NESTS-era character (plus a ton of classics) into one massive roster. No Strikers, no Ratio system, just pure 3v3 chaos like the old days. And man, did it deliver. The gameplay is tight, the combos are explosive, and the roster is stacked with fan favorites, from the NESTS-era newcomers (K’, Angel, Nameless) to OGs like Rugal (who’s back as a stupidly hard boss again). It’s basically SNK saying, "Yeah, the NESTS saga was cool and all, but remember when we just let you beat the hell out of each other without all the plot drama?"

Now, 2003 isn’t technically part of the NESTS saga, but it’s worth a nod ‘cause it cleans up some lingering threads. The Ash saga starts here, but you still get hints of NESTS’ fallout, like K’ and Maxima showing up, and the whole cloning thing still lurking in the background. The shift to Multi-Shift (switching characters mid-fight) was a fresh change, even if the execution was rough.

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We’re missing the other games from the Ash Saga in the roster, but hold up, fighter! The King of Fighters legacy ain’t just about the big screens, we’ve got the EX and R spin-offs locked and loaded for portable mayhem! These pocket-sized brawls pack the same fiery fists, desperate supers, and last-second comebacks you crave.

QR codes primed? Scan 'em fast, This is SNK’s fighting spirit: no mercy, no handicaps, just raw, unfiltered KOF hype. So hear me out, champ! Pick your battle via FBI’s Remote Install, the next match won’t fight itself! READY... GO!