KOF '97
Image: SNK

We're used to coming across some pretty weird promotional merchandise in our day-to-day, but these King of Fighters '97 soft drinks recently caught our attention (thanks to a tip from regular Time Extension contributor Ashley Day).

His friend was in a Chinese supermarket not long ago and happened to stumble across these King of Fighters' 97-themed drinks in the aisles. This inevitably got us wanting to know more about the strange video game crossover.

QDOL KOF '97 Drinks
Image: Craig Largent

From what we could find, the creator of the soft drinks, QDOL, is a company based in Taiwan and has previously also done a collaboration with other video game franchises including Pokémon. Its KOF '97 tie-in, however, is something of a peculiar choice we think, considering it features mostly series regulars (as opposed to that game's roster of newcomers).

There are six characters included in the range, with each having a different flavour associated with them:

  • Mai Shiranui - Strawberry
  • Athena Asamiya - Peach
  • Orochi - Tangerine
  • Iori Yagami - Lychee
  • Terry Bogard - Sea Salt
  • Kyo Kusanagi - Lime

There are various specialist food sites online claiming to export the drinks to the UK/US. We're extremely tempted to pick some up ourselves and see how they match up to expectations.

Which flavour/fighter would you go for? Let us know in the comments!