As an iconic
[87] Samurai Shodown and SNK character, Nakoruru has been well received worldwide,
[71] becoming especially popular in Japan.
[88][89][90][91] According to The King of Fighters XIV producer Yasuyuki Oda, this surprised even the company as no one at SNK had "expected that Nakoruru would become a popular character to that extent."
[92] Her great popularity has made many in Japan interested in the modern Ainu people.
[93]
Japanese arcade gaming magazine Gamest named her as the best character of 1993,
[94] later also placing her sixth in 1995 and 1996, 13th in 1997, and tenth in 1998.
[95][96][97][98] Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine ranked her as the eight best female character on the
Sega Saturn in 1997, with her sister Rimururu placing 31st.
[99] Japanese magazine Neo Geo Freak ranked her as the fifth best character on the
Neo Geo in 1998, where Rimururu was eight;
[100] Nakoruru and Rimururu have been also voted as respectively first and third most popular female characters by the male readers of Neo Geo Freak in 1997.
[101]Retrospectively, Japanese magazine
Famitsu declared Nakoruru as overally the 37th top video game heroine of the 1990s, with her being one of the only three non-
Capcom fighting game characters on this list.
[102] Nakoruru was added to 2016's KOF XIVdue to her enduring popularity.
[103] In a 2018 Famitsu poll for the most popular Neo Geo character, Nakoruru was voted third in general and first among the female ones (noted as ahead of the likes of Mai Shiranui or Athena Asamiya).[104]
