The King of Fighters’ series has a heavy following and because of the large fan base SNK has decided to re-release King of Fighters ‘98 in the US for the first time. This version of the King of Fighters series is named Ultimate Match because it includes the original Neo Geo Version of the game as well as an expanded version that includes 10 never before seen characters and several new modes.
This game definitely falls into the category of retro gaming. Do not expect top notch PS2 graphics from this title as you won’t find it here. What you will find is a King of Fighters fan’s dream game. This title includes a total of 64 fighters to choose from leaving the player with a virtually bottomless character select screen that can be overwhelming for new players to the series. Not only is the character selection a bit overwhelming but so are the modes you can play. You can choose arcade, single play, practice, endless, or a challenge mode that includes 30 levels to play through. Each challenge level has certain “victory” conditions that you must meet in order to continue to the next challenge. While endless simply pits you against opponent after opponent until you die. On top of these modes the player also has the option to switch to the original Neo Geo version which honestly the main difference is less features and roughly the same graphics.
The controls for the game are fairly basic including strong kick, light kick, strong punch, light punch, and then the shoulder buttons act as combo buttons. The true complexity in the combat comes into play when you actually want to pull off some special moves. Knowing how to do special moves and blocks is absolutely required in order to survive a match on the default difficulty. Luckily there is an option to make your enemy have less defense and in turn take more damage from your attacks. This will allow novices to the title time to get used to the gameplay without constantly getting destroyed by the over zealous and powerful computer opponents.
Of course the best and the most emphasized feature of this title is re-playability. This title has so much to do that you will be left pondering what to try next every time you are at a character select screen or at the mode select. Chances are you could play through hundreds of fights and still not see all the characters packed into this game. My only complaint on the content is that the Neo Geo mode seems pointless and thrown in just to fill the remaining area on the CD. But I suppose those gamers who want to hear the all Japanese taunts from the original version will have a blast playing the Neo Geo version.
Final Verdict
King of Fighters fans rejoice! This title is a gem for those who want the most King of Fighters content for their buck. But anyone who isn’t currently a fan of the series I recommend playing a more recent edition of the series before jumping into this jam packed title.
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