The King of Fighters '99: Evolution

"Though not as good as Dream Match, Evolution has a charm all of its own."

Graphics
*********(9/10)
While Dream Match losed some resolution due to the 3d backgrounds, Evolution is actually improved by this. The backgrounds are nicely animated, and the characters fit perfectely into it. As always, the characters are nicely done, and the character designs are still the best. Neo Kyo is looks extremely cool too. Special effects, like Iori's flaming, are very well done. There could be more animations, but the base look is better than most 2d-fighters.

Gameplay
********(8/10)
Some characters went, some characters came. The selection is not as big as it was in Dream Match, but the additions are nice. Xiang-Fei, a fan-favorite from the Fatal Fury series makes her way in, and Kasumi returns to grace us with her presence once again. Unfortunately, the Orochi team is no more. But with the new additions this can easily be overlooked. Special intros are as abundant as ever, and very funny. The new striker is like a double-edged sword. It makes the gameplay more fun in many ways, but also takes away some of the strategies, since you can't play the characters like you could in previous parts. In this aspect, it's a matter of taste. Characters have been upgraded with new, better moves, and the supers are more amazing then ever. While the boss is as cheap as ever, the game is extremely balanced in all other areas. No button smashing here!

Sound-Music
**********(10/10)
Evolution features probably the best score to ever grace KOF. Remakes of Dream Match songs sound amazing, and the new Ikari track will blow you away. The characters have many new lines, and sound just plain cool. Everything else is just good old KOF style. Which means, excellent.

Replay
**********(10/10)
As with any fighter, you will devote a lot of time perfecting your skills. If you are a KOF veteran, there are many new things to learn, which will take some time. After that, there are quite a few things awaiting you. 2 types of survival modes are present, time-attack and infinite. A single-all challenge is also available. Plus the usual Team and Single play, in which you can set records and view special endings. You can also earn points to purchase strickers. Suffice to say, you will spent alot of time on this game!

Final Words

If you like 2d fighters, this is one of the best out there. Both this and Dream Match show off what King of Fighters is all about. If there is only one game you will ever import, this should be it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/24/01, Updated 03/06/01