The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999

"Is this a DC game?"

Until I got a Dreamcast, I had never played an SNK fighter but I had always heard they were good. Then I got a DC, and the first game I got was Capcom vs. SNK. Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed. I like almost all of the SNK characters, and the SNK Groove (if you've never played that game, the ''grooves'' are nothing more than different super meters, Capcom Groove having the 3 level meter from SF Alpha 3 and SNK's the same style that's in Dream Match) was by far my favorite. One day, I found Dream Match for only $20 and I decided to try it out. When I finally played it though, I was disappointed.

GRPAHICS: 5/10. Is this a DC game? Doesn't look like it to me. The game claims ''fully polygonal 3D backgrounds'', and they may be fully polygonal, but they're ugly. The characters aren't very detailed, and the special effects aren't very special. The only thing that blew me away graphics wise was the anime introduction, which I thought was really good. Maybe I've been spoiled by too many gorgeous Capcom fighters, Soul Calibur, and the awe inspiring Guilty Gear X, but I couldn't help but think that this game could've looked A LOT better on the DC, and it reminded me of a PSX game.

GAMEPLAY: 9/10. Like I said, this is the first SNK fighter I've ever played, so I don't know how to compare it to other SNK titles. Anyway, the controls are similar to Street Fighter, so those who've played Capcom's series and those who are SNK fans will find them easy to get into. You have the standard hadoken and dragon punch motions, and a similar 4 button layout, with the triggers being a taunt and a ''roll'' move which allows you to pass through opponents and their attacks. It's pretty much the same as CvS, although in that game Capcom had to remove a lot of the characters moves so it would be balanced. You get 38 characters from the start, so you should have no problem finding someone you like or someone that will become your favorite.

FINAL ROUND: If you're a big SNK fan, which no doubt many of you are, I'm sure you'll be able to get past the graphics, maybe you'll even like them. The gameplay is great, and although graphics aren't the most important part of a game, I presonally can't play a game that I can't look at, no matter how good the controls are. So, if you like SNK, you'll probably like this game. But if you're just looking for another DC fighter to add to your library, you might want to look elsewhere. On a side not, I have not given up hope on SNK, and I plan on getting KoF Evolution, I just hope it at least looks better. But, if you've already played or you own Capcom vs, SNK, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Street Fighter III 3rd Strike or Guilty Gear X, let me warn you, this games appearance doesn't even compare to those, and you will be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/25/01, Updated 05/25/01