"Peanut Butter and Jelly. Spaghetti and Meatballs. Capcom and SNK!"

Upon importing this game, I'd never played the prequel so I really didn't know what to expect. I'm not really sure what to make of it... It's a good game but it seems that SNK just stepped into Capcom's office with a disk full of characters and said ''here's some guys, do whatever the hell you want.''

Graphics (9 out of 10):
These graphics are great. It's like 2d, but with an overload of anti-alias so it looks like a flat 3d. That's the best way I can describe it. The super moves look better than most in KOF 98 (99 on Dreamcast.) The graphics are definitely a step up in the right direction.

Sound (7 out of 10):
The sound is great but the music doesn't have the funky SNK feel to it. (I guess by reading this far you can realize I was only really looking forward to the SNK half of this game. I like Capcom and all but this was like the KOF dream team that never existed (read: characters.)) I wish that they had just ripped some KOF 95 and KOF 98 songs off of the Neo Geo and called it a night. This wasn't the case and it was a little lackluster in that department.

Characters (7 out of 10):
Ok so the SNK lineup was probably the reason I bought this game, and I can't say I'm necessarily disappointed. I guess the saying rings true ''you get what you pay for.'' I got the super team (sans Billy Kane) of Rugal, Geese, Evil Iori, Kyo, Haohmaru. *Drool* But after playing the game for awhile I noticed some serious problems with the engine. It became readily apparent that Capcom developped the game and had little regard towards SNK. Problem:
1.) 6 buttons. I dont want extra kicks and punches, expecially those made up by Capcom, 2 punches, 2 kicks were fine.
2.) The games engine doesn't support the variety of SNK characters. I mean Haohmaru or anyone from Samurai Showdown just doesn't work in this faster, much less strategic-based engine. So I had to add them to my never use list. Guys like Geese who have limited special moves (namely 1 or 2) just won't stand their ground against the limitless specials of the Capcom stars.
3.) The SNK guys can get their butts kick much easier. This is the case especially when you use a standard SNK groove. You have to charge up while Capcomers just get power by being hit. CHEAP! So after rendering some of my favorite characters useless, I regretfully deduct points.

Fun-Factor (7 out of 10):
It really depends on where you stand. You either like 1 company and hate the rival one or can live with both. I lean towards SNK so the Capcom engine doesn't help me very much. But it's not to say that I didn't have any fun. After making a few adjustments I had a lot of fun as most people will. It really depends on how you like your engines. If you prefer Capcom I would push the 7 up to an 8.

Overall (7 out of 10):
IF you love Capcom, it might be an 8. It's a fun game which has so many flaws that unveil themselves as you progress. I suggest trying and then buying. It's the only way to tell if you'll enjoy it yourself.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/01/02, Updated 09/01/02