The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match

"The dream match slugfest that never ends..."

Best Features: An update that doesn't fail to do its source material justice, includes the original KoF 98, great music

Worst Features: Visually a little underwhelming, netplay once again confined exclusively to Japan

SNK fans usually have their favorite fighting games. After all, one of the company's hallmarks is the fighting game, a genre they competed neck-to-neck in with Capcom. Among the games that are often chosen to represent the favorite SNK fighters, names like "Garou: Mark of the Wolves" and "The King of Fighters XI" are frequently heard. Amidst those games also sits The King of Fighters '98, SNK's second King of Fighters dream match game and a game with a substantial following. To mark its 10th anniversary, SNK has released a hefty update to the game to reintroduce the gaming world to its magic. Did they succeed in improving the formula?

Graphics: 7
One title KoF is infamously known for is its dedication to using older sprites. While enthusiasts often look past this fact, it is something that needs to be addressed. The sprites in this game are the classic sprites re-smoothed from the original NeoGeo game. While they did improve some of the edges, I personally think the sprite work they did for The King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout (their last major classic KoF overhaul) may have had some more effort put into it. In addition, The King of Fighters Dream Match 1999 (the Dreamcast version of KoF 98) added a few more visual effects (like smoother jumping trails for super leaps) that aren't present here. But as a fighting game player, I'm not here to gripe about graphics. The animation is still clean and the game still keeps a fast pace, as does any King of Fighters game. The backgrounds are redone in 3D and they look better than DM1999's 3D backdrops. Its a classic package all around even if the graphic work on the sprites could have been a little better.

Sound/Music: 10
For the sound effects, the game keeps its classic NeoGeo feel while cleaning it up to sound more sophisticated than the aged hardware. Character voices are still diverse as ever and hearing Iori speak after winning is just so satisfying. The music is what takes the trophy home in this category. The game's music comes in an Original and Arranged flavor. The Original themes are the same mixes heard in the Arcade Ultimate Match while the Arranged music are all new mixes for the Playstation 2 (complete with new instrumentation). The variety of music is as varied as any King of Fighters game with each team getting their own theme music. In addition there is new music not heard in the original 98 added to the game for the new characters. I think its the multitude of character themes that won me over here.

Control: 8
While I would assume that this category would be a matter of dispute between those who prefer gamepads (like myself) and those that would rather fight with an arcade stick, the control itself is still good. Move execution is smooth and movement isn't a chore to deal with. Shortcuts are mapped to the top buttons to make the trickier executions easier to access (such as snapping into MAX mode, which normally requires the player press all the face buttons, is bound to the R1 button). Its not flawless (canceling some of the more complex moves isn't something you'll pick up right away) but its also geared towards hardened fighting game players who want their move execution the way they remember. If you're good at SNK fighting games, this should be no surprise and it shouldn't take long to grapple with the controls.

Gameplay: 10
A trademark of the King of Fighters series is the focus on team-based battle. True as ever, Ultimate Match delivers on the classic gameplay that has been time tested for over a decade. The main game pits teams of 3 against one another in a last-team-standing bout fought over a maximum of five rounds. The game also supports the traditional one-on-one fights in best 2-out-3 series fights. Choose from a roster of over 50 characters (the largest number in a KoF game to date) including faces who didn't appear in the original game such as Eiji Kisaragi, Geese Howard or Kasumi Todoh. Battle your way through the King of Fighters tournament to earn your right to face Rugal Bernstein, the tournament sponsor. The game is both challenging and accepting of new players and as a fighting game, is well-built. Characters have been given new moves in this revision and all the EX characters from Dream Match 1999 are present, also with some revisions. The game includes two fighting modes entitled "Advanced" and "Extra", which dictates the super bar used and sub-systems your character employs during the game. Both have been tweaked slightly from their original incarnations and the "Advantage" system present in the original KoF 98 has been removed. In addition, a mix-and-match mode, appropriately called "Ultimate", is new to Ultimate Match and allows players to combine two sub-systems and a super bar into a single mode. These enhancements make KoF 98 Ultimate Match a worthy update to its 1998 forerunner.

Replay Value: 9 (closer to 9.5 but I only use whole numbers to rate categories)
As any fighting game should be, the replay value in KoF 98 Ultimate Match is found in the desire to practice and improve your style and form. Mastering characters and understanding the engine nuances of the game is the prime reason to keep playing. However, aside from this fact, the game includes some bonus features and secrets to keep more causal players interested. KoF 98 veterans will find the new characters added into the roster to be a new challenge to take while the Challenge mode (similar to the one found in KoF XI) presents players with 30 tasks (ranging from technical challenges to specific combos that must be executed) that can be completed to unlock secrets in the main game. In addition the game contains a library of character art and videos that can be viewed as they're unlocked. Finally, the game includes a port of KoF 98 for the NeoGeo if you want a rush of nostalgia (or just want to change up the experience a little and play 98 in its original form). If you live in Japan, the game also supports netplay (like the other SNK NeoGeo collection games) but due to the GameSync system being exclusive to Japan, no other part of the world can use this feature (which is a shame because I do enjoy taking my skills internationally). Even without netplay, this game delivers a great package that will keep things enjoyable for good while.

Overall: 9
The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match once again proves that SNK knows the secret to crafting a timeless fighting game. 10 years later and they've successfully remade one of their fan favorites for a new generation gamers to enjoy. My first experience with KoF 98 came with the Dreamcast's port of the game and I am glad for the enhancements they made. This game won't arrive in America for a long time (at least not until the end of 2008) which is a shame since this is an excellent example of 2D fighting (my preferred way to fight). If you can get your hands around this game, I definitely advise it as its a terrific addition to any fighting game fan's collection (and if you've ever played KoF 98 then you know what to expect from this title). While my favorite KoF game still remains XI, 98 has always remained right there next to it. This update is a welcome revision to a classic game and proves "true fighting is art" (to quote Street Fighter Anniversary Collection).

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/08

Game Release: The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match (NeoGeo Online Collection Vol. 10) (JP, 06/26/08)