The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match for PlayStation 2 Reviews by Gamers

Yes, the above quote is actually taken from the game, as it's one of the actual win quotes that retains some of its translated flavor. As comical as it is, King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match is still a fairly serious fighter, despite the fact that the game could have used a touch more localization. A remake of the original King of Fighters '98 that graced arcades and a variety of consoles more than ten years ago, Ultimate Match adds a few new elements to an otherwise well-worn formula. Ultimate Match is a solid fighter for the PS2 and demonstrates why SNK Playmore's efforts in the fighting game genre have stuck around for so long. While nowhere near as polished as modern fighters, Ultimate Match is a great way to keep King of Fighters fans busy until the eventual launch of King of Fighters XII.



King of Fighters '98 originally gave SNK enthusiasts complete access to the entire King of Fighters roster, without a story to get in the way of what would otherwise be "impossible fights" (in other words, characters fighting rivals that already died, etc.). Ultimate Match cleans up the original game with some slick new interfaces and adds a few characters to the mix, including the infamous Geese Howard, the ridiculously powerful Goenitz and several alternate versions of existing characters. Ultimate Match also lets players select between three different Command Modes, which are essentially fighting styles that govern how your fighters behave in the ring. Originally, the only options were Advanced and Extra, but Ultimate Match adds the "Ultimate" Command Mode which enables players to select specific behavior types from both the Advanced and Extra modes and combine them together.



For example, the Advanced Command Mode will make characters dash when you double-tap left or right on the D-pad. Alternatively, Extra Mode will cause them to do a quick hopping step. But movement type isn't the only tweak you have at your fingertips; you can also set how your power gauge fills up (which can charge by either landing attacks or filling it manually), as well as how you perform evasive maneuvers. As complicated as it sounds, it really boils down to how your character feels in the ring and the Ultimate Command Mode gives King of Fighters veterans the tools needed to fine-tune their playing style.



But for those of you that aren't veterans of the franchise, Ultimate Match will be overwhelming -- especially when you're staring at more than 60 character portraits at the character selection screen. Luckily there's a robust Practice mode where you can learn the ropes and actually program specific button commands and play them back, without worrying about messing up. Besides this well-built Practice arena, there's also Arcade, Single Play, Endless and Challenge offerings to keep you wrapped up in the action. The various Arcade modes are built around three-on-three matches whereas the Single Play avenue is for those interested in one-on-one competition. Although I always enjoy having an Endless/Survival option for endurance-based gameplay, the Challenges are equally fun and task you with completing very specific objectives during combat, like performing combos or escaping out of throws.



Because Ultimate Match is based on a now ancient arcade/Neo Geo title, the sprites and animations look absolutely horrible when compared to recent fighters, but that's entirely expected. Perhaps more problematic is when I think that having more than 60 available characters hurts the game's balance, but gamers intensely familiar with the franchise should already know the ins and outs of the experience. I'm sure they'll circumvent most of the shenanigans that come out of a crazy huge roster and play the characters they most enjoy.



And that's really what Ultimate Match is all about: it's a culmination of characters, moves and modes that have been experimented with over the years and it feels like one last push with the old sprites before King of Fighters XII takes over. If you've already played the other King of Fighters games to death, there's really no reason why you need to play this one as the additions are trivial from a casual perspective. For the hardcore competitors however, any change is usually a change worth having and I suspect that this game will be enjoyed by SNK enthusiasts interested in the biggest King of Fighters roster yet.

©2009-03-06, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved