Street Fighter IV isn’t the only brawler on the block! SNK Playmore’s favorite The King of Fighters 98: Ultimate Match is now available on the PlayStation 2. Now, you may be thinking, “Why buy this when it’s already on another KOF Collection?” Well, the version on that collection is the arcade one, while Ultimate Match is optimized for home consoles with extra options, characters, and other goodies. And most KOF fans I’ve talked to say that 98 is one of the best ones. Plus you can’t beat the price: 20 bucks.

Like any other 2-D fighter, players go one-on-one with the computer or another gamer with teams of three. Select your favorite SNK character, and since KOF 98 is a ‘dream match’ with fighters from all the previous games, there’s plenty to choose from. Play control is as you remember it, with all the special moves and combos intact.

This version of KOF 98 is chock full of options and extras. Pick your difficulty settings, game modes, and other options. Take on specific missions in “Challenge Mode” and view tons of artwork and movies in the Gallery. You can also edit the colors of each character. And to top it all off, the original arcade NEO-GEO version of KOF 98 is included as well. Fans of the KOF franchise can also look forward to an included poster and extra bonus disc with trailers for the upcoming new King of Fighters XII game plus tons of desktop wallpapers. Ultimate Match is definitely a good buy for classic KOF fans.

Kid Factor:
The King of Fighters 98: Ultimate Match is rated T for Teen with ESRB descriptors of Violence and Suggestive Themes. Naturally the game is violent, as it’s a fighting game. And the suggestive themes come from some of the female fighters’ outfits. But because of the ten year old sprites and visuals, none of the violence or suggestive themes are very graphic. It’s no worse than what you can see in arcades. I’d be OK with kids younger than teens playing this.

OK folks, in the comments section, let me know who your favorite King of Fighters characters are. Mine are Shermie, Blue Mary, Athena, Ralf & Clark (the Ikari Warriors), and Leona.

Tags: Game Reviews