Written by Paul Stuart

In recalling arcade days of yore, I can safely say that nothing sucked time and quarters more than Neo-Geo titles. Something about the system’s look and feel drew me in akin to a rabid moth hunting fluorescents. Not to mention the wacky sense of humor infused at the most peculiar points within these games.

Still, while ‘Baseball Stars’, ‘King of the Monsters’, ‘Last Resort’ and ‘Metal Slug’ served as pixilated crack addictions, the ‘King of Fighters’ (KOF) series never emerged as a gaming drug of preference.

For starters, SNK’s own ‘Samurai Showdown’ was – in my opinion – a far superior brawler, and both nowhere near as approachable as Capcom’s ‘Street Fighter 2’ inspired line nor engrossing as Midway’s ‘Mortal Kombat’ genre.

On the flipside – and having played KOF to death as of late due to ROM’s and SNK re-releases - I’ve learned to better appreciate the deep engine inherent in the series.

To elaborate and in comparison to its counterparts, KOF is arguably the most technical of all fighting game series to date, one that rewards patience and strategy over mad dashes to execute special moves before your opponent beats you to it.

‘KOF ’98 Ultimate Match’ (KOF 98) – a re-release of its namesake - for the PS2 is perhaps the apex of the KOF line, stocked with a whopping 60 characters, nearly 20 backgrounds, and a nifty 2D/3D hybrid appearance.

The PS2 version likewise sports new characters, tremendous customization, and a new ‘Ultimate’ mode featuring selectable extra skills. Secondary is a bonus CD featuring trailers for the game and a decent slew of wallpapers for your PC or MAC.

KOF 98 – as one would expect – plays very well, especially on an HORI fighting stick. It’s a vast improvement over the emulated KOF titles for the PSP, devoid of the frustrating lags and failed combo recognitions.

Still – and I am saddened to admit – sometimes a genre has advanced so much its impossible to go back without being tainted.

Simply put: having played the gorgeous ‘Street Fighter IV,’ ‘KOF 98’ is much more gaming chore than retro bliss. Also, I far preferred the PS2’s ‘Mortal Kombat Trilogy’ for a trip down this systems brawler lane. As much as I pretend, Andy Bogart is no Ryu Hayabusa.

With this being said: If you still haven’t made the leap to current gen (sans Wii) consoles, ‘KOF 98’ is a damn good brawler, one well worth the $20 to acquire it. A committed player could literally spend months maximizing the game’s robust offerings.

SUMMARY: As far as PS2 fighting games go, ‘King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match’ stands as one of the better ones out there. Still, the game clearly shows its age in comparison to current offerings by both Capcom and Midway in gameplay elements.

CONCLUSION: B minus