Over the holiday break I’ve been putting in a lot of time with some classic fighting games, both on my old Neo Geo machine I keep out in the garage for that authentic experience, and on PC/console with well-worn Injustice arcade stick that’s been modified to hell and back. I’m by no means a professional when it comes to fighting games but I do love playing them as they were intended to be played.
So, color me surprised when The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition on Steam got a major update just before Christmas. The big update centers around the support for rollback netcode for online play, something much appreciated at KOF ’98 is considered the best King of Fighters game, with maybe only King of Fighters 2002 getting equal billing by fans.
Alongside the rollback netcode, The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition features online lobbies that can support 9 players as well as included spectating modes for those that love to sit back and enjoy some tense matches. With everything included in this version it can easily been seen as a totally new entry in the series when compared to its arcade original, a game I often play on my cabinet.
The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition is considered a Dream Match title in that it has no story, instead, brining back every character that appeared in the series in order to pit fighter against fighter regardless if they are dead or not. This entry sticks to the traditional SNK 3-on-3, non-tag system. Stages are incredibly detailed and the character roster might be the largest of any official fighting game coming in at 64 characters to choose from. If you are looking for value, there is no better fighter to get into than The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition.
But be aware that if this is your first experience with a fighting game things might feel a bit scary. There are so many options and modes to choose from, all coming from a very, well, 1998 fighting game UI. It’s not at all intuitive in any way. I’d call it utilitarian in its approach. In terms of fighting though, you essentially get three gameplay systems: Advance, Extra, and the title featured Ultimate.
The basic Advanced mode is what you might expect from KOF games of the time. You can Dash, pull of evasion rolls, use your MAX Special, all the while building meter as you give and take damage. Extra gives you more options with dodge strikes, the mainstay hop system, and gives you the option to charge your meter by holding down the strike buttons. But the best choice for pros will be the Ultimate mode that lets you combine both Advanced and Extra.
This allows players to form their own hybrid system, something that makes fights unpredictable as you won’t always know what your opponent is doing as they can adapt to a fight as it plays out. It also means utilizing specific characters and use a hybrid system as you play. Playing close might have you using Advanced techniques, while distance playing will have you shifting to Extra techniques. There are so many options that the celling to getting good is really high. This means players of all types can enjoy this classic fighter in 2021.
This can all be seen in online play, the highlight of the update. Playing online and playing offline are nearly identical in terms of smoothness. Seriously, the netcode update makes online games a joy, even if I am constantly getting killed by pro gamers. Code Mystics, the team behind the update, have helped create the definitive KOF fighting game. Where if you once wanted something competitive online you needed to turn to emulation and various hacks, you now have the Steam version that does just about everything fans want. Look, when your netcode for a game released over a decade ago works better than a modern KOF release, you know you have a winner.
The best thing is that The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition will work on just about anything out there. Go grab yourself an arcade stick and dive into one of the most feature-filled and character friendly fighting game currently on the market. It’s crazy how 15 bucks will get you this much content, especially when Street Fighter has almost trained us to expect a light roster and drip-feeding content for far too much money.
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