KOF '98 Ultimate Match Released For PS2!

Lyte Edge

Quartermaster,
Joined
Apr 8, 2001
Posts
642
And it's an awesome, AWESOME port!! :D

They went all out on this port. Nice quick load times, too! Here's a few details-

-The ORIGINAL KOF '98 is included. It's the AES version, so you get all the options.

-480p option.

-2D or 3D backgrounds. This is for EVERY SINGLE STAGE, so even the added 2D backgrounds from the arcade version have 3D counterparts. And they look GREAT! I think the 3D backgrounds look better on an HDTV.

-Original or Arranged soundtracks. There's a TON of music in this game, with additional BGMs I never heard in the arcade version. Stuff like Blue Mary's Blues (vocal!), Psycho Soldier '96, and more. Songs from KOF '95 and '96 have been added, along with a few others.

-O. Leona, O. Iori, Goenitz, and Orochi are definitely playable characters. They were not playable in the arcade version. That brings the roster to a grand total of 64 characters.

-Arcade (Team), Arcade 2P, Arcade Vs. CPU, Single, Single 2P, Single Vs. CPU, Endless, Challenge, Practice, Gallery, and NeoGeo mode (the original '98) available.

-Very much like recent SNK PS2 ports, there's color edit, six different types of filtering options, screen types, and more options available.

Buy this immediately. Don't walk, don't run, SPRINT to your local shop (Japan), importer, or PC to order this. :buttrock:
 

Lyte Edge

Quartermaster,
Joined
Apr 8, 2001
Posts
642
Took some pics.

Here are pics of the game running at 1080p, filtered, and with 3D backgrounds:

2613498530_2f34dcef90_b.jpg

2613498536_bfe49268a3_b.jpg

2612670349_2bc4e319aa_b.jpg

2613498538_a425c2e34f_b.jpg

2613498540_b4dafaa606_b.jpg

2613498542_e7af31538f_b.jpg


Here are some pics of the game running at 480p, with 2D backgrounds and no filtering. I threw in one shot of the original '98 mode for comparison.

2613597904_cfbcf3994e_b.jpg

2613598184_0043945460_b.jpg

2612766275_a96f0eedb6_b.jpg

2612766771_5d89451194_b.jpg

2613598638_247f86304a_b.jpg

2613599158_d19f17d345_b.jpg
 
Last edited:

Asmoday

Baseball Star Hitter
Joined
Sep 17, 2000
Posts
1,268
Is the arranged sound track option a different sound? I never really liked the jazz sound to that game's tracks. I like the fast paced rock vibe of the other titles.
 

hanafuda

Dr. Brown's Time Machine Mechanic
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Posts
4,967
Have my copy on order.

Will be picking it up when I get back to Japan. Hopefully on Monday.
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2000
Posts
60,434
Will this game play on a U.S Ps3!

No. PS3s only play the PS2 games from their own territory. So a US PS3 cannot play Euro or Japanese PS2 or PSX games. Only US games, unless it's a PS3 game or downloaded from the PSN, then it is region free.
 

Silky Johnson

Zero's Tailor
Joined
Mar 21, 2006
Posts
565
I hope at least that they included the Psycho Soldier vocal version from kof96. Me and my friends allways wanted that kof98 had at least EIJI and GEESE playable... but now they have balanced the game a lot, cosmetic changes, new roster, blablabla

IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE!!! Definitely, this is the best kof ever! ;)
 

Blue Steel

previously "bubu_X"
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Posts
3,838
Me likes the Taipei stage. Yeah, this game is full of fan service. Minimal load times, you can tell it's been tweaked just by playing it for a few minutes.
 
Joined
Oct 9, 2001
Posts
1,530

I noticed that Ignition's publishing the game here. Looks like those rumors about Ignition taking over for SNK Playmore USA may not be false after all. Here's hoping they do a better job on this title than they did with KOF XI in Europe...

My main question about KOF '98 UM is are there any unique endings? I know there were a whole bunch of them in KOF '98, so are there any new ones?
 

Lyte Edge

Quartermaster,
Joined
Apr 8, 2001
Posts
642
Is the arranged sound track option a different sound? I never really liked the jazz sound to that game's tracks. I like the fast paced rock vibe of the other titles.

It's the same original soundtrack as the cart '98, and the same arranged soundtrack as the Neo CD/PSOne/Dreamcast '98. The Boss Team's BGMs are ripped right from KOF '96. Eiji's is new (I think) and sounded like a remix of his theme from AOF2. Kasumi gets the original AOF1 first stage music. :) There's also some new music for the pre-fight and attract screens. You'll hear new versions of the KOF '95 and '96 select screen music.

I hope at least that they included the Psycho Soldier vocal version from kof96.

It's there! :D I said that in the first post. :crying:

But I don't know when you get to hear it in-game. I haven't heard any of the character-specific themes yet from the single player I played last night; tomorrow I should be playing some multiplayer though.

In training mode messing around, with two Another Blue Marys, the BGM changed to her Fatal Fury 3/RBFF1 music.

Me and my friends allways wanted that kof98 had at least EIJI and GEESE playable... but now they have balanced the game a lot, cosmetic changes, new roster, blablabla

IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE!!! Definitely, this is the best kof ever! ;)

Yes, it's simply awesome. How balanced it is remains to be seen; we'll have to wait for more people to get their hands on the game and find out. At my arcade, people generally use the same top-tier characters from the original '98 and win, so I don't know what's changed. People here play the game like the old '98, so it is fun to surprise them with the changed-up Another Characters.
 

Lyte Edge

Quartermaster,
Joined
Apr 8, 2001
Posts
642
Ryo's Another version makes him play like Ryo used to. ;) He gets the old-style Hienshippukyaku back, for instance. Most of the Anothers get moves from non-KOF games "back." Andy's got that RBS attack where he jumps onto you, hits your face, then slams his fists and you get hit, Mai has her duplicate fire attack (FF3/RBFF style), Terry has his round wave, etc.
 

Sarumaru

Kabuki Klasher
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Posts
128
....wow!

I like how much music there is in this game. Browsing through the BGM's, you'll find things like Blue Mary's Blues (Vocal Ver.) and Genki wo Dashite (Psycho Soldier vocal song from '95 credits). There are also specific team triggered BGM's like picking the original Female Beauty team has the song Ne! as their BGM ('94) or picking Heidern, Ralf and Clark plays the Ikari team BGM from '95.

Pretty cool stuff, and the game feels very solid and alot more "refined" feeling than it did for the location test of U.M.
 

GENOCIDE CUTTER '94

Ukyo's Doctor
Joined
Jun 3, 2003
Posts
1,210
Mine's being shipped as we speak! Should arrived July 7th earliest! Having it sent to work address so I can play it straight away.
 

Kim Kaphwan

Member,
20 Year Member
Joined
May 22, 2001
Posts
1,601
Just got mine today with Mai's fan cellphone strap as a preorder bonus. Man, I never realized how the damage on attacks got tone down, compared to the original. After watching the tougeki 98UM vids and playing him myself, I can understand why Krauser is S-Ranked.
 

Atro

Who?,
20 Year Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2002
Posts
9,209
I don't wanna sound pessimist but I won't give more than 2 weeks of fun with this game.

I don't wanna call it port because it's "another 98" , so I wanna avoid direct comparisons.

I have tried it for over more than 60 matches plus some training in practice and the gameplay is completely RUINED on a lot of chars.

Balance is a joke if you ask me. It is balanced if you pick old chars vs old chars.

Pick Krauser, Ex King and Ex Geese and you've got a triple-cheese team.

Orochi Yashiro and Takuma are slow as slugs on lots of moves and got more restrited timings for lots of combos.
Saisyu :down::B: :C: :forw::A: :hcb::hcf: :A: is now a nightmare to pull out compared to the original 98 version.

I don't get why they took away Daimon's earthquake bug !
It would made sense if they took the other bugs out.. they mostly all REMAIN !!!

Eiji is a let down ( doesn't stand a chance against good chars ) and Geese is my new KOF love ( been waiting that for years ) tho he lacks a :forw::A: link.

That game has to be played with 3d backgrounds. Why ? because with 2d it feels slower.

more to come..
 

OrochiEddie

Kobaïa Is De Hündïn
20 Year Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2001
Posts
19,316
fuck im excited for the eventual US release. This is my 2nd favorite fighter after all (just nudged out by SuperT).
 
Top