King of Fighters 2002 and King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match

ShaolinAce

Ninja Combat Warrior
Joined
Oct 15, 2019
Posts
528
Hate to say it but I have never played 2002 and as such, I have been pondering whether to get the game for my Neo Geo or to just get 2002UM in a cheaper way. 98 is my favorite in the series right now and has been for a while and I much prefer my aes cart to play rather than 98UM. Will I most likely feel the same way towards 2002 vanilla? Does the game hold up well enough on its own?
 

yagamikun

Art of Typing Wiz
20 Year Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2000
Posts
2,343
2002 is arguably as good as 98, and many fans like it better because of the roster. I've always preferred the vanilla versions of both games, as I've felt the updated versions were a little slapdash and I hate the presentation updates. The UM versions have larger rosters than the vanilla releases, if those characters are important to you. I feel the balance is a bit better in the Vanilla releases, though.

Also, the UM version of 2002 does NOT have K9999. Not that K9999 is a great character, but the homage (clone) of Tetsuo from Akira has always been a nice touch. :) In 2K2UM they've mutilated his sprite and turned him into a broken mess of a character both in design and mechanics to skirt any legal issues.

There isn't anything like playing Neo games on Neo hardware, and if you prefer vanilla 98, you'll most likely prefer vanilla 2002. 98 is hands down my favorite competitive fighting game, but 2002 is no slouch. If you like 98, you're pretty much guaranteed to enjoy 2002 as well.
 

ShaolinAce

Ninja Combat Warrior
Joined
Oct 15, 2019
Posts
528
Looks like im going for a classic version of 2002 then. Already saving up. I prefer to play fighters with my fight stick rather than a modern console controller anyway. I was likely to download 2002UM for my 360. I know the pc version has rollback netcode but getting a decent pc is a quest on its own at this point and I'd rather own the aes or the mvs version. Preferably aes due to the sexy artwork and convenience.
 
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Missile

Another Striker
Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Posts
311
I've always prefered 02 overall to 98 but 98 is much more vibrant and colourful. 02 has a much greyer look. But yes having both on Neo Geo is the way to go!

I never play the Neo Geo games I have on 360/Dreamcast. Is just not the same
 

Lord Igniz

n00b
Joined
Dec 24, 2019
Posts
44
Looks like im going for a classic version of 2002 then. Already saving up. I prefer to play fighters with my fight stick rather than a modern console controller anyway. I was likely to download 2002UM for my 360. I know the pc version has rollback netcode but getting a decent pc is a quest on its own at this point and I'd rather own the aes or the mvs version. Preferably aes due to the sexy artwork and convenience.

I have 2002UM for the PS2 and playing it with my ASCII fight stick is a great experience for the money. Owning a real copy of 02 for the AES is a pipe dream, but if you have the opportunity to buy one without breaking the bank go for it. Might as well pick up a copy of UM since they're dirt cheap in comparison.
 
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