Don't listen to Ray, he's just trying to get his posts up. I would NOT say "rocks all the way". It's not as good as 98, but then again, what is. Like Fran says, the music and backgrounds stink. Pure ass, to be honest. I HATE how they redrew Vanessa and Iori's heads too. Damn do I hate it. I used to think Vanessa was a little hottie, but her new head is crap.
Yeah, the controls are great, new characters are great, and the endboss is awesome too. There's a lot to love, but a lot to shrug at. KOF98 is still king, but 2001 is very nice. Damn, could have been better, but overall there's a lot more to cheer about than jeer about.
Second best kof, IMHO.
Spike