Code Mystics' version of the game isn't the best (Ultimate Match still reigns supreme), but should the team deliver the killer arranged soundtrack and fix the online issues, Final Edition instantly becomes a must-buy title. The Art of Street Fighting The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition is another strong edition to the Steam fighting game library. Ultimate Match's character color-edit feature is a no-show here. A video-filtering option softens the pixels' rough edges, but makes the graphics less crisp. Unfortunately, Final Edition lacks a 1080p video option, but you can tweak the pixel count the graphics options range from 320 by 200 to 1366 by 768. Plus, you can apply borders to retain the classic 4:3 aspect ratio. Much like Metal Slug 3, Final Edition lets you apply scan lines to duplicate the old-school monitor look-I particularly enjoyed the effect, as it took me back to the days of plopping quarters into Neo Geo uprights. If you want to utilize that system, fire up the included vanilla KOF '98 (it's listed as Neo Geo Mode in Settings).įilters and Resolution Final Edition's settings let you tinker with the visuals a bit to find a look that best suits your tastes. Note: The quirky "smiley face" team chemistry indicators aren't in Final Edition. Code Mystics, the development team handling the port, is continually updating the game to squash bugs and add features, so hopefully the netcode sees improvement in the near future. This isn't shocking considering SNK Playmore's history of subpar netcode, but it's still disappointing. Sometimes online matches move briskly at other times, they move at a snail's pace. Combos flow effortlessly in the hard-hitting SNK Playmore style when battling the CPU, but the online fighting is a hit-or-miss experience. In testing, the old school sprites moved fluidly when I fired up the game on my Alienware M11xr3 laptop, and the special attacks and super moves provided the appropriate flash that a fighter needs. On the other hand, Athena is still an incredible annoyance after all of these years she counters everything and has the single shrillest voice actor in video game history. Geese now has his Fatal Fury: Real Bout Raging Storm, which is different from the version seen in KOF '96, his previous KOF appearance. Andy's fireball is now a large globe of energy similar to his KOF '99 incarnation, which makes it an effective anti-air attack. I love Ultimate Mode's flexibility as it lets me tailor the engine to the characters I select.įight ClubSNK Playmore tweaked some characters' move sets, and the results are quite positive. Ultimate Mode, a delightful carryover from KOF '98: Ultimate Match, lets you combine Advance and Extra elements to create your own hybrid fighting style.įor example, I like to stay close to an opponent when using grapplers, so I use Ultimate Mode to cherry-pick Advance's dash (for quickly moving in and out of melee range), Extra's dodge (for avoiding blows while staying within grapple range), and Extra's power gauge (which lets me charge the super bar when I choose). Extra lets you execute short-hops, dodge evasions, perform MAX Super Special Moves, and charge the power gauge by holding the attack buttons. Advance lets your fighter dash, perform roll evasions, unleash MAX Super Special Moves, and charge the power gauge by dishing out and receiving damage. Triple Reppuken!Final Edition utilizes three gameplay engines: Advance, Extra, and Ultimate. Impressively, there are very few clone characters. In other words, Final Edition contains nearly every fighter to appear in the series from KOF '94 to KOF '97. I don't mind the missing polygonal backgrounds, as they often clashed with the game's 2D sprites, but the arranged soundtrack was audio bliss.įinal Edition's 64-character roster has an incredible number of popular and obscure characters, including Hero Team, Ikari Team, Kim Team, Yagami Team, Edit Team, Fatal Fury Team, Psycho Soldier Team, Orochi Team, Master Team, Art of Fighting Team, Women Team, American Sports Team, the infamous '96 Boss Team, '97 Special Team, plus Rugal and alternate EX characters. Final Edition features the series' familiar 3-on-3 non-tag fighting, lush backgrounds, and fantastic music, but it lacks the PS2 version's 3D backgrounds and wonderfully arranged soundtrack. South Town ShuffleThe original KOF '98 represented the height of SNK's fighting game development prowess before the company's bankruptcy and rebirth as SNK Playmore, and the new Final Edition retains its magic. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.
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