I’ll be honest with u, when I first played KoF 98 back when I was a kid I was rather dissapointed, mainly because KoF 97 was my first KoF. I didn’t like the output of the voices, plus the character protriats (not victory ones) where crappy when compared to 97 (no offense on this part BTW, but I really like 97’s) & in addition, and finally they seem to have butchered Yashiro & Robert IMO.
Mind u, I played this game on MAME, but still feel 97 a lot better than it.
Actually there IS something I like about this game: Rugal & Heavy D!, but sucks that Dead End Screamer barely connects T_T.
So could someone please explain to me why 98 is THAT good?
It’s got the best cast, best music, nicest fighting system (like 97, allows you to bridge the gap from new style and old… rolling or swaying). Just for fan service alone, the game’s tops. I don’t know about balance, but everyone is an overpowered monster in this. Just about anyone can make a huge comback. When you look back at all the KOFs and say “when was Terry strongest, when was Kyo strongest…etc etc” you almost always look back to 98.
I won’t get into gameplay, but just the game. This was the second to last game where the animation on some older characters didn’t take a huge shit. I love 2000, but the animation, in places, just dropped. Sad. This is where they’re at their biggest, smoothest, and best music. Tons of great quality older tunes, before that also went to shit (2k1, anyone?).
I also prefer 98 to 97 because 97 had some easy ass shortcut comands for moves. TOO short. Such as Terry’s charging tackle, which you could pull off by pressing down/back, and then forward kick. TOO easy. KOF had tighter play. Not as forgiving as most games, but that’s what I liked about it.
The cast still is great because it has nearly everyone pre-NESTS era…all moves are intact…gameplay is sharp…and most characters in the old school games are in the game as well as their alternate versions…ala Real Bout Terry etc…
KOF '98 was basically the culmination of a work that panned through 3 games. Ever since the fighting system was revamped in KOF '96 with the introduction of rolls, and in KOF '97 with the Advanced mode, SNK had tweaked with the engine ever since and basically KOF '98 is the final result of all that work. Rolls were kinda useless in KOF '96 due to their very short invincibility window, whereas by KOF '98 it was already a fundamental tool. KOF '97 had some issues with the damage increase given by activating MAX status in Advanced mode (I remember Andy’s Kuhadan doing 40% damage in MAX mode, WTF? :wtf:), which was somewhat solved in KOF '98 as well as the stock distribution system.
The only thing I can pretty much see where players might complain is the Extra mode players from KOF '97 who got totally nerfed in '98.
You can pretty much say grapplers are the cream n’ crop of KOF '98, but you also have Iori and Chris which aren’t heavily based on command throws, per say. Besides, you have characters who totally sucked in KOF '97 who actually become able to compete in '98 (Chris, Chizuru, Shermie, Vice if you’re counting from way back in '96). They also took the retardness out of Benimaru, Mary, and Mature (again, if you’re counting from her last appearance in '96). Sure, there are some tiers you can’t dispute (Daimon is God), but overall the mid tier is VERY extense, which allows for more competition.
I think Yashiro is actually better in KOF '98 (I’m talking normal version). '97 Yash just felt a lot more clunky and awkward, whereas '98 Yash was a lot more fluid and his moves were more comboable.
Robert is still good…they just took away his Hien Shippu Kyaku abuse from '97.
And whoever said this game blows KOF 2002 out of the water…I will most certainly agree. Again, this game is like the ST of SNK players.
Oh no you didn’t. j/k Your entitled to your own opinon but that was the first KOF I thought was a good game. Didn’t like '97 much, only good thing about the game is probably the God-cailber team’s ending. '98 pretty much owned me when it came out. So many “playable” characters as in everybody had a good amount of tools to compete against the cast. I liked '99 also but after a dream match game, it felt a bit lacking in roster. I didn’t like any kofs after that >.>
Yes 98 choi is better than 97 choi lets not forget 96 choi, and yes 98 joe is so much better than 96 and 97 joe, oh oh and 98 is much better than 95 and 2001 heidern oh and 98 terry better than 97 terry yes 97 terry was crap wasn’t he DO I HAVE TO CONTINUE!? i could do this for every character if you want? in fact yes let’s
best clark? 96
best ralf? 96
best leona? 96
best choi? 96/97/2002
best chang? 98
best kim? 2002
best robert? 95/97
best ryo? 94/98
best takuma? 2000/95
best yuri? 98
best king? 94/95
best mai? 99
best athena? 97/2002
best chin? 96/95
best kensou? 99
best terry? 97
best andy? ?!?!?!?!?!?! no idea i’d say 95
best joe? 96
best shingo? 97
best chris? 98
best yashiro? 98
best shermie? 98
best saisyu? neowave
best mary? 97
best billy? 2002
best yamazaki? 97
best iori? 95 96 or 97
best benimaru? 97
best kyo? 97
best daimon 98
the better orochi team? 97 by a mile
have i missed anybody? 98 is only good because it lacked the retardedness of other kofs i’ve been playing kof since 95 no other game has the inconsistances that 98 has, i’m not saying it’s a bad game but it’s not that great either As for people saying best stages and music? are you blind have you not played 96? pisses over 98 in those departments.
I don’t know why, but KOF98 is one of my favorite games of all time. It just feels incredibley solid, I like the tight controls, the cast seems perfect, the graphics look beautiful to me. I can’t wait til this comes out on PS2, hopefully I’ll have a japanese system by then to play it on.
best clark? 94/96/98
best ralf? xi
best leona? 96
best choi? 96
best chang? 98
best kim? 2002
best robert? 97/neowave
best ryo? xi
best takuma? 95/2000
best yuri? 2002
best king? 94/neowave
best mai? 99
best athena? 97/2002
best chin? 96/95
best kensou? 99
best terry? 97/xi
best andy? neowave
best joe? 96
best shingo? 97/neowave
best chris? 2002
best yashiro? 98
best shermie? 98
best saisyu? neowave
best mary? 97
best billy? 2002
best yamazaki? 97/98/2002
best iori? 98/2002
best mature? neowave(you left her and vice out)
best vice? 98
best benimaru? 97/98
best kyo? 97
best daimon 98
the better orochi team? 97 by a mile, i agree with this completely
98 was a beautiful game in many ways, and in now way is it overrated.if anything, a certain capcom franchise just overshadows it here in the states.
ok i forgot about vice yeah 98 best mature? 96 by a mile again most retarded character ever even my mother would give you a hard time with 96 mature.
Really why would you say x1 ralf over 96 ralf? 96 ralf was so damn good 3 standing c’s = dazed = death
also neowave andy? over one light kick into dam buster 40% 95 andy?
i was going to say 2002 chris but with out the customs damage is hard to come by
anyway i didn’t really wanna digrese from the main subject i only wanted to give my view on the matter of 98 incarnations being such and such best outing