The King of Fighters 2002
Encyclopedia
The King of Fighters 2002 is a competitive fighting game
produced by Eolith
and Playmore
for the Neo Geo
. It is the ninth game in The King of Fighters series and the second one produced by Eolith and developed by SNK Neo Geo
(formerly Brezzasoft). The game was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2
, and the Xbox
. The PS2 and Xbox versions were released in North America in a two-in-one bundle with the following game in the series, The King of Fighters 2003
.
SNK Playmore has produced a remake titled The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match for the PlayStation 2, which has been released on February 26, in Japan. The Xbox Live Arcade
version was released on November 3, 2010.
KOF 2002 discards the 4-on-4 "Striker Match" format used in the previous three games in the series and returns to the 3-on-3 Battle format originally used in the series up until KOF '98
.
The game also revamps the Power Gauge system into a format similar to the one used in KOF '98. Like previous games in the series, the Power Gauge is filled as the player attacks the opponent or performs Special Moves during battle. The number of Power Gauges the player can stock up increases by one with each member of the team, with the first member of the team being able to stock up to three Power Gauges, while the third member can stock up to five. A single Power Gauge stock can be used to perform a Counterattack and Evasion technique while guarding an opponent's attack, use a Super Special Move, or initiate the MAX Activation state.
During MAX Activation, the player's offensive and defensive strength is increased for a short period and can cancel any attack into another. In this state, a Super Special Move can be used without consuming a Power Gauge stock. There are also MAX Super Special Moves, which are Super moves that can only be performed during MAX Activation with one Power Gauge stock, and MAX2 moves that require two stocks.
) and is instead a "Dream Match" featuring characters from all the previous games in the series. In addition to the recurring teams from the series (including the original Japan Team), the game also features a series of teams representing each of the previous KOF games from KOF '96
to KOF 2001. Omega Rugal
returns as the final boss as well. However, not all the characters from the previous games are featured, and series' regulars such as King and Shingo Yabuki were absent from the Neo Geo version for the first time since their first appearance. The Dreamcast version of the game featured King and Shingo, while the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions included them as well as added three additional characters from SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos (Geese Howard
, Goenitz, and Orochi Iori
). A number of the characters have been redrawn, most notably the KOF '98 team.
for the PlayStation 2
and on November 3, 2010
for the XBLA. Features additional characters and changes to the team roster, with the number of default teams now increased up to 18 (including the regular and alternate versions of the Orochi Team) and new stages and artwork have been added. All of the characters featured in the series between KOF '99
and KOF 2002 are included with the exception of K9999 (a character conceived as a pastiche
of Tetsuo Shima from the manga Akira
). A new character called has been designed to take his place in the game and features most of K9999's special techniques with an added touch. The game has 66 characters in total making it the series' largest roster. Such character are 44 from KOF 2002, 16 characters from the NESTS arc (including King and Shingo), and 6 hidden characters, including additional characters from previous console versions with the exception of Orochi Iori
. The game also has the original King of Fighters 2002 port from the Neo Geo to play. During its release week, the game sold 19,000 copies in Japan. In the issue 114 from Arcadia, it was featured at ninth in its Top Ten Video Games list. Critical reception to the game was positive due to its large number of playable characters, although mixed opinions were given to its aging graphics. Despite lacking a plot, the large interaction between characters has been praised for adding depth to the game.
Unlimited Match Exclusives
Unlimited Match Bosses
Unlimited Match Secret Characters
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
produced by Eolith
Eolith (company)
Eolith was a South Korean based company. They developed The King of Fighters 2001 and 2002 after SNK was bankrupted. They also developed Double Dragon EX for mobile phones. Their last title released was Chaos Breaker, for Taito....
and Playmore
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
for the Neo Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
. It is the ninth game in The King of Fighters series and the second one produced by Eolith and developed by SNK Neo Geo
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
(formerly Brezzasoft). The game was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The PS2 and Xbox versions were released in North America in a two-in-one bundle with the following game in the series, The King of Fighters 2003
The King of Fighters 2003
The King of Fighters 2003 is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK Playmore for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the tenth game in The King of Fighters series and the first KOF game to become a tag tournament as well as the first one to be published by SNK Playmore...
.
SNK Playmore has produced a remake titled The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match for the PlayStation 2, which has been released on February 26, in Japan. The Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
version was released on November 3, 2010.
Gameplay
The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters '98 is a fighting game released by SNK released for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It is the fifth game in The King of Fighters series...
.
The game also revamps the Power Gauge system into a format similar to the one used in KOF '98. Like previous games in the series, the Power Gauge is filled as the player attacks the opponent or performs Special Moves during battle. The number of Power Gauges the player can stock up increases by one with each member of the team, with the first member of the team being able to stock up to three Power Gauges, while the third member can stock up to five. A single Power Gauge stock can be used to perform a Counterattack and Evasion technique while guarding an opponent's attack, use a Super Special Move, or initiate the MAX Activation state.
During MAX Activation, the player's offensive and defensive strength is increased for a short period and can cancel any attack into another. In this state, a Super Special Move can be used without consuming a Power Gauge stock. There are also MAX Super Special Moves, which are Super moves that can only be performed during MAX Activation with one Power Gauge stock, and MAX2 moves that require two stocks.
Characters
Like KOF '98, the game has no storyline (with the NESTS story arc having concluded in the previous game in the series, KOF 2001The King of Fighters 2001
The King of Fighters 2001 is a competitive fighting game produced by Eolith for the Neo Geo. It is the eighth game in The King of Fighters series and the first game produced following the closure of the original SNK. The game was produced by the Korean-based company Eolith and developed by...
) and is instead a "Dream Match" featuring characters from all the previous games in the series. In addition to the recurring teams from the series (including the original Japan Team), the game also features a series of teams representing each of the previous KOF games from KOF '96
The King of Fighters '96
The King of Fighters '96 is a fighting game released by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home consoles. It is the third game in The King of Fighters series, following The King of Fighters '95. Like its predecessor, the game was ported to the Neo-Geo CD, as well as the PlayStation and Sega Saturn...
to KOF 2001. Omega Rugal
Rugal Bernstein
is a video game character created by SNK. First introduced in The King of Fighters '94, he is a recurring boss in the The King of Fighters fighting game series. As the host of the tournaments from The King of Fighters '94 and 95, Rugal plans to turn all the competitors from the tournament into...
returns as the final boss as well. However, not all the characters from the previous games are featured, and series' regulars such as King and Shingo Yabuki were absent from the Neo Geo version for the first time since their first appearance. The Dreamcast version of the game featured King and Shingo, while the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions included them as well as added three additional characters from SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos (Geese Howard
Geese Howard
is a fictional video game character appearing in SNK Playmore's Fatal Fury fighting games series. Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, Geese is the local crime boss of the fictional city of South Town. Geese hosts a fighting tournament named "The King of Fighters", in which he faces the...
, Goenitz, and Orochi Iori
Iori Yagami
is a character from the SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters video game series that first appeared in The King of Fighters '95 as the leader of the Rivals Team. He is an iconic character of the series, and regularly appears on publicity material and merchandise. Iori is a central character to the...
). A number of the characters have been redrawn, most notably the KOF '98 team.
Unlimited Match
The Unlimited Match version of the game was released on February 26, 20092009 in video gaming
The year 2009 saw the release of many video games, including several sequels.-Events:-Scheduled releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2009 in North America....
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and on November 3, 2010
2010 in video gaming
The year 2010 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games, including several new titles.-Events:-Game releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2010 in North America....
for the XBLA. Features additional characters and changes to the team roster, with the number of default teams now increased up to 18 (including the regular and alternate versions of the Orochi Team) and new stages and artwork have been added. All of the characters featured in the series between KOF '99
The King of Fighters '99
The King of Fighters '99: Millennium Battle is a head-to-head fighting game by SNK released for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It is the sixth installment in the companys The King of Fighters series. The game was ported to the Neo-Geo CD and the PlayStation as the final KOF game released...
and KOF 2002 are included with the exception of K9999 (a character conceived as a pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
of Tetsuo Shima from the manga Akira
Akira (manga)
is a manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialized in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes by Japanese publisher Kodansha...
). A new character called has been designed to take his place in the game and features most of K9999's special techniques with an added touch. The game has 66 characters in total making it the series' largest roster. Such character are 44 from KOF 2002, 16 characters from the NESTS arc (including King and Shingo), and 6 hidden characters, including additional characters from previous console versions with the exception of Orochi Iori
Iori Yagami
is a character from the SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters video game series that first appeared in The King of Fighters '95 as the leader of the Rivals Team. He is an iconic character of the series, and regularly appears on publicity material and merchandise. Iori is a central character to the...
. The game also has the original King of Fighters 2002 port from the Neo Geo to play. During its release week, the game sold 19,000 copies in Japan. In the issue 114 from Arcadia, it was featured at ninth in its Top Ten Video Games list. Critical reception to the game was positive due to its large number of playable characters, although mixed opinions were given to its aging graphics. Despite lacking a plot, the large interaction between characters has been praised for adding depth to the game.
Unlimited Match Exclusives
- Nameless
- Foxy
- Hinako Shijo
- Lin
- Jhun Hoon
- Li Xiangfei
- Bao
- Kyo-1
- Kyo-2
- Kasumi Todoh
- Heidern
Unlimited Match Bosses
- Krizalid
- Clone Zero
- Original Zero
- Igniz
Unlimited Match Secret Characters
- Sie Kensou (99 "Without Psychic Powers" version)
- Takuma Sakazaki (99 "Classic" version)
- Robert Garcia (99 "Charge" version)
- Goenitz (SVC + 98UM version)
- Geese HowardGeese Howardis a fictional video game character appearing in SNK Playmore's Fatal Fury fighting games series. Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, Geese is the local crime boss of the fictional city of South Town. Geese hosts a fighting tournament named "The King of Fighters", in which he faces the...
(SVC + 98UM version) - Geese HowardGeese Howardis a fictional video game character appearing in SNK Playmore's Fatal Fury fighting games series. Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, Geese is the local crime boss of the fictional city of South Town. Geese hosts a fighting tournament named "The King of Fighters", in which he faces the...
(Real Bout Fatal Fury Special "Nightmare" version)