The King of Fighters '98
ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ 98
- Year
- 1998
- Developer
- SNK
- Publisher
- SNK
- Platform
- Arcade
- Hardware
- Neo Geo MVS
- Genre
- Fighting
- Players
- 1-2 players
- Controls
- 8-way joystick + 4 buttons
- Series
- The King of Fighters series
Gameplay Screenshots
About This Game
The King of Fighters '98 has no story, and that is precisely why it is the one competitive players still play. SNK dropped the annual plot, assembled every character from the first four games, and spent the whole budget on balance.
Its full title is The Slugfest, and the tag is earned: it is a Dream Match in which thirty-eight characters from the '94 to '97 rosters - including the ones who had died in the canon - are available from the start. The system lets you play teams of three, and it offers two rule sets rather than one: Advanced Mode keeps the '97 style with its running and its power gauges, while Extra Mode returns to the charge-based system of '94 and '95. Choosing between them changes how the entire match plays, which is a level of customisation few fighting games of the era attempted. The result is remembered as the high point of the series, and the reason is consistency: almost every character is viable, and the game has been re-released repeatedly because nothing that replaced it has been as clean. The screenshots on this page are from the Neo Geo MVS board.
- A Dream Match roster of 38 characters with no storyline attached
- Advanced Mode and Extra Mode, two full movement and gauge systems
- Three-on-three team battles with an order that matters
- Widely regarded as the best-balanced game in the series
Version History
- Neo Geo MVS arcade1998-07
The original arcade release, the version on this page.
- Neo Geo AES1998-09
The home cartridge, identical in gameplay.
- The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match2008
A later revision adding characters and rebalancing the roster.
Cheats & Secrets
Hold Start while selecting Iori or LeonaSwitches to the Orochi (Riot of the Blood) version of that characterA documented selection override on the arcade original: the held Start button swaps the fighter for their Orochi form before the match begins.
Hold Start while selecting KyoSelects the original '94 version of Kyo KusanagiThe other well-known Start-button override on the roster screen.
DIP switches / service menuFree play, difficulty, continue limits and match settingsAs with every Neo Geo board, the operator menu controls the practical settings for home play.
Tips & Strategy
Pick a mode and stay in it
Advanced and Extra change your movement and gauge rules completely. Switching between them mid-session is how players lose their spacing instincts.
Order your team by matchup
The first character sets the pace of the match. Leading with your most stable fighter keeps the other two from being forced into bad starts.
Learn one super motion per character
The roster is enormous. A single reliable super per character beats a deep combo list on two of them.
Block low against grapplers
The heavy characters in this roster win by walking you into a command throw. Low block and a quick jump-out is the standard answer.
Download Resources
Resource packs for this game are provided through the button below.
⬇ Coming soon