Play King of Fighters 1998 Online

Game Overview

Man, King of Fighters '98 is pure arcade fighting at its best—no fancy story modes or cinematic fluff, just straight-up brawling with one of the most stacked rosters in fighting game history. You've got like 30 characters to pick from, each with their own wild combos and special moves. I always end up maining Terry Bogard because that Power Wave never gets old.

The Neo Geo version is the real deal—crisp pixel art, that crunchy sound design when punches land, and the kind of tight controls that make you realize how much modern fighters overcomplicate things. Matches are fast but still give you room to think, and the team battle mode adds this cool layer of strategy where you pick your order carefully. (Pro tip: save your heavy hitters for last.)

It’s got that perfect balance where new players can button-mash and have fun, but there’s insane depth if you wanna master cancels and counters. Also, the stages? Absolute fire—especially the rooftop one with the moonlit city in the background. Still holds up as one of the best in the series.