The King of Fighters 2002
SNK Playmore produced a remake titled The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match for the PlayStation 2, which was released on February 26, 2009, in Japan only, the last series for the Japanese PlayStation 2, and the game later received its first worldwide release on Xbox Live Arcade on November 3, 2010. A port of the Xbox Live Arcade release was later released on Steam on February 27, 2015. Gameplay. "The King of Fighters 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 "The King of Fighters '97". Like the previous games in the series, the Power Gauge is filled as the player attacks the opponent or performs Special Moves during a battle. The number of Power Gauges the player can stock up is increased by one with each member of the team. For example, the first member of the team can stock up to three Power Gauges, while the third member can  stock up to five. A single Power Gauge stock can be used to either perform a Counterattack and Evasion technique while guarding an opponent's attack, use a Super Special Move, or initiate the MAX Activation state. The same case also applies to the 1-on-1 format, where the Power Gauge the player can stock up is also increased by one with each round loss. For example, on the first round, the player can stock up to three Power Gauges, while losing two rounds allows the player to stock up to five. During MAX Activation, the player's offensive and  defensive strength is increased for a short period and can cancel any attack into another player. 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 while low on health. Characters. Just like "The King of Fighters '98", the game has no storyline since the NESTS story arc has already concluded in the previous game, "The King of Fighters 2001". Instead, a "Dream  Match" is included 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 game series from "The King of Fighters '96" to "The King of Fighters 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 are absent from the Neo Geo version for the first time since their first appearance. The Dreamcast  version of the game, nevertheless, features King and Shingo, while three additional characters from "", namely Geese Howard, Goenitz, and Orochi Iori, are included in the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions. Several characters have been redrawn, most notably the Orochi Team, representing "The King of Fighters '98". Section::::"Unlimited Match". A remake of "KOF 2002", "The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match" was released on February 26, 2009 for the PlayStation 2 in Japan and on November 3, 2010 for Xbox Live Arcade. The PlayStation 2 version also includes a port of the original "The King of Fighters 2002" Neo Geo version . The game was later ported to Steam on February 27, 2015, and PlayStation 4 on February 8, 2021. A physical release is set for late Spring 2021. This remake features new characters, stages, music and artwork, as well as system and roster rebalancing. "Unlimited Match" has 66 characters in total, making it the series' largest roster to date. There are 44 characters from "The King of Fighters 2002", 16 characters from the NESTS arc, including King and Shingo, and 6 hidden characters, including additional characters from the previous console versions with the exception of Orochi Iori and particularly K9999, which  is a character conceived as a pastiche of Tetsuo Shima from the manga "Akira". Instead, a new character called was designed to take his place in the game and features most of K9999's special techniques with an added touch.. In November 2020, the Steam version of the game was updated with rollback netcode, allowing for higher quality online play. The PlayStation 4 version was released with this same rollback netcode. In January 2022, the PC version was patched with spectating lobbies and additional improvements. Unlimited Match Exclusives New and Re-Arranged Teams Reception and Legacy. During its release week , the game sold 19,000 copies in Japan. In Issue 114 from "Arcadia", the game 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. In addition, despite lacking a plot, the large interaction between characters was praised for adding depth to the game. The game has generally been considered one of the most popular games in the franchise in Latin America.