

^ 'Official The King of Fighters 2002 Ultimate Match page'.In addition, despite lacking a plot, the large interaction between characters was praised for adding depth to the game. 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 Issue 114 from Arcadia, the game was featured at ninth in its Top Ten Video Games list. A number of the characters had been redrawn, most notably the King of Fighters '98 Team.ĭuring its release week, the game sold 19,000 copies in Japan. Capcom namely Geese Howard, Goenitz, and Orochi Iori, were added with them in the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions. The Dreamcast version of the game, nevertheless, featured King and Shingo, while three additional characters from SVC Chaos: SNK vs. However, not all the characters from the previous games were 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. Omega Rugal returned as the final boss as well. In addition to the recurring teams from the series including the original Japan Team, the game also featured a series of teams representing each of the previous game series from The King of Fighters '96 to King of Fighters 2001.

Instead, a 'Dream Match' was included featuring characters from all the previous games in the series. Just like King of Fighters '98, the game had no storyline since the NESTS story arc had already concluded in the previous game, The King of Fighters 2001.
