The King of Fighters '98 : Dream Match Never Ends

The King of Fighters '98: Dream Match Never Ends is SNK’s 1999 PlayStation fighting game and the Japanese console version of the 1998 Neo Geo release. The fifth main entry in The King of Fighters series brings together a broad selection of fighters from the games released between 1994 and 1997. Unlike the story-led installments around it, KOF ’98 presents a celebratory dream tournament: familiar rivals and teams can meet regardless of where they stood at the end of the preceding Orochi storyline. SNK developed and published this PlayStation release in Japan, where its subtitle, Dream Match Never Ends, distinguished it from the overseas arcade name, The Slugfest.

At its core, The King of Fighters ’98 PS1 is a two-dimensional, team-based fighter. Before a match, players build a three-person squad, choose the order in which its members will fight, and then attempt to eliminate the opposing team one combatant at a time. Each character uses the series’ four-button attack layout for light and heavy punches and kicks, with command inputs unlocking special techniques, desperation moves, and combo opportunities. A match can shift quickly when a player finds an opening, cancels attacks into stronger moves, or saves meter for a decisive super attack.

The game retains the Advance and Extra gauges that let players approach its power system in different ways. Advance mode centers on collecting stock during the fight and spending it on enhanced attacks, while Extra mode allows a player to charge power and changes the conditions around powerful MAX techniques. These options give the same roster different tactical rhythms. The handicap adjustments that follow a lost character also help a trailing team recover, so choosing when to spend power, preserve health, or risk a difficult move matters as much as raw reflexes.

Dream Match Never Ends is especially built around its large, cross-series cast. Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Ryo Sakazaki, Leona, Athena Asamiya, and many other SNK regulars return in their established teams, while the Team Edit option allows custom lineups. Several fighters also have EX variations based on earlier move sets, offering alternate takes on familiar characters. Shingo Yabuki appears in the single-player route, and Omega Rugal serves as the final opponent. The result is a compact snapshot of the series’ first four tournament years, with characters from Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, Ikari Warriors, Psycho Soldier, and other SNK lineages sharing one bracket.

The PlayStation version followed the original arcade and Neo Geo releases and should not be confused with 1999’s Dreamcast update, The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999, which has its own presentation changes and three-dimensional backgrounds. On PS1, KOF ’98 adds console-oriented extras including an illustration gallery and vibration support for compatible controllers, while preserving the central three-on-three format. For players exploring PlayStation fighting games, The King of Fighters ’98: Dream Match Never Ends offers a roster-focused entry in which team construction, contrasting power gauges, recognizable SNK heroes, and precise 2D bouts take priority over a new chapter of the series narrative.