Sometimes you get better by taking things away — not adding more.
The King of Fighters had spent four years building a story — the Orochi Saga — with recurring characters, narrative threads, and escalating stakes. By 1998, that story had reached its conclusion. SNK could have started a new saga immediately. Instead, they paused. They called King of Fighters '98 a 'dream match' and removed the story entirely. No new narrative. No constraints. Just the characters people wanted to see, the mechanics refined to their sharpest, and a boss who represented what the series had always been about. The development team later said that without the story holding them back, they could finally focus on what players actually came for: the fight itself. Sometimes the best next step isn't forward. It's stripping away what you've been carrying and remembering why you started.
— inspired by SNK development team
About this game
The King of Fighters '98, subtitled Dream Match Never Ends, is a 1998 fighting game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo. Released after the conclusion of the Orochi Saga, it was marketed as a 'special edition' with no storyline — instead focusing on refined mechanics and bringing back every fan-favorite character from KOF '94 through '97. The development team consulted player feedback and designed the game as a celebration of what the series had built over four years, culminating in the return of Rugal Bernstein as the final boss.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Released on July 23, 1998, for the Neo Geo MVS arcade system, The King of Fighters '98 arrived after the conclusion of the Orochi Saga (KOF '94–'97). SNK marketed it as a 'special edition' with no storyline, allowing fan-favorite characters from all previous games to return. The development team consulted player feedback from Neo Geo Freak magazine when deciding the roster. The game was later ported to Neo Geo AES (September 1998), Neo Geo CD (December 1998), and PlayStation (March 1999).
Tricks & Tales
The game features no storyline — a deliberate choice by SNK to focus on gameplay after the Orochi Saga concluded. Rugal Bernstein returns as the final boss; the development team chose him because 'he's the only character who truly represents the ultimate KOF boss.' His moves were redesigned, making this version the strongest Rugal in the series. The game includes alternate versions of popular characters (such as Kyo '94 and Kyo '95 movesets), a feature that became so popular it was expanded in later KOF titles.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The Neo Geo AES has regional variants (Japan and international / English) but is notably more region-tolerant than most consoles of its era. Many AES cartridges contain both Japanese and English text and will display the appropriate language based on a DIP switch setting on the console. The Japanese and international versions of most games are functionally identical; some late-era games have minor content differences. The MVS system also uses DIP switches for region and language configuration, and this carries over to the AES architecture. Collectors who prefer the Japanese text of the original releases should note that importing a Japanese AES requires no voltage conversion for European users but does require a step-down converter for North American 120V outlets.
Maintenance Tips
The Neo Geo AES uses a 3.6V lithium battery to retain game saves and settings. After thirty-plus years, virtually all unserviced AES units have a dead or dying save battery. Symptoms are lost high scores, reset date/time, and in rare cases settings corruption. The battery is a standard CR2032 or similar coin cell, accessible by removing the rear panel — replacement is a simple swap rather than soldering on most units. The edge connector that receives cartridges can develop oxidation over thirty years; cleaning the cartridge PCB contacts and the console's cartridge slot with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab restores reliable contact. The cartridge PCB contacts are gold-plated on most AES cartridges and resist oxidation well, but the connector can accumulate dust and debris that causes intermittent recognition failures before genuine oxidation sets in.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese The King of Fighters '98 copies regularly.
Will a Japanese Neo Geo cartridge of King of Fighters '98 work on a non-Japanese console?
For the MVS (arcade) version, yes — MVS cartridges are region-free, and the BIOS of the arcade board determines the language. For the AES (home console) version, Japanese and international cartridges are also functionally identical and work across regions, though packaging and labels differ. The Neo Geo has no region lock on the cartridge level.
Does King of Fighters '98 save any data?
No. The King of Fighters '98 is a one-on-one fighting game that stores no save data — no unlockables, no progress, no high scores. Each session is self-contained. This means there's no internal battery to worry about replacing, unlike some Neo Geo games that do save.
How should I clean a Neo Geo cartridge?
Apply 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab and gently wipe the edge connector pins on the bottom of the cartridge. Let it dry completely before inserting it into the console. Never blow into the cartridge — moisture from your breath corrodes the contacts over time. If the game still won't boot after cleaning the cartridge, clean the console's slot separately; oxidized slot contacts are a common cause of boot failure on Neo Geo hardware.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where The King of Fighters '98 sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
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