King of Fighters Dream Match '99

by SNK GAMES

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00001T37S
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 21, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,067 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

King of Fighters Dream Match 1999 arrives on the Dreamcast packed with lots of cool features and is complemented by engaging play. Right from the start of the game you have access to 38 playable characters. This total goes up to a whopping 51 when you include all of the different costume variations. And since the KOF DM99 roster consists of characters from all over the SNK universe, each combatant has a unique fighting style and appearance.

The fighting system is based around "special" and "super special" moves. In a nutshell, you execute a preset number of special moves in order to unleash the fierce power of super specials. This intelligible combination system adds a level of strategy; for a fighting game, KOF DM99 has plenty of gameplay depth. Complementing the rich fighting system are several play modes including one-on-one fight, two-player versus mode, team battle, survival, and a standard practice mode. As 3-D fighters invade video gaming, 2-D brawlers are becoming passé, but most old-school fighting fans will want to give King of Fighters Dream Match 1999 a close look. --Sajed Ahmed

Pros:

• Brilliantly designed fighters, with a realistic, yet unique, look
• Can connect with a NEOGEO Console also running KOF DM99
• Electrifying opening sequence
• Abundance of special moves and combinations gives the gameplay a high learning curve

Cons:

• Soundtrack is mostly bland, with only a few memorable tunes
• Despite being polygonal, the game's backgrounds look dated

GameSpot Review

Like it or hate it, you've got to respect the Neo Geo. I mean, name another arcade hardware platform that's been able to deliver the goods for a decade. The system's mix of quirky fighting games, puzzle games, and shooters makes fans of the platform loyal to the point of an almost-religious fervor. Aside from this relatively small number of NG fans, the system's software has gone largely unnoticed in the arcade, and the home version of the hardware is equally unappreciated, mostly due to the scarcity of older carts and the still-staggering prices of new games, which usually sell in the $250 - 300 range). King of Fighters '98 is SNK's latest all-inclusive fighting game, taking characters from all over the SNK universe, inventing a few new ones, putting them in teams of three, and letting them go at it in luxurious 2D environments.

Now, some of you are probably thinking "OK, yeah, what does King of Fighters '98 have to do with any of this? This is KOF Dream Match 1999!" Well, in a move that will no doubt prove to get more and more confusing as time goes on, KOF '98 has been renamed to KOF Dream Match 1999 - even though the real King of Fighters '99 is in arcades now. So Dream Match 1999 contains the exact same features as the home version of KOF '98 for the Neo Geo, including team play, single play, versus play (for both teams and singles), survivor (which is more of a time-attack mode than an actual survival mode, since you can continue after losing), and practice. The main new feature here is the ability to link your Dreamcast up to SNK's latest gadget, the Neo Geo Pocket Color. The NGPC, when armed with a link cable and a copy of King of Fighters R-2, connects right up, and you can transfer data back and forth. You can transfer points earned on the DC to the NGPC, giving you new skills in R-2's making mode. Points earned on the NGPC can be moved over to the DC and used to open up various art galleries.

Graphically, the game features the same 2D greatness you've come to expect from the KOF series, but the designers have tossed a bit of 3D in there for good measure. The 3D elements manifest themselves in the game's backgrounds. Items like the cars on the Japanese street stage and the trains in the train yard are rendered in 3D. The addition of the 3D background elements gives the game a very cool look, though it sticks out a little bit at first. The audio portion of the game is quite nice, also, though I would have liked the option to use the original cart-based music as well as the CD-quality soundtrack. A few of the characters' voices have been replaced with the voices used in Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition. Also, since the game loads a bit between rounds, it doesn't have the continuous music that the Neo Geo version had.

The gameplay is where KOF DM99 really shines. Not only does the game have an absolutely insane number of characters (including alternate versions of some of the older characters), but very few of them are clones of other characters in the game. Even characters with similar moves are different enough to warrant picking every character. Add to that the advanced/extra systems, which govern how your super moves and dodges work, and you've got a ton of meaningful options when it comes to character selection. I initially assumed that Sega's arcade joystick would be the only way to play, much like Marvel vs. Capcom. But since the KOF series uses four buttons (well, five if you count the taunt), the stock controller works great. There's only a couple instances where the controller poses a problem, the most glaring of which is when you must press three buttons at the same time to activate your super meter. But this, too, comes with time and won't be a problem for very long.

King of Fighters Dream Match 1999 is a 2D fighting game for 2D fighting-game fans. It's not an easy game to pick up as a beginner and, like most SNK fighters, has some hard-to-execute (unless, of course, you've been playing the KOF series since its 1994 inception) super moves. While many people turn their noses up at SNK's fighters in favor of more mainstream games from companies like Capcom, the King of Fighters series truly does bring something to the table, and this game is no exception. A definite must for 2D fighting-game fans. --Jeff Gerstmann
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The SNK legacy lives on!, October 19, 2000

By 

Mr. Staack (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King of Fighters Dream Match '99 (Video Game)

King of Fighters Dream Match 99 (KOFDM99) is my current favorite of all the King of Fighters titles (though Garou:Mark of the Wolves is my favorite SNK fighter overall), and that says a lot.

Basically, KOFDM99 is really the Dreamcast version of the Neo Geo game of KOF98:The Slugfest. This confuses a lot of people. KOFDM:99 and King of Fighters '99 Evolution (which is the real KOF99) are two totally different games.

KOFDM99 has just about EVERY character that ever appeared in an official King of Fighters game. That's a whole 38 distinct characters, if you're keeping score. This is the definitive King of Fighters title, and probably the best for 2-player competitions.

KOF99:Evolution and KOF2000 have their merits, but because of their smaller rosters and modified style, they fall a little short of KOF:DM99. While KOF:99E has better effects on the DC (KOF2000 has yet to be ported), KOF:DM99 still holds it own. The graphics easily take on the like of Capcom's greats like SF:Alpha 3. Obviously it doesn't have the pizzazz of the newer 2D DC fighters, the gameplay and character design has always set SNK apart from Capcom or Arc Systems (makers of Guilty Gear).

SNK has always had the most colorful roster, each character distinct with their own robust (if sometimes disturbing) personality that fuels the game. Coupled with good animation, great music, and top-notch controls (minimal learning curve) anyone who considers themselves a 2D fighting fan NEEDS this title. King of Fighters may not be as popular as Capcom's titles, but in Japan it's still one of the most popular series around and for good reason. KOF:DM99 continues the legacy of excellent SNK fighting games.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Fav. Fighter to date, February 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: King of Fighters Dream Match '99 (Video Game)

this was the first game I bought after I got a DC for Xmas and from the moment I plugged in to the day I sold my DC, KOF DM'99 will remain the top fighting game to me. This game was complex and deep yet so easy and so fun to play. This game is best enjoyed if you have the original DC arcade stick. May not be as flashy as capcom but the gameplay and strategy elements most definately make up for it. I only hope that SNK revives or keeps the KOF series alive on the current and future generation consoles

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a solid 2d fighter for 2d fighting fans., November 29, 2000

By 

"darthbrad" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King of Fighters Dream Match '99 (Video Game)

This game is really pretty cool, and comes from snk, a company not as mainstream as capcom, but the quality of their games is as good(maybe a little less or more)Graphically, the characters are drawn perfectly and look cool.My only gripe here is that some of the moves skip a couple of frames, but seeing as the game is so fast, it really doesnt matter at all.the sound is really cool, and the music is excellent.Controls are nice, but supercombos can be hard to do if your used to 3d fighters or streetfighter.Pick this up if your a fan or if you like good fighting games.