The King of Fighters '98: Dream Match Never Ends

The King of Fighters '98: Dream Match Never Ends (The Slugfest in the rest of the world) is the fifth game in The King of Fighters series. The game was released for the Neo-Geo and later ported to the Sony PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast. The Dreamcast port of the game was titled The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999. A remake titled The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match was released in Japanese arcades on March 18, 2008 and later on the PlayStation 2. The original game was then released on the iOS on July 25, 2014.

The game does not have a storyline. Instead, it was developed as a "dream match" game featuring characters from all previous King of Fighters games, including killed-off characters. The series' canon storyline would resume in The King of Fighters '99.

Hero Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Goro Daimon

Fatal Fury Team

 * Terry Bogard
 * Andy Bogard
 * Joe Higashi

Art of Fighting Team

 * Ryo Sakazaki
 * Robert Garcia
 * Yuri Sakazaki

Ikari Warriors Team

 * Leona Heidern
 * Ralf Jones
 * Clark Still

Psycho Soldier Team

 * Athena Asamiya
 * Sie Kensou
 * Chin Gentsai

Women Fighters Team

 * Chizuru Kagura
 * Mai Shiranui
 * King

Korea Justice Team

 * Kim Kaphwan
 * Chang Koehan
 * Choi Bounge

New Faces Team

 * Yashiro Nanakase
 * Shermie
 * Chris

'97 Special Team

 * Ryuji Yamazaki
 * Blue Mary
 * Billy Kane

Yagami Team

 * Iori Yagami
 * Mature
 * Vice

Masters Team

 * Heidern
 * Takuma Sakazaki
 * Saisyu Kusanagi

American Sports Team

 * Heavy D!
 * Lucky Glauber
 * Brian Battler

Single Entry

 * Rugal Bernstein
 * Shingo Yabuki

Boss

 * Omega Rugal

Orochi Team

 * Orochi Yashiro
 * Orochi Shermie
 * Orochi Chris

Alternate Versions

 * The King of Fighters '95 Kyo Kusanagi
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 Terry Bogard
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 Andy Bogard
 * The King of Fighters '94 Joe Higashi
 * The King of Fighters '94 Ryo Sakazaki
 * The King of Fighters '94 Robert Garcia
 * The King of Fighters '94 Yuri Sakazaki
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 Mai Shiranui
 * Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 Billy Kane

Sacred Treasures Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Iori Yagami
 * Chizuru Kagura

Shingo Team

 * Shingo Yabuki
 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Iori Yagami

Rugal Team

 * Rugal Bernstein
 * Mature
 * Vice

SNK Heroes Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Terry Bogard
 * Ryo Sakazaki

No. 2 Team

 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Andy Bogard
 * Robert Garcia

No. 3 Team

 * Goro Daimon
 * Joe Higashi
 * Yuri Sakazaki

Baseball Team

 * Ralf Jones
 * Blue Mary
 * Lucky Glauber

Father Team

 * Saisyu Kusanagi
 * Takuma Sakazaki
 * Kim Kaphwan

Rapid-Punch Team

 * Billy Kane
 * Chang Koehan
 * Joe Higashi

Severely Burned Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Saisyu Kusanagi
 * Orochi Chris

Sakazaki Family Team

 * Takuma Sakazaki
 * Ryo Sakazaki
 * Yuri Sakazaki

Teen Team

 * Shingo Yabuki
 * Sie Kensou
 * Chris

Orochi Ladies Team

 * Shermie
 * Vice
 * Mature

Orochi Men Team

 * Yashiro Nanakase
 * Chris
 * Ryuji Yamazaki

Kusanagi Style Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Saisyu Kusanagi
 * Shingo Yabuki

Comedy Team

 * Robert Garcia
 * Sie Kensou
 * Choi Bounge

"Cute" Team

 * Choi Bounge
 * Chin Gentsai
 * Chang Koehan

Cap Team

 * Terry Bogard
 * Lucky Glauber
 * Clark Still

Other Hero Team

 * Shingo Yabuki
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Goro Daimon

Other Ikari Team

 * Leona
 * Ralf Jones
 * Heidern

Other Heroine Team

 * Athena Asamiya
 * Mai Shiranui
 * Yuri Sakazaki

Destructors Team

 * Ralf Jones
 * Brian Battler
 * Chang Koehan

April 8th Birthday Team

 * King
 * Mature
 * Shingo Yabuki

Stages

 * Note 1: This game is the last of the franchise in which the characters are waiting to fight in the background and the first of the few games in the series where it's possible to choose the stage which you fight, in versus mode. It's also the first game of the franchise with practice mode. In the remake of the game ('98 UM), in the 3D backgrounds (only available in PS2 and PS4 versions), the natural sounds of the stages doesn't appears. In addition, the changes of the stages are different in both versions.
 * Note 2: In this game, only the Mid-Bosses and Boss earns associated stages.


 * Warning: The sight of some stages can cause epilepsy.


 * Japan Street: A viaduct next to Esaka Train Station and SNK's headquarters, in Osaka. There are various vehicles, an LED panel with the game and SNK's name, a crosswalk, people cheering, a toll and a karaoke in the background.
 * Changes: in the 1st round, the stage is partially full of cars; in the 2nd round, partially empty, but some vehicles can be seen passing by; from the 3rd round, there is a congestion due to the fight, and it is possible to hear a horn. In the PS2 UM version, depending on the round, vehicles or people can be seen.
 * Note: When Choi wins the third round in more than 30 seconds, a special cameo appears, of two students on a bicycle. This only happens if the player don't defeat the opponent on the following conditions: perfect, use throwing punches, use of C + D buttons, use command punches or use the same punch in the same fight. Only Choi can win, he must be the second or third chosen by the player, defeat the second character of the opponent team and press C button immediately after victory.
 * Middle East: A commercial village. Can be seen tents, merchants, vases, carpets, fruits and people. In all rounds, can be seen a boy asking his mother to watch the fight, and shortly after, running close to her and vibrating. In the PS2 UM version, the stage changes colors, turning blue (night) and orange (sunset). The boy appears only the second and final rounds.
 * Korea: A pier in Seoul. Can be seen a fruit truck and a fair in the left, a shop, a bridge in the middle and, in the background, the Yeonju-dae and Yonjuam temples. Also can be seen a man watching the fight in the window, on the right, and seagulls, listening to the noise of the birds. In the PS2 UM version, the time of the stage changes, starting with morning and ending in evening. The man doesn't appear.
 * Note: in the PS2 UM version, in the 2D background, the seagulls don't appear next to the temple.
 * China: A boat passing in Wulingyuan, in Hunan Province. The fight takes place while the boat sails by the river. Can be seen two native men: one, sitting on the bow on the right, and the other paddling the boat, on the left.
 * Changes: in the 1st round, can be seen a terrace in the beginning; in the 2nd round, the rocks and a waterfall; in the 4th round, only the rocks; and in the 3rd and the final round, a mountain covered by a fog. In the PS2 UM version, the temple appears in the second round, the mountain, only in the fourth round, and the waterfall, in the final round.
 * Spain: The Court of the Lions, in the Alhambra Palace, in Granada. Can be seen a foutain, shrubs, lamps and a white cat passing through the stage. It is also possible to hear the fountain spouting.
 * Changes: in the 1st and 2nd rounds, it's day; in the 3rd round, sunset, and the fountain stopping to a gush; from the 4th round, night.


 * USA Yard (A.K.A. Train Yard) — Yagami Team: A train garage. Can be seen a gray train, a dog tossing a trash can and a plaque with the sign MOTEL.
 * Changes: From the 2nd round, can be seen a wagon, which is approaching in the 3rd round, departs in the 4th and returns to the same place as the second in the final round. Besides that, the time changes to sunset from the third round. In PS2 UM version, the changes are: in the first round, the grey train appears; in the second round, the wagon appears; from the fourth round, the wagon departs.
 * Note: The wagon appears only in the arcade version and, in the PS2 UM version, only in the 3D background.
 * Japan Temple — Masters Team: The Art of Fighting Team's stage in KOF '95. In the '98 version, the Kyokugenryu Dojo is partially destroyed, and can be seen trees, shrubs, the wrecks of the building and fireflies all over the stage. When any player makes a strong move with his character, parts of the roof begin to fall.
 * Changes: until the 2nd round, it's nightfall; in the 3rd round, it's dawn; from the 4th round, it's morning. In PS2 UM version, the stage still at dawn but, from the third round, fireflies appear.
 * USA Wharf (A.K.A. Basketball Court) — American Sports Team: The American Sports Team's stage in KOF '94. The only difference between the old stage and the new is the people and the animals: in the '98 version, can be seen some cameos, a street dog and people wearing a suit and tie, and, occasionally Ryuhaku Todoh. The stage is partially empty and the old ring has turned into a junkyard.
 * Changes: in the 1st round, sunset; in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, night; from the 4th round, smelly fog. In the PS2 UM version, the fog appears from the third round.
 * Unknown (A.K.A. Black Noah): A submarine. Can be seen some aircraft wrecks, blood, Rugal's self-portrait and his black panther. Associated with Omega Rugal.
 * Note: In the PS2 UM version, the submarine comes closer to self-destruction within each round.