The King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle

"The system 3-on-3 is back, expanding the battle on who will be the next competitor! Seven fearsome figures from King of Fighters '96 to '98 take part in the fights! This year, the dream fight is guaranteed to heat up! The Dream Match is happening again. BE THE FIGHTER!"

-Tagline

The King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle is the ninth game in the King of Fighters series, and is the second and final King of Fighters game produced by Eolith. Much like The King of Fighters '98, this game is more of a "Dream Match" for characters from all previous King of Fighters games, including killed-off characters. The series' canon storyline would resume in The King of Fighters 2003 - adapting, however, a character introduced in this game, Kusanagi.

It was later released for the Dreamcast, this time adding two characters absent from the original version, King and Shingo Yabuki. The PlayStation 2 version included Orochi Iori, Goenitz and Geese Howard.

Characters were directly ripped from this game for use in The King of Fighters Neowave, which was a hardware test before the production of The King of Fighters XI.

An upgraded version of The King of Fighters 2002 known as The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match was eventually released in Japan on February 26, 2009. It later released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation Network, Steam, Humble Bundle, GOG and Prime Gaming, worldwide. The PlayStation and GOG versions uses the NeoGeo mode in the remake.

Gameplay
The game brings back the team play composed by three characters each that was a tradition in previous games. The game has also several important changes in the gameplay, like the "Free Cancel System" or "Max Mode System", the "Quick Emergency Evasion" and "Quick MAX Mode Activation", aside from the countless changes in each character's special moves and their properties. Max Mode compared to the previous games, while it enables Free Cancels (which use up a set duration of the mode), now halves the damage done at a cost for its duration. Normal DM's now no longer use up an extra gauge stock when performed, and now only instantly end Max Mode. SDM's instead use one extra stock while also ending Max Mode as well.

One of the most notable changes is the inclusion of MAX2 Desperation Moves (also known as Hidden Super Desperation Moves), which are DM's that can be used only with 3 stocks and at a certain threshold of low HP.

Another notable changes are the allocations of both normal DM's and SDM's, as not all normal DM's have SDM versions and some SDM inputs may be completely different attacks depending on the character(s). Nearly all SDM commands end with 2 of the respective buttons for their inputs (A+C or B+D) due to the fact that Normal DM's can be used in Max Mode.

Characters
Official Team Roster=

K' Team

 * K'
 * Maxima
 * Whip

Japan Team

 * Kyo Kusanagi
 * Benimaru Nikaido
 * Goro Daimon

Fatal Fury Team

 * Terry Bogard
 * Andy Bogard
 * Joe Higashi

Art of Fighting Team

 * Ryo Sakazaki
 * Robert Garcia
 * Takuma Sakazaki

Ikari Warriors Team

 * Leona Heidern/Orochi Leona
 * Ralf Jones
 * Clark Still

Psycho Soldier Team

 * Athena Asamiya
 * Sie Kensou
 * Chin Gentsai

Women Fighters Team

 * Mai Shiranui
 * Yuri Sakazaki
 * May Lee Jinju

Korea Justice Team

 * Kim Kaphwan
 * Chang Koehan
 * Choi Bounge

New Faces Team (A.K.A. Orochi Team)

 * Yashiro Nanakase
 * Shermie
 * Chris

'97 Special Team

 * Ryuji Yamazaki
 * Blue Mary
 * Billy Kane

Yagami Team

 * Iori Yagami
 * Mature
 * Vice

Agents Team

 * Vanessa
 * Seth
 * Ramon


 * -|Hidden/Alternate Team=

Awakened Orochi Team

 * Orochi Yashiro
 * Orochi Shermie
 * Orochi Chris


 * -|Mid-Bosses=

NESTS Team

 * Kula Diamond
 * K9999
 * Angel

Mid-Boss Solo Character

 * Kusanagi


 * -|Boss=
 * Omega Rugal


 * -|Console Exclusive Characters=
 * Note: All of these characters can also appear as mid-bosses.


 * Shingo Yabuki
 * King
 * Geese Howard (ripped from SvC Chaos)
 * Goenitz (ripped from SvC Chaos)
 * Orochi Iori (ripped from SvC Chaos)

Characters who accompany the playable characters of the game.
 * -|NPC Characters=
 * Kogoro Daimon - appears in Daimon's round start intro
 * Rock Howard - appears in one of Terry's round win poses
 * Candy Diamond - appears in one of Kula's round win poses and two of her Desperation Moves
 * Diana - appears in one of Kula's round win poses and two of her Desperation Moves
 * Foxy - appears in one of Kula's round win poses and two of her Desperation Moves
 * Antonio - appears in Mary's intro and one of her win poses
 * Asuka and Maria - appears in one of Athena's intros and in one of her HSDMs


 * -|Stage Cameos=

Original Characters

 * Bao - in China Stage (Day)
 * Lin - in China Stage (Day)
 * Jhun Hoon - in Korea Stage
 * Kang Bae Dal - in Cambodia Stage
 * Heidern - in Mexico Stage (Day) and Italy Stage
 * Heavy-D! - in Japan Stage (Day)
 * Lucky Glauber - in Mexico Stage (Day)
 * Brian Battler - in Mexico Stage (Day)

Fatal Fury/MOTW series

 * Geese Howard (Fatal Fury series) - in Japan Stage (Evening)
 * Jubei Yamada - in Japan Stage (Evening)
 * Marco Rodriguez (Garou: MOTW) - in Japan Stage (Evening)
 * Tung Fu Rue (Fatal Fury series) - in China Stage
 * Jin Chonshu (Fatal Fury series) - in China Stage (Day)
 * Jin Chonrei (Fatal Fury series) - in China Stage (Day)
 * Li Xiangfei (RBFF 2) - in China Stage
 * Hon-Fu (Fatal Fury series) - in China Stage (Evening and Night)
 * Cheng Sinzan - in China Stage
 * Kim Jae Hoon - in Korea Stage
 * Sokaku Mochizuki - in Holland Stage (Day)
 * Bob Wilson - in Mexico Stage (Day)
 * Duck King - in Mexico Stage (Day)
 * Tizoc - in Mexico Stage (Day)
 * Ryuji Yamazaki (Fatal Fury series) - in Mexico Stage, on a wanted poster
 * Wolfgang Krauser - in Italy Stage

Art of Fighting series

 * Eiji Kisaragi - in Japan Stage (Evening); he also appears in the special intro Billy vs. Iori, and one of Billy win poses
 * Ryuhaku Todoh - in Japan Stage (Day and Evening)
 * Kasumi Todoh - in Japan Stage (Day and Evening)
 * Lee Pai Long (AOF series) - in China Stage (Evening and Night)
 * Wang Koh-San - in Holland Stage (Day)
 * King - in Mexico Stage (Day), only in Arcade version
 * Mr. Big - in Italy stage

Savage Reign series

 * Kim Sue-il - in Cambodia stage

Stages

 * Note 1: In the PS2 and Xbox versions, the stages have been remodeled in 3D, although it is still possible to play with the 2D versions via the option menu. In all other versions, they are only available in their 2D forms.


 * Note 2: The NESTS Team/Kusanagi's and Omega Rugal's stages look very different in the PS2 and Xbox versions. The NESTS Team/Kusanagi's stage also appears immediately before the Final Boss in these versions, rather than before the last match against a regular team/character.


 * Note 3: In this game, the stage are randomly chosen by the game's system.


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

Normal Stages=


 * Italy: An aerial plataform next to the Cathedral and the Tower of Pisa. Can be seen Mr. Big and Krauser, two screens, one showing Heidern, a cameraman and the Italian flag, in the left and in the right. This stage is the last of Team/Single Play mode.
 * Changes: from the 2nd round, the plataform rise, and appears a blue flag with game's short name in the tower; from the 4th round, one more rise until the top of the tower, where can be spotted the two villains and a sign FINAL: THE KING OF FIGHTERS.
 * NESTS — NESTS Team & Kusanagi: In the arcade version, the Italy stage in a dark and empty version. In the PS2 and Xbox versions, the fight takes in a military airplane, next to a helicopter. Can be seen obstacles, a miltary jeep and a war tank. There's a little turbulence and things start to fall.
 * Unknown — Omega Rugal: In the arcade version, a heap of debris, possibly military aircraft. Can be seen a control panel screen in the background. In the PS2 and Xbox versions, is a version of Sky Noah stage. Can be seen control panels, screens and ladders. Associated with Omega Rugal.

Trivia

 * In console versions, Goenitz, Geese, Shingo and King's CD/Blowback attacks do not inflict any damage via a programming oversight. Technically however, Geese's CD attack through its SvC Chaos incarnation as a command normal (6C) is still able to do so.
 * This is the only Neo Geo KOF game and the only KOF game produced by Eolith to not have an arranged soundtrack.
 * This is the last mainline KOF game that K9999 appears in, due to copyright issues.
 * In this game, when playing in either Team Play or Single Play Modes, the player can choose before each match which team or character they will fight among two possibilities. However, the last team, fought in the Italy stage, is forced upon the player, always appearing immediately before the Mid-Boss fight (in the PS2 and Xbox versions) or in between the Mid-Boss fight and the Final Boss fight (in all other versions).