The King of Fighters 2002

The King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle
Developer(s)Eolith
SNK Playmore (PS2/Xbox)
DotEmu (PC)
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Lee Seon Ho
Producer(s)Chil Suk Choi
Designer(s)Ruyun
Programmer(s)M. Yusuke
S. Fujinuki
T. Hayashi
Artist(s)Chikara Yamasaki
Hiroaki Hashimoto
Masae M.
Composer(s)Masahiko Hataya
Yasuo Yamate
SeriesThe King of Fighters
Platform(s)
Release
2002
  • Arcade
    • WW: 10 October 2002
    Neo Geo AES
    • WW: 19 December 2002
    Dreamcast
    • JP: 19 June 2003
    PlayStation 2
    • JP: 25 March 2004
    • EU: 7 October 2005
    Xbox
    • JP: 24 March 2005
    • EU: November 2005
    PlayStation Network
    • TW: 20 May 2015
    PC
    • WW: 30 May 2017
    Nintendo Switch
    • WW: 27 December 2018
    PlayStation 4
    • AS: 27 December 2018
    • NA: 27 March 2019
    Xbox One
    • WW: 27 December 2018
    iOS, Android
    • WW: 25 January 2022
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)
Arcade systemNeo Geo MVS

The King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle[a] (KOF 2002, or KOF '02) is a fighting game developed by Eolith and published by Eolith and Playmore for the Neo Geo in 2002. It is the ninth game in The King of Fighters series and the second one to be produced by Eolith. The game was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and the Xbox, where in the PS2 and Xbox versions were released in North America in a two-in-one bundle with the following game in the series, The King of Fighters 2003. The Dreamcast port was released only in Japan, it was also the last game in the series to be officially released for the Japanese Dreamcast.

"The King of Fighters 2002: Challenge to Ultimate Battle" brings together characters from various SNK franchises. It features a diverse roster of fighters and emphasizes team-based gameplay. Players assemble a team of three characters and engage in intense battles using a combination of unique special moves and strategic team tactics. The game is celebrated for its extensive character selection, fluid animation, and engaging fighting mechanics.

SNK Playmore produced a remake titled The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match (KOF 2002UM, or KOF 02UM) for the PlayStation 2, which was released on February 26, 2009, in Japan only, the last in the series for the Japanese PlayStation 2, and the game later received its first worldwide release on Xbox Live Arcade on November 3, 2010.[1][2] A port of the Xbox Live Arcade release was later released on Steam on February 27, 2015.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ "Official The King of Fighters 2002 Ultimate Match Xbox.com page". Xbox.com. 2010-11-03.
  2. ^ Gantayat, Anoop. "SNK Playmore Details Xbox Live Arcade Plans". andriasang. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009. Retrieved December 7, 2009.