The PS2 version of The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match comes with a “Challenge Mode”, where you must complete various tasks. Some of them are easy. Some of them, you may find quite difficult.
01
Character: Any
Task: Five consecutive throw escapes.
Tips: Keep holding the block direction; when you get grabbed, press C and D (not at the same time).
02
Character: Advanced mode Kyo
Task: Five consecutive guard-cancel blow-offs.
Tips: Keep holding the block direction; when you get ticked, press CD (at the same time).
03
Character: Any
Task: Five consecutive recovery rolls.
Tips: Get hit; press AB just before you land.
04
Character: Any
Task: Defeat the opponent by hitting them between their incessant forward rolls.
Tips: No really good way around carefully timing this unless you want to poke into a combo. Pretty easy either way.
05
Character: Any
Task: Five consecutive guard-cancelled forward rolls out of Yamazaki's low Hebi Tsukai.
Tips: The only tough part is that you have to switch directions (i.e. slam forward) and press AB right after he ticks you.
06
Character: Any
Task: Counterattack guard-cancelled blow-off attacks and defeat the opponent, somehow.
Tips:
- You can cancel into rolls or attack avoidance, then attack right away.
- There are certain special moves with invincibility or autoblock that can be cancelled into from a normal move (e.g. close C >> Oni Yaki).
- You can clear it by spamming Advanced mode Eiji's MAX Zantetsuha (2363214 + P).
07
Character: Advanced mode Iori
Task: Make a combo from normal move to command move to special move.
Tips: This is a pretty typical KOF-style combo, isn’t it? Take your pick.
- close standing B >> 2-hit Yume Biki (6 + A, A) >> strong Aoi Bana (236 + C)
- close standing B >> 1-hit Yume Biki (6 + A) >> special move
08
Character: Kasumi or Eiji
Task: Defeat the Kyokugen-ryū practitioners (EX Yuri, EX Robert, EX Ryo, and Takuma).
Tips: This is not supposed to be hard, it's supposed to get you to try the "new" characters. See their corresponding pages if you need to learn how to play them.
09
Character: Any
Task: Combo a Mid-jump attack to a ground normal move to a special move.
Tips: Another basic KOF-style combo.
- If you are not familiar with KOF or not-very-fancy combos in general, you have to determine which normal move you are going to (and are able to) cancel into which special move. The most basic ones are more or less A >> 236 + A.
- Next, you need to determine what mid-jump attack will combo into that normal move. This is NOT a cancel; good timing is required. Note that it has to be a mid-jump for you to complete the challenge (tap a down direction and immediately tap your intended jump direction).
- Finally, tie the three attacks together.
10
Character: Any
Task: Guard-Crush/Crash the opponent and hit him.
Tips: Pick a character with good (quick) normals and just wail on him. You just have to tap him once.
11
Character: Advanced mode Kyo
Task: Stuff five of the approaching opponent’s mid-jump attacks with Oni Yaki (623 +P), consecutively.
Tips: Reaction and execution are all you need here. Get hit or attack them before they attack, and you will have to start over.
12
Character: Any
Task: Perform a combo that uses a super special move.
Tips: Should be easy. Poke, cancel into super.
13
Character: Any
Task: Combo a normal move to an avoidance attack to a special move.
Tips: You are going to use the “new” avoidance cancel – something that was not in the original '98.
- First, use the normal move
- Second, hit AB; the screen will flash white (unless you have it turned off in the settings), and a big white twinkle will halo your character, who will be doing the avoidance motion.
- Third, hit an attack button. This is the avoidance attack.
- Fourth, use your special move.
14
Character: Any
Task: Perform a combo that uses a MAX cancel.
Tips: You are going to use the “new” MAX cancel – something that was not in the original '98 (it was in KOF 2002, but MAX in 2002 is not the same as the MAX in '98).
- To perform a MAX cancel, just hit ABC to cancel a move.
- A simple way to pass the challenge is to use a jump attack, activate MAX, then ground attack.
15
Character: Geese
Task: Defeat EX Yamazaki, EX Mary, EX Mai, EX Joe, EX Andy, Kim, Krauser, and EX Terry (i.e., the Fatal Fury cast minus Billy), in that order.
Tips: The easiest way to pass this challenge is to use EX Geese and spam Double Reppūken (236 + C), and crouch D if they jump in. The spam won’t cut it when it comes to Krauser (he’ll just Blitzball right back atcha), so come in a bit closer and fight him normally, or jump back and Double Shippūken (214 + C).
16
Character: Any
Task: Your opponent has 50% health left; use one combo to finish ’em off.
Tips: There are plenty of “legit” ways to do this, but you can use cheap shots, too....
- Ralf’s MAX Uma Nori Vulcan Punch (2141236 + K) followed by a midair Kyūkōka Bakudan Punch (236 + P in midair)
- Yamazaki’s MAX Drill Lv. 5
- Yashiro’s MAX Final Impact, charged to full blast
Note that if your combo doesn’t add numbers to the “HIT” display, it won’t count for this.
17
Character: Any
Task: Counterattack a guard-cancel blow-off.
Tips: This is kind of like 6 (but no infinite stocks here; the idea for 6 was to use AB cancels).
- You can use Extra mode EX King to charge the gauge and do Double Strike at a distance, rinse, wash, repeat.
- The intended way is to do a really late jump in attack to the point of near landing, block, and punish with a long reaching attack and combo if possible.
18
Character: Advanced mode Geese
Task: Counter the opponent’s approaching mid-jump attacks with Raging Storm three times, consecutively.
Tips: If you just plain can’t get the hang of that stupid pretzel, record it in Practice mode. Other than that, this is basically a harder 11.
19
Character: Advanced mode Daimon
Task: Combo a ground normal move to a command move to a super special move
Tips:
- One way is close D >> 3 + C >> Jigoku Gokuraku Otoshi (6321463214 + AC)
- Another is close 6 + D (actually a normal throw) >> 3 + C >> Jigoku Gokuraku Otoshi (6321463214 + C)
- You can simplify the super command by skipping the initial 63.
- The default command input (L1) for P2 also works... if you’re a wimp.
20
Character: Extra mode Kyo
Task: Combo a cancel MAX to an avoidance attack to a super special move.
Tips: The combo of choice is (corner) 6 + B (1 hit, then quick MAX) >> 6 + B (2 hits, then AB, then avoidance attack) >> strong Orochi Nagi (2141236 + C).
- If you practice this in practice mode, don’t practice with a red lifebar.
21
Characters: Kyo, Iori, Chizuru
Task: Defeat Yamazaki, Mature, Vice, Orochi Yashiro, Orochi Shermie, Orochi Chris, Goenitz, and the Orochi (the evil Orochi characters).
Tips: Not easy.
- The AI has a problem blocking a standing low hit following a jump attack, so for example, with Iori, using (jumping C >) close standing B >> weak Aoi Bana (214 + A, 214 + A, 214 + A) as much as possible will be effective. If they manage to block, your chances are better if you take the Aoi Bana to the third hit anyway.
- When you get to Goenitz and Orochi, it’s easier to approach with a dash, so knock ’em down with close standing C >> 6 + A >> strong Aoi Bana (214 + C, 214 + C, 214 + C). Then just go Aoi Bana on them again.
- If you really really really just plain can’t do it: spam Chizuru’s 623 + C.
22
Character: Extra mode EX Kyo
Task: Use four special moves in one combo.
Tips: Try one.
- (corner) 236 + D, D > 412 + B >> MAX >> 236 + B, B > 623 + C
- (corner) 236 + D > 421 + B >> MAX >> 421 + B > 623 + A
23
Character: Any
Task: Task: Your opponent has 70% health left; use one combo to finish ’em off.
Tips: Just like 16, if your combo doesn’t add numbers to the “HIT” display, it won’t count for this.
- One simple combo: Use Advanced mode Kasumi, and link MAX Chō Kasane Ate three times. You probably can’t ABC this one fast enough; use 236236 + AC for good times.
24
Character: Extra mode Heavy D!
Task: Perform a 26-hit (or more) combo
Tips:
- Seven crouching B’s >> crouching A >> MAX >> D. Crazy (2141236 + A)
- You can also crossup a jumping B, and follow through with six crouching B’s, and continue as if you did seven.
25
Character: EX Robert
Task: Perform a 31-hit (or more) combo without using a super.
Tips: Jumping C or Jumping D > close C >> weak Gen'eikyaku (646 + B) >> MAX >> 6 + B >> weak Gen'eikyaku (646 + B) > strong Ryūga (623 + C)
26
Character: EX Mary
Task: Perform a 7-hit (or more) combo.
Tips: Jumping D > close C (2 hit) >> 6 + A >> avoidance (AB) >> avoidance attack >> 4 (charge) 6 + B >> 236 + B
- After the 6 + A, start charging 4.
27
Character: Any
Task: use a 100% combo against a MAX Galactica Phantom (Ralf’s really really really really really hard punch).
Tips:
- With Chang, start with MAX, do a forward roll (mash C), watch all that mashing do its magic
- With Athena, start by dashing, then do MAX Shining Crystal Bit (6321463214 + AC)
- With Ralf, MAX Galactica Phantom followed by weak kick [ed: I can’t get this to work, but this is what the Japanese sites say to do]
28
Character: Extra mode Ryo
Task: Connect a special move to a super special move.
Tips: Super-cancelling is a KOF ’99 and later thing; this will take something different.
- (corner) strong Hien Shippūkyaku (63214 + D) >> (on the third hit) MAX invocation >> MAX Tenchi Haōken (236236 + P)
29
Character: Extra mode King
Task: Perform a combo with 33 or more hits.
Tips: Jumping C > close D >> strong Mōshūkyaku (421 + D) > weak Tornado Kick (63214 + B; 1st hit only) > weak Trap Shot (623 + B) >> MAX (after last hit) >> weak Trap Shot
30
Character: Any
Task: Defeat the five bosses.
Tips: This is like 21. You can beat them with Iori in the same fashion, or pick someone else you’re better at being cheap with.
- MUSOLINI in the forums writes:
- Choose Real Bout Terry (advanced, extra, max doesn't matter. I prefer advanced). All you have to do is Jump SK, standing SP, HCF SK, Down UP SP (rising tackle) and keep repeating this. It's some kind of glitch. The computer keeps blocking high. So if you jump on him with any attack and follow up with a standing SP the computer keeps blocking up, so you can always hit the HCF SK. Wich hits low (so now and then comp does block low. That almost never happens though).
- Very easy method to defeat the bosses. O. Iori is simple and O. Leona too. Goenitz is annoying with his anti air move and his tornado's. It even gets tougher with O.Rugal and Orochi. So this is a really good way to beat all of em, without going bananas.