King of Fighters 2002, The - Unlimited Match (Japan / Korea)
PlayStation 2
🇯🇵🇰🇷
Reviewed in 2009
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✪ Reviewed on June 9, 2025
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Unlimited Match version of KOF 2002, considered the definitive edition of the title. Character balance is revised and new fighters are added. The recommended version for competitive players wanting the most accomplished KOF 2002 experience on PS2.
Your verdict
Category
Fighting2 players12+
Description
A Japanese and Korean SNK Playmore overhaul released in 2009, subtitled "Unlimited Match." A heavily expanded version of KOF 2002, with seven additional characters (King, Kasumi, Whip, Vanessa…), reworked stages and overhauled competitive balance. The definitive version of KOF 2002 among purists.
King of Fighters 2002, The - Unlimited Match review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
An ambitious overhaul of one of the saga's peaks, swelling the roster, adjusting the balance and polishing the presentation: nostalgia meets generosity here. The pure three-on-three stays of gleeful edge, and every match makes you crave the next. Rich, balanced and superbly crafted, a 2D versus that celebrates King of Fighters at its peak.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Building your ideal trio and exploiting a combat system honed to the extreme turns every clash into a battle of wits you constantly want to replay. Unlocking fighters and refining your combos keeps reviving the practice. Getting to grips with it puts the newcomer off, but this bloated roster and this benchmark balancing keep a lasting hold on the versus lover.
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Reviving the dream-match format, this unlimited edition swells an already immense roster of fighters drawn from across the saga. Learning the teams, polishing your strings and climbing in versus fills countless hours. That wealth of characters, true to the series, founds a longevity versus fans savour.
Technical info
💾2,2 GB📅26/02/2009
Published by SNK Playmore
King of Fighters 2002, The - Unlimited Match (PS2) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
The Japanese and Korean version of The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match, a reworked reissue of the 2002-era dream match, rarer than the Western runs. This native edition appeals to those wanting the original pressing of a definitive version much prized by SNK versus fans. Its local run supports a value above the more common editions, in a niche loyal to the genre.
Better with friends
A polished reread of the team tournament, rebalancing the cast and smoothing the mechanics for three-on-three play of heady fluidity. The competition rewards team-building as much as execution, opening devious strategies between in-sync players. Dense yet gratifying, it offers enthusiasts a playground of endless depth where every face-off stokes stubborn rivalries.
Is King of Fighters 2002, The - Unlimited Match still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2009 on PS2, SNK's reworking of The King of Fighters 2002 modernises a so called dream match entry by overhauling its sprites, backgrounds and balance while swelling the roster into a crowd of iconic fighters. The three character system without guard assist favours aggression and combo mastery, in a pace livelier than that of '98. The reorchestrated soundtrack and the revised readability win over purists. The difficulty and the austerity target an already converted audience. Recommended for devotees of SNK versus fighting and for competitive players of two dimensional games seeking depth.
