History VideoGame / TheKingOfFighters2002

* '''Bonus characters:''' [[TagalongKid Shingo Yabuki]], [[{{Bifauxnen}} King]], [[BreakoutVillain Geese Howard]], [[{{Herald}} Goenitz]] and [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Orochi Iori]].

** '''Masters Team''': [[ColonelBadass Heidern]], Takuma and Chin
** '''Singles''': Geese Howard (regular and Nightmare version) and Goenitz.

* {{Nerf}}: Blow Back Guard Cancel does no damage, as with more recent ''KOF'' games.

** Foxy replaces K9999 on Team NESTS [[note]]At the time, K9999 was ousted from the series by SNK[[/note]]

* '''Team Japan:''' [[PlayingWithFire Kyo Kusanagi, [[AgentPeacock Benimaru Nikaido]] and [[TheBigGuy Goro Daimon]]

* '''K's Team''': K', Maxima and Whip
* '''Kyo Team''': Kyo, Benimaro and Goro
* '''Fatal Fury Team''': Terry, Andy and Joe.
* '''Art Of Fighting Team''': Ryo, Robert and Takuma.
* '''Ikari Warrior Team''': Ralf, Clark and Leona.
* '''Psycho Soldier Team''': Athena, Kensou and Chin
* '''Women Fighters Team''': Mai, Yuri and May Lee
* '''Korea Justice Team''': Kim, Cheng and Choi
* '''New Faces/Orochi Team''': Yoshiro, Shermie and Chris.
* '''97 Specials Team''': Yamazaki, Blue Mary and Billy Kane.
* '''Yagami Team''': Iori, Vice and Mature
* '''Agents Team''': Vanessa, Seth and Ramon.

** Mid-Boss 1: Kusanagi - A mystical clone of Kyo based on his Orochi Saga days.
** Mid-Boss 2: '''Team Nest''': Kula, K9999 and Angel.
** Console Exclusives Mid-Bosses: Shingo, King, Geese Howard, Goenitz and Orochi Iori.
** Final: Omega Rugal

** Yuri replaces Takuma on ''Art of Fighting''' Team.
** Bao replaces Chin on Psycho Soldier Team.
** King and Kasumi replaces Yuri and May Lee on the Womens Team.
** Foxy replaces K9999 on the NEST team [[note]]At the time, K9999 was ousted from the series by SNK[[/note]]
** '''Pretty Girls Fighters Team''': Li Xiangfei, Hinako and May Lee
** '''Asian Triple Alliance Team''': Jhun Hoon, Lin and Shingo
** '''Masters Team''': Heidern, Takuma and Chin
** '''Singles''': Geese (regular and Nighmare version) and Goenitz.

** Mid-Boss 2: Nest Team
** Mid Boss 3: '''Clones Team''': Kusnagi, Kyo-1 and Kyo-2

** [=SDMs=] and [=MAX2s=] can be used simply by having enough meter, or if your health is low enough. In ''2002'', they could only be used in MAX Mode.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''Unlimited Match'' has the largest roster of any game in the series, at 66 characters.

* '''97 Specials Team''': Yamazaki, Blue Mary and Billy Kan.

** Mid-Boss 1: Kusanagi A mystical clone of Kyo based on his Orochi Saga days.

** ''Asian Triple Alliance Team'': Jhun Hoon, Lin and Shingo

** SDMs and MAX2s can be used simply by having enough meter, or if your health is low enough. In ''2002'', they could only be used in MAX Mode.

''2002'' is the installment where [[RevisitingTheRoots the series goes back to its roots]]. After introducing and tweaking the Striker system throughout the NESTS Chronicles, ''2002'' abolishes the Strikers entirely, returnsing to the standard 3-vs-3 format present in games before ''[='99=]''. In other words, ''KOF 2002'' plays mostly like ''[=KOF '98=]'' in its Advanced Mode. It's not an exact copycat of it, due to some major changes that adopt systems from the NESTS Chronicles games. Like before, you can spend one bar of Power Gauge meter to enter MAX Mode, but instead of just boostng your character, it grants you access to Super Cancel any of your moves into a combo at expense of MAX Mode's duration. This allows creating a combo that, [[SomeDexterityRequired if used efficiently with very tricky timing]], can become a death-dealing blow, turning the flow of a match at a moment's notice. Additionally, if you activate MAX Mode at low health, you can perform a hidden, character-specific Desperation Move (called "[=MAX2=] Move") that is hard to connect but does a lot damage if you succeed to.

** EX Geese is based on Nightmare Geese from ''Fatal Fury Real Bout Special''.

** Some of the characters that were PutOnABus for this game appear in the stage backgrounds. For example, Bao and Lin appear in the China stage.

''2002'' is the installment where [[RevisitingTheRoots the series goes back to its roots]]. After introducing and tweaking the Striker system throughout the NESTS Chronicles, ''2002'' abolishes the Strikers entirely, returnsing to the standard 3-vs-3 format present in games before ''[='99=]''. In other words, ''KOF 2002'' plays mostly like ''[=KOF '98=]'' in its Advanced Mode. It's not an exact copycat of it, due to some major changes that adopt systems from the NESTS Chronicles games. Like before, you can spend one bar of Power Gauge meter to enter MAX Mode, but instead of just boostng your character, it grants you access to Super Cancel any of your moves into a combo at expense of MAX Mode's duration. This allows creating a combo that, [[SomeDexterityRequired if used efficiently with very tricky timing]], can become deadly, turning the flow of a match at a moment's notice. Additionally, if you activate MAX Mode at low health, you can perform a hidden, character-specific Desperation Move (called "[=MAX2=] Move") that is hard to connect but comes handy if you succeed to.

** Previously, only the defense could Evasion Roll as Guard Cancel, using a Power Gauge stock. In ''2002'', the offense also can Evasion Roll during their attack, also requiring a Power Gauge, which can fake out the defense.

Since the NEST Chronicles concluded in the [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters2001 previous game]], ''2002'' brings back most of the cast from previous games, including some who didn't appear during the NEST Chronicles, such as Rugal, who is once again the FinalBoss.

''2002'' returns to the standard 3-vs-3 format present in games before '''99''. Instead of Strikers, you can spend one bar of meter to enter MAX Mode, allowing you to access a character's hidden arsenal.

* TheBusCameBack:
** This is the first time Vice, Mature, Ryuji Yamazaki, Billy Kane, Rugal, and the New Faces Team have been playable since ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters98''.

** Orochi briefly appears as part of Orochi Chris' MAX2.

* DesperationAttack: Known as a "MAX2 Super Special Move", or "MAX2" for short. Each character has one, and it can only be performed if they're in MAX Mode, have 2 bars of meter, and have less than 25% HP remaining.

* SuperMovePortraitAttack: All MAX2 moves display a brief cut-in of the user's portrait when they start.

* ArrangeMode: The console ports introduce three:
**

* SecretCharacter:

** Activating MAX Mode can act as a LagCancel in and of itself. It can be cancelled into like any other special move, and the animation is quick enough to allow follow-ups.

''2002'' returns to the standard 3-vs-3 format present in games before '''99''. Instead of summoning Strikers, each character can spend 1 bar of meter to enter "MAX Mode", which temporarily allows them to cancel special moves into other special moves and super moves. It wears off after a brief period, or if a super is used while it's active.

** The UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}} version add King and Shingo, who were conspicuously absent in the original arcade version.

** This is the first time Vice, Mature, Ryuji Yamazaki, Billy Kane, and the New Faces Team have been playable since ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters98''.

** Due to a bug, May Lee can be juggled after moves that otherwise wouldn't allow it. This allows for combos that otherwise wouldn't be possible, including touch-of-death combos.

** Krizalid's [[{{Shoryuken}} Rising Dark Moon]] special move can juggle if only the first two hits connect.

* UpdatedRerelease: The Playstation 2 version received one known as ''King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match Tougeki''. It fixes a few bugs that were present in the original release.

* DesperationAttack: Known as a "MAX2 Super Special Move", or "MAX2" for short. Each character has one, and it can only be performed if they're in MAX Mode, have 2 bars of meter, and have less than 25% HP remaining. ​