The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match characters unlocking and cheats

Take the following steps in this guide to unlock each of the 6 secret characters you can play/fight in The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match on PS2 and Xbox Live Arcade.

Tips to unlock or fight KOF characters:

1. Eiji or Kasumi: Have 3-5 DM or SDM finishes by the fourth match.
2. Goenitz: Have 3-5 DM or SDM finishes by the final fight.
3. Omega Rugal: Fail to meet of the the above requirements.
4. Orochi: Have 6-9 (S)DM finishes by the final fight.
5. Rugal, Orochi Iori, or Orochi Leona: Have 6-9 (S)DM finishes and do not lose a singe round by the fourth match.
6. Shingo: Fail to meet any of the above requirements.

Notes for unlocking and fighting boss characters: When you reach the fourth fight the game pits you against one of six possible fights. You will either fight Shingo, Eiji, Kasumi, Rugal, Orochi Iori, or Orochi Leona. The thing that determines who you fight is how many DM and SDM finishes you have before the fourth stage. There are three boss characters as well, Omega Rugal, Goenitz, and Orochi. The team you fight before the final boss is an indication of who the final boss will be. If you get the Orochi Team then you’ll fight Orochi. If you fight the 96′ boss team then you’ll fight Goenitz, if you fight either the Iori team, the USA sports team or the Masters team the you fight Rugal.

Cheats to enable KOF features:

To select a random team of characters: Hold R1 / RB before choosing any characters. Note: Does not work in Neo-Geo Mode.

To select a single random character: Hold L1 / LB while choosing a character. Note: Does not work in Neo-Geo Mode.

To select EX-characters: Press & hold Select button for your desired ex-characters. Note: To select BOTR Iori & Leona, Orochi & Goentiz, you have to defeat them in Arcade Mode before you can play as them in your next game.

And remember: “Offer no mercy as you fight to the death.”