The game graphics have not changed much over the years. SNK refuses to change their classic 2-D pixelated characters in for a new 3-D build. As the old saying goes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I've always enjoyed the more realistic looking characters of the King of Fighters universe over the cartoony hand-drawn Capcom style. The build and clothing of each character was obviously given a lot of attention that can be seen in the way a character moves as well as through the detailed folds that can be found on the varied outfits that each fighter sports. The backgrounds however, received the same 3-D treatment that they gave to Dream Match. While the characters may look as great as ever, some of the backgrounds look like they belong on a Playstation, rather than on Sega's graphic pushing machine. Most of the backgrounds made the transition to 3-D well, while others simply fell on their face. At least SNK gave players a slew of new backgrounds, in addition to including new atmospheric effects to pre-existing ones. SNK is definitely trying to win over Dreamcast owners with their new snazzy effects. It just seems that they need a little bit more practice with it before they can make everyone drool.

If you are looking for an all-out slugfest, you have come to the right place. Just don't expect the craziness of non-stop air juggles and triple digit supers that you'll find in Capcom's Versus series. KOF has always been about skill and timing, more akin to Capcom's Street Fighter III titles in terms of play than any other fighter. Although, it seems like Capcom and SNK have been borrowing more and more ideas from each other. The tag team of three characters that you can find in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has been a staple of the KOF series ever since its inception. While you can't tag your other characters in any time you want, you are now allowed a striker character similar to your helpers from Capcom's latest versus title. Pressing the right trigger calls in a previously selected striker that will perform a different attack depending on where your opponent is situated on the screen. The problem with the Striker system is that most of them are worthless. They are either too slow, do low amounts of damage, or are impossible to connect with. In fact, your character completely stops all action to call them out, allowing your opponent to get in a quick hit. The only true advantage to having a striker out that I have found is while your opponent blocks the striker's attack, you can easily charge up any unblockable moves your character might have, guaranteeing you an easy target.

Other than the Striker system, the only part of the game that has evolved was the move list for the cast of fighters. Benimaru no longer has his lightning kicks. Instead he was given a new super that is easier to connect with. Robert Garcia is now a "charge" character, the most dreaded of play styles. Kyo was toned down a bit, taking away a few of his moves and exchanging one of his supers for a slower, less powerful move. Most of what made these characters the strong fighters that they were was taken away in an attempt to make the game more balanced, even though Terry "cheese-monkey" Bogard was given two new automatic combo moves. Sometimes, SNK's decisions confuse me to the point of pulling out my own hair. As for the new characters, most of them were well balanced with a generous selection of special moves. I especially liked K', a clone of Kyo, who is able to use a flame as a projectile or as a launcher depending on which attack you perform right after the original burst of fire. Obviously, SNK has been busy adding in many new levels of tactics to the gameplay engine since it's last incarnation. I appreciate it when a game actually evolves instead of sticking with an incredibly unbalanced formula.

One item of note that I wanted to mention is Krizalid, the game's final boss. Omega Rugal and Orochi, both previous bosses in the KOF series, were nothing compared to the level of difficulty I experienced when fighting Krizalid on normal difficulty. His attacks are high priority, fast, and do more damage than they should. I was taken on the Kraft factory tour many a time before I figured out an effective strategy to combat his cheesy tactics. SNK also has him unlocked from the beginning of the game, allowing you to tick off your friends even more if you were so sneaky as to choose him. I can understand that a boss needs to be a difficult powerhouse, but this was just ridiculous. I just hope SNK takes a more balanced route next time when creating a boss.

Lastly, the game's music is fantastic. I only found myself turning down the volume when I fought a few of the teams. For the most part, I was bouncing my head in time with the great drums and rocking chords. The music was a definite bonus when it came to duking it out for long periods of time, in contrast to listening to some of the more repetitive and unoriginal tracks found in other fighters like Bloody Roar 2. Evolution's soundtrack is a must buy if you are one of the lucky few to have access to it. I just wish more American companies sold their game soundtracks (C'mon Rayman 2!).

The King of Fighters series has come along way and I'm glad to see that King of Fighters '99: Evolution has truly evolved. Even though the new Striker system is mostly useless, it is a step in the right direction that SNK can hopefully adjust accordingly for the next installment. Meanwhile, most of the characters were adjusted for the good of balanced gameplay, minus Terry and his new pet monkey (Hey, nobody's perfect). Balanced gameplay is important in my book and is a sign of a truly good game. Add in some rocking tunes, cool new characters, and a progressing tree of history that picks up where the last game left off and you've got a winner. SNK fanatics and fighter fans alike can now rejoice as we have a game that we already loved that is only getting better. In conjunction with this title and Garou: Mark of the Wolves, SNK has calmed my fears of their classic 2-D franchise fading into obscurity.