Personally I didn't like this game as much as I did '97. I don't know what it was exactly, maybe the AI was just too hard for me, maybe remembering the trauma that Rugle gave me in '94, but '98 just doesn't do it for me. I will say '98 overall is still just as presentable as the last two games, but the story isn't particularly interesting compared to the last two. Rugle is just kinda of a douche, compared to Orochi and his goons, and frankly I have no idea what he has to do with Rugle, but whatever. It is really cool though that they have a roulette helper at the continue screen, I really think more fighting games should have them, but aside from that, I'd rather play '96 or '97.
This game goes hard. It's basically the encore game for the orochi saga. This game brings back nearly everyone from all previous KoF games to just have a big dream match where anything goes. Plot consistency? who needs that? This is the only other game where you can play as the american sports team, my beloved. This is probably the best KoF game on the Neo Geo.