Players select a character in The King of Fighters '98 - The Slugfest / King of Fighters '98 - dream match never ends (NGH-2420), move, guard, attack, use special techniques, read the opponent's timing, and complete the available matches or scenario route. Test the controller mapping, attack range, recovery, and match rules in the current ROM before applying assumptions from another release.

Start in a safe area and learn the active controls, objective, timing, and resource limits before committing progress in The King of Fighters '98 - The Slugfest / King of Fighters '98 - dream match never ends (NGH-2420). Keep a separate save for this exact platform and version, preserve a state before bosses, long transitions, or important choices when supported, and record the ROM label, screen, and action when behavior differs from a related release.