The King of Fighters 2002 is a fighting game for PlayStation 2 that emphasizes team-based gameplay with teams of three fighters. It introduces several gameplay enhancements, such as the Free Cancel System, Max Mode System, Quick Emergency Evasion, and Quick MAX Mode Activation. The game also features refined character moves and abilities, maintaining the series' signature competitive spirit.
The game brings back the team play composed by three characters each that was a tradition in previous games. The game has also several important changes in the gameplay, like the `Free Cancel System` or `Max Mode System`, the `Quick Emergency Evasion` and `Quick MAX Mode Activation`, aside from the countless changes in each character's special moves and their properties.