To use a MAX2, the user's Health Gauge must be 30% or less (red health), and must have at least three bars of Power Gauge (or while in MAX Mode, have two bars instead). Neowave instead requires the user to be both in low health and with a full power gauge only when using the MAX2 Mode gauge.
In The King of Fighters 2002 and Neowave, many of the MAX2's had very bizarre input choices, making them very impractical to perform not only in a combo, but also in neutral as well. As a result of this, many of them (but not all) had their inputs changed in The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match. Some MAX2's in both KOF 2002 and Neowave also turned into either normal Supers or MAX Supers 2002 UM, which in trade paved way for entirely new ones to be introduced.
Ángel picks up the opponent from the ground and slams the opponent on the ground. She then announces herself, dashes past them twice, then elbows them.
Athena rushes down her opponent with quick strikes, while changing to her costumes from prior games. Depending on what input you finish Psycho Medley with, you can have different finishers; Momoiro Katame is a powerful finishing attack while Healing Athena heals Athena.
Billy throws his cane away towards the opponent while standing in a scared, yet familiar pose. If the opponent hits him at any point during this move, Billy then retaliates and does a ranbu combo.
Chang performs a short little dance and shakes his belly. After that, he completely grinds time to a halt for 5 seconds, leaving to do whatever he wants.
Chin blows out a small flame that can be controlled by the player's directions that lasts under 3 seconds. When the flame is touched by either the opponent, or by the opponent's projectile, or by the player pressing a button, the flame explodes to multiple larger flames that covers a large area of the screen.
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Clark runs at his opponent and slings them over his shoulder, powerbombing the opponent's back into the front and back walls, before finishing with a regular powerbomb (2002)
Clark runs up the opponent to deliver a series of his command throws; Shining Wizard into Frankensteiner, into Backbreaker, into Napalm Strech into Rolling Cradle which ends in Clark swing around the opponent's neck to slam his knees in their back. (2002UM)
Clone Zero starts with a further reaching Mabu Kousou. If it connects, he traps his opponent in a Hakura Messei black hole and strikes rapidly while using Zanfuu Enpa: Satsuma to darken the screen. When the screen comes back on, the opponent drops hard onto the floor while Clone Zero turns his back on them.
Foxy dashes forward with her sword into the opponent and blows them up along with herself. This will instantly K.O. and Foxy herself, regardless of if she hit her opponent or not.
Geese barrages his opponent with strikes before blasting them away with an energy wave. (2002)
Geese thrusts his hands into the ground as he would with Raging Storm, only to create a massive lightning strike that bounces across the floor as it travels through him. (2002 UM)
Daimon starts the combo with a Jiraishin. He then rushes over to his opponent for a back suplex, followed by five Jiraishin more. With his opponent floored, he roars and creates an explosion. (2002)
Daimon starts the combo with a Jiraishin. He then rushes over to his opponent for a back suplex, a slam, a second Jiraishin and a Kumo Tsukami Nage. With his opponent floored, he roars and creates an explosion. (2002UM)
Goenitz teleports forward. On a successful hit, he proceeds to slash at his foe while moving forward, generating a whirlwind with each slash. He will finish by holding them up as blood continues to flow out, then leap up and smash them into the ground. (2002)
Goenitz creates a tornado around himself, drawing his opponent in and flings them up on contact. Additional input flings said tornado at his target. (2002 UM)
Heidern slashes his opponent up with his rear arm, leaving his target hanging in the air for a moment before the kinetic force of the move bursts out of their back. If used from afar, it creates multiple pillars of energy.
Iori prepares for a brief moment, with the screen turning red, then quickly leaps across the whole stage grabbing the opponent by the face, and hits them with pillar of flames. (2002)
Iori instead as he grabs his foe's face instead of blowing them up right away, carries them as he spirals into the air akin to the Ura 311 Shiki Saku Tsumagushi, generating a flame pillar around himself instead. (2002UM)
Leona runs at her opponent and stabs their middle, creating a flowing spark of energy out of their back, then explodes them. (2002)
Leona does a Grand Sabre with its follow-up, then kicks her opponent, transitioning into her Riot form. Doing this move as Orochi Leona has her do a divekick, turning back normal afterwards. (2002 UM)
Mai jumps in the air and dives toward the opponent. When the move connects, Mai will perform various vertical and horizontal dives at the opponent, before showing three possible outfits, ending with a fiery explosion. You can press/hold a button before the move connects to decide what type of clothing she'll wear.
Upon contact Mature makes a secondary image of herself on the other side of her opponent then proceed to do a myriad of her moves ending with a Despair, her other image disappears then she blows a kiss towards her stunned opponent, causing a large explosion.
Maxima chops his opponent's shoulders with a SYSTEM3 Maxima Lift, causing a ground bounce, followed up for a Bunker Buster who hits 31 times, ending with an explosion. (2002)
Maxima shoots out a barrage of missiles then a gigantic laser hitting the opponent over 15 times. (2002UM)
May Lee swipes at her opponent, then creates a clone of herself that helps dragon kick her opponent. Once she lands, the clone disappears, then May Lee poses and explodes her target.
Nameless takes off his silver gauntlet and creates a giant explosion of scarlet flames, which shortly after imprints an astral projection of Isolde, which seemingly quells the otherwise unmanageable flames.
Nightmare Geese goes into a stance with glowing flames in his hands. If he then lands one of his Atemi on his opponent, he does repeated Reppuken to make a gigantic one.
Iori slams his opponent into the ground, then grabs them by the collar, and surrounds himself and his opponent in a pillar or purple energy, who ends in an explosion.
Orochi Shermie causes a mote of electricity to appear in the same fashion as Mugetsu no Raiun. If it connects, a thunderstorm will materialize high above the fighters, and create a massive bolt of lightning at an apparently random point on-screen. Due to the circumstances needed to pull off a MAX2, Shermie can hit herself with this move and also potentially K.O. herself as well.
Orochi Yashiro does a quick punch that sends his opponent across the screen. The background for this move briefly changes into a volcanic scene. This move is unblockable.
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Ralf tackles the opponent to the ground and smashes them with a large explosion, causing them to launch very high into the air and then briefly falls down. Bareback Galatica Phantom can be followed up with Galactica Vanguard, where it can INSTANTLY K.O an opponent when released at the precise time while opponent is airborne.
Ryo does a strong straight punch, knocking the opponent to the back end of the screen and stuns them. (2002)
Ryo does an even faster Ryuuko Ranbu, ending with a spinning Kouhou with blue energy around it. (2002 UM)
Yamazaki slams his opponent front-first to the floor. He then gets 2 knives and butchers his opponent with myriad slashes before throwing them over his head by their neck in his mouth.
Seth dashes forwards jumps over the opponent and taunts them. The opponent will try and attack Seth, but he'll respond with a swift dash attack that'll knock the opponent down.
Shermie runs at her opponent for a Diamond Dust and Shermie Whip, then she throws her opponent like an Irish Whip, then runs at the again for a Shining Wizard-style knee strike.
Shingo's own take on the Mu Shiki, where he performs back-and-forth Dokugami and Aragami punches finishing into continuous Nie Togis and a midair incomplete Oniyaki. (2002)
Shingo delivers the ultimate in techniques and unleashes an even more powerful Burning Shingo on the opponent and... forgets what he was doing midway through and scrambles through his notebook while the opponent is stunned in place, and then has a revelation and finishes them off with a very powerful Oniyaki. (2002 UM)
Vanessa throws 2 punches; one to the opponent's gut (that levitates them vertically slightly), then a straight and powerful fierce punch combined with a wind projectile that wall bounces the opponent. If whiffed, it becomes a short ranged projectile.
Yuri dashes towards the opponent and performs a barrage of kicks on them. (2002)
Yuri does an even quicker Ryuuko Ranbu, ending with a double Yuri Chou Upper. (2002 UM)
Zero starts with a standing . If it connects, Zero summons Ron to force the opponent's soul out of their body while Zero traps the body with Zanfuu Enpa: Satsuma. Krizalid, Ron & Glugan then converge on the opponent's soul to unleash a ruthless attack on it while the screen goes dark. Once the screen comes back on, the Strikers scatter as Zero merges the opponent's body back with their soul using Zanfuu Enpa: Hankyou. The magnitude of the prior attack blasts the opponent back against the wall.
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