During these years, Kawaks was arcade emulator for Windows. Emulation sites like CoolROM , EmuParadise , and Rom Hustler organized their entire CPS-2 and Neo Geo sections around Kawaks compatibility. You'd download "Kawaks 1.45" (a legendary, stable release) and a curated ROM pack.
Arcade games are best played with an arcade fight stick or a comfortable gamepad. Load a game first. Go to > Redefine keys . kawaks arcade emulator
Latency wasn't great (dial-up and early broadband), but for 2002, playing arcade-perfect fighting games over the internet was nothing short of magical. Many modern fighting game pros cut their teeth on Kaillera-powered Kawaks. During these years, Kawaks was arcade emulator for Windows
No emulator is perfect. Kawaks had several flaws that eventually led to its decline: Arcade games are best played with an arcade
Once the game boots, go to > Redefine Keys to map your keyboard keys or USB arcade fighting stick inputs to the corresponding arcade buttons. Kawaks vs. MAME vs. RetroArch: How It Compares