Capcom VS SNK 2 Review

Feb 7, 2003

Another year, another Capcom fighting game; there's really no stop to their constant recycling of 2D fighters. Every system since the Super Nintendo has seen their fair share of deluxe super champion turbo editions of Street Fighter or Street Fighter-related game, so why stop with the Xbox, right? Well, this time there's actually more than meets the eye. Along with a solid, albeit dated fighting game, Xbox owners will have the privilege of playing their favorite Capcom or SNK character(s) against someone thousands of miles away -- or next door, if that's your fancy -- and the experience is more than adequate.

Gameplay
Capcom VS SNK 2 is composed almost entirely of classic Street Fighter and SNK fighting techniques, which means lots of charge moves, half and quarter circles, and super moves. What's new to the game are the different "grooves," or fighting styles. Although the "Capcom" and "SNK" grooves were introduced in a previous game, Capcom VS SNK 2 takes this concept a step further by introducing six different grooves: C, A, P, S, N, and K. Clever, isn't it?

Depending on which groove you choose, the type and number of fighting techniques you have available changes, with half of the grooves leaning towards traditional Capcom fighting and the other half leaning towards SNK-styled battle. More or less, the difference between the two fighting styles is mainly the availability of certain non-lethal moves such as air blocks, dodging, and rolling, with each groove having its own balanced mixture of the said moves. Each groove also has slightly differing super meters, with half of the grooves having a traditional Capcom interface and the other half having SNK-styled meters and charges. You'd think that with so many variations in the gameplay that there would be some cheapness taking place, and it does, but overall the game still remains more balanced than just about any other fighter in existence.

First introduced in the Gamecube version of the game, the EO, or Easy Operation mode allows the player to pull off special/super moves with a simple flick of the right analog stick. Probably intended for younger and/or less experienced players, the EO mode helps the game have more of a pick-up and play feel. What's strange about it, though, is that if you do choose to use it, you can only use the left analog stick to control your character. I don't know about you, but I strictly adhere to using only the D-pad when playing these types of games. But, I assume that if you're going to use EO mode, the difference won't really matter that much anyways so it's a moot point.

The biggest problem that Capcom fighting games face when being ported to a console is the controller issue. Typically, Capcom games use a six-button configuration with three punch buttons and three kick buttons. But the number of buttons is not the problem since every console controller since the SNES has at least six buttons. It's the comfort and ease with which you can access those buttons. See, in the arcades you use your left hand with joystick and your right hand for the buttons. On a console controller, you have to use your left hand for movement as well as a button. This will never feel intuitive to me. Trying to pull off a combo using the left trigger button is almost impossible to do without a LOT of practice. But this isn't the only problem. The layout and nature of the buttons also causes some difficulty. Take the triggers for example. Rather than a quick tap of a button, you have pull the trigger button all the way in to execute a move. This makes for some slight delay in your moves until you learn to compensate for it. You can use the black/white buttons instead of the triggers, but they're not any easier to use, and the fact that you can't configure the trigger buttons (what!?!) only makes things more difficult. What it comes down to is picking the lesser of the two evils.

When it comes to modes, Capcom VS SNK 2 has all the standards, including arcade, training, replay, vs, and survival mode. What it has that no other games (except Capcom VS SNK) have is an amusing color edit mode. In this mode you can change any color on any of the character's sprites, from their costume, to their skin, to the highlights. This mode was also found in the Dreamcast version of Capcom VS SNK and is a joy to play with. Check the screenshots for some screens of a pitch black Evil Iori I made. Pure evil, I say.

If any of you played of the previous Capcom VS SNK games, you'll remember the ratio system that was implemented into the matches. Basically, you were given four points with which you could free distribute among your characters. For example, you could have a team of four ratio 1 characters, or a team of two ratio 2 fighters, or a team with one ratio 3 player and one ratio 1 player. There were even characters that had a 4 ratio all by themselves. Capcom VS SNK 2 continues this tradition, though this time around you can't have four players; you're limited to three at most, with one being a ratio 2 character and the other two fighters being ratio 1. In the end, this system works just as well as the previous did so there's no real loss in this regard. For those wanting something a little different, you can also choose to have straight three-on-three fight where the characters are their standard strengths, or you can go real old school and have a one-on-one match. All three types of matches can be used in the arcade and versus modes so there's plenty of fun to be had by yourself, or with a buddy.

Online
It seems that the launch of Xbox Live was timely not only for us gamers, but also for Capcom: we get the online fighting we've always yearned for, and Capcom gets to recycle their fighting games, Capcom VS SNK 2 included, for years to come. Who would've thought that the decade-old sprites of yesteryear would be found on today's 681265-bit machines. The world can be a funny place sometimes...

Capcom must've learned a lot from releasing Street Fighter games for the past ten years because when it comes to online options and features, Capcom VS SNK 2 has what counts. There's national and global play (it's about time), the ability to weed out the EO and AC (arcade control) players (thank God), and a great stats system that should be standard in every Xbox Live game. Not only can you see total rankings, but weekly and monthly rankings are also available, just like they should be. Better yet, you can even view rankings for people only on your friends list. In fighting games your number of wins can define your status in the gaming circle, so having a more accurate stats system (not like MechAssault's) is much appreciated. Thanks for thinking of the little guys, Capcom.

Alright, so the real question most of you are asking yourself is, "How does the game play online?" Well, that's a tricky question. Because I've been playing on a developer network and not Xbox Live, my experience will be somewhat misrepresentative of what the game will be like. With that disclaimer out of the way, I'd like to proudly state that the game plays flawlessly. And in a game where a fraction of a second of lag can turn the tides of battle, this is truly a monumental achievement. Well, maybe not, but whatever. It's still the first time we get to play a fighting game against an opponent in Japan as if they were sitting in our laps with the second player controller. That alone makes this game, and an Xbox Live account worth purchasing.

Note: If Xbox Live play is laggy, drop the score two points.

Graphics
What can be said about Capcom VS SNK 2 that has not been said about every other 2D Capcom fighter (barring Street Fighter 3, of course). The low-res character sprites suck. They work, I'll give you that, but they still suck. We've been looking at these same sprites for God knows how many years and they're getting a little tiresome. My hope is that Capcom has secretly been working on a new 2D fighting game with graphics that will shame even the mighty Guilty Gear X2, and that these recycled games are just a way to bide them more time while they complete their opus. Yeah, right.

Not taking into consideration the characters, the only thing left to really talk about are the backgrounds. A good mix of 2D and 3D elements, the backgrounds look sharp and feature some nice animations, though I can't figure out why the final level is so, I don't know, boring. Almost completely static with no real 3D elements, you'd think that the final level would be something a little grander. You work your way up the ladder, defeating opponent after opponent, only to arrive at the most generic level I've seen in years. A little anti-climatic, don't you think?

Sound
Hadouken! Shoryuken! Tatsumakisenpukaku! Who could ever forget those classic lines? Hearing them almost brings a tear to my eye...

Capcom VS SNK 2 has all the speech samples found in the arcade and they sound arcade perfect. While that might not mean much to you, old fans will feel right at home after playing a match or two. Something's very comforting about the familiarity of the voices and phrases, and it's nice to know we can enjoy them in their full glory. The background music, which consists mainly of your typical Capcom future classic light rock, is also ported directly from the arcade. You'll either be indifferent to it, or be impossibly irritated by it. Personally, I've grown so use to it that if it isn't there, something feels off. Take that as you will.