Dreamcast - Capcom vs SNK

Format
Dreamcast
Publisher
Capcom
Developer
Capcom
Country of origin
Japan
Release date
2000
Genre
1 on 1 Fighter

Capcom vs SNK - 2000 - report by Bradders and Huxley

By Bradders
21st Apr 04

Bradders: Who would have thought that the two main rivals of the 2D Fighting game genre would ever team up to make a game where each companies characters would finally be able to duke it out to settle those dull post-game arguments about whose characters were stronger? Nobody worth their salt thought this would happen. And if it were not for SNK being in financial ruin, this may never have happened, but it did. But whats this? Capcom would be making it. This was kinda worrying as all Capcom seemed to be interested in doing was their reasonably fun, but ultimately flawed, 'VS' series of games. These were okay, but wholly unsuitable for the kind of slugfest the SNK and Capcom characters should be involved in. So, after the news, everybody, whatever side of the Capcom/SNK equasion they sat in, waited. And waited. And waited some more.
Once the first screenshots hit the web, worries became abound. The screenshots, althouugh nice, looked like they were done in the 'VS' style. Hands were in the air with horror. Secretly most people wanted the uber-stylish SNK graphics to win in the stly contest. But alas we had cell style characters. And then came more waiting. And worrying. And then some more waiting.

Huxley: And then it finally arrived (in the arcades, at least). Yes, on the outside, Capcom Vs SNK resembles the ‘Vs' series, with all it's flashy special effects, cell drawn characters and gaudy presentation. The graphics are pretty, for sure. The characters are as well animated as any other Naomi based 2D fighter, and despite a little bit of pixelation on a couple of characters (that were probably ripped from an older game), everything looks smooth. Some have even benefited from a slight design change. Iori Yagami, for instance, appears to have a more exaggerated pose than usual, and Mai Shiranui's breasts seem a little more shapely (am I paying too much attention?). Obviously all the SNK gang have been re-drawn from scratch, but don't worry too much, you'll be able to recognise each and every one of them. Most of the animations seem to have been copied frame-for-frame from SNK games, and the costumes are all present and correct (including Kyo Kusanagi's more popular ‘school uniform' outfit). If you haven't guessed by now, I'm an SNK fan (you can't be an SNK fan and NOT own an MVS cab), and I'm more than happy with the way these guys look.

Bradders: The Capcom guys are mostly new renditions, they feature a ton of new animations, and as Huxley mentioned, a few of them are ripped straight from their original game, and look a touch out of place. But thats okay? You know what I mean? Characters like Morrigan are kinda just there to get the titty quota up. Ahem. So far you have a pretty amazing looking game on your hands. But they went the extra mile here. Choose two characters that compliment eachother or have a history, and when they lock up in the arena of combat, they have special animations to further reinforce their relationships. For instance, Ken and Terry, when they square up, Ken throws Terry his hat, Terry catches it and sticks it on before the fighting starts. NICE. And if Ryu fights Ken, they knock fists before taking a jump back and beginning the violence. It's little touches like these that show that Capcom actually gave a damn about this historical game, and didn't just resort to taking care of their own.
I think Huxley wants to talk about backgrounds, but seeing as some of them are a complete mystery to me, I better hand him the mic once more... Huxley?

Huxley: Well, they are a complete mystery to me too, I'm afraid. I don't know what SNK put in Capcom's water, but it sure made them produce some funny backgrounds. I'm not saying they look awful, far from it; I think they are kinda...what's the word...unique? No. Stylish! Yes, these backgrounds are definitely full of style. Both Capcom and SNK fans must have been wanting their favourite backgrounds from games past to be reproduced for inclusion, but this wasn't to be. No, we get handed a load of backgrounds that look almost like they could have come from your favourite game. Almost? Let me explain. Think of Terry Bogard's famous stage set atop a moving train. Now take the idea of a moving train and get rid of any visual accuracy, slap the fighting arena next to the train and make the whole thing look more realistic. Not exactly the ideal solution for the fan, the results are a mixed bag. Some work, others don't And the ones that don't work are just plain boring and dull. I'd have much preferred it if they just made some classic Capcom and SNK backgrounds look nicer. Wasted opportunity.

Bradders: Lets move quickly onto gameplay, because that's what it's all about, isn't it? Yes. Well, I'm going to say straight out that this is my favourite fighting game of all time. No tutting at the back there. It's true. It's a perfect blend of the two styles of gameplay found in the games the characters are ripped from. The fighting system only uses four buttons, like the SNK games, but I dont think it's really a problem. Anyone who has played any of the previous Capcom "Vs" series should be well aware of the system.
The two character sets, while different, work really well together, if you feel at a disadvantage using the SNK characters, well thats only because you haven't played them enough. But the Capcom guys are great. Some have a couple of new moves, but mostly are an amalgamation of their previous incarnations and the lack of the extra two buttons doesn't screw up any combos at all.
I can't really speak about how the SNK guys have fared, I am a big fan of the KoF games, but not having a Neo Geo system or the money to pay the stupid import charges on the conversions, I don't have enough experience to tell you about it, so back to Huxley methinks.

Huxley: Yeah, I own a Neo-Geo here. And I can tell you that the SNK characters are as they should be. Most come equipped with their latest arsenal of moves (disregarding games dating after SvC), while some have a special ‘EX’ version, such as a ‘94/’95 Kyo complete with his projectile. If I was trying hard enough I’m sure I could find something to complain about, but I won’t. Because the Capcom boys done good, the King of Fighters characters are all present and correct. You can just pick up the pad/stick and bash away like it was 1998 and your in some dingy arcade playing a beat-up old MVS cab that stinks of stale cigarette ash. Character representations over, I think I’ll have a poke at the roster now. There are a few omissions that may raise a few eyebrows. Such as anyone outside of King of Fighters and Street Fighter. You like Samurai Showdown? Sorry, bud. How about Rival Schools? Uh-uh, no can do. Dark Stalkers? Morrigan is buried deep inside there somewhere, but it would have been nice to have more than one. Anyway, what am I rambling on about? This isn’t gameplay! I'm sure Bradders will put me straight...

Bradders: Heh, no way man. Of course with universes so rich with juicy characters to harvest, there are going to be some great big holes that fans will cry over. But just having Kof vs Street Fighter should be MORE than enough to make this game ESSENTIAL.
The fighting system is great, the graphics and sounds are all great and it has a ton of modes to keep you playing for a very long time.
As I have said, this is my favourite fighting game of all time. There is something about it that harks back to the halcyon days of the original Street Fighter II, but something that is so fresh and new that it keeps the interest long after you would have put down a lesser fighter. It's not so pure that you could place it in either the SNK or the Capcom camps, but it's a perfect hybrid of the two and a milestone not only in fighting game legend, but in corporate co-operation too. Huxley?

Huxley: Yeah, they’ve struck a good balance between the two. But I still think they should have called it Street Fighter Vs King of Fighters. Now, we’ve left one important aspect of the gameplay out so far. Sure, you can pick up your favourite character and go whup CPU ass. But pretend for a minute, if you will, that your favourite character is Yuri. Great, I like her too! ‘I’ll bop you’ and all that. Basic gameplay is team-based as in King of Fighters, so you’ll have to choose a couple more characters. But what’s this? They all have a rank? And Yuri is on the bottom? Yeah, if you like Yuri, Cammy or any of the other characters in the first tier, prepare to be disappointed - your fave character is considerably weaker than many of the others. The idea behind this ‘ratio’ system is that you have 4 points with which to choose your character from 4 different tiers. Each tier costs a certain amount of points, the difference between the tiers being that stronger characters cost more points, while weaker ones cost less. So, for example, you could pick Chun-Li, Benimaru and Sakura (2, 1, 1) or Ryo and Ken (2, 2) etc. On paper it sounds like a great idea, but in practice it means that many of your favourite characters are reduced to lesser versions of themselves, which is nothing but a shame. As Bradders will no doubt be in pains to point out, there is a bonus which will allow you to eradicate the ratio system. Ace! A pity you have to play for hours to get the bonus in the first place...please don’t kill me...

Bradders: Huxley makes some good points. I downloaded a VMU save to forgo all the ratio crap and as such missed out on a lot of the bad points of the game. My bad. All that said it's an excellent game regardless, and Huxley, despite his counterpoints, agrees (you do don't you? *shakes fist*).

A modern classic (is Dreamcast considered Retro now?) and as such deserves a place in your Dreamcast collection. And do yourself a favour, and grab that save! You should be able to grab this game for less than £20 too. If you look hard enough.

-- Bradders 21st Apr 04

Dreamcast Capcom vs SNK Images