Fighting games fans thought it would never happen. But then the first Capcom Fighting Game Collection came out last fall with remasters for some of the most important titles from the mid to late 90s (plus one from the 2000s) — all in the same package. We’re talking about absolute classics like X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes and most importantly, Marvel vs. Capcom 2. But the goodness doesn’t stop there because in a few months, another anthology is due out — the Capcom Fighting Collection 2 — which features an arguably even stronger lineup of brawlers from the early 2000s. And after getting the chance to preview the game prior to its official release on May 16, this assemblage is both a tribute to fighting game history and a great way to waste time smashing buttons.
Before we get in too deep, I should mention that only three out of the eight total titles were playable during my demo (Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millenium 2001, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper and Project Justice). Regardless, here is the complete lineup of games in Capcom Fighting Collection 2:
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Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 PRO
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Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001
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Capcom Fighting Evolution
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Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
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Power Stone
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Power Stone 2
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Project Justice
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Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein
Now I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a ton of experience with SFA3U or Project Justice compared to some of the other titles in this collection, but even with the latter featuring what looks like crude graphics by modern standards, it’s clear there’s an interesting fighting game beneath those big blocky polygons. Plus, thanks to a huge catalog of extras like classic instruction cards and move lists, it was easy to pick up the basics while getting additional context into the game’s development. I can’t wait to play more.
Meanwhile, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper represents a version of the game that was hard to get outside of Japan and features a complete roster, including the six characters that were only available in certain home console releases. Notably, there’s also a fix for the glitch that allowed easy infinites when using the V-ISM mechanic, which is an oft-cited reason why the game didn’t catch on (especially in the West) as it upset balance and allowed people to abuse custom combos.
But without a doubt, the crown jewel of the entire collection is Capcom vs SNK 2, which, in my opinion, is one of the top 10 fighting games of all time. From its funky character select screen with those iconic diamond tiles to an incredible soundtrack filled with bangers like the songs for the New York, Barentsburg and London stages, it’s got more style and personality than it knows what to do with. Seriously, put those tracks on and if you aren’t instantly bobbing your head to the beat, you might be dead inside.
CvS2 also offers more polished takes on the ratio system from its predecessor and the ISMs from SFA3 with the Groove system that gives you a wealth of playstyles for every character. So even though I only had 30 minutes to play, I couldn’t help but grin every time I got to unleash a custom combo using A-Groove Ken or troll the CPU with ratio four Haohmaru. The controls are tight, the graphics are super crisp and the game plays just as well as I remember. Better, even, considering today’s controllers and arcade sticks are more precise than anything we had 20+ years ago.
While I didn’t have a chance to test it, it’s also important to note that the collection is adding online multiplayer with rollback netcode to every game. This should be a huge upgrade when compared to alternative solutions such as apps like Fightcade, which often aren’t as stutter-free as proper in-game matchmaking (as evidenced by some of the hiccups in the clip above). My one small complaint is that while I appreciate little details like having a bunch of visual treatments that make the game look better when played on modern LCDs compared to old-school CRTs, I wish they came with more descriptive labels instead of simply being listed as Filter A, B, C, etc.
But perhaps most importantly, by putting all these games in one place, it’s so much easier for people to access titles like CvS2, which have been hard to find since its original release back in 2001. Honestly, I’d pay $40 just to have a modern version of CvS2 and Power Stone 2 that I can play without dusting off a PS2 or Dreamcast (the latter of which I don’t even own). So to get both of those alongside six other titles with tons of original art, improved training modes, a couple of bonus songs and a limited edition comic book (only for physical copies, though) feels like a truly excellent value. Sure, these games might just be rereleases, but for those with fond memories of early 2000s fighting games, it feels like this is true love we’re makin’ all over again.
The Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is available for pre-order now with official sales starting on May 16 for $40.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/capcom-fighting-collection-2-is-a-celebration-of-early-2000s-brawlers-150055451.html?src=rss
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