Summary
The firstCapcom Fighting Collectionbecame a surprise hit, giving players a fresh way to play all theDarkstalkersgames alongside cult classics likeWarzardandCyberbots. Then hell froze over when theMarvel Vs Capcom Fighting Collectioncame out and became the best way to play the originalMarvelgames on modern machines (Fightcade notwithstanding).
Now, Capcom has seen fit to makeCapcom Fighting Collection 2, letting players get their hands on more of their classic fighting games, and it’s got some pretty big names of its own. As some might’ve guessed from Terry and Mai turning up inStreet Fighter 6, and Ken and Chun-Li inFatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the two worked out a deal to add bothCapcom Vs. SNKgames to the collection, but it contains more classic titles that deserve attention too.
The story behindCapcom Fighting Evolutionis more interesting than the game itself. Unable to make aCapcom Vs SNK 3due to SNK’s bankruptcy (they got better), Capcom started work onCapcom Fighting All-Stars, a ‘Capcom Vs Capcom’ game in 3D made by ex-SNK devs. But a combination of bad local tests and behind-the-scenes issues led to it being canceled,leaving behind only a few old trailers, gameplay footage, and screenshots to prove it was ever around in the first place.
To salvage what was left of the project, Capcom had Yoshinori Ono head up a small team to make a 2D fighter out of whatever they could cobble together from other games. The result looks cheap, and while it plays okay, it’s weaker than the sum of its parts, including the then-decade-oldDarkstalkers. Though without it, Ono might not have gotten the urge to get Capcom to fundStreet Fighter 4’s production, so at least it has its place in fighting game history.
Project Justiceisn’t the only sequel to appear without its predecessor. Capcomskipped overStar Gladiatorto go straight toPlasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein. LikePJ, its only home port was on the Dreamcast, which went to its grave a year or so after the game’s release. So, theCFC2will likely be the first time many players will give it a go.
Plasma Swordis essentially a sci-fi take onSoulCaliburwithout ring-outs, as players can roam all around a stage and hack at each other with set combos. UnlikeSCat the time, the game gave its cast flashy super moves, and the ability to trap zoners and keep away fighters with the Plasma Field to keep the heat on them. It’s not exactly a hidden gem, but it was an inventive fighter worth a look or two.
6Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
More Of A Sidestep Than An Upper
Street Fighter Alpha 3became the most popular game in theAlphaseries, thanks to its vast roster and expanded gameplay. Which is why it was re-released on nearly every machine in the late 90s/early 2000s, often with even more extras, until the original arcade game felt barebones by comparison. It already had nearly everyone fromStreet Fighter 2, but it still locked Balrog (of all characters) behind a secret code!
So, if anyone felt burned by theStreet Fighter 30th Anniversary Collectiononly having the arcade version ofSFA3on it,Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upperbrings back console-exclusives like Guile, Dee Jay, Fei Long, and Evil Ryu, and it makes the secret characters selectable via a simple toggle in the options. It also nerfed V-Ism and crouch-canceling, which were overpowered in the arcade game but might put off purists who got used to the advanced techniques it let them use.
For many, this is one of the two games that made theCFC2a must-buy. The originalCapcom Vs SNKwas where it all started — whereStreet Fighter’s Ryu could fightFatal Fury’s TerrywhileRival Schools’ Edge and Gan andArt of Fighting’s Takuma watched from the background of his collapsing mid-construction dojo. Yet, it’s since been overshadowed by its sequel because it still offered room for improvement.
Its stages are arguably better, with more atmospheric designs, but it only offers two grooves, one of which (Capcom Groove) is any good. Then, its Ratio system limited its team selection as each character had a fixed value. They could have a team of four Ratio 1 characters, one Ratio 4 character, or any mix in between, which means if players wanted to put Sakura (R1) and Benimaru (R1) with Akuma (R4), they’d be out of luck.
While many players went gaga over theCvSgames getting re-released in this collection, others are more excited about thePower Stonegames. They were fun, 3D roaming brawlers where up to four players could run around a stage, smashing each other in search of Power Stones. If one player got all three, they’d turn into their Power Change form and blitz their opponents with their special moves.
It’s almost likea 3D take on platform fighterslikeSuper Smash Brosand is just as simple to pick up and play. Players only need to mix punches and kicks, or press a combo of the Punch, Kick, and Jump buttons to pull off moves. No quarter-circles or the like involved. That said, the first game is more combat-focused than the sequel, so if their favorite part aboutSmash Brosare the items and wacky stages, players may prefer the sequel.
IfPower Stonefeels like it’s stuck in ‘For Glory’ mode,Power Stone 2switches things to ‘For Fun,’ as it offers the same four-way brawling fun. Only now, it’s got more items to throw around and more stage gimmicks to work with — like leaping off a crashing plane to fight each other in midair, or coming back from the brink by finding a health potion, then attacking opponents with a hammer item or hidden traps.
Both games really clicked with Dreamcast owners back in the day, but they failed to bring inSmash Bros-type money for either Capcom or Sega. Beyond this release, their arcade originals, and a PSP collection, neither game got to reach a wider audience. Until theCFC2,anyway, where they might finally get the attention they deserve as fun and funky platform fighters.
2Project Justice
Turning Fights Into An Extra-Curricular Activity
It’s not certain whyProject Justicegot in overRival Schools. Maybe it’s because it’s got better graphics, or it was another cult classic thatneeded freeing from Dreamcast jail. Or it could be how it made its three-player gameplay work.RSrepresented its schools with three-person teams, but players could only pick two of them: one as their main and the other as their assist. It’s handy enough, but not as exciting in comparison.
InPJ, they can use both of their partners as assists, where one can provide a timely Team-Up attack or health/meter perk, and the other can keep their opponents from stopping their Team-Up with a timely attack (or stop their opponent’s Team-Up attack if they can stop their assists). However, if they have max Vigor, they can pull off a Party-Up move where all three characters pummel their opponent with one giant super combo. It’s an intricate team fighter that offers plenty for players to work with.
This list could’ve rankedCapcom Vs SNK 2lower, as it’s a 2D game that reuses most of its assets, and its team mechanics are limited to setting their fight orderKing of Fightersstyle, as opposed toPJ’s big multi-person team attacks or the tag actionin theMarvelgames. Yet its gameplay is broader than its predecessor, as it lets players set their own Ratios for their favorite characters, instead of having to jigsaw them together like inCvS1.
It also gave them six grooves to work with, from K-Groove’sSamurai Shodown-like Rage Gauge to theSFA3-inspired custom combos of A-Groove. With a larger roster of fan favorites and multiple bosses to work with, it’s no wonder it’s the first game players of all stripes will be going for. Just be sure to go to its settings and set it to Standard mode first, as EO mode gets rid of some of its advanced tactics like roll canceling. That might not mean much to newer players, but it’ll make a world of difference if they really get into the game.
