Capcom vs. SNK

"Capcom enthusiasts inquire within."

Well, what can I say, this game is another great addition to the never-ending library of Capcom fighters. It integrates what was good from Street Fighter Alpha 3, and the King of Fighters series into one game. At first, I disliked the fact you couldn't switch characters out and in a la the VS. series, but its still a great fighter nonetheless. Also, this game would have benefitted greatly from the traditional six button layout that most Capcom fighters incorporate. New is the introduction of the Groove system, which rids the traditional point system, and adds overall points based on how well you perform in game. Examples being: if you get a ''D'' score, you lose points. C, B, A, and S, your overall GPS score goes up. It adds a little incentive to finish off characters in style, or refrain from using cheap tactics.

Graphics: 9. Although this game suffers from the same dirty 320x240 pixels (a la Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, SF3: Third Strike) imported from previous Capcom fighters, but still turns out fairly well. The backgrounds are well animated, and some of the shadow effects are simply amazing. No major complaints here.

Sound: 8. They did away with the Jazz-influenced music heard in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, and its a great change. I particularly liked the old tracks from older Capcom and SNK games, which brings back a feeling of nostalgia that was a great addition. The actual sound effects are typical Capcom-fare, adequate but nothing spectacular. I noticed that some of the voices were changed over from previous Street Fighter and SNK titles, which wasn't necessarily bad, but I kinda missed Sakura's annoying higher-pitched voice from previous Capcom fighters.

Gameplay: 7. Instead of having the button-mashing greatness that Marvel Vs Capcom 2 was, they went back to its roots, omitting air blocks, alpha/zero counters, custom combos, and 200+ hit combos. Although this is a good thing for many Street Fighter purists, I can't help but feel that this game is somewhat of a step back in the gameplay department over the many Capcom fighters out there that have evolved over the years. But a final note, I saw myself enjoying this game more than Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 due to the fact that all of the fighters seem much more balanced than they were in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.

Value: 9. Plenty of unlockables, which may be the reason why people will continue to play this game over and over to attain all of the 70+ bonuses you can ''purchase'' with your Vs. points.

Overall: 8. I never buy into hype at all. I played this game expecting nothing, and was fairly pleased with how this game turned out. I particularly liked the fact that the characters were worth certain points (Crappy characters are worth 1 pt, average characters are worth 2, boss characters are worth 3 etc.) The groove system also impressed me, as I found myself constantly trying to raise it for more overall points. However, there is quite less to master in this game than some of the more recent Capcom fighters (including the 2-year-old Street Fighter Alpha 3), which may be unappealing to some, but nonetheless, I had much fun playing this game, and will continue to play this game for many months to come.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/07/00, Updated 09/07/00