Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001

"Kick Ass Fighter"

I've never played the Capcom vs SNK, but if it's as good as it's sequel, I'm getting it for sure!

Graphics - 8/10
Not the best graphics for the PS2, but what do you expect from a 2D fighter? Some of the backgrounds are really well done and so are most of the character sprites. The characters look kind of bad against the background, but some really look horrible. Blanka instantly comes to mind, but then again, he's always looked bad...

Audio - 10/10
The sounds and music are great! Everything from the opening/finishing taunts to the background music, everything's awesome. Though the music isn't a big deal in most fighters, it does create a bit of the atmosphere, if not for the fighters then for the spectators. The sounds are where Capcom's really shown what it can do. Everything is nice and crisp. You can even hear Nakoruru's hawk beat it's wings! I especially like the ''SHINKUU...HADOUKEN!''.

Story - 5/10
This is where most fighters loose the points, but story isn't really that important in this genre of games any way. From what I can tell, all you do is fight against other people to become the champion, nothing to get too excited about.

Gameplay - 10/10
The gameplay is awesome. Simply awesome. Everything's here! Capcom's made it so that there's something for everyone. How? With the groove system! There are 6 different grooves to choose from, each will completely change the game from using a different one. Try mastering the C groove and suddenly switching to the S or K groove, it's a huge difference. The ratio system's a great addition too, you can choose to have three fighters, with one slightly more powerful than the other two, two fighters of equal strength, or you can just have one uber-character. The only thing that's missing is the tag function, but that would make the game lose it's feel, turning into some kind of X-Men vs Street Fighter clone...

Replay Value - 10/10
I could play this game for hours on end. I don't even know why I'm reviewing when I could be playing! There's plenty to keep you interested. There are 44 characters, why not try mastering another? Try your hand at the survival mode, where the goal is to defeat as many opponents until you yourself are defeated. Bored with the color of your character? Change it! Watch the match that you humiliated your brother in over and over with the replay mode! Sure, it takes less than half an hour to beat the story mode, but go on and mess around with the rest of the game! If anything, invite your friends over and duke it out!

Final Comments
This is a must buy for the PS2. The graphics could use a bit of tweaking, but otherwise it's a perfect game. Invite some friends, have a party, waste them all with your kick ass skills!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/11/01, Updated 11/11/01