Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001

"A truly awesome fighting game that is yet to be rivaled."

Capcom, one of the most well known and best companies that has been around for years in the field of video gaming, has once again managed to put out an awesome fighting game that satisfies any fan. In this game, Capcom and SNK, the two corporations that has rivaled each other since the early 1990's, has come together again for a second time to bring you Capcom vs. SNK 2. But this time, the sequel makes various improvements in many areas from the first game.

Story - There's not too much of a story revealed. Ken Masters and Robert Garcia use their money to host a huge fighting tournament among fighters from Capcom and SNK to prove who the strongest of the strong is.

Graphics - The graphics are a basically the same from the first game, but the newer characters that are introduced, such as Haohmaru, Hibiki, Kyosuke, Maki, and Yun, just to name a few, look absolutely great. Some of the older characters like Ryu and Kyo still use their re-drawn older sprites from the first game, and look bland compared to the newer characters. Unfortunately, certain characters such as Morrigan are really downgraded, showing that character sprites are still being heavily recycled from past fighting games.

The stages are visually impressive, since they are 3D and they clash in very well with the 2D characters. Stages like New York, Shanghai, and London fit in well, and use nice 3D effects (such as the Double Decker bus in London or the Haohmaru and E. Honda statues in Aomori).

Gameplay - This is where the game really shines, as it shows off its slightly revamped Ratio System, and the six brand new ''Grooves'' you can choose from your character. Each groove represents either Capcom or SNK, and provides certain unique abilities that give some advantages or disadvantages to your character. For example, C groove has a three level super bar, air blocking, and dash. K groove has a rage meter that fills up as you take damage, and once the meter fills up, your character's strength will increase and you'll be able to deal double the usual damage, which can turn the tide in a battle. S groove lets you charge up your super bar and you can also infinitely perform super combos when your life is low. Those are just a few examples of the varied abilities from the grooves. It's fun to find which grooves best fits your level of playing, and the strategy for defeating your opponent.

The control is quick and responsive, and for a fighting game, control is handled extremely well on the PlayStation2. It uses the same traditional 6 button setup as always.

There are a total of 44 fighters to choose from, which is a big increase from Capcom vs. SNK 2's predecessor. Each fighter has a degree of special moves and super moves. If you opt to use the Ratio System, you can choose what level (from 1 to 4) you want your character to be to determine their strength. You can also choose single character or 3 on 3 mode, picking three characters to form a team and fight against your opponents.

There's a few modes you can choose from. Arcade, Versus, Survival, Replay, and a Practice mode. (There was a Network Mode in the Japanese version that let you play against people online, but sadly this feature was removed in the North American release.) There is also a Color Edit mode, where you can change a character's name and create your own color palettes.

Sound - The music is done well, and I love it, especially London's background music. All of the tracks has a jazzy or upbeat feel to that of the first game. However, I wish there could have been more music tracks and more stages to fight in, it would have been even more awesome.

Replay Value - The replay value for Capcom vs. SNK 2 is extremely high. For a fighting game it has enough modes, fighting grooves and styles spanning among 44 characters to keep you playing while you try to master your favorites and become an expert. After awhile, fighting the CPU over and over again does get stale quick, so you might want to challenge a friend in Versus Mode.

To rent or to buy? Silly question isn't it? This is THE latest and best fighting game I ever played, and it definitely blows the first Capcom vs. SNK out of the water in terms of gameplay. Unfortunately, Capcom's 2D fighters are beginning to phase out, so I would definitely recommend this game as a purchase. Since there are barely any fighters for the PS2 other than this and Guilty Gear X, it would your best option to purchase this. I've had the game for months and I still enjoy playing it, so if you are a fan of Capcom or SNK and their past fighting games, then this is a definite buy for you.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/21/02, Updated 07/21/02