DarkStalkers: The Night Warriors

"Mythical monsters a la Street Fighter"

When you sit down and think about, Capcom has more fighting games under their personal label that all the other companies combined. Capcom's dedication to gamers is unparalleled too only but a handful of companies. When first Capcom decided to change the look of their games, they wanted a stylized look that they knew people would associate with only their company. The feel of Japanese anime action and the look of America superhero style were combined to form this new look that Capcom so sought. The first game that implemented this new look was Darkstalkers.

Like all Capcom fighting games, there is really no single story for the game. Rather, it is a collection of individual stories that center on the character you decide to play as. However, if I had to give a brief synopsis of the story, I'd say its about creatures of the night called Darkstalkers. Some of them are good and some are bad. A being (who turns out to be an alien) called Phobos has challenged the Darkstalkers to battle in order to find the best for use in his own personal army. At least, this is what you gather by beating the game with a few different characters. Sometimes, as with all Capcom games, winning doesn't necesary mean you'll find out why that character was fighting in the first place.

Thought Darkstalkers is based off of the Street Fighter II engine, you'd hardly notice. With the advent of a new graphics style, Capcom pushes the limits of their technology to the max to bring you a game full of wonderful animation a fresh colors. Though it all seems a tad dated now compared to the likes of Marvel vs. Capcom and Street Fighter III: Third Strike, it can still hold its own on a system not exactly known for its 2D power. Wait until you see some of the backgrounds. Absolutely beautiful.

I've always loved the sound for the Darkstalkers series. The musical scores stand out most in my mind, with its somewhat haunting tones that underscores the dreariness of the game while still racing your pulse. Some of the sound effects are equally as impressive, though for the most part, they are the standard Capcom assortment. Best of all, if you've seen the Darkstalkers cartoon, you know of the song that accompanies the shows credits (you know, 'Trouble Man'). Well, along with a new intro sequence, you also get the pleasure of hearing that song in its entirety (at least I did when I bought the import version)! Woohoo! All of the in-game songs are tracks on the game disc, so if you find a song you like, just pop it in the CD player and crank up the volume.

As always, Capcom has made the best of a bad situation when it comes to the use of a Playstation controller. Always tight and quick to respond to your input, Darkstalkers shows that it is possible to make a 2D fighter work, and work well, on the Playstation. Despite the sometimes-uncomfortable feel and awkward handling of the PSX controller, Capcom did their best and they cannot be blamed for Sony's faults.

Overall, Darkstalkers is a very well designed game. From the look and feel of each individual stage, to the personalities of the individual characters. My biggest complaint is that at the time of its release, we also had Super Street Fighter II. In Super Street Fighter II, there is a selection of sixteen characters. In the first Darkstalkers game, there are only ten fighters and two bosses! Granted, Capcom did try something new here, but A larger cast still would have been icing on the cake. A very solid game none-the-less.

Something you rarely find in a fighting game, especially that of a Capcom made fighting game, is the lack of extras. Darkstalkers for the PSX has none to speak of. All that you see is all you get. For a while, there was a rumor flying about that you could play as two more characters found in NightWarriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge, but this turned out to be false. Too bad, it would have made the game that much sweeter (while cutting back on the severe lack of character).

Darkstalkers is a really good game if you're a fighting fan. It's a must have if you like the outrageous style of games like X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes. Give it a try, it's a great bargain and a fun game.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 07/05/02