"Is that a fighter in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Being the huge Capcom fan that I am, this is naturally the first game I played upon receiving my new Neo Geo Pocket Color. But with all the advancements made to portable systems (specifically the Gameboy Advance) since SNK's handheld died, how would this mini-fighter compare to the likes of more recent pocket brawlers like Street Fighter Alpha 3?

If you've played any of the Capcom developed Capcom vs SNK games, the story should be familiar to you- M. Bison and Howard Geese have joined forces to conquer the world by using either Orochi Iori or Evil Ryu to destroy anyone who gets in their way. Naturally the good guys from both sides decide to join forces in an effort to stop the diabolical duo's evil plot. Along the way, old rivalries will be revisited and new alliances formed as the game builds towards a rather interesting climax. It may not be the greatest story ever penned, but it's good enough to get Capcom and SNK characters together in one game.

I knew as I played the game that I would struggle a little when it came time to write a paragraph about the graphics. How could I judge the graphics of a game on such a dated system? Well, my objective side says I should judge them based solely on how they compare to other games on the Neo Geo Pocket Color, so that's what I'll do- The characters, though super- deformed, like nice and are easily recognizable. Animation, too, is top-notch, each move accurately represented on the tiny LCD screen. Even the backgrounds are an impressive showing, with many of the more famous stages from both Capcom and SNK games making the cut. The only thing lacking here is color. Though far better than anything offered on the Gameboy Color, the Gameboy Advance has spoiled me too much not to notice. Still very impressive nonetheless.

However, try as I might to be objective throughout the entire review, I just can't ignore the horrible audio I was forced to endure while playing this game. I never thought I'd say this, but the Neo Geo Pocket Color actually made me appreciate the original Gameboy's efforts in this area. Seriously, there were times when I was hard pressed to differentiate between an attack and the background music. And, as you will discover as I write more reviews for this system, this is not an isolated incident. Trust me on this; dial down the volume and enjoy the silence.

And then on the flip side of that, the controls are better than anything found on any version of the Gameboy you care to compare it to. In fact, compared to other 2D fighting games, the controls are nearly as good as the Japanese Saturn controller. Why Nintendo hasn't come up with something similar by now is beyond me, but I know this is the most fun I've had playing a portable fighting game ever. You might be wondering at this point how a mere two buttons can cover the range of moves involved in such a game, and I'll tell you- it's all about timing. Tap the button for a quick attack and hold it for a strong attack. I was able to pull off nearly every combo I had ever used on the bigger console versions here with very little effort.

There is more packed into this tiny little cartridge than you find on most DVD- ROMs. Aside from the standard Story Mode (in which you can choose Single, Tag or Team), Versus Mode and Training Mode, there's also an Olympics Mode wherein you can try out one of seven different mini-games to earn points to unlock things. Basically, you choose a company and then select from one of five mini-games (each side share three mini-games and then has two unique ones). The shared events are Survival (fight an onslaught of 100 opponents), Time Attack (how quickly can you beat 5 opponents) and First Blast (sudden death against 10 opponents). The unique SNK events are Target 9 (a Metal Slug based target game) and Blade Art (use Jubei Yagyu to destroy straw dummies). The unique Capcom events are Ghost Trick (use Arthur to collect treasure) and Cat Walk (a Dance Dance Revolution rip-off starring Felicia). As you can see, SNK went all out when designing this game.

Just when I thought I couldn't love a game any more, they go and give me eight unlockable characters and a secret third super move for each character. As I mentioned above, you can buy the Hidden Super Impact Blasts by using "VS" points earned in either Olympic Mode or Story Mode. The bonus fighters are earned by beating the Story Mode several times, which will randomly reveal pieces of a character portrait. When the full picture is unveiled, you receive that character. And in case you're wondering, the eight new characters are Akuma, Yuri, Akari, B.B. Hood, M. Bison, Geese, Evil Ryu and Orochi Iori.

If you can track this game down and you have any love for fighting games (which you probably do if you own an SNK system), you should buy SNK vs. Capcom: Millennium Match 2001 without hesitation- it is easily the best portable fighter ever made (pre-PSP era naturally) and belongs in any fans collection.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/10/09

Game Release: SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium (US, 11/30/99)