SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter's Clash - SNK Version

"SNK and Capcom have outdone themselves again, with this addictive card game."

SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter's Clash is much like the other trading card games out there, except one difference; it's extremely addictive. This, along with quite a few other games, is based between the games made by SNK and Capcom, which include King of Fighters, MegaMan, Darkstalkers, and Samurai Spirits. Considering it's also a card game, many of you will think ''Spin-off of the Pokemon and Magic games.'' Well, those people who think that are actually wrong. This is quite different from those, and although there are other reviews that say this game steals their ideas, it may possibly be the reverse. This is a very strategic card game, like others, although there are many more differences than at first glance.

Gameplay - 7/10
The controls are very easy to use, and you will get used to the structure of the game in a few minutes. Most cards have a unique style, and each may take time to get used to playing, but you will enjoy learning how to perform each ability to its fullest. Shortcuts to specific menus have been made, to make it easier to navigate, such as ''B + Up'' for the status of the characters in the ring, which will help when you're in a hurry to finish a match. Walking around the world is easy, but can become slightly difficult when you only want to change direction, as it forces your character to move. The rules of the card game may sound complicated at first, but once you start playing, it will be very easy to get used to.

Graphics - 8/10
This game makes the best use of the Neo-Geo Pocket Color's 8-bit engine, giving nice, clear images that have no blur. The game's character images are great, and although the human sprites are basic, it isn't expected that an 8-bit game will be able to generate every image beautifully, although the main part look great, which is good enough for anyone. The text is clear, the images for each card are sharp, and the colours are very easy on the eyes. Comparing it to other 8-bit games shows that the graphics for this game have been very well done, and although other games can be too large for good graphics, this one seems to balance the two evenly. Each card is a different character, which means different images, and there are 300 cards in total, which shows how much effort was put into making this game look good for its players.

Sound - 7/10
The music for this is quite good, although not quite as catchy as Tetris music. There are little beeps and clicks in the game, just like all good handheld games, and luckily these aren't extremely annoying like some others that seem to make you want to pull your hair out, or at least turn down the volume.

Play Time/Replay Value - 8/10
Most of your time will be spent playing games and building decks, and considering there are 300 cards in the entire game, you will be making quite a few different decks to find the one you work best with. Each character has their own style of play, which doesn't make the card game boring, and there are also mini-games to play that will keep you occupied if you want some time away from the actual cards. There are two versions of this game (SNK version and Capcom version), and each has special cards to collect and characters to use, which will keep multiplayer link-up active, as long as you have someone else who is willing to trade with you.

Final Thoughts
This game is definitely great, and not only will it take you time to finish, but you will get addicted to it while doing so. As stated before, there are 300 cards in total, and there are quite a few ways to get them. The link-up ability adds to the fun, and there are many secrets/mini-games that will keep you playing when you don't want to play the actual card game itself.

Rent or Buy?
Buy. Definitely. If you like card games, or just love strategy games, then this will be great for you. Even the frustrating moments can have their fun points in this game, so there's not a very high chance of the player's blood pressure rising.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/28/04