Review | Capcom Fighting Collection 2 - Counting To Two

The Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is the third in a series of excellent collections Capcom has put together, breathing new life into some of its older games with rollback netcode. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 continues this trend with eight more games that have been either widely unavailable on modern consoles or never received anything outside of their initial releases. The collection is also exciting as it is the first official cataloguing of some of the company's beloved 3D NAOMI-based fighters. While some of these games are less well put together than others, that doesn’t detract from the fact that this may be the first time some players of the younger generation can experience them. This is also great news for collectors looking for Project Justice at a much more reasonable price point and hopefully points towards more preservation efforts by Capcom.

In addition to the games themselves, there are hundreds of pieces of art and design docs in the gallery for Capcom Fighting Collection 2 to feast your eyes on. Most excitingly, Capcom has added musical updates to some of the games in this collection, with “Ver.2K25” or “nostalgia remix” options to choose from in addition to the games’ original soundtracks. CAP-JAMS, the Capcom sound team’s official internal band, has been actively adding awesome music to this collection as well as Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics. Even the most stubborn listener may want to try listening to “This is True Love Makin’ — Ver.2K25” over the iconic original London stage theme.

If you really want to turn the CRT-based nostalgia on, there are some different filters, wallpapers, and aspect ratios to play with. One thing this collection doesn’t hold back on is options to tinker with: latency toggles, in-game settings, visuals, and music all can be rejiggered to your liking. Capcom has even implemented easy special move settings for both specific moves and in general.

While there are not many negatives about the collection, it is important to note the included games are the arcade releases. While I’ve gone into greater detail below about things you may remember as part of the home console release for each game, essentially, many modes and extras (including characters!) aren’t included here. For better or worse, this is a collection of arcade releases and, in some cases, that leaves a lot less to do if you’re not interested in going head-to-head with friends or grinding ranked online. On PC, I had trouble trying to take screenshots of the game, but I imagine most who want to take pictures or videos of their unbelievable combos and epic victories will have streaming software at the ready anyway.

Additionally, this collection, like the ones before, does not feature crossplay. Sony has been quite adamant about getting its cut when it comes to crossplay efforts, and at a price point of $40, Capcom seems to have chosen not to integrate the feature into these collections, which may affect the playerbase. What this ultimately means is players will have to be very careful in which platform they choose, as the Fighting Collection 2 is available on Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One. Traditionally, PlayStation’s fighting game playerbase is the largest, but with Switch 2’s recent launch, it is hard to say which is the best option. Even still, many look to PC as the platform of choice for its customisability and lower input delay.

One last note before discussing each individual game: these are arcade games, and older fighting games at that. There has been an increasing drive in recent history to make fighting games easier, and much of that is welcome in terms of quality of life. Capcom did have the foresight to offer one-button specials in this collection, similar to the Modern mode in Street Fighter 6 or Super Smash Bros.’ control scheme. Not only that, but you have access to one-button Super Combos as well, and can also assign specific supers to a button. So if you’re having trouble pulling off Geese’s Deadly Rave in CvS 2, just assign it to a button!

With arcade games also comes arcade difficulty. Though I’ve already mentioned the possible execution barrier you may have with older fighting games, arcade CPU opponents are all too happy to read your inputs (i.e. cheat), so don’t hesitate to turn the difficulty down if necessary. There are also other things that aren’t seen in fighting games anymore such as certain Super Combos that you should avoid using or need to be used in a very specific way, characters that are very unbalanced, and having no input buffer or leniency for Super Combos or special moves. Essentially, these games are much harder, though to my surprise some of the entries in this collection are perfectly playable with the knowledge of how to do 236/214, 623, and 41236 inputs. Also, with older games come bugs. In particular, it seems many are discovering bugs in Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper. It is hard to say if Capcom will address these, as in many cases they were in the older releases as well, but it has addressed some foibles and minor aches in the earlier Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics recently.

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein

It’s no Masters of Teräs Käsi

It’s no secret that the game before Plasma Sword — Star Gladiator - Episode 1: Final Crusade — was supposed to be a Star Wars game, which representatives on the George Lucas side of the equation weren’t interested in. This was most likely because LucasArts was to release Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi in the following year, which I’m sure has an audience, but did not have the bonafide Capcom fighting game team behind it. Teräs Käsi remains a memory frozen in carbonite, and, mysteriously, the Star Gladiator series also disappeared. While I don’t know what that reason was entirely, it wasn’t due to any flaws on the part of the franchise. In going back to Plasma Sword, I was a bit astonished by the quality of the game, and feel like Hayato being relegated to a cameo or crossover character in other Capcom releases does his legacy a disservice.

Plasma Sword looks great on first boot up, with striking key art from Bengus as well as clean visuals that communicate exactly what a character is and what weapon they’re using. It is also worth mentioning how well stages and backgrounds are implemented — it’s clear Capcom learned from at-the-time rival series Tekken to implement stages that transition without interfering with gameplay or clouding visuals. 

Plasma Sword, as the name implies, is a weapon fighter. From the eponymous Plasma Sword (yes, it’s a Lightsaber!) to giant hammers, energy scythes, claws, magic staves, and chainsaw-swords, there are plenty of armaments that fall on the side of futuristic or magical. But what is weapon variety and good graphics without gameplay to go with it? As an older game, Plasma Sword definitely has some unorthodox inputs, but as someone who regularly plays modern fighting games, I found myself right at home with 236/214, 623, and 41236 inputs. I have a feeling sticking with Hadouken, Shoryuken, and half-circle movements for the most part was part of Capcom’s plan to make sure potential Star Wars fans felt at home, and we can even see that reflected today in this very collection’s one-button special system and the Modern option in Street Fighter 6. Character movesets are exciting, with bombastic grabs like Ghost Bilstein “Force” crumpling an opponent; Luca summoning flames, meteors and poison to deal with her enemies; and Eagle’s aerial assaults with his signature Izuna Drop grab. Most moves in this game only require basic fighting game knowledge with combos consisting of one or two buttons in a four-button sequence. It’s fun for beginners, and with much of the execution barrier out of the way, I feel like Plasma Sword will be a real “dark horse” in this collection in terms of what to play. 

For Plasma Sword, Star Gladiator’s Plasma Combo System was discarded in favour of the Plasma Gauge, which can be charged for up to three levels. The Plasma Gauge can be used offensively through the Plasma Field mechanic, which in the modern day fighting game community would probably be considered an “install”. If you’re successful in hitting the enemy with your Plasma Field, your enemy’s use of Plasma Gauge is disallowed and the arena shrinks to a smaller box. That’s not all, however: a successful Plasma Field activation allows that player to engage in a character specific skill, such as freezing the opponent on hit, stopping time, turning huge, or having unlimited Plasma Strikes (Supers). While this may sound unstoppable, the Plasma Field ability must initially hit, and the opposing player can spend half a Plasma Gauge level to use a defensive ability like Plasma Reflect or Plasma Revenge, so it isn’t without risk.

In this release, Kaede and Rai-on are unlocked from the start. A few things from Star Gladiator are missing from its sequel, though: the characters Rimgal and Kappah aren’t included, and ring outs are eliminated from gameplay. Though Plasma Sword does not have a huge roster, nearly every character has a clone. This can change their moveset, and the story treats each clone as a different character. Speaking of story, this was another piece of Plasma Sword that was a pleasant surprise. Even with the limitations of the hardware at the time, characters make interesting decisions, and especially in their rival battles, deal with relatable struggles. As an example, Luca grapples with the fact that she’s an artificial life form and has no innate concept of valuing life. Not all these stories end happily, but they end just the same, which is more than can be said even for some of Plasma Sword’s modern counterparts.

As you can probably tell from what I’ve written so far, I was not only impressed by Plasma Sword, I enjoyed my time with it greatly. While this is a collection, at a different price point and if it were available solo, I would recommend the game just as easily. A more important note on Plasma Sword and the current state of fighting games is there are actually no “weapon fighters” on the market right now, save the Switch 2’s Nintendo Classics version of Soul Calibur II, which is available via the company’s online subscription service. With the popularity of Soul Calibur II as part of Nintendo Switch GameCube Classics, Capcom should think long and hard about unretiring this series. 

VERDICT: Recommended

Power Stone

Neapolitan Stone Serving

Power Stone is a one-on-one fighting game, but even that isn’t entirely true. While the sequel, Power Stone 2, deviates completely into “party game” territory, Power Stone sits somewhere in between a traditional fighting game, an arena fighter, and a platform fighter. The delineation may be clear in our eyes today, but when this game was originally released Super Smash Bros. was only a month old. 

In the game, you pick from a group of ten characters and take on nine fights in hopes of claiming the eponymous Power Stone. While doing this, you’ll square off against a colourful cast of characters that you’ll be able to identify at a glance: the adventuring British airman, the young and playful kunoichi, the somehow-obligatory serial killer, et cetera. Each of these characters may share an overall moveset, such as having a dive kick and grabs, but their speed, combos, and Power Change forms differ. While there is no block or dodge button, you can actually avoid damage completely by pressing no other buttons and swaying the control stick — an interesting mechanic that’s never really been followed up on beyond this game’s sequel. There is quite a bit of strategy to this fighter: I’ve mentioned dodging, but you must also learn how to manoeuvre when an opponent has collected three Power Stones and transformed, avoid hazards throughout the stages, use movement opportunities, and determine whether the risk of collecting a Power Stone is worth letting your foe gather their senses and possibly a rocket launcher. For instance, if you know your opponent is going to hurl a box at you, you can catch it and send it back their way. There is a great amount of play and counterplay which gives this game more depth than at first glance.

In this release, Valgas and Kraken are automatically unlocked from the get-go. It is also important to remember this is the arcade version, so there’s no playable Final Valgas as in the Dreamcast and PSP versions. On the negative side of things, the arcade version becomes notoriously hard, so don’t be afraid to tone down the difficulty, especially for the final boss, Valgas. The game gives him such an unfair advantage in collecting Power Stones, I’m surprised it didn’t just start the round with him as Power Change Valgas. It is also worth mentioning that, unlike the modern gaming landscape, the boss characters actually do have an unfair advantage over other characters, though on the other hand you may discover “regular” characters possess certain aspects that may even outshine the bosses with enough hard work! Power Stone also includes actual character endings, though don’t expect to come away from them with anything profound. Gunrock uses the extremely powerful wish-granting stone to cheat at cards with a Five-of-a-Kind all of the same suit and colour — I get the point and the humour, but that’s an impossible hand and he’d run out of suckers to play with very quickly. Ayame’s ending breaks the fourth wall, Jack uses his to somehow lull the public into belief he’s no longer at large (despite not changing his very distinct and strange appearance), and Rouge is unnecessarily sexualised in her ending. In particular, it’s a shame about Rouge, as I feel I’d love to see this character come back in one form or another.

VERDICT: Recommended

Power Stone 2

Unenthusiastic “Oh no!”

Sometimes, games receive sequels which are better in every way, like Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (a.k.a. CvS 2, which is in this collection) or Street Fighter II. Sometimes sequels are the result of needing to follow up the first game, but for whatever reason, the magic just isn’t there. Power Stone 2 is somewhere in between these two types. It amps the “party game” essence of Power Stone to the max. Instead of featuring a duel between two fighters, it is now a wild romp of four players, or five if you count the stage and its hazards. The four players fight to be the last or second-to-last person standing. While stages had their hazards and ways to navigate them in general in Power Stone, the combination of increased player count and hazards means that Power Stone 2 just has far too much going on. I found myself constantly being stunlocked, and that often left me in an unwinnable position as a solo player. There is still the “sway” mechanic from the first game, and if you happen to be on a team, there are co-op attacks and the C.P.R. (Critical Partner Revival) system to give an unlucky or less-skilled player part of your vitality and a second chance. 

In this version of the game, Mel and Pride are unlocked from the start, and you have the ability to swap between the original soundscape or Ver.2K25. It is important to note this is another arcade version, so additions from the various versions like the PSP Collection or the Dreamcast version aren’t present. While you may not think this amounts to much, it means the secret shop run by Mel is completely absent, and a number of unlockables from later versions aren’t present, such as Valgas and Kraken, would-be returning characters from the first game. Additionally, the combo system from the first game has been changed, and the kick button, which provided each character with a dive kick, no longer exists. There is a much wider variety of items in this game, but with all the chaos, any item you pick up can quickly become a liability, like the thumbtack which you can step on or a bomb that you don’t have time to throw because you’re running from a giant boulder.

While I don’t think Power Stone 2 is a bad game, I feel like something was lost between the first and second games. I have no problem admitting party games aren’t for me, and really, if your playgroup needs a Smash Bros.-like game to toss into the mix, Power Stone 2 is a great option. Just be aware of the drawbacks in particular for this version of the game, as you may want to seek out a different way to play Power Stone 2 that has an item shop or lets you have a head-to-head duel with a friend. 

VERDICT: Recommended for Friend Groups, Not Solo Players

Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro

Are you not entertained?

Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro (CvS) isn’t talked about much, and after cracking open this collection, I can see why. The combination of a soulless, robotic announcer and a harsh-sounding final round theme, as well as actual slowdown on some stages, does not make for a great experience. The major addition to the Pro version of the game is two “joke characters” from Capcom and SNK. While I do think there is merit to the first CvS, the much better CvS 2 released only a year later with much more to its name and to its pedigree.

The first issue this game runs into is that while it may be titled “Capcom vs. SNK”, in actuality, it’s more accurate to say it’s “Street Fighter vs. King of Fighters”. The “Pro” part of CvS is mainly the addition of Dan Hibiki for Capcom and Joe Higashi for SNK, who are regularly considered joke characters. Dan, who is known for having Taunts, Taunt Super Combos, and Taunt cancels, is a fun inclusion for the history of his creation as a parody of SNK’s characters. Meanwhile, Joe is fond of mooning his opponents, among other eccentricities. To be honest, I’m not sure these two are characters that should headline an entirely new version of a game. Though this release features some updates to sprites and some balance changes, damningly, slowdown on certain stages is still present in the game. A fighting game player can tolerate many things, but gameplay is king, so slowdown of any sort is unacceptable. The ratio system somehow manages to take a much requested series of dream matches and make them much less exciting, because each character has a rating of one through four that determines potential pair-ups, and it cannot be changed. If you were looking to see if Dictator (M. Bison) and Guile could go toe to toe with Orochi Iori and Rugal, you can’t because those characters combine for more than four points’ worth of ratio. There is a pair match setting, but the game isn’t balanced around that. Why people so quickly moved on from CvS isn’t surprising, considering all of the above.

There is definitely still reason to come to the original CvS, as some of the jazzy and moody tracks CvS 2 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 are known for are present, like Satoshi Ise’s “Stage of Ayutaya Iseki — Stage of S.F.2 Ryu remix” and “Stage of Nakoruru — Silent Hill”. Unfortunately, even if you opt into hearing these themes as part of the collection’s option to choose “Original” or “Nostalgia Remix”, if you happen to get to a final round because both players have won a round, the music defaults back to the robotic and grating “final round” music, which seems like an oversight, as it negates the point of having the ability to choose a “Nostalgia Remix” version of the soundtrack. 

Though the roster is small and centred around Street Fighter and King of Fighters, there are actually two versions of most characters: Normal and Extra. Normal Capcom characters usually were their most modern incarnation (at the time) from Street Fighter Alpha, and Extra would be the nostalgic Street Fighter II version of that character. With SNK it is a bit harder to parse because the characters are from a number of different series such as Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and King of Fighters. Kim’s Normal version plays like he does in Fatal Fury, but Extra Kim is more similar to his King of Fighters incarnation. On the other hand, Extra Yuri pulls from her Art of Fighting appearances, and Normal Yuri represents her KOF form.

CvS contains a lot of game, but the question is, is it worth dealing with numerous issues which form a quite unappetizing package, especially with CvS 2 available? I definitely think someone who is really into fighting games, or wants a nice “mystery” game to throw on for a less serious tournament or a night with friends can find a lot of enjoyment in this game and the nuances it has. Everyone else should probably just move on to CvS 2 after spending a bit of time with this game, though.

VERDICT: Not Recommended

Project Justice

And you thought the bullies in your school were bad!

Project Justice, the sequel to Rival Schools: United by Fate, is a game often talked about, but 25 years later, many players of this collection will be experiencing it for the first time. Both games in this series are also victims of their ambitious reach. In Rival Schools, the dating simulator content never made it to the West. Project Justice was similar, with the board game side content that helped you build up your custom characters not reaching an audience outside Japan, either. It is important to note that because this is the arcade version, the aforementioned content is also missing from this release.

 In this collection, Kyosuke's Aerial Float is disabled in ranked matches, but can be changed to trigger in certain circumstances. Premade edit characters can be used, but edit characters cannot be created in-game like in the Dreamcast version. Project Justice can be played with the Original Sound or Ver.2K25, the latter of which felt like a needed upgrade for me to enjoy the music. This sequel also loses a couple characters: Raizo Imawano and most bizarrely Sakura Kasugano of Street Fighter fame.

 As a sequel, Project Justice ratchets things up from Rival Schools in a number of ways. Instead of teams of two, there are teams of three. The Vigor Meter was reduced from nine bars to five bars total, which you will need all of to activate the game’s added Party-Up cooperative techniques. Party-Ups are based on what school the character initiating the attack is from, and have all three of your teammates work together to deliver a devastating blow to the enemy. Party-Ups are all or nothing, and if you whiff, or get Tardy Countered, you'll be left wide open and with no meter as a result.

Party-Ups aren't the only thing you can do with your Vigor meter, as, like in the first game, you can perform Team-Ups for two bars of meter, which can do everything from hitting your opponent for massive damage, to allowing your other character to have an impromptu strategy meeting in the middle of the battle that restores your health and Vigor meter, to providing you with a musical serenade that gives you maximum Vigor. Much like Party-Ups, Team-Ups are risky, not just because you put yourself in a disadvantageous position if one misses, but also because a defending player can toss out their own Team-Up in response for one bar of Vigor, with the tertiary characters squaring up to see who can land the first hit to either thwart the initial Team-Up or ensure it goes as planned. 

In a welcome twist compared to some of the games in this collection, Project Justice has a story mode in which you can choose one of seven teams to play through the campaign. One year after Hyo Imawano’s machinations to manipulate students and teachers throughout Japan to serve under him and only him, the schools have moved on — or so they thought. Whether Hyo is up to his old tricks, or another ambitious force is up to no good, strange and violent behaviour returns to Japan’s schools, prompting many students to investigate. Friendships form, betrayal makes itself apparent, and there’s even a marriage proposal. The story is told through beautiful comic art panels illustrated by Capcom artist Edayan. Learning more about each of the teams and their characters was a fun experience, even if some subject matter would’ve probably been avoided in today’s world. I also wish some of Capcom’s black characters didn’t have to be hulking, almost grotesque brutes, though interestingly enough Boman is training to become a preacher and dislikes violence.

Personality isn’t only shown through the story mode, as Project Justice is full of it. Characters are surprisingly expressive for a game from 2000, when I would expect them to have a static face or maybe a “pained” animation when hit. While many anime look to a school setting to house their stories, Capcom takes these school archetypes and asks the question, “What if a swimmer had to fight?” Although much of the movesets are bizarre, like having characters toss nearly a half dozen shoes off their feet, attempt to give other characters CPR and hurting them in the process as a “grab”, or a super move (Burning Vigor attack) being a gym teacher “motivating” a student to do push-ups, it ultimately creates a very memorable and distinct set of characters that Capcom should really revisit even beyond this collection. Akira made her way to Street Fighter V, after all. 

As for gameplay, I feel a bit more conflicted about Project Justice. While there are plenty of mechanics like side-stepping, super jumping, Tardy Counter, throwing and leg-throwing, and ways to use your Vigor Meter, you will probably end up practising quite a bit to make sense of it all. As shown by the game’s over-the-top aggressive CPU opponents, there is very little to be cautious about if your opponent isn’t playing it safe. Throws beat most everything, including the powerful Team-Ups and Party-Ups. Team-Ups and Party-Ups are very risky if not done at the appropriate time, which feels a bit punishing, as calling an assist in another game like Dragon Ball FighterZ or the Marvel vs. Capcom series is a huge part of what makes those games interesting. Tardy Counters, which activate by doing a special move exactly when your opponent attacks and negates their move, can even topple Party-Ups, which as a reminder, a player is spending all their resources for. Countering a Team-Up with a Team-Up is almost a flip of a coin, and I think if the mechanic were implemented today it would be much different. All these things add up to the old adage “the best defense is a good offense” because while a well timed side step is great, simply getting a lucky Tardy Counter can completely flip the match in your favour. 

Speaking of CPU opponents, even at the lowest difficulty, I found myself struggling. I would definitely recommend turning the difficulty down. Additionally, I had a hard time trying to pull off supers, which is to be expected of older fighting games. Whether it’s due to stringent timing, strict motion requirements, or some sort of different combo flow (doing a combo in Mortal Kombat feels much different than doing one in King of Fighters), I’ll leave it up to the fighting game sages to decide, but it’s worth pointing out. This game doesn’t exactly have “magic series” combos, as in some fighters, so you may need to experiment a bit to truly understand how to deal damage. The balance also feels all over the place, with some characters feeling much worse and less capable to play in Project Justice than others. This may just be a result of being an older release, as things are not going to be as “plug and play” as they would in a modern game. Even still, it did not feel great playing as Natsu, a tall volleyball player, and seemingly being unable to hit Momo, a much shorter character, at all.

Project Justice is a really interesting game and contains something many modern fighting games are missing: personality and humour. It’s clear this game was a labour of love with the expressions, silly movesets, and interesting interpretations of what a “school fighter” is. I just wish the sharp comic book presentation and fun character movesets were matched with a gameplay system that was a bit more refined. I still think, like some of the other games in this collection, this would be a game worth revisiting, especially since even with this release there has never been a content-complete version of a Rival Schools game published outside of Japan.

VERDICT: Your Mileage May Vary

Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper

Not MAX, not Original Arcade

Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper is interesting because it’s not the original arcade release, and it’s not Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX. This is an important distinction to make because these versions differ greatly. The original Street Fighter Alpha 3 had a number of gameplay standards which were changed in terms of balance: concessions for online play, removal of crouch cancels, reduced V-ism damage, and other general balance changes made Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper almost feel like an entirely different game at the time. On the other hand, Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX, a PSP-only release, is the one to grab if you’re the type of person who wants everything: the widest roster (including Ingrid, Capcom’s unofficial “failed crossover mascot” character) and a ridiculous amount of modes. While it’s great to have another arcade conversion for preservation’s sake, there are even some who prefer Street Fighter Alpha 2 as the golden standard, so it’s worth considering the differences. 

The collection’s version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper does have an option to enable crouch cancelling to harken back to the earlier versions of the game. Additionally, Shin Akuma and Final M. Bison (Dictator) are also playable from the start without the need to unlock them. I-ism is unavailable as an Ism that was only present in the Dreamcast and PSP versions, and not the arcade.

Instead of Street Fighter Alpha 2’s Manual and Auto modes, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper has A-ism (Z-ism in Japan), X-ism, and V-ism. A-ism is based on previous Alpha games with a three-gauge super and multiple Super Combos (and Super Combo strengths) as well as some other differentiators. X-ism, a callback to Street Fighter II, gives players a single powerful Super Combo and high attack, but lacks air blocking and Alpha Counters. V-ism is similar to Street Fighter Alpha 2’s ability to do custom combos, but this does come at the cost of Super Combos. These three Isms also affect character movesets, so even with what I’ve described, it isn’t a simple choice and can even cause two players to play the same character differently. 

As an older game, modern quality of life features aren’t present, so you may be testing your mettle with both inputs and properly pulling off combos. One of the benefits of the Fighting Collection 2 is the ability to do one-button specials and Super Combos, which I do recommend as these settings allow you to adjust to meet the brutal standard Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper presents. This isn’t helped by the button-reading CPU, which even at default difficulty, is happy to take advantage of any opening you leave, even if it does so by reading your inputs. Luckily, you are able to turn the difficulty down through the collection’s overall settings. 

Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper is interesting in terms of making a recommendation. At the absolute highest level, this version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 was not liked at the time, up to the point of some preferring Street Fighter Alpha 2. On the casual side, the PSP version does its best imitation of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a huge roster and lots of ways to spend your time in different gameplay modes. I’m glad Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper is being preserved, but I’m not sure who exactly it’s for. Who knows — maybe with a rekindled interest in the game, some opinions of it from the past may change, and it may make its way to the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) one day. 

VERDICT: Your Mileage May Vary

Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001

What more can be said?

If you had to pick one game in this collection, it should be Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (CvS 2). This game’s earworm of a London Stage theme isn’t just remembered because it’s infectious, but because of how CvS 2 left such an impression. Many games claim to be a “forever game”, but CvS 2, in many ways, actually could be, with crisp online play available in Fighting Collection 2. Even before the game was considered something special, a legendary story unfolded which is almost guaranteed not to ever happen again in the Fighting Game Community or in gaming, period. All it took was one patient game tester to “save it for nationals” with a roll cancel glitch, winning Super Battle Opera and blowing everyone’s minds in the process. This glitch went on to bring new life to characters which were thought to be low-tier, though it was patched out eventually.

I don’t simply bring this up to convince you of CvS 2’s worth as a fighting game, but also its impact in the annals of fighting game history. It is great that Capcom and SNK were able to come together and bring back this legendary game, as it absolutely deserves it. While the original CvS was more of a proof of concept, many of the games and ideas that came before CvS 2 even in this very collection, like Street Fighter Alpha 3, contributed the framework for things like the Groove System. And though CvS may have been considered “Street Fighter vs King of Fighters”, CvS 2 definitely embraces the idea of Capcom’s characters versus SNK’s characters.

On the Capcom side, Street Fighter II representation is to be expected with characters like Sagat, Ken, and Guile, but there’s welcome surprises like Kyosuke from the Rival Schools games, Eagle who was an NPC from the original Street Fighter, Morrigan of Darkstalkers fame, and the much-beloved Maki from Final Fight 2 rounding out the roster. SNK’s side may be considered to be even further reaching with Athena, Chang (with Choi because duh), Haohmaru, Hibiki, Rock Howard, and Ryuhaku Todoh all hailing from different franchises from the studio. I always think a good roster consists of those who are mandatory, but some who you wouldn’t expect or haven’t seen in quite a while, and CvS 2 definitely delivers on that front. 

Another difference between CvS and CvS 2 is that characters are no longer stymied by the Ratio system. If you’ve ever played Skullgirls, the system in CvS 2 is probably what it was in part inspired by. A player can select up to three combatants and choose to give each of them a Ratio between 1 and 4, with 4 having the most health and damage. CvS 2 also discards the King of Fighters-esque four button system with two strengths of each button for the six button Street Fighter format.

The next system, which is the biggest and most innovative, is the Groove System. While you choose your ratio and characters, you also have to choose a Groove to play in. There are six Grooves: C-Groove, A-Groove, P-Groove, S-Groove,- N-Groove, and K-Groove. Each plays wildly differently, and while other games in this collection made attempts to take a character like Ryu and have different “modes” (Isms, Normal/Extra), Capcom really seems to have figured it out with CvS 2. Each Groove even has multiple Groove subsystems within it, begging for experimentation and providing the ability for players to express themselves.

There is plenty of literature and media on the Groove System, and likely more to come with the release of Capcom Fighting Collection 2, but choosing from C.A.P.S.N.K. is important enough to cover. C-Groove is most similar to A-ism from Street Fighter Alpha 3, with a three-level Super Combo system and the ability to “cash out” supers and special moves well. A-Groove draws from Street Fighter Alpha 3’s V-ism, with a custom combo system for those who don’t just want to do a combo, but do the best and most damaging combo. P-Groove draws from Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and relies on how well you can parry with only access to a single level three super and without almost any other defensive techniques. S-Groove, as you can imagine, starts the SNK-inspired Grooves, with this one representing The King of Fighters ‘94 with manually charged meter, dodge attacks, and unlimited level one supers at low health. N-Groove represents The King of Fighters ‘98’s Advanced Mode meter — the benefits being the ability to stock meter to activate a damage boost or threaten with a level three Super Combo. Finally, K-Groove looks towards Samurai Shodown and Garou: Mark of the Wolves for a Rage Meter that fills as damage is taken, and Just Defend lets the player access offensive and defensive bonuses when filled. 

Fighting Collection 2 adds Ver.2K25 renditions of CvS 2’s music, but unlike some of the game soundtracks in the collection that might be considered dated, you may prefer the original or even swap between the two. A version select between EO Version Standard and the original arcade version is also available. Much like choosing between mild and flaming hot, this decision may be simple for some and harder for others. EO Version Standard removed invincibility from roll cancelling in some Grooves, made Super Cancel possible with P-Groove, and adjusted some character performances in certain Grooves. Also, in the game Evil Ryu, Orochi Iori, Shin Akuma, and Ultimate Rugal are automatically unlocked, and the collection allows you to choose two or more of the same character on the same team under EX Settings.

As you may have noticed, I’ve talked very little about actually playing CvS 2, and that’s intentional. Even if this weren’t a part of this collection and were just CvS 2 with rollback netcode and some Director’s Cut-esque goodies, it would still be worth it. Whether you want to practice parries in P-Groove to make sure your friends can’t touch you when you spar or just go with K-Groove and put in endless coins to beat the arcade mode, you’ll have fun. The game is still loved competitively, and even if you prefer the original arcade version to take advantage of the roll cancel glitch — that’s in this release, too. And considering Capcom has done the unthinkable and gone back to the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and fixed some areas people had been complaining about, I feel confident in recommending this game and collection.

VERDICT: Recommended

Capcom Fighting Evolution

Opposite of evolution

The most recent game in Capcom Fighting Collection 2, Capcom Fighting Evolution, is a dud. If you remember, many consider the time around this being released the “fighting game dark ages”, and if this is representative of that time, it was a dark age indeed. The game is horribly unbalanced, with each “faction” in the game being restricted (or in Red Earth characters’ cases, having an extreme advantage) to what their home series can do. What Capcom Fighting Evolution does bring to the table is only one new character, Ingrid. The backgrounds are horrendously ugly and barely animated, and in some cases, it has been alleged that art was pulled from previous games. 

I’m not going to say much more about Capcom Fighting Evolution, and most likely, if you were around at the time, you already know why it wasn’t much of an “Evolution”. Admittedly, it is good to have the game preserved in this collection. With Nostalgia Remix music and Pyron and Shin Akuma available, it’s more of a curio than a fighting game you’ll want to practice and compete in. 

I can’t recommend this game to anyone, but there are those with a higher tolerance for jank and kusoge games that may be interested in Capcom Fighting Evolution. Or, if your playgroup likes to troll one another and wants to find the Balan Wonderworld of Capcom fighting releases, this just might be it. And who knows, maybe Ingrid will be in an actual crossover fighting game people want to play one day.

VERDICT: Not Recommended

In Summary

Part of the reason I wanted to do such a thorough dive into Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is because many of these games were formative for me, and there are high expectations tied to bringing almost any of them back. Capcom’s previous two collections were a great way to not only preserve games but introduce them to an audience who may have never got the chance to experience them on current hardware. Between all of the different versions over the years and game collecting as a hobby, making finding some of these games like Project Justice only a dream for some, this is a great purchase. It is also important to note that in many cases, these are the arcade versions, which did not have the bells and whistles of some of the later versions. This collection also does not have crossplay, so that will also be an important decision point for many. 

Capcom has updated some of the previous collections with music and some “classic” options so as not to disturb the “traditional” experience in playing some of these games, which is almost unprecedented. Capcom even sent out a survey asking for feedback after Capcom Fighting Collection 2‘s release, so it’s clear that not only will the “collection” series continue, but that the team will perform maintenance on already released collections, which I imagine could even mean home console versions of certain games like Power Stone 2 becoming available as some sort of DLC (possibly paid) if these collections get enough momentum. This collection, while not perfect, is a surprising and welcome package of games that is lovingly curated. Some may still find it unsatisfactory, and it is a bit strange that a collection does not contain the first entry in the series that half of these games are part of. But overall, this is still a trend the game industry could use more of.

Score: 9/10