Gaming Target - Xbox: Capcom Vs. SNK 2: EO

Written by Tim McGrew on February 10, 2003

First Impressions: One of the best 2D fighters comes to the Xbox armed with the competition of the world.

Capcom is known throughout the world as the pioneer of fighting games with releases from the incredibly strange in the form of Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure, to the super natural with Vampire Hunter (Darkstalkers in the US), to the bizarre and quirky Rival Schools, and finally to the original and technically renowned, Street Fighter. The Street Fighter series in general is the pinnacle of refined gameplay and depth, and to put it bluntly, there is no fighting game more recognized across the world than Street Fighter II. Tournaments are held regularly with its many recognized forms which total well over twenty games in a number of different styles; teaming up with Marvel characters, appearing in 3D, fighting against SNK characters and, of course, continuing its own franchise right through the now current fan favorite featuring solely Street Fighter characters, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike on the discontinued Sega Dreamcast and the recently released Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper on the Gameboy Advance. Suffice it to say, the series has had its ups and downs, but with each version, the series continually grows and expands into the absolutely gigantic franchise that it is today.

Now, with their main 2D competitor, SNK, now teamed with them, Capcom has decided to bring their famed fighting franchise into a whole new realm where players can compete from their homes with the greats around the world. No longer will borders, boundaries, oceans or even elusive tournaments keep competitors from the sheer exhilaration that comes solely from the experience and anticipation of a forthcoming match, for Microsoft and Capcom are here to provide players not only a well balanced and excellent fighting game in the form of Capcom Vs SNK 2 EO, but they are also providing players with the ability to compete with others from around the world, online with the Microsoft's Xbox and the Microsoft Live! Service. It's a 2D fighting fans wet dream and it's now a reality that will surely please any and all 2D fighting fans.

To start things off, Capcom Vs SNK 2 EO (CvsS2) is your basic tournament setup combining the greats of the SNK King of Fighters series with various Capcom characters from Rival Schools, Street Fighter, and Vampire Hunter. With that in mind, the cast of characters is enormous, with two unlockable characters and several gameplay features that, despite their relatively different fighting styles, will surely satisfy SNK and Capcom fighting fans alike

For starters, the main gameplay feature lays in the Groove system that is far deeper than the previous system in the original Capcom Vs SNK on the Dreamcast. To begin with, players are to pick a specific groove for their forthcoming character selection of which there are six in all, labeled as CAP for Capcom and SNK forЕ as you may have guessed, SNK, which mimic certain feature sets from games both made by the SNK camp and by the Capcom camp. The УCФ Groove for example mimics the feature sets found in Street Fighter Alpha where players will have a segmented super meter, the ability to perform evasive rolls and a number of different super moves, while the УSФ Groove will allow players to charge their super meter by holding a punch and a kick button simultaneously, and also perform unlimited level 1 supers when their energy falls into the red, as well as evasively dodge attacks. Each Groove is invariably and incredibly powerful depending on your style of fighting. If you enjoy parrying attacks like in Street Fighter III, then you may want to select the УPФ Groove, but if you enjoy the Samurai Spirits (Samurai Showdown in the US) style of raising your super meter, then УKФ Groove is just for you. There are weaknesses and strengths with each groove and picking the one that is just right for you is a case of trial and error, but with these six grooves and this massive cast of characters, the depth of the game is obvious right from the onset of the character select screen.

Aside from the game's apparent depth and numerous modes, the chief proponent of this particular release of CvsS2 is the online addition. Players will be able to select a specific rule set, be it the EO style, where players press the right analog stick in a specific direction to perform special maneuvers with a single tap, or the arcade standard format that most Street Fighter players are familiar with today. After that, it's a case of finding an opponent to challenge, and from there you embark on a journey that takes your characters and your fighting style right into the living room of your opponents, where you can dish out the pain in a number of ways inherent from the greats such as Ryu, Terry, Ken, Kyo, Iori, Chun-Li, and many others. The gameplay, as reported from the latest preview build of the game, is lag free over the Xbox network, making each frame of animation just as crucial as they are in a tournament. This feature alone makes owning the game, an Xbox, and Xbox Live! worth every penny in this faithful 2D gamer's opinion, and it's definitely something that you won't want to miss.

Graphically, the game supports high definition TV's, and the effect on the 3D backgrounds are fantastic. But unlike the high resolution artwork of Guilty Gear X2, the Capcom and SNK character art is hardly anything to relish since characters look pixilated and stiff. However, the amount of animation present in the game is absolutely amazing and even surpasses Guilty Gear X2 for the Playstation 2 in that regard, and the fact that the game downloads to the hard drive completely eliminates load times with the exception of a brief connection time for online games, which is entirely acceptable. Certain combinations of characters also have special entrances at the start of rounds that will please fans, such as Ken throwing Terry his hat and Ryu and Kyo sharing a few choice words before the upcoming battle. Though the entrances are mainly exclusive to the first round, they are still interesting to see regardless.

The music isn't anything special and actually doesn't remix any of the excellent tunes from older Street Fighter games, but it fits the game for what it's worth. Hopefully the game will allow for players to change up the music with their own soundtracks, but that's questionable at this point. At any rate, the sound effects are standard SNK and Capcom fare, with the same grunts, yells, and sayings that we have come to expect from each respected series.