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

Written by Tim McGrew on February 20, 2003

Full Review: Fighting games finally come to a realm where they truly belong: Online.

With the release of Guilty Gear X2 on the Playstation 2 taking place a couple of weeks ago, it's hard to imagine that a fighting game roughly two years old could possibly top it. In fact, it'd be a miracle if it did and it would take some extra special feature to save it from the relative port fever that Capcom is guilty of on so many other occasions. However, ladies and gentleman, that extra special feature is present and although it doesn't necessarily make the game a better fighter, it does make it an overall extraordinary experience that's unmatched by any fighting game released in the past. That feature, of course, is online play.

Before I get into the heavy intricacies of online play, I might as well dispense with the nitty-gritty that separates Capcom Vs SNK 2 from all the relative bad boys of fighting. First off, the game is roughly two years old and it's already starting to show its age in many different areas. For example, the characters themselves look terribly pixilated on the Xbox console, especially in the high definition 480p modes that are offered up by the game, making the backgrounds look more vivid than ever, but at the same time, ruining any aspect of the characters that looked visually appealing while standing still. It can be assured, however, that the game's visual appeal cannot be realized with a few passive screenshots just over on the right side of this article.

Where the game does visually well is in the animations where characters move almost as fluidly as they do in Street Fighter III: Third Strike for the Sega Dreamcast. It's true that the sprites are weak in comparison to the high-resolution offerings of Guilty Gear X2, but the fluidity and the animation of the characters of Capcom Vs SNK 2 far surpass those of Guilty Gear X2. It's a careful balancing act that is left to personal preference above all else, but admittedly, even though the differences are as apparent as night and day, and left primarily up to player's needs, both games play considerably different, benefiting gamers from all walks of the fighting game spectrum.

In Capcom Vs SNK 2 (CvsS2), players can rest assured that any play style is welcome here where it is overly defensive, high risk and offensive, or just a mix of the two, it's all fair game. There are tactical rolls, dodge maneuvers, recovery moves, throws, counters, custom combos, parrying, short jumps, dashes, tactical runs, air throws, just defense, and of course the ever popular super combos, and those are just complimentary to the already massive array of special maneuvers afforded to each character in the game of which there are well over 30 from the likes of both Capcom and SNK franchises. Suffice it to say, every person you play is going to be different in some way and his or her moves will be just as unique as the last.

To better accommodate the different types of players, a groove system was set up that takes advantage of different play styles from each player. Those who enjoy the SNK fighters may find solace in selecting one of the S, N, or K grooves, and each groove is basically a carbon copy of grooves from different SNK games such as King of Fighters and Samurai Showdown. Some of the moves afforded to the SNK groove select are just defense, dodging, charging your special meter, rolling, short jumps, tactical running, and of course, the popular desperation level one super attacks.

Those who are more antiquated with the Capcom style of fighting will find plenty to use on their end as well, including a choice of one of the three C, A, or P grooves as well as tactical rolling, dashing, parrying, custom combos, and variable super levels that benefit all types of players. Which groove you select depends on what game you are used to in the Street Fighter franchise. Those familiar with the Street Fighter Alpha series will find the C groove and A groove to be ripped straight from the series, while those familiar with Street Fighter III and Super Street Fighter II Turbo will love P groove and its parrying system and one level of super energy. Whatever the case, there's plenty of moves that accommodate any style of fighting.

In addition to these two grooves is the all-new EO-Groove. EO is basically a beginner's form of fighting where moving the right analog stick performs special attacks. A tap upward, for example, performs dragon punches while a tap forward can throw a fireball. Although the groove is fun with someone who is experimenting with the groove as well, it's hardly ideal for online play since most players filter out other players who use the groove since it takes relatively no skill to perform combos and be overly defensive without even using the D-pad to move your character. Your best bet is to simply learn how to perform special moves and ignore the EO groove altogether when you start playing the game.

To give the game a bit more tactical sensibility, the developers went ahead and included a ratio system of power into the game. The ratio system basically works out with the number of characters you wish to select using four points of power. The higher the number of points you allot a character, the stronger they will be and the maximum number of characters you can select are three with the minimum being one. Players can select three characters and the power would be divvied up with two characters using 1 point and the third characters using 2 points. Of course you can allot your points however which way you please, but using all four points to the best of your abilities is the key to winning matches.

With that said, it's time to get down to what really makes the Xbox version stand apart from the GCN and PS2 versions of this game that released long ago, and that is of course, online play. When logging in to play online, the game has an extra option not found in the other two versions, known as Network, that is in the lower right hand corner of the main menu. It takes your Xbox Live! account and signs you in almost immediately to the CvsS2 servers and into a very simplistic black menu lobby of sorts that is broken down into a couple of selections. Players can select to filter who they fight with using a number of options such as Arcade, Console, Beginner, and EO, but on the same token, players can also select a quick match that basically leaves your opponents open to anyone who has an open game, and it's perfect for anyone who just wants to jump in and fight. In addition to that, players can also host their own game with their own set of rules and await challengers to join in.

Once you find a challenger, players will have to accept your invitation to play, which they can decline at any time, but most of the time, players are open to play anyone any time. When the game begins, a short bit of data is sent back and forth between the host and the player and then you're taken to the groove select menu that changes based on the options selected by the host for the match. After picking your groove, the character select screen pops up where it's basically just like the arcade; the two of you pick whomever you wish at whatever power ratio and then the game begins just like it would in the Arcade or Versus modes, where the player with the most health at the end of the match is the winner.

The control on the Xbox pad for this game is a mixed bag. On the one hand, I've played Street Fighter on the Playstation since it was first released back in 1996 and I've had the opportunity to use the standard Playstation pad, the ASCII FT pad, an assortment of arcade sticks and the Dual Shock 2, and in my opinion, all of those fare far better than the Xbox pad, but the 360 degree D-pad is definitely no slouch with practice. However, players used to playing the game on pads designed for the Playstation and its sequel may benefit greatly from purchasing an adapter from such retailers as levelsix.com and the like.

As anyone can tell you, 2D fighting games require split second timing that comes down to frames of animation and recovery time, and this is by far the most important aspect of playing online where even the fastest connections suffer from minuscule forms of latency. Let me say that, for the most part, the game plays relatively lag free in just about every match. That's not to say that there isn't an occasional occurrence of lag from time to time, but the experience is equal to, if not better, then playing someone who's sitting right next to you, even with players who are overseas. That fact alone coupled with the fact that this is an excellent 2D fighter in its own right make this game worth the price of admission right from the onset.

Despite the fact that the game offers near limitless replay value online and is guaranteed to be played by many for years to come, or at least until the next Capcom 2D fighter with online support is released, there's plenty of other modes that are sure to pique players interest both as a one player or a two player game with a friend who comes to visit. The modes are standard to just about every fighting game released these days and the AI isn't terribly crafty in this particular version of the game, but it's hardly something to scoff at on the hardest difficulty setting for new players. There's even two characters to be unlocked along with a hidden options menu to keep the replay value up high, but don't be fooled Ц the cream of this game is in its online play.