As the release of Capcom Fighting Collection 2 nears, we go hands-on with a trio of games that seek to preserve a part of the developer's catalog that isn't the easiest to get a hold of anymore.
On May 15, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 brings another packed roster of games to players seeking harder-to-find titles from Capcom’s storied decades of fighting games.
Broadly speaking, any effort to bring games that had a limited release or are otherwise nearly impossible to acquire legally (without deep pockets, of course) is welcome. Capcom’s efforts over the past few years to breathe new life into games many players may have never heard of has, so far, culminated in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and the first Capcom Fighting Collection.
Where the first Capcom Fighting Collection served up 10 games–five of them being Darkstalkers titles–and the Marvel vs. Capcom Collection featuring the obvious, the second Collection features the following eight titles:
- Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro
- Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001
- Capcom Fighting Evolution
- Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
- Power Stone
- Power Stone 2
- Project Justice
- Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein
Covering releases from 1998 with Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein to 2004 with Capcom Fighting Evolution, this suite of games in the Collection is focused primarily on arcade releases. Many titles here saw the Sega Dreamcast as their only console home, meaning Fighting Collection 2 is likely going to be the first time many players have heard of these games. Interestingly, the two Power Stone games, Project Justice, and Plasma Sword are 3D fighters, debuting in an era where developers were beginning to understand the capabilities of the updated tech and implementing them in fun ways.
Leading up to Capcom Fighting Collection 2‘s release next month, we were able to preview three upcoming titles from the full roster: Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro, Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein, and Power Stone 2. Each offering a unique flavor to the goals of this particular collection.
Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro
Out of the three titles I played, Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro is the most “standard” fighting game one would expect from a collection such as this. Here, players can pick between a roster of Capcom characters–which, outside of Morrigan from Darkstalkers, translates to the Street Fighter roster–and SNK fighters from games like Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters.
As a 2D fighting game rooted in some of gaming’s longest-running franchises, Capcom vs. SNK won’t be a revolutionary surprise in terms of moment-to-moment flow. However, the game implements a 4-button layout from SNK games instead of Capcom’s 6. Additionally, players have the choice between two “Grooves” of either developer, with the Capcom Groove reliant on fighting prowess to build attack meter and the SNK Groove allowing for an easier charge-up.
What really sets the game apart is providing players with the ability to craft a team of fighters using a “ratio” system. Any character on the roster is assigned a ratio number of 1 to 4 and a team’s composition caps out at 4. So what do you do? Four 1-ratio fighters? A single 4-ratio brawler? It’s this wide pool of possibility where Capcom vs. SNK gets its engagement from.
Playing the game, one can also see the improvements and bonuses present in the Collection. 2D fighting games will have a Training mode where players can dive in and measure out hitboxes with visual aids, see damage numbers, and map out inputs. Marquee cards are available for all eight titles that show off how the controls were displayed on the arcade cabinets. Visual filters and alternate music tracks are also available.
But the biggest boon to the Collection is its stellar rollback netcode that is meant to benefit online play of any caliber. Of course there is a wealth of charm in looking back on those days grouped around the arcade cabinets. And allowing players across the world to match with each other to test their skills will breathe new life into these old games.
Unsurprisingly released in 2000, Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro also gives off this flashy vibe of the new millennium. Much like the transition from the 80s to the 90s, the culture entrenched in Y2K had a lot of flash. CGI was becoming increasingly prominent and video games were more commonplace in the mainstream. Booting up Capcom vs. SNK and being greeting to trance beats and dizzying visuals is peak millennium saturation and Capcom delivered in mood. It helps that the roster of characters are so well-known that their sprites hold up immaculately on numerous incarnations.
And for those players who merely want to dip their toes into another time, difficulty rankings and the ability to tie specials to a single button press feel like an added dose of accessibility for those whose reflexes aren’t as good as they were 25 years ago.
Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein
Plasma Sword is the sequel to 1996’s Star Gladiator, Capcom’s first in-house 3D fighting game. Released in 1998, Plasma Sword shows all the rough edges of a genre that was edging its way into uncharted territory.
I do not consider myself a fighting game connoisseur. Over my 39 years of life, I’ve played several dozen fighting games of varying degrees of quality. Clayfighters got a significant amount of play on my SNES purely because it was so weird and interesting, a quality I was very much into in my early years. At one point, I eventually learned a few combos for Bad Mr. Frosty, Helga, Blue Suede Goo, and many of the other clay freaks. I’ve been drenched in blood with Mortal Kombat and fought as dinosaurs in Primal Rage. But when the Nintendo 64 rolled around, I was invested in adventures and platformers, not fighting games. After all, who would I even play them with?
My local theater had a few arcade machines and one of them had Tekken and I wasted a few quarters messing around with weird fighters but never getting the hand of anything. Yet one of my biggest issues is that I thought fighting games simply looked better in 2D. Chunky polygons did not make for exciting characters and there was something off about their movement.
Plasma Sword throws in numerous concepts I recognize from other 3D fighting games. Players can shift between planes, basically sidestepping attacks in these circular sweeps. There is a heavy reliance on weapons in the game as well, which may delight those who wonder why Soul Caliber doesn’t get more love.
Despite a story that can be pieced together through numerous fights, I couldn’t help but be charmed by how absolutely weird the roster of fighters in Plasma Sword is. All manner of humans, aliens, and strange creatures will engage in one-on-one combat. Strangely, a number of characters are visual clones of others but have a few differences in special moves.
Using a four-button layout, two buttons are meant to use a character’s weapons, one button is for kick attacks, and the last button is for sidesteps. Like other Capcom fighting games, a “Plasma” meter builds up over time which dictates the kind of special moves a player can use. Players can also consume their gauge to counter an enemy attack with a Plasma Reflect, making combat a touch more interesting than whacking each other with weapons.
Goofing off in Plasma Sword was more my speed than actually trying to invoke any kind of competitive energy. While I’m sure players may foster an online community for the game on full release, I found myself more drawn to mashing buttons and using the ability to map special attacks to a button, that way I could listen to the dated quips and bombastic animations. Perhaps it was an issue with my skill level or merely picking the wrong fighter for a given scenario but fighting didn’t feel incredibly tight and victories were more reliant on pulling off a special attack that melted health bars in an instant.
While Plasma Sword may not be the highlight of the Collection, its charm is apparent. Possibly with more time actually studying combos I would hop into a match or two online for some fun. But I’d be more inclined to witness whatever strange narrative and cutscenes Capcom pieced together for this game I simply had never heard of before playing the Collection.
Power Stone 2
Power Stone and Power Stone 2‘s reputation preceded their inclusion on the Capcom Fighting Collection 2. I’ll admit to having heard the name “Power Stone” numerous times over my life but, until recently, simply had no idea what the game was about. Though 1999’s Power Stone was not the subject of my preview, 2000’s Power Stone 2 was and I’m happy for it.
A few minutes into Power Stone 2 and I immediately was struck with the inescapable feeling that I was playing some kind of alternate dimension Bizarro version of Super Smash Bros. Over the last 25 years I doubt I’m the only one who has had that revelation but the close proximity to each series’ release dates at least makes me feel like Capcom and Nintendo had the same brilliant spark at the same time.
Capable of allowing four players on screen at a time, Power Stone 2 is less a fighting game and more of a 3D brawler. Choosing from a list of over a dozen characters, players are dropped into a map and simply asked to pummel each other until only two remain. Some levels are seen from a slightly isometric angle that shifts as the level changes while others have the camera focused squarely on the field.
Unlike the other games I played, Power Stone 2‘s characters have an extremely simple moveset, consisting of a few basic attacks and a jump attack. But over time, each level gets peppered with items. Hammers, swords, guns, skateboards, healing items, and dozens of other things can be picked up and used against other players or the sparse enemies and bosses that are thrown at the player. Frequently, gems will pop up and when the player collects three, they morph into a special form that has different attacks and a devastating special move.
Power Stone 2 feels easily to conceptualize and, even in doing so, barely scratches the surface of why I found it to be so engaging. Action in the game is easy to follow but only hectic to the point of being illegible. But the stakes feel so wildly low that it’s hard not to picture four players standing at a cabinet just mashing buttons and goofing off. If I had a Dreamcast and was in college, this would have been the thing to play in the communal hall along with Smash Bros. Melee.
There is a distinct wacky aesthetic to its colorful, loud characters with their repeated quips. The shout of the announcer saying “Oh no!” when I would get whacked and lose my gems made me laugh every time. The reliance on picking up boxes and throwing them or scurrying to the nearest weapon meant that multiple people would make a mad dash and fight over whatever was closest.
Despite being mildly imprecise and floaty, those aspects don’t matter when it comes to the large health pools. Players go through a series of levels where they are intended to whittle down the health of everyone else, leaving two people standing. Two boss fight levels pit two players against insanely weird bosses, incorporating similar mechanics. Nothing surprised me more than to be able to hop on top of the first boss, climb into his turret, and blast off half his health. And what keeps Power Stone 2 fresh is the way each level changes as time goes on. My first Power Stone 2 experience had me fighting on two boats racing through the ocean. Occasionally the screen would tell everyone to move to a different boat while one sank. Eventually, one boat crashed into a glacier, transitioning players to two different surfaces. A later level had us fighting on a series of moving platforms and elevators, the level constantly shifting upwards.
Instructions are always clear but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to find stable footing when multiple players are vying for space. Gracefully, minimum damage is taken when getting left behind, ensuring that the chaos isn’t too punishing. I played through two complete sessions of Power Stone 2, each with multiple characters and choosing different paths to reach the end. And honestly, I think the game may be the highlight of the Collection. Where most will instinctually understand the nature of the 2D and 3D fighting games, Power Stone 2 is so inherently different that it could potentially be worth the price of admission.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 launches on May 15 and looks to introduce a wider pool of players to some lesser-known Capcom fighting entries. When the full package releases, players can expect other fun bonus features like game-specific achievements, artwork, online leaderboards, and more. I applaud Capcom for its efforts in bringing more and more older and lesser-known games to the current gen and assuredly, more will come in the future to allow fighting fans the chance to punch-up their collection.
