Reviewed by Downtown Jimmy
Feb.19th 2003
Introduction:I was extremely excited when I got my hands on Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO. I have been a huge 2D fighting fan ever since the first Street Fighter game. I’m not a guru or anything when it comes to 2D fighters, but I am competent when it comes to my skill and my knowledge.
The Game:Capcom vs. Snk 2: EO plays just like you would expect it to. It is after all a 2D fighter. They have added a twist to the game and by letting you select your fighting mode. The mode called grooves is there to accentuate a player’s style. To become a master of the game, I recommend playing through all the different modes to find the one that suits you the best. You will also have the option of playing the game in EO mode or AC mode. EO brings the analog controls into play. As default on the Xbox control you use the trigger buttons to attack. One is punch and one is kick. The harder you depress the button the stronger the attack. I didn’t prefer this mode, I preferred the old classic (AC) way of having each button represent a low, med, high attack. Old school 100%. If you can get your hands on an arcade stick it would so much better, and realistic to its arcade counterpart.
I am very happy to have played Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO first off because it is the first 2D fighter to be released on the Xbox, and that is a quality game with a little more than you would expect. There are so many players to choose from which keep you coming back for more. My roots being into Street Fighter, I enjoyed using the Capcom characters more than the SNK folks. The SNK fighter series hails from the Neo-Geo days. I am familiar with the Neo-Geo and the King of Fighters series all they way up to 2002, and Samurai Showdown, but you just can’t beat good ol’ Blanka, Ken or Ryu. I am a big fan of the Darkstalkers series also and I’m sad to see only Morgan in the game. I wish they would of included a few more characters from that monster masher (Felicia anyone?). What can ya do? I should be happy with the 48 characters.
The rest of the game is pretty strait forward. There are different modes of play and of course I will not fail to mention it is Xbox Live capable. I didn’t review this game with Xbox Live hooked up, but everything I have read about it seems very positive. Online gaming is like playing against the computer except the computer will be another human. With fighting games there isn’t as much strategy involved then lets say a tactical war game, so this feature interested me, but wasn’t the be all and end all of the game. I have seen some crazy dudes in my day, and I think playing on Live might drain my ego a bit.
Graphics & Sound:The graphics are the best they could be when you are dealing with 2D graphics. The characters are 2D in all there jagged glory. They might look as good on the SNES, it is comparable. The backgrounds and overlay graphics are they key and flash of this game. It is very stylistic in its delivery of the game. Words and numbers are always scrolling and flashing by. The counters and power moves are very eye catching. The backgrounds hold there own, and are very amusing at times. All this can be wary after time, but for the first hour or so, it makes the game feel quicker and hyped out.
The sound was very good, which surprised me. Fighting games have always had so-so sound, but in Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO the sound was well done. The voice over gave the game a game show arcade feel, which was perfect and the combat sound very sweet in Dolby Digital Surround Sound. The background music is a mixture of techno, hip-hop industrial stuff, which also suits the game very well. A custom soundtrack option would have been nice especially for the Xbox version.
Lowdown:Overall I loved Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO. I would recommend it to any fan of 2D fighting. If Capcom follows through and releases Marvel vs. Capcom 2 that will be sweet too, then I would go for instead just because I am more familiar with the Marvel characters. This game is a change from the 3d fighters of today, but it’s a good reminder that good games are always good games. If you’re not a fan of 2D fighters or fighting games I would stay away from this title because it is an old style fighting game with some new bells and whistles. They didn’t try and push the 2D generea to any new level.
Gameplay: 8, Graphics/Sound: 7, Innovation: 7, Mojo: 7. Final: 7
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FEATURES:
- EO for "Extreme Offense" - Players have instant access to devastating special and super moves at the touch of the C stick control.
- Multiple Game Modes - The game offers six modes of play including arcade mode, versus mode, survival mode, training mode andcolor edit mode.
- Over 40 characters from world famous Capcom and SNK franchises, such as Street Fighter, Final Fight, Darkstalkers, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and King of Fighters.> Two control modes to make the game accessible for both the noviceand experienced player:
- GC-Ism - allows the player to push the C Stick in a direction to execute special and super moves. This feature also automatically blocks for the player and determines the strength of an attack based on how hard the L and R buttons are pressed.
- AC-Ism - is the control mode for the experienced fighter as light, medium and hard attacks are mapped to the GameCube controller buttons.
- Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO allows players to choose between one of the six following fighting grooves:
- C Groove - Players can use level 1-3 Super Combos, 'Air Block' and Counter attack to defeat their opponent. This groove is similar to the Capcom groove found in the original.
- A Groove - This is the original combo style used in the Street Fighter Zero series. Players can freely mix and match moves to create their own "Custom Combos."
- P Groove - Players can use the 'Parry' feature to avoid any attack. A level 3 super combo can only be used in this groove.
- S Groove - This groove is similar to the SNK groove found in the original. In this groove, when a character's vitality is low, the player can unleash a super combo limitlessly. If the gauge reaches its limit when the vitality is almost gone, players can perform a "Max Super Attack."
- N Groove - From King of Fighters '98, players can stock up to 3 levels of super gauge. In this groove, players can perform a 'Power Max' by using a level gauge to enhance the character's attack power for a while.
- K Groove - The groove uses acombination of 'Just Defense' which makes the opponent's attacks ineffective, and a 'Rage Gauge'. Once this gauge is full, the player's attack power increases and they are able to use a 'Max Super Attack.'
- Groove Point System - Points are accumulatedthrough a judgement performance in real-time that is based on the player's game performance.
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