Review – Capcom Fighting Collection 2 

Consider my mind blown that we have a second Capcom Fighting Collection and, not only that, Capcom is doubling down on the Fighting Collection moniker focusing on their obscure titles. Whereas the first CFC included every original Darkstalkers game, Super Gem Fighter, Red Earth and some change it’s quite the surprise that both Capcom Vs. SNK titles are headlining CFC2. However, beyond that we are left with some interesting choices: Plasma Sword without the presence of its precursor, Star Gladiator, Project Justice without either of the accompanying Rival Schools titles and… Capcom Fighting Evolution? Oh, boy. 

Now, if you’re a Capcom or FGC diehard, you’ll no doubt be jumping for joy at the mere existence of this cavalcade of brawling goodness. For those of us seeking some couch competition and even robust online competition in games like both of the Power Stone titles that never included that opportunity before, this collection likely pays for itself. For the rest of us, this is an excellent preservation mechanism and a grab bag of wacky 2000s fighting games. 

The headliners here are definitely the two Capcom Vs. SNK games and it’s easy to see why. Their sheer wealth of options when it comes to the ‘Groove’ system that totally changes the way fights flow is well-documented by now. Even crazier is that Samurai Showdown characters who typically go down in three to four hits can last a whole minute longer than usual in battle. The timing of the re-release of these titles, now with online play, is just too appropriate given the recent launch of the first Fatal Fury title in 20-some years. Call me crazy, but I’ll stick with CVS2. It has less controversial soccer moguls. It also still plays great. It’s not a Capcom tag fighter, but it’s one of the best Vs. games out there. Special shoutout to the Match of The Millenium for having some of the most badass stage intro splash screens going straight into match gameplay of any fighting game. 

 

 

Aside from both CVS titles, Capcom Fighting Evolution and Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper the rest of this iteration of Capcom Fighting Collection is surprisingly 3D fighter focused. The most obvious examples are Power Stone and Power Stone 2, each of which are exemplary arena-centric arcade fighters. What they lack in depth, they make up for in sheer wackiness. At times, Power Stone 2 with its four-player setup feels more like playing a Mario Party minigame, particularly the flying ship stage that evolves into a round of frantic skydiving. The thrill of collecting the Power Stones and activating your evolution state to nab Ring-outs is still a blast with friends (and now strangers worldwide too!).

I believe this collection will gain a runaway hidden gem thanks to more exposure than it ever received and that hidden gem is Plasma Sword. There’s a real hunger for more weapon-based fighting games. I can’t jump on the Fighting Game subreddit without seeing mention of Soulcalibur’s enduring legacy and questions of when a new entry in that storied franchise will emerge. Well, Plasma Sword is one of the games that took on the original Soulcalibur and on the same platform no less. While its predecessor is well-known for nearly being a Star Wars fighting game before the license was lost out to THAT PS1 fighter, Plasma Sword is its flashier sibling. Seriously, you can’t land a few hits without the background looking like a round of Dance Dance Revolution — and I mean that in the best way. All of the side-stepping and fluidity you’d encounter in a Namco fighter from this era is imitated, not quite duplicated, here but the result is a unique, futuristic take on an often overlooked fighting game subgenre. 

 

 

In the same collection as both Power Stone’s it would be difficult to imagine there could be a kookier game. Unless…? Project Justice made it in? Well, it did. And this branch off of the Rival Schools franchise is one odd duck. I don’t claim to fully understand its inner workings but the numerous school kid archetypes and team up attacks are downright hilarious. I previously only knew Batsu from Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, a gem in its own right, and I had no idea his home series was this silly. Project Justice isn’t a tag game in the normal sense. Yes, there are rounds, and yes, you can tag in other characters; but the goal is to win two rounds against any character. You don’t have to defeat the entire team. The tag attack system can call in one of your three teammates or both and the animations/effects vary accordingly. This is definitely the game that elicited the most laughs and I’d even say overall entertainment out of the entire package. But don’t ask me to explain why. It’s just “Random bullshit go!” the entire time and that works in a crowded room. 

 

 

I can’t speak to how well these titles hold up to time. And thankfully, I don’t have to. Capcom has polished every game in this collection to its finest state, added quality of life features like a quick Vs. mode feature for both online and offline, replays and remappable controls. You can go for arcade endings, complete various collection-wide achievements, and unlock an awesome gallery of still images and promos from each game. Arcade-accurate cabinet displays with movelists are preserved here as well. 

The general feel of each game in this collection is retained from how you remembered they played rather than how they would actually play if you loaded up your GameCube or Dreamcast on a current flat panel display. The convenience and user-friendly nature of the Capcom Fighting Collections has definitely won me over and I suspect I’m not alone. While there are some real heavy hitters in this lineup of Capcom’s prestigious fighting game history, the sheer star power of the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection isn’t quite achieved. However, that makes no difference. Fantastic preservation and fan service like this is a win-win for gamers and collectors alike. 

 

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