Capcom vs. SNK Pro
Capcom
Genre:
Fighting
Players:
1 - 2
Type/#:
CD
/
1
Overall Rating
85
%
Graphics and Sound
I remember standing next to the Street Fighter game in my college
arcade too long ago to admit, watching hordes of people lining up to get a
turn. Basically, you had people like me (perpetual watchers unless the
arcade was empty and my friend and I could bash each other senseless without
a lot of prying eyes), people in line who thought they might be contenders,
and the 1 or 2 people who really knew how to kick ass and dominate
everybody. This game is made, I think, for that last category. After so
much time, the one thing that hasn't changed much at all is the look and
sound of these games, since any purist would throw up his hands and walk
away if anything so much as moved in the wrong direction or with even a hint
of delay. There may be some backgrounds you haven't seen before, some fancy
visuals you'll enjoy, but the meat of the game is in appearing as
arcade-perfect as possible. The only bit of new eye-candy comes in the
interface, and it's far more about mechanics than looking fresh.
Expect plenty of great visuals, including artistic stills showcasing
characters you'll see during loading, and images you can view and manipulate
in a special mode. As if the 90's scenery when the battles start isn't
enough to get you to rush down to the store and buy this...
Gameplay
As any product driven by niche demand goes, Capcom vs. SNK Pro isn't
as much about the 'What' as the 'How.' People like it for the fighting, and
people play it for the fighting. Everyone knows walking in exactly what
they can expect, but saying Capcom vs. SNK Pro is about fighting is
like saying Jackie Chan is about martial arts. The execution is the art.
All your favorite characters are here, enough of a sampling of human,
non-human, man and woman to keep any fighting fan happy. The moves for each
character and the sheer volume of characters (30+) ensure that nobody plays
this over a weekend and decides they're done. No, there is enough variety
here to last most folks a lifetime. Hold that up against the number of
games in this series and you may wonder how many lifetimes the average
fighting game fan has, which makes for part of a problem. The first part is
the overwhelming number of games released, and their variants, which
basically offer a very similar experience. The second part is a transition
from complete market dominance the Street Fighter games held years
ago to a backseat position against a new generation of high-profile 3D
fighters like Tekken. Any fan will tell you it's a Ford/Chevy thing,
because 2D doesn't mean the action is any less intense. But, if you're
looking for ragdoll physics and next-gen graphics, be warned that Capcom
vs. SNK Pro, while totally great at being a hardcore fighting game, is
decidedly old-school.
Like any old-school venture, you get some pretty simple gameplay options.
One or two players can compete in Arcade Mode, or go up against stronger
enemies in Pair Match Mode. You can compete against another human player in
Vs. Mode, or do some Training to learn special moves and devise a winning
strategy (or program those macros!). Other non-fighting modes include Price
Mode, where you cash in points to buy special characters or view images of
characters in the game. Finally, for the hardest of hardcore, a Color Edit
Mode lets you modify the standard palette a character is drawn from. This
last may seem a bit frilly to newcomers, but once this game became 'arcade
perfect' the only thing left was the bells and whistles. Like any old
technology, plenty of people have had plenty of time to get this right, but
the little additions make Capcom vs. SNK Pro well worth it for fans.
The Groove Point Gauge is a little bar at the bottom of the screen showing
exactly what you're accomplishing, tracking results in real time. If you
pull off specials or perform in a round particularly well, the rating will
rise. Try to be a button masher or fall on your face consistently, and your
rating goes down. Keeping the rating up will have some unexpected results
on your game, including special characters who'll drop in to test your
skills. But the biggest reason for this gauge is that it allows you to
trigger Super Combo or Special Attacks. These are devastating, and can mean
the difference between winning and losing a battle.
Difficulty Level
As I said before, there are the gamers, the hardcore gamers and the godlike
folk who have been playing these kind of games since Reagan was in office.
The fact that Capcom vs. SNK Pro stays true to roots allows seasoned
gamers advantages most of us won't have. No type of handicap is available,
and don't think you'll be able to mash buttons and get away with anything.
If there's one thing to be said for Capcom vs. SNK Pro, it's that it
keeps you honest, doesn't let you get by on simply stabbing buttons and
shaking the controller. There are certainly times when the CPU AI seems
impossible, but practice and understanding of the capabilities each
character has will allow most folks to come out on top most of the time.
Fighting games, as compared to RPG games, have a reputation for 'pick up and
put down' type of gameplay. Not to say you can't have several fights within
a short period of time, but if you really want to see the depths of
Capcom vs. SNK Pro, you'll have to put just as many hours in
practicing as your friend next door with the RPG.
Game Mechanics
There was a time when being arcade perfect was a holy grail, and with that
objective knocked down there only remain peripheral improvements that can
justify calling any of these games different or better. Several things lead
us to believe Capcom vs. SNK Pro is really an improvement on the last
version. The Groove Gauge provides a great way for novice and seasoned
gamers to track results and understand where they are on or off. Sure, in
the heat of battle, it is true this gauge is hard to keep track of, which
would make some sort of replay a nice thing. But still, as you get more
comfortable with the action, keeping up with your last move and rating
yourself can really help improve and identify weak points. Every character
may have a different strength or weakness, but poor skills playing the game
shouldn't be an issue now that you can track results. Tutorial Mode also
helps shorten the learning curve, and being able to see the button combos
also really helps things sink in. The manual outlines basic and special
moves for a number of characters, but you'll have a chance to play around
with all possible combinations inside the game. Button layout is simple
enough, and can be modified to suit your needs. Shoulder buttons serve as
quick combos in that they provide the effect of hitting 2 buttons at once.
Analog sticks aren't available for use, so get back to that old D-Pad. Many
gamers who have really sunk their teeth into PS2 games over the last year
may not have had much workout on the D-Pad, but they'll definitely get their
fill here. All the controls feel great.
Most people have had the sensation of going to camp, college or a long trip
with friends and developing a lot of 'inside' jokes nobody else gets. It's
almost a sad feeling to realize you can't share the love with everybody, but
as they say, 'You had to be there.' Capcom vs. SNK Pro is at worst,
a bit of an inside joke to people who have been weaned on high octane 3D
fighters like Tekken, Soul Caliber and DOA. For the
people who have loved these characters going back 10 years, this is an
important addition to the library of great console games and a way to hone
skills away from the arcade. So, decide what side of the fence you're on,
and even if you think you're on the opposite side this one is seriously
worth a rental. Fans get it, and Capcom hears the fans judging by the
proliferation of games in this franchise. Luckily, Capcom seems to have
mastered that fine line between quality and quantity.
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