Fat Ninja

Xbox Live has seen some pretty impressive titles since its official launch last November, but none has broken the mold so much as Capcom vs SNK 2 EO. Staying true to the nostalgic experience long-time fans of the series have come to know, Capcom vs SNK2 also gets a well-received facelift with the addition of online play.

Features
-Classic arcade fighter combat
-Live Support
-44 characters to choose from
-Customizable fighting styles
-Color Edit mode to create your own fighter

Gameplay

Everything we�ve come to know and love about fighters in the Street Fighter and SNK series has been melded and delivered seamlessly. Bringing with it only the best fighters (for the most part) that each series has offered in the past few decades, Capcom vs SNK2 has certainly established itself has a force to be reckoned with.

All of the classic moves have remained intact while the developers have suped up the game play through the addition of �Grooves�. Designed to accommodate almost every gamer�s fighting style, the various �Grooves� seek to provide gamers with extra defensive moves and different sorts of power-ups. However, these �Grooves� vary in execution and potential, and in that fact rests the beneficial aspect of the �Groove� concept. They�re really more or less a customized fighting scheme designed to guarantee that each fighter out there can find their �Groove�.

Once you�ve found your �Groove�, you then need to decide how many fighters you�ll want to take into the arena. You are able to take one to three combatants with you, and how many you choose to pick will influence how much damage they will be able to endure. Naturally, if you�re taking one fighter in against your opponent�s three, you want the scales balanced out to ensure your chance at victory. Also, if you take three fighters in to battle, you�ll be able to decide which of those fighters will get the largest ratio of the health, so that the one you know you�ll do best with can also sustain the most hits out of the bunch.

Then, you can start picking your fighters. With a cast of 44 characters to choose from, there is a fighter for everyone. Capcom vs SNK2 of course brings with it the classic fighters from each series, like Ryu of Street Fighter fame and Terry, the cap-wearing hero of Fatal Fury renown. In addition to these well-known characters are a number of more obscure, yet equally lethal fighters with which to seek victory.

Having picked your combatant(s) you are then prepared to square off against your opponent. From here on out, you will be party to one of the best fighter-experiences to date, on- or off-line. With enough nostalgia to take you back to junior-high and bring back the dreaded thumb-blister, Capcom vs SNK2 manages to infuse an old series with new life and vitality, without sacrificing the integrity of the original.

Graphics

Any body who happened to have purchased Capcom vs SNK2 for its graphical prowess is in for a disappointment. When I say that the developers captured the essence of the Street Fighter and SNK series, they�ve done so to the letter. Yes, folks, this game is no graphical powerhouse. It showcases Genesis-esque visuals.

While, by our ridiculously high graphical standards, Capcom vs SNK2 is really low-end in terms of its visual aspects, one should really go into the purchase knowing that the developers were really seeking to recreate the experience so many of us had back in the hey-day of arcade fighters; and in terms of graphical elements, they�ve done just that. The stylized look of Capcom vs SNK2�s predecessors remains intact.

Now, this may come as a disappointment to those who were looking for a complete visual overhaul. However, for the most part I�m sure those long-time fans of the series will be more than happy and at home with the look and feel of Capcom vs SNK2.

Sound

Well, Capcom vs SNK2 doesn�t really push the envelope in the sound category. But, like in so many other categories, the developers have gone to great lengths to maintain the quality of the original product.

Sound effects are crisp and fitting. The cries of �Hadoken!� remain true to past installments of the series, and the music still consists of a typical blend of techno and instrumental rock. Sure, it�s nothing special, but it definitely goes a long way in establishing the nostalgia factor.

Replay Value

So, does anyone remember going down to the local arcade and standing in line to play Street Fighter II? Do you remember putting your quarter up on the tiny ledge beneath the screen of the towering machine to stake your claim and lay down a formal challenge to whomever might be the standing champion at that particular moment? Do you remember the agony of being beaten into submission, and the humiliation you felt as you skulked back to the end of the line of challengers?

If so, you�ll be happy to know that Capcom, with a little help from Xbox Live, have managed to deliver that very experience to your home. With the entire Xbox Live community as potential opposition, and a world-ranking system to let you know exactly where you stand, you can battle your way to the top or plummet to the bottom.

Sure, the Live-less game play is there. Yeah, you can challenge your neighbor to a little side-by-side brawl, but in all honesty, Capcom vs SNK2 is designed to bring the arcade home. Toss in Voice support, and you can trash-talk to your heart�s content, or simply bitch out your opponent for being the �cheap-*** loser� that you think he is. And truly, the experience just doesn�t get old.

The developers have also thrown in a �Color Edit� mode that allows you to tweak character colors and names to create your own vision of a fighter. While the interface is a bit clunky, it is still pretty fun to toy around with the color schemes and create some pretty demonic looking combatants. The �Color Edit� feature (while not as monumental as the Live support) definitely lends to the title�s longevity.

Overall

Being an avid fan of anything Street Fighter (well, aside from that God-accursed Van Damme film of the same name), I have to say I love what Capcom vs SNK2 has done for the fighting genre as a whole. It has single-handedly satiated my need for classic Street Fighter fisticuffs and melded it seamlessly with online console gaming. Sure to appeal to long-time fans and newcomers alike, Capcom vs SNK2 EO is a must-have for any Xbox Live games library.

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