The first Capcom Vs SNK title was a mixed affair - stunning presentation, great music, nice visuals but with basic and ultimately simplistic gameplay. The undeniable promise afforded by the Capcom/SNK licence wasn't really fulfilled, but thankfully Capcom, who had chief programming duties on the first title, don't waste time when it comes to sequels. Capcom Vs SNK 2 here with us already, and it's a vast improvement over the original.
One of the most severe criticisms leveled at the first CvS was the simple nature of the game engine - for example, air blocking and special counter moves, features that are commonplace in most modern 2D fighters, were absent. While this gave CvS a very "old school" feel, it rendered it lightweight when compared to recent examples of the genre such as Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Street Fighter III: Third Impact. CvS2 solves this problem, and much, much more. There are now six distinct "Groove" fighting styles (as opposed to the originals two). Each "Groove" is linked to either a Capcom or SNK game - for example, the "C Groove" is lifted from the Street Fighter Alpha/Zero series. There are differences between each groove - some offer air blocking, others have special rolling counters and some have "dashing" and "dodge" moves. This range of styles not only lends the game tremendous depth, it means that every Capcom and SNK fan will be catered for. Even better is the ability to create your own "EX" Groove, a feature that is unlocked upon completion of the game.
Another negative aspect of CvS was the way in which characters had been weakened. Many were missing moves (although these moves could be accessed by choosing the "EX" version of the character - this effectively doubled the number of characters but it simply meant each fighter had their moves shared between their "normal" and "EX" versions). Thankfully, Capcom have abandoned this system and now each character has their full selection of moves from the start. This means that some of the fighters (Terry Bogard springs to mind) have a stunning roster of special attacks and super combos. Many accused Capcom of toning down the SNK characters in the original game - this is not the case in CvS2.
On the subject of characters, there are more then enough to keep any fighting fan happy here. The cast of CvS are all here again (as well as Dan and Joe Higashi, taken from the CvS Pro update). Eagle (from the original Street Fighter), Kyosuke (Rival Schools), Maki (Final Fight II), Rolento (Final Fight/Street Fighter Alpha/Zero series) and Yun (Street Fighter III) are the new fighters on the Capcom side. Hibiki (Last Blade), Todo (Art of Fighting), Rock Howard (Garou: MotW), Chang and Choi (King of Fighters), Athena (King of Fighters) and Haohmaru (Samurai Shodown) are the characters joining the SNK contingent. In addition to this huge selection are the two "boss" fighters: Shin-Gouki/Akuma and God Rugal. There are plenty of other characters that I'd liked to have seen included, but I'm sure Capcom will make the most of this licence so we'll be seeing many other fan favorites making an appearance in the series at some point. Whatever your preference, you can't complain with such a varied and vibrant selection of fighters available.
Graphically, things have been cleaned up rather than overhauled. Backgrounds are no longer static 2D images - they are now rendered in sumptuous 3D, as seen before in Marvel Vs Capcom 2. Unfortunately, the low resolution sprites that married CvS remain, but this only becomes a problem when using a VGA box on a PC monitor. It's forgivable anyway, as the animation has been improved greatly and the fighters are both detailed and colorful.
One of the most appealing aspects of the original game was the music. With CvS2, Capcom have done it again - the soundtrack is totally stunning. The style is similar to that of the first title; a mix of techno, rap, rock and even a little R'n'B thrown in. Even if you're not a fan of any of these genres, I can guarantee you won't have a problem. This is perfect fighting game music. It seems the nightmare that was the Marvel Vs Capcom OST is finally behind us.
Unfortunately, there are aspects which Capcom has not improved. CvS had tremendous replay value thanks to its unlockable secrets. Although it required a hefty investment on the part of the player (you needed a NeoGeo Pocket Color, a link cable and a copy of SNK Vs Capcom: MotM to really get the most out of CvS - Capcom eventually released CvS: Pro, which unlocked all the secrets from the start), it gave the game months of play value, as opposed to weeks. CvS2 features a very limited number of goodies - two hidden "boss" fighters (Shin Gouki and God Rugal), two additional backdrops, a Groove edit mode and an extra option menu. Compared to CvS, this is pretty poor. While I agree that the method for unlocking the secrets in the original game was a little demanding, it would have been nice to see some similar features in the follow up. However, this is a minor point and doesn't affect the quality of the gameplay.
With CvS2 Capcom have crafted one of the most accomplished 2D fighters ever seen. If you fondly remember wasting hours of your life on Street Fighter II or Fatal Fury, then I have no doubt that you will adore this title. Conversely, If you look upon 2D fighters as "retro" or behind the times, I still recommend CvS2, even if only as a rental. I can assure you that it holds as much gameplay, if not more, than any 3D fighter you could mention.
Long live 2D, and long live Capcom.
5 out of 5
