Retro|Spective 127R: Street Fighter

[speedlolita]

CvS2 is my second favourite fighting game of all time.

[Asura]

Yep, it felt like a continuation of the path where Capcom was still making 2D fighters but the market had dried up they were making whatever cut corners they could to justify the expense. Fighting Jam was probably the culmination point of that effort

True, though it feels dirty to even mention CvsS2 and Capcom Fighting Jam/Evolution in the same sentence. Even if there's a lineage.

[Neon Ignition]

I'm going to be making a complete 180 stance for tomorrow's entry

[Asura]

I'm going to be making a complete 180 stance for tomorrow's entry

Super Puzzle Fighter?

[endo]

Cool Boarders!

[Neon Ignition]

Game 33 - SNK vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
Whilst Capcom would bring their two installments to console and arcades, SNK would deliver the first of their two attempts to their handheld instead. The tiny little Neo Geo Pocket played host to what was simply aimed to be a simple little crossover fighter, the result though was one of the most celebrated handheld fighters ever released. The game featured an impressive roster of 26 fighters with eight being there as unlockables.








Was this truly the match of the millennium?

[Asura]

Game 33 - SNK vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
Whilst Capcom would bring their two installments to console and arcades, SNK would deliver the first of their two attempts to their handheld instead. The tiny little Neo Geo Pocket played host to what was simply aimed to be a simple little crossover fighter, the result though was one of the most celebrated handheld fighters ever released. The game featured an impressive roster of 26 fighters with eight being there as unlockables.

Got this at launch and loved it.

I'd had an NGPC (in camo blue, the objectively best colour) for a while beforehand, and was mostly playing King of Fighters R-2, which was fantastic (honestly, all the NGPC fighters are great in their own way) but this was a real game-changer.

MotM was the best handheld fighter that had ever been released up until that time, and, honestly, it's probably the best one even now. Even when you can play Tekken or something on a Vita, MotM stands apart because like all the NGPC fighters, it was built to be played in that way. Small screen with big, bold sprites with huge heads and exaggerated extremities to convey the moves, and that click-stick to input them. Great little extra game modes and unlockables. Honestly, MotM was practically perfect, and you really have to nitpick to find flaws.

It would be my favourite title on the platform, were it not for its sibling, Cardfighters Clash.

[dataDave]

Everything is right about MOTM. There is nothing wrong, only that it didn't get a sequel or a direct AES/MVS upscale (which is far from what we actually got). I'm not so sure how you'd even do a sequel, to be honest.

My son picked up my NGPC for a dabble back when he was three. It was one of the first video games he'd ever played. He still requests it from my shelf all the time now, two years later. I got him a MiyooMini for his birthday last month so that he could play all of the full-fat fighters from which MOTM was derived, but no, he always goes back to MOTM.

At the time I was absolutely up to my tits in quality vs. fighters. I'd imported a DC just after launch, and I also had a Saturn. Two CRTs in my bedroom (four including both my PCs, come to think of it). Arcade sticks all over the shop. I was getting paid, so I'd pay board to my grandad with the rest of it going on importing games. This was the dream. Although this little machine, with MOTM (and indeed, Cardfighters, as well as many others) was able to sap a great deal of my attention even when I was stuck in the house.

[dataDave]

Because of this game in particular the NGPC is the only handheld I've ever really loved. I never got on with the Game Boy. The GBA and PSP were fine, but I'm never in any rush to dip back in and casually revisit those systems considering they only ever served me as F-Zero and Ridge Racer machines respectively. Both those games require an enormous time commitment if I'm going to play them properly.

[Neon Ignition]

MOTM was a game that just acknowledged the system it was made for and formed itself perfectly around it. Controlling it with the little NGCP stick felt great and if it weren't for the ability to play arcade perfect fighters on handhelds these days it would be the benchmark. Hell, as a game designed for handheld as a fighter it still is

[dataDave]

I don't know why any of the Chinese emulation device manufacturers haven't adopted that exact same component. Isn't it still in production?

[Neon Ignition]

Game 34 - SNK vs Capcom: SVC Chaos
A rare step again away from Capcom developed titles with SNK's own full scale attempt at marrying its characters and those of Street Fighter etc. Despite the inverted title it's a narrative sequel to CvS2 and adds a post-apocalypse spin to things. Playing like the King of Fighters games of its era, SvC focused on 1v1 fights and had a 36 fighter strong roster but the game was also thought to be a bit drab in presentation and the shift in gameplay styles threw some off.







Sheer Chaos after CvS2?

[tokyochojin]

I really wanted to like this. The art style is very cool, and violent ken was a nice addition but the whole thing just felt a bit underwhelming tbh.

[Asura]

I've honestly never played it, not once.

[fuse]

Pretty sure the first time I ever played it was in the basement of Game Focus (RIP), and even from first impressions I was fairly underwhelmed. My biggest memories of it all centre around the presentation of it - how it looked, sounded, and just felt really dark, muffled and drab. This wasn't some Capcom fanboy chip on my shoulder either, as I don't feel this way about any other SNK fighter and this instead seemed to all be by intentional design choices. There's some good character additions and some of the key art inspiring it is fabulous - and heck I am sure there's some magic underneath that I probably didn't spend enough time to get into, but there was no way this was going to move me on from CvS2.