It would seem that the next installment in the extended family of Street Fighter 2 titles, Capcom vs. SNK 2 could very well redefine the franchise more than anyone might expect. At present, domestic beta test cabinets reside in Sunnyvale Golfland, (making Bahn a very envious gamer). Capcom has released over three dozen new images, featuring each of the fighting grooves, along with more of the newly announced cast of characters which will debut in the sequel. It's ashame that Capcom isn't going the route of resolution in the same visual flair which Guilty Gear X has established...perhaps my only quip for now (besides the alleged domination factor of ratio 4 characters). But enough thoughts expressed aloud, enjoy the new shots and stay tuned for continued updates. Screenshots courtesy of Impress Game Watch.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 

Last Updated: 6/24/01

The release of Capcom vs. SNK was met with a mix of yays and nays, as the game introduced one of the most anticipated crossover series to the avid fighting ensemble. Acknowledged by many as "old school" fighting as the engine in all sense of the word was very basic. In time, it was my hope that I'd be able to adapt to the four-button system, the thinly level of uniqueness between normal and unique characters, and the unspeakable fear which Nakororu brought to the surface. Without a doubt, the call for a sequel was in need.

Later this year, gamers everywhere will share in a riveting moment of rejoicing as Capcom releases the most eagerly anticipated sequel - Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium. A huge grin went across my face as I walked up to the cabinet present at E3 to discover the best revelation of hope; 6 buttons! Blessed be Capcom! The Strong and Forward buttons are back, along with some familiar elements, and a few new perks.

I see little need to get into the storyline which has been somewhat of a downhill spiral in the SF universe over the past years, that it's my guess that no one even cares anymore. But I digress, you want to know about the game. What's new, modified, and bound to have you spending endless hours in the arcade once the sequel is released. There's a lot of ground to cover as my initial impressions from playing the CvS2 clearly sent a message that utters "bigger, badder, better'. In every sense of the word, CvS2 offers more.

Groove System

Thankfully Capcom went back to the drawing board and modified the Groove System to have more distinction and variety. While only 2 grooves were selectable in the beta (C-Groove and S-Groove respectively for Capcom and SNK), once the game is complete, you'll be able to select from 6 grooves - 3 for Capcom (C, A, and P) and 3 for SNK (S, N and K). The differences unlike the Normal/EX modes from CvS1 are much more extensive. Don't worry if you happen to forget which each groove consist of, the game displays each of the available features exclusive to that groove. Below is a breakdown of each groove system.

C-Groove

• This system is essentially the same as the Capcom groove from Capcom vs. SNK. Alpha fans (yes, like myself) will be excited to discover that Aerial Guard (read: air blocking) and Alpha Counters has returned.

  Features: Front Step, Aerial Guard, Roll, Delayed Wake-up, Guard Cancel

A-Groove

• A-Groove features Run, Aerial Guard, Roll, Guard Cancel and Down Evade. When the power meter is charged at 50%, Level 1 Super combos can be executed. When the meter is charged at 100%, Custom Combos can be performed by pressing Fierce/Roundhouse simultaneously (just as you would in SFA3). The custom combos in CvS2 adopted the same style as in SFA2. It is unknown at this time if multiple projectiles can be executed all at once, or if super combos will be possible to execute within the custom combo.

P-Groove

• Early forecasts on my part suggest that this mode will be one of the most selected Grooves among the Capcom players as P-Groove enables parrying in SFIII fashion. Don't start grinning with glee just yet, as various reports have expressed that parrying isn't as proficient as in the SFIII series. The reason has been linked to the possibility of the period of time in which an opponent is left open after executing an attack, and the input lag reported to be present in the beta. Level 3 Supers can only be executed in this groove and red parries were reported not to be present in the beta.

  Features: Front Step, Short Jump, Delayed Wake-up

S-Groove

• This is similar to the SNK groove featured in the first edition of Capcom vs. SNK. The only exception is that rolling will now be substituted with Dodge (activated by pressing Jab and Short simultaneously). KoF fans will immediately recognize this as the Extra Mode that is extensively featured in the series.

  Features: Front Step, Short Jump, Delayed Wake-up, Guard Cancel

N-Groove

• Adopts the Advanced Mode featured in King of Fighters. In addition, the power meter can be stocked up and maxed for a limited period (activated by pressing Fierce and Roundhouse simultaneously). Furthermore, MAX supers can be executed while the character is MAXed up. The MAX effect will go away after a limited time (approx 12 seconds), or when MAX supers are executed.

  Features: Run, Short Jump, Roll, Guard Cancel, Guard Cancel Roll, Down Evade

K-Groove

• Surely to be a personal favorite with Bonus Kun and Ven, the power meter can be likened to the Samurai Spirits (Showdown) "Ikari" meter. Once the meter has been fully charged, all attacks rise in damage and a Max Super can be executed within a limited time before the meter resets. In addition, the power meter does not rise when the player attacks- it will only rise upon getting hit or doing a Just Defended.

  K-Groove adopts the Just Defended system featured in Garou: Mark of the Wolves. In essence, successfully performing a Just Defended action will result in the guard meter (or any tick damage) remaining constant (meaning it will not decrease) and in turn, the Ikirai meter and your life meter will increase. I predict this mode being extensively selected in the arcades as well.

  Features: Run, Short Jump, Down Evade

Minor Notes

There have been a number of distinct changes from the E3 beta version in comparison to that of the beta test in Osaka. For starters, a few characters have switched cursor positions, the yellow squares which were featured in the character select screen are no longer present (although there were still open areas available), and two random selector boxes have been included.

Character orders can also be configured (something similar to that of MvC2) by pressing buttons of the same strength, i.e. Weak P+K = 1st character, Strong P+K=2nd character, Fierce P+K = 3rd character

Oddly none of the reports have addressed the issue of speed (which is of primary concern to me, and surely to others that played the game at E3). However, there has been concern in regards to lag input between the joystick inputs and onscreen action. Naturally we can expect this is going to be tweaked, since the game is still in beta format.

Characters

Capcom vs. SNK 2 is going to be packed with characters, including many familiar faces, and a few obscure characters respectively from both the Capcom and SNK universes. Last month, it was unveiled to the public that four new characters would be featured in the sequel. That number has steadily increased as more details have been slowly uncovered. The total number of new characters at present stands at ten characters (WOW!), which includes Kyosuke (Rival Schools), Maki (Final Fight), Rolento (Final Fight, Alpha series), Haohmaru (Samurai Showdown), Ryuhaku Todoh (Art of Fighting), Hibiki (Last Blade 2), Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge (King of Fighters), Eagle (Street Fighter) and Rock Howard (Garou: Mark of the Wolves). Of course, Dan and Joe, who make their debut from Capcom vs. SNK Pro are also included in the sequel...which brings the character roster to almost 50 characters! No one better complain there aren't enough, well wait...we can never have enough characters!

To get a breakdown of the characters and gameplay impressions in detail , please check out the reports at MadMan's Cafe and the articles written by Shoryuken.com's James Chen at the links listed below.

Graphics/Music

Graphically, Capcom vs. SNK 2 is not going to disappoint (unless you're simply one of those type of gamers who's entirely difficult to please.) All the backgrounds have been totally revamped, designed in polygon fashion and feature an extensive degree of detail. Big thumbs up to Capcom for actually taking time to pay attention to the aesthetic department. Honestly, screen captures simply don't do the game justice. The backgrounds vary from a rotating platform featuring Lei-Lei and June respectively from Darkstalkers and Star Gladiator to the a rooftop which has in the distance a giant E. Honda balloon! I haven't seen Capcom spend this degree of integrity and effort in backgrounds since Street Fighter Alpha 2. Each stage are complete with a cast of cameo characters from the Capcom and SNK universes and gives the entire game a much more involved atmosphere...unlike its predecessor where the backgrounds didn't really harmonize quite as well as the ones featured in the sequel. Unfortunately I can't elaborate on the music (and apparently...neither has anyone else, possibly because no one can actually HEAR it within the arcade). If the backgrounds are any indication of excellence in the making, I am sure we'll all be pleased (Capcom just needs to stay away from those jazzy wa-wa tunes and it'll be all good).

With all the talk and attention surrounding this game, should it surprise you that no one is actually looking forward to the sappy follow-up that is CvS Pro? Personally I think Capcom should just skip over this edition and focus all their energy on the sequel. I've always found that Capcom tends to demonstrate a revolutionary step when it comes to hitting the second edition of each of their respective franchises. While it's still early to conclude that this will be one of the most enjoyable fighters within the SF lineage of titles, based on what I've experienced at E3 and gathered from varied online reports, Capcom vs. SNK 2 is definitely taking a step in the right direction.

Special thanks to Derek "Bonus Kun" Work with the SNK help. Someday, I'll be legendary in knowledge much like him. Or maybe not.

Related Links

James Chen CvS2 preview @ Shoryuken

Capcom vs. SNK Osaka beta reports

· · · Bahn