Capcom vs. SNK 2

Gameplay

Capcom vs. SNK 2 combines characters and gameplay elements from various Capcom and SNK fighting games, mainly the Street Fighter and The King of Fighters series. Other elements, most noticeably different fighting styles, incorporated elements from other games as well, such as Street Fighter III, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and the Samurai Showdown series.

In contrast to the original Capcom vs. SNK, characters no longer have a specific "Ratio." Instead the player can select up to three characters in a team and give an amount or ratio (up to four) to each as desired. Strength are altered accordingly based on the number of players. For example, a team of three fighters will be weaker and have less individual health than a one-man team. Rounds are fought one against one, with the winner being the first to defeat his opponent's team. In console versions of the game, players can also choose a 1-on-1 game or a 3-on-3 game in Arcade Mode with the Ratio System removed.

Unlike the first game, which was based on a King of Fighters-style two-strength, four-button system of punches and kicks, Capcom vs. SNK 2 is based on the three-strength, six-button system of punches and kicks native to the Street Fighter series, and the SNK characters have been tweaked to fit the six-button style. The overall system is derivative of Street Fighter Alpha. However, a number of different fighting styles called 'Grooves', which mimic other Capcom and SNK games, are included in the engine. These dictate both the character's Super Gauge system, and special techniques, such as dashes, running, and guard cancels, called "Subsystems." There are six in total, each designated with a letter, along with custom grooves that can be programmed in home versions of the game. Each player designates prior to the match which groove his or her team will use.

Capcom side

Characters are listed in alphabetical order, along with the corresponding game they debuted in

Development and release

Because Capcom vs. SNK 2 features a roster composed of characters from numerous games and hardware eras, the appearances of several of Capcom's characters have been considered substandard in comparison to the newly drawn SNK characters. Instead of choosing to redraw its characters, Capcom took the approach of reusing old character sprites from previous games and inserting them in among the other characters. The result created a significant disparity, particularly in the case of characters like Morrigan Aensland, whose low-resolution sprite from the Darkstalkers games appears washed out and lacking in detail when compared to Capcom's newly drawn characters, such as Maki, Eagle, Ryu, Ken, and M. Bison. This has led to criticism of Capcom's art department. Just like the first game, the Dreamcast release of Capcom Vs. SNK 2 also links up to the Neo Geo Pocket Color and SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash using the Neo Geo Pocket Color link cable. Doing so will enable the player to unlock all the secrets on the Dreamcast game.

Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO

Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO is the same game but with minor changes in gameplay and the inclusion of an EO ("Easy Operation") system that allows the player to perform specific attacks by simply moving the right analog stick in a certain direction. Like all other home versions of the game, CvS2: EO also contains four bonus characters: Evil Ryu, Orochi Iori, Shin Akuma (Shin Gouki in Japan), and Ultimate Rugal (God Rugal in Japan), powered-up versions of four regular characters. Shin Akuma and Ultimate Rugal are the boss fighters, and display tactics typical of bosses from SNK Playmore's fighting games. However, the damage taken by Shin Akuma and Ultimate Rugal is increased to balance their above-average speed and special attacks.

Before selecting a team, the game offers a selection of "Grooves", which change the way the game is played, as well as "AC-ism" or "GC-ism" Grooves; GC-ism simplifies the control scheme, originally designed for the GameCube gamepad. In the Xbox version it is called EO-ism. Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO also removed the Roll Cancel glitch that was in the original versions. In addition, the Xbox version of CvS2: EO also included online play for up to two players on Xbox Live as well as progressive-scan (480p) support, which was noticeably absent in the PlayStation 2 version.

Reviews

The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of Capcom vs. SNK 2 received "favorable" reviews, while the GameCube version received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. While the game is virtually identical across all four consoles, the GameCube version received lower review scores due to the native control scheme of the GameCube controller, not designed for traditional fighting games. AllGame gave the PS2 version a score of three stars out of five, saying, "Those who haven't played a fighting game in a long time might also be impressed, but the weak visuals will be a major turnoff for the average gamer." In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 35 out of 40 for the Dreamcast and PS2 versions, and 31 out of 40 for the GameCube version.

In 2010, Marissa Meli of UGO.com listed Capcom vs. SNK 2 among the top 25 fighting games of all time. In 2011, Peter Rubin of Complex ranked it as the 11th best fighting game of all time. In 2012, Lucas Sullivan of GamesRadar included it among the little-known classic fighting games that deserve HD remakes, adding that "every fighting game fan needs to play CvS2 at least once". Rich Knight and Gus Turner of Complex ranked it as the fourth best 2D fighting game of all time in 2013.