Capcom is renowned for its pivotal fighting series, Street Fighter. While it may be the most famous, Capcom has put out some of the best fighters in history, and Capcom Fighting Collection 2 brings them together for fans to enjoy. Let’s be honest, few new players might look at this and want to dive in. We’re spoiled by the likes of Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6, and Tekken 8. What’s the point in playing older titles that might not hold up anymore when there’re so many modern fighters available?
Let’s be clear, the games in this collection hold great importance to how we got to where we are. They might not be as known, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be played. Capcom is and always will be the kings of combat. I’ve been fortunate enough to dive into the collection and try out a bunch of the classics. There’s a lot to learn. After all, getting to grips with a variety of mechanics from across some seminal games is a challenge. Then it’s picking a favourite, mastering their move set, and dominating the rest of the roster.
However, if you’re willing to spend time with Capcom Fighting Collection 2, there’s plenty of reward. Let’s start off with the jewel of the crown. Street Fighter Alpha 3. This ‘Upper’ version brings one of the best SF games to new players. It provides the opportunity to master three specific fighting styles with an epic roster of fighters. It is perhaps the most accessible and fun. Not only that, but its presentation is stunning and getting to play as Shin Akuma is always going to be a win in my eyes.
Both Capcom vs SNK and Capcom vs SNK 2 are also included in the collection. SNK might not be as known as Street Fighter, but it’s a dream come true for those who do know their Ryus from their Kyos. Building teams from both line-ups and diving into well-crafted move sets make these worth spending time with. Like every game I’ve seen in this collection so far, they welcome that nostalgia and sharpen the visuals of both characters and stages to make them just as relevant as they were back then right now.
Project Justice in one of the standouts for me. While the combat isn’t as strong as Alpha 3, it features a cool story. It also does something different to most Capcom fighters from over twenty years ago. Battling high schools with 3D visuals, featuring some nice visual novel-esque cutscenes help to make it stand out from the rest. It’s a diamond in the rough, but it is one that shines brightly, even if the tight controls of other games in the Capcom Fighting Collection 2 aren’t as featured here.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 isn’t perfect. Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein is probably its weakest. It’s highly unlikely you will spend that much time with this one. It doesn’t have the depth in combat as SFA3 or Capcom vs SNK, and the visuals aren’t as sharp as others. Still, it will give you an opportunity to see one of Capcom’s lesser known titles. It’s also a fresh approach to the typical stories seen on Earth. The style reminding me of some of the popular 80s space anime I loved so much.
The final game in the collection I can talk about is Power Stone 2. A game that feels like Super Smash Bros. took great inspiration from, Power Stone 2 is a fighter unlike any other featured in the mix. A four-player Battle Royale with a bunch of fun-looking characters makes you fight differently. You also think differently, and play in some great locations. It’s not going to be for everyone, but if you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone, Power Stone 2 is a pretty fun fighter that goes against the grain of traditional ideas.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is great so far. It might not be filled with gems, but the majority of so good. The presentation is excellent, with a Museum for you to check out artwork and music from the featured games. It requires patience to master the varying fighting styles. Thankfully, it allows you to tweak the difficulty and give you a chance to jump on-board without being outclassed from the beginning. I can’t wait to try them all out and give each one plenty of time to appreciate the work gone into the tweaked visuals and audio.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is coming to PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Switch, and Xbox Series S|X on May 15th.
