Don’t be put off by the looks or the lazy new control method this is 2D fighting at its best
Anyway on the subject of controls, the new control method is completely rubbish, unless you are terrible at the game and just want to rack up stupidly high scores using a method that would clearly be classed as cheap, it takes all the skill out of the game and it makes it worse that this is the default control method, making the game seem like it was programmed for people with no previous experience of playing this type of beat-em-up before.
Ok the new Control method aside, this is one quality game, merging the two kings on 2D fighting games together for a second time, out have gone the 2D backdrops to be replaced with 3D ones, which is a very common thing with 2D beat-em-ups these days, and why not? As long as the character models don’t look too out of place it shouldn’t be that much of a problem. Which in all honesty in this it is, while the game is presented in very hi resolution menus and backgrounds the sprites are still the same one both Capcom and SNK have been using for years, and on 3D backgrounds these characters start to look very dated, but in the tick of the action you truly don’t notice, well I don’t at least.
If you only own a GCN and are looking for a decent beat-em-up I in all honesty don’t think you can go wrong with this, with it’s tried and tested gameplay, and huge array of choice in fighters to chose from there is plenty to see and do, it’s in no way a push over either, and if anything you will have to use the standard control method to truly beat the game on the later difficulty settings, and boss mode too, since it requires far more skill than simply bashing a button or moving an analog and simply pulling off the moves.
That’s not even mentioning the multiplayer, with the right people this is the most addictive game out there, and a great laugh, I would personally say it’s the best beat-em-up on the console but I love 2D beat-em-ups full stop and when it’s as good as this I am in heaven. Get it if your not one that cares about the look of your games but rather how well it plays and the challenge you are going to get out of it.