Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Masterpiece"

Street Fighter Alpha 2 & 3 are among my beat 'em up all-time favorites. Capcom vs. SNK 2 is a title pretty much in the vein of those two in terms of visuals and overall feel. Unlike its predecessor CvS2 relies on the classic three strength, six-button Capcom system of kicks and punches, which is also applied to the entire SNK cast. Similar to SF Alpha 3 you get to choose between different fighting styles called "Grooves". The selected "Groove" determines your team's "Super Gauge System" and special techniques.
Now, the character roster is where the meat and potatoes of this game's at. CvS2 lets you select three fighters per team and there are over 40 characters to choose from. Both Capcom and SNK afficionados won't feel that the selection leaves anything to be desired. Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, Morrigan, Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, Kyo... You name 'em, CvS2 has 'em. The huge quantity of fighters available makes for some legendary encounters and the developers made sure that both the Capcom and SNK characters are equally balanced. So while personal preferences may differ, there's still no way for hardcore followers of either franchise to showcase that one series is superior to the other. In fact CvS2 is actually a strong demonstration of why both franchises still remain on top of the game and it's amazing to witness the two former arch-enemies joining forces to create what's easily one of the best Dreamcast beat 'em ups.

While you could unlock so-called "EX" versions of each character in the series' first installment, allowing for different special moves, CvS2 omits the "EX" counterparts, making a bigger special move repertoire available to each fighter from the get-go. Unlike the GameCube and Xbox ports (titled "CvS2 EO"), which made for a slightly subprime experience thanks to having controllers that are less than ideal for fighting games, the Dreamcast controller's sturdy buttons and SNES-style D-pad are perfect for pulling off those Hadoukens, Sonic Booms and what have you.

There's a fair amount of unlockables for a brawler with its origins set in the arcade, such as "Boss Battle Mode", "Groove Edit Mode" and a few additional stages, but still, CvS2 doesn't offer a whole lot of longevity to solo players. More recent Capcom beat 'em ups like SF IV or Tatsunoko vs. Capcom offer content like art galleries or movies to be unlocked, but unfortunately these fan service cookies are not present in CvS2. But given the expansive roster, flawless gameplay and the addictive multiplayer you've come to expect from any Capcom brawler by now, these few omissions barely hurt the overall experience.

This is a Capcom game after all, so it doesn't come as a surprise that the graphics and art direction are great. The drawn characters are big, smoothly animated and the stages feature lively 3D backgrounds with a good amount of detail. The only downside is the partial inconsistency of visual quality between some of the characters. Apparently Capcom hasn't revised some of the models since SF Alpha 1 (e.g. Sagat) or the first Darkstalkers (e.g. Morrigan) and it looks weird to have them mixed with some of the more detailed characters.

If you are only remotely interested in Street Fighter or SNK beat 'em ups and own a Dreamcast, CvS2 is THE game to get. There are be prettier 2D brawlers out by now (BlazBlue, KoF XIII) and there are titles offering more content for solo players, but with its flawless gameplay and a huge selection of characters you've come to love within the last two decades, CvS2 is still the undisputed 2D brawler king when you're seeking for countless hours of multiplayer fun (unless, of course, you're a Marvel nut, then you might wanna pick Marvel vs. Capcom 2 over this one).
Because it plays best with the Dreamcast pad the Dreamcast one is the definite version of this game. But, it's become one of the rarer Dreamcast titles around and if you don't want to shell out 30 bucks or more, the PS2/Xbox versions are still an alternative and can be found slightly cheaper.