Capcom collects Power Stones

A pair of oft-overlooked Dreamcast brawlers are getting a second chance at life later this year in the form of a portable compilation. Capcom today announced Power Stone Collection for the PSP, a one-two punch of Power Stone and Power Stone 2. The game is set for a North American release in the fourth quarter of 2006.

The Power Stone series of 3D fighters eschewed the dense layers of strategy one might find in a franchise like Virtua Fighter in favor of a more frantic, lighthearted take on the genre. One of the series' big selling points was its array of interactive environments, which sought to deliver the simple thrill of beating people up with whatever furniture was at hand. For Power Stone 2, Capcom upped the chaos inherent to the series' fights by adding four-player melees to the mix.

Capcom is promising a number of enhancements and revisions for both games, starting with ad hoc wireless multiplayer battles using just one copy of the game. Both titles will also feature a number of new weapons and a new camera system designed with the PSP in mind; players will be able to toggle between wide, close, and midrange views of the action in the middle of a fight.

There are also a number of game-specific enhancements included. The original Power Stone's roster will be joined by the four new characters from Power Stone 2, and the game's interface has also been overhauled with redesigned health bars and arrows on the radar screen indicating the location of loose power stones. For Power Stone 2, Capcom is including an adventure mode that retains the original's item creation mechanic with several new items added to the mix, and a Bomber Battle minigame that wasn't included in the Dreamcast version of the game.

For more on Power Stone Collection, check out GameSpot's full coverage of Capcom's Gamers' Day event.