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Capcom Fighting Collection Review

Capcom Fighting Collection

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: Switch (Reviewed), Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $39.99 – Available Here

Overview

Capcom have been on a role lately with their re-releases, and now are looking to broaden their selection on platforms with some long-demanded titles. Capcom Fighting Collection brings together ten arcade romps to modern platforms with a bevy of features that fighting fans are sure to love. With all the Darkstalkers and other gems, is this hefty package worth the entry? Let’s find out. 

Story 

There are a lot of games within this compilation, but the true story here is that it features all five Darkstalkers titles. I’m sure a good lot of you are familiar with these titles that hit well over two decades ago, or maybe your main experience was with Marvel vs Capcom’s inclusion of Morrigan, Felicia, and others. Either way – this unique franchise lets players take control of fighters loosely based on classic cinematic monsters. Sure, there is a little story within each, but these titles came out at a time when fighting games were in a true revival. There were so many interesting concepts that could have never fit within any other genre at that time, and in my own opinion – Darkstalkers is kind of the poster child for that movement. All five have a nice evolution and their release here does a great job at celebrating not just them, but the genre itself. 

The other five titles are a bit more niche, but still worth a look due to their odd concepts. Red Earth is the next big draw, a title that has never seen a release outside of arcades. This title kind of has that Darkstalkers vibe, but with a theme revolving around medieval characters that all have over-the-top moves and personalities. Cyberbots is more of a mech-based fighting title, which is fine, and keeps with a similar art style outside of some oddly inserted early CG cutscenes and menus. Rounding out the lot is the Trio of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Super Gem Fighter Mini Max, and Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition. Sure, the Street Fighter selection is a little odd, but still fitting and a nice dose of more familiar fare for those who may still be new to the oddities in the overall package. 

Gameplay 

As far as the core experience, Capcom Fighting Collection have ported these over perfectly with very little issues. Darkstalkers still performs great and its sequels do as well, featuring the fast-paced mechanics with button layouts mapped out in an accessible manner for current platforms. I don’t think prior to this I have played any of the franchise outside of the original, so it was a lot of fun getting a bit of a history lesson with some top-notch gameplay. It’s also worth mentioning the other features that attempt to evolve the franchise, with Dark Force Meters coming into play in later titles, which basically creates a gauge for special attacks unique to all fighters. Two of these five are more reconstructed variants of prior titles, much like we see in the Street Fighter II timeline. If I had any qualms whatsoever with Darkstalkers in this collection, it would be that they all play close to the same and the mild changes are not too distinct outside of a few character changes. That said, the preservation is excellent, and most will love sinking their teeth into what is primarily the bulk of the set. 

Red Earth is an odd one, but certainly worth anyone’s time as its over-the-top roster is only half of what it has to offer. This fighter is a hybrid, as it features RPG mechanics where players can progressively level their characters, with a lot borrowed from side-scrolling titles like Dungeons and Dragons. Cyberbots is also rather interesting, featuring the ability to mix and match pieces of mechs to do battle. Sure, it doesn’t really get much deeper than that in terms of gameplay as it still has similar stylings to other titles previously mentioned, but it is nice to have it included regardless. Finally, we have Street Fighter offerings (well, mostly), with the first up being Super Gem Fighter Mini Max. This game features the chibi versions of characters from Puzzle Fighter and is an adorable offering that kind of offers the set a lighter tone. Hyper Street Fighter acts as an “ultimate” version of Street Fighter II, including all characters with brutal difficulty. It seems the Japanese version comes with a bit of a softer touch – but it is truly a fun way to re-experience the favorite. 

Rounding out the list is Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. Sure, it isn’t a fighting game in most ways as it borrows a lot from other gem matching competitive puzzle titles from the era, but it is fun as each player is represented by their chibi fighter, which does combat with the foe based on score and skill from the match. There is a lot to take in here, and I feel that the list is perfect for what’s included as most of these titles do not really feel like forced inclusions. Each feature both the English and Japanese releases – including names and language sets, which is sure to please those who want to see the games in the original states. There is also a great selection of filters, wallpapers, and of course unlimited credits, along with a museum of sorts that gives us more background and appreciation for every title included. Even though these are just ports of niche releases, I really don’t see how Capcom could have made it any better as there are so many options for the player and the rollback net code equates in some silky-smooth gameplay online – a rarity for the Switch (which this title was reviewed on) and honestly all other platforms as ports usually do not get this much thought with online functionality. 

Visuals

The visuals within Capcom Fighting Collection are clean and fluid, with animations still remaining crisp throughout. The filters also do a great job at offering options to these titles, with original 4 : 3 aspect ratios, and other neat choices that add grain or offer a look that almost matches arcade machines perfectly. Players can also choose a wallpaper or just leave the borders blank. I know that is an odd thing to compliment as it’s a given in most collections, but having black bars just adds more authenticity and pulls more focus into the main experience. 

Audio

The soundtracks of course are varied and excellent depending on your own tastes. While there were not a lot of updates to the sound quality (which will be hit or miss with some), most will have no problem digging these tunes and getting some serious nostalgia in the process. The voices are also able to be toggled between regions, which is also a nice touch. That said, I would like to see future collections include Jukeboxes that can run outside the mode – but alas, that is just a minor wish and not really any kind of flaw. 

Overall

Capcom Fighting Colleciton is easily one of the best compilations Capcom have released to date. There is a ton of fan service and excellent attention to detail that seems to be targeted at the very fans that have wanted to see these titles exist on consoles, and it’s great to see the efforts applied as you replay a very odd part of history. That said, this collection is not for everyone as it is literally a group of black sheep bundled into one package- so it may not hook those who are simply looking for a more modern fighter. Either way, for the price and the load of content, you can’t do much better than this, a collection that hopefully will introduce Darkstalkers and other gems to a brand-new audience. 

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Summary

Excellent
9
Capcom Fighting Collection brings more arcade fare back to consoles, delivering much demanded classics in a quality-packed release.
<i>Capcom Fighting Collection</i> brings more arcade fare back to consoles, delivering much demanded classics in a quality-packed release.Capcom Fighting Collection Review