Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium

The Good
Talk about wow!

Straight from the arcade machines in the big casinos (forgive me, I live in NeVAda), this game is something.

Since I have my Dreamcast going through a hi-res Apple Cinema Display via the VGA box (it's the G3 version of the Display, not the new one) and a 5.1 Creative Labs speaker system, this game ROCKS!

One the Apple monitor, the graphics have a truly surreal look about 'em. The backgrounds are all in full 3-D and the foreground isn't, but that's totally awesome, because it gives it a Viewmaster look, and that works for this game.

The sound thumps and is real top-notch. Capcom did perfection there with QSound and the music. Sometimes I just mess around with the sound test.

Okay, after playing it for a long time, on this version, I just used a GameShark CDX to get the extras. I did not do this on GameCube or PS2 or MAME (yes, MAME, and it runs lousy, too!), this is the only version I used a GameShark on. And I don't even know what the extras are.

The controls are tight and -ISMs are excellent.

My team consists of Akuma, Evil Ryu, Shin Akuma. Aren't I a dillweed for doing that? My friends hate me for it, because I'm invincible, and when they finally kill Akuma, Evil Ryu with all of the same powers steps up and drives me even nuttier! HA!

Bison is also back to his Raul Julia self and not a big, fat cartoon.

But the sheer number of characters are great. Too bad more didn't make the cut.

The Bad
Too bad more SNK and Capcom characters didn't make the cut. I mean, it is a GD-ROM after all, holding 1.2 GB max. disc space. Echlon, the pirates, told me it's only like 400 MB. With everything. 400 MB? WTF? Think about all of the extras and extra characters that could've been held!

Now, while I enjoy the "Viewmaster" style on my Apple monitor, Capcom left the foreground at 320x240 at 256 colors. ON A DREAMCAST?! WTF?! No, that's wrong! They're all pixels! Everybody!

The matches are too easy (even on hard) and there's not enough matches. Boo! I want like 25 matches of 3-on-3 KOF style fights!

And not enough people from Samurai Shodown. Also, what happened to the World Heroes and why aren't they here?

Also, though background polygons needed a good once-over in the smoothness department.

The Bottom Line
God Himself devined Capcom to make this game. Despite my personal gripes, it is perfection. Since it BODYSLAMMED the fighting game scene in 2001, not 2-D game has even come close to this. None!

But that's also the price it pays, and it's over for 2-D fighters, except SNK's addict games (meaning an addict like me will buy these mediocre sequels/prequels to satify myself). The sequel to this game, SVC Chaos, isn't even half the game this game is. If I had to be stuck in a room with just one fighting game forever, this is it.