SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium review by Sashimi X

If you're a diehard fan of Capcom or SNK fighters, this game definitely has something for everyone! While not every character from every Capcom and SNK game are playable (come on, they gotta leave room for sequels!), there's quite a round up and everyone should be able to find at least one player they should enjoy.

The cast of characters includes (*takes a deep breath*):

=Capcom=
Ryu, Ken, Chun Li, Felicia, Morrigan, Zangief, Dan, Sakura, and Guile

=SNK=
Iori, Ryo, Kyo, Leona, Athena, Haohmaru, Nakoruru, Terry, and Mai.

Also, each team has four more hidden characters that are unlocked by beating the tournament mode (story mode, if you will). They are (in the order you receive them):

=Capcom=
Akuma, B.B. Hood, M. Bison, and Evil Ryu

=SNK=
Yuri, Akari, Geese, and Orochi Iori

**Guest Appearances**
=Capcom=
Karin (she's the manager for the Capcom team in Olympic mode) Arthur (Ghouls & Ghosts; he stars in the Olympic mini-game) Sagat (he's featured in one of the pictures when you view records)

=SNK=
Rimururu (she's the manager for the SNK team in Olympic mode) Marlo (the guy from Metal Slug; he stars in the Olympic mini-game) Jubei (he stars in the Olympic mini-game) Billy (he appears throughout the Tournament mode, but does not appear to fight; well, he always gets his butt kicked in by someone... ^_^)

That's all I can think of at this very moment; if I come across more, I'll be sure to update the lists and post it on my webpage or something.

Okay, I'll briefly go over gameplay and everything else about this game:

Gameplay - 10
Well, not much needs to be said here because regardless of which character you pick, they play the exact same as they would in their game of origin; Ryu plays like he does in SF, Haohmaru plays like he does in SS, etc. Combos seem intact, though you lose a lot with the SF and Capcom characters because you do not have the full 6-button layout (only 4). 2-in-1's, chain combos, they all make an appearance in the game. Basically, this is your typical SNK / Capcom fighter only you have both at once. =) There are three fighting styles to choose from: the first is basically the average of the other two, the second style is more defensive where you can do a variety of counter moves and attacks, the third is pure offense with chain combos and offensive bonuses.

As a side note, MotM seems to lean more towards the Capcom style of fighting game mechanics. After re-playing King of Fighters: Round-2, I learned that the SNK characters play a lot differently in KoF: R-2 as opposed to MotM. This is not necessarily bad, unless you love the KoF style play mechanics, as it makes the game have a more "connected" feel between the different cast of characters.

Graphics - 10
Well, not like anything needs to be said about this since we're pretty much familiar with the graphical prowess of the NGPC, but just for safety's sake, I'll go over it. The graphics are simply gorgeous. From the opening intro (there are two: one for Capcom and one for SNK characters) to the in-game graphics to the endings, everything is beautiful! Some might worry about the Capcom fighters being drawn in the NGPC way, but they still retain their distinct moves, animations, and personalities [though I notice some win taunts are gone...or very rare as I have not seen Sakura's "dance" win...(;_;)]. Especially impressive are the backgrounds for the stages (in all modes). During the fights, you're presented with noon or night versions of some of the more memorable stages complete with animation (Krauser's German stage has to be seen with it's panning and flying birds intro; though I suspect those who have played Fatal Fury on the NGPC have already seen the background)!!! As for the Olympic mode mini-games, they feature gorgeous backgrounds full of color! I especially love the colors for the Arthur Olympic mini-game...

Control - 10
Well, I won't waste much time on this as the controls are spot on. Everything from fireball moves to combos are easily executed with the NGPC controls. One note, Zangief is a killer in SNK vs. Capcom: MotM!!! With the mini-joystick D-pad, his 360 and 720 moves are so damn easy to pull-off you can seriously wipe the floor with everyone! =D Hahaha

Sound / Music - 9
If you've played other fighting games on the NGPC, you know what to expect. Background music is present, sound effects do the job, but voice is absent (given a choice between having such fluid animation and voice, I'll take the animation... ^_^). No big deal as the animation and control will no doubt have you doing a double-take to realize how lovely the NGPC is compared to other handhelds...especially when it comes to fighting games!

Overall - 10
In the end, SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millenium is defininitely a game for any SNK / Capcom diehard fan to pick up! It's so awesome that if you pass this game up, you're a loser! ;p Just kidding... Seriously though, this is handheld fighting at its finest!!!