SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters 2: Expand Edition review by Darius

I'm going to jump into this review assuming that whoever is reading this has at least played the original CFC. The name after all says everything: expanded edition. CFC2 is pretty much an extension of the original, so if you didn't like the first (freak!) it's very unlikely that you'll fall all over the sequel. For those who found CFC1 enjoyable, dare I say incredible, this updated version does have a lot to offer. With that in mind, I'll be assessing this game from the standpoint of a CFC fanatic.

Graphics
Like it's predecessor, CFC2 is not exactly a graphical tour de force. However, SNK has seen it fit to give the overall look of the game a big overhaul. The majority of the splendor is invested in the detailed artwork found on the games 424 cards. This time around the artists went for a decidedly less super deformed look and the majority of cards have received a complete face lift (only the AC cards from CFC1 remain unchanged). While I don't personally like some of the new portraits, they are decidedly in the minority with the rest being absolutely gorgeous. The battle animations from CFC1 also make a return with increased flash and flair. In addition to the standard attack hits the battle phase of play takes place against a background with neato parallax scrolling borders. Little touches to be sure, but nice ones.

Sound
This one is kind of a touchy area. While the sound effects in CFC2 are nothing special they certainly get the job done. I did, however, take issue with the music. Most of it is OK, and in fact some of it is taken directly from CFC1. The problem I found was that there is only something like 2-3 different background themes while playing against an opponent. It isn't that they are terrible, only repetitive with limited listening appeal. Unlike CFC1, by the time I finished story mode I was absolutely sick of the battle music. I now play in silence.

Presentation
Another interesting divergence from the original game. The first thing I noticed was that there is no intro demo before the title screen. The title screen itself is also quite bland with only the game's name against an orange background. Nothing dramatic, just kind of lacking artistically. The game is now played through a menu system from which you can access the different game modes. Story mode resembles the look of CFC1 the most with the player taking part in a limited version of the original's overworld scheme. You still roam around town looking for people to play cards with but your mobility within the individual areas is restricted to storyboards and option selecting not unlike a choose your own adventure RPG. Free battle mode allows you to confront any of the characters you have already met through the course of the story without having to wander back over to their location on the map. Other modes such as the trading shop, card recycle machine, and all of the link features are also accessed through the menus without having to run around town. The menus themselves, although completely in Japanese, are also not very difficult to decipher. This brings us to the in-game card menus that, thank goodness, have remained virtually unchanged from CFC1. Everything including the shortcut commands have gone untouched so those familiar with the original layout will be right at home. The only change really was an addition necessary to accommodate the game's new play mechanics.

Gameplay
Here is where the sequel really shines. In many respects the game play in CFC1 was very one sided. Once one player was winning it was very rare for the tide of battle to shift. Essentially there was an imbalance in the BP:SP ratio which favoured big bruiser power cards and rendered lower BP cards almost useless. It didn't help much that a lot of the CHA cards had no special abilities to warrant their use. During an attack, the defending player also had limited strategy options while the attacker could use AC cards beforehand and leave their opponent without any chance of survival. No longer! First and foremost the BP:SP ratio has finally been adjusted property such that weaker BP CHAs usually give more SP and vice versa. Now smaller BP CHAs play a greater role in overall game play. The second major addition is that some of the CHA abilities have been changed to weaken/augment the cards and create more diversity. Some cards that were powerful before have incredible handicaps now. Likewise, some cards that were worthless now have a new strategic use. Last and most importantly is the introduction of reaction (RE) cards. This new class of cards effectively increases the depth of strategy over that of CFC1 since a defending player is no longer limited to simply blocking. Used by a defending player during the attack, RE cards have similar effects to AC cards that include increasing BP/SP, changing # of cards in hand, to even KO'ing a CHA card outright! RE cards represent a nasty surprise for the offensive player who may find their previously unstoppable assault cut down to size.

Overall
Allow me a few moments to bitch. As much as I appreciate the option to play this game at all I'd be event more grateful if I could be doing so in a language I can read! Seriously, everything is in Japa-freakin-ese! This can make it very troublesome to figure out what some of the new/adjusted cards actually do. For this, I will never forgive Aruze. Fortunately almost immediately out of the gate the definitive CFC2 FAQ began being collaboratively written. Last time I checked the card list was almost complete so the language barrier should be no biggie. It wouldn't hurt however to bone up (tee hee!) on what a lot of the cards in CFC1 do since many have made the crossover unscathed. My minor gripes aside, CFC2 is most definitely the next (last?) big thing on the NGPC and should be immediately purchased by anyone who enjoyed the original. Newbies need not apply.