A select few obscure games are the cherries on top
If you forgotthat Capcom announced another compilationa few months ago, I wouldn’t blame you. It feels like Sega and Capcom could subside on retro re-releases alone, given how heavily they dominated that era of gaming. But we were given access to aCapcom Fighting Collectionpreview edition, and things are looking up in terms of its adherence to preservation; and forDarkstalkersfans.
As a recap, here are the games included in theCapcom Fighting Collection:
It’s an eclectic mix, especially when you consider that five of the 10 games areDarkstalkersgames. As a package, you’ll get the 10 aforementioned games (which support online/offline play where available), a museum (of concept art and music tracks), and “fighter awards” (which are like achievements, seen below). In-combat options include a full movelist, controller customization, quick save/load, and the ability to change wallpapers (there’s three by default, and an option for none), display filters (seven and an option for none), and size (full, full 4:3, original, original 4:3, wide).
If I had to pick a favorite game overall, it would beSuper Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. The formula still works, and the “versus”Panel de Pon/Puyo Puyo-like setup is a genius way to keep puzzle games fresh. But my favoritechoiceto include in this compilation from Capcom itself is probablySuper Gem Fighter Mini Mix.Red Earthis another smooth pick that I’m going to be digging into in the coming weeks (and plays out more like a beat ’em up format than a fighting game, as you’re able to only select from four fighters, but more are technically in the game as bosses). It’s been fascinating to see Capcom trot this oldie outas recently as aTeppen(that Capcom card game) inclusion.
Super Gem Fighter Mini Mixis incredibly obscure, and was only released several times overseas on select platforms (arcade, PS1, PS2). I’ve only met a select few people who have even played it in its original form, and I consider myself one of the lucky ones. It’s a super weird chibi rendition of the Street Fighter formula, complete with a gem gimmick and insane specials like riding on animals and wielding weapons in combat. I’ve had a blast getting back into it, and it ended up being one of the highlights of the collection.
I’ll need more time to dig into these games on a more mechanical/technical level, but on paper, I’m fairly happy with the choices in theCapcom Fighting Collection: though it would have been nice to see even more included. Although this is a decidedly 2D collection, bringing back a game likePowerstonewould certainly turn more heads than a heap ofDarkstalkersgames and a few weird titles from Capcom’s past. Still, there’s plenty of merit to most of the games here, as their legacy holds to this day. Expect more thoughts in the future.
