Of all the Neo Geo Pocket games to be ported to the Switch, Card Fighters Clash is arguably the most high profile and the most sought after. While many of the Pocket games are designed to be enjoyed in short bursts befitting of a handheld, Card Fighter Clash will likely see you lose hours of your life.
It’s a simple concept, you pick either the Capcom or SNK
version of the game to start your game and you are off in a Pokémon style
collecting cards and then using them in battle against other players. Handily,
both of the versions of the game are included in the switch port and you can
trade between them in order to create a complete collection of cards. Sadly,
the ability to play against other human players is incredibly limited as there
is no online mode which may limit the games appeal for some.
The single player campaign is enjoyable enough and the setup
is simple. Players are initially charged with winning six coins from six
locations around a small map. In each location you need to defeat three or four
players before challenging the area boss. Each player you defeat gives you more
cards to play with. Won cards are randomised so you can try and farm them if
you wish, though the rarer cards can only be gained from the best players or by
completing specific criteria. Once you have the six coins a few more areas open
up with ever increasingly complex decks of cards to play against.
The card battles themselves are deceptively complex. Battles
play on out on a table where players can lay a maximum of three cards down. When
played, cards add whatever special points they have to the players total and also
present a battle point value to attack and defend with. The special points then
allow for things like dual attacking and launching special abilities. Once cards
are down players can either attack with them or hold them back to defend. Once
an action has been taken the card in question is then frozen. This is important
as you have to weigh up how likely you are to be able to defend against
incoming attacks and if an all-out strike by your team is worth leaving yourself
defenceless for.
The key here is that you aren’t trying to eliminate all your
opponent’s cards but instead knock down their health bar. If they are unable to
block an incoming attack with a card the battle points value of the card will
be removed from their total. Once it reaches zero, they lose. The same goes for
you of course so the balance between attack and defence is key. The only
frustrating thing here is of course that there is always a certain random element
to how cards come out so some games can be lost very early on with little the
player can do about it. Of course, when you get hold of a few better cards to
add into your deck this also works the other way as you can destroy your opponent
very quickly if they start with a bad hand.
Overall, SNK Vs. Capcom: Card Fighter Clash is a welcome
addition to the Switch library. It’s perhaps the Neo Pocket Game that has aged
the least and remains the most relevant. It does take a few hours to really get
into but once you do, you’ll be losing hours of your life without realising it.
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