Retro 101's Favourite Beat'em ups Part 3: Capcom, From Alpha to Vampire

Last time we looked at how Capcom used the Marvel license to create some of the most fun and chaotic fighting games of all time. This time around we are taking a look at the most famous fighting franchise in the world (minus certain very bad games), and Capcom's, often forgotten, other fighting series.

Street Fighter 2 Turbo

Street Fighter 2 is probably the most famous and important fighting game in the history of the industry. When it was converted to home systems for the first time it had an impact that only a handful of other games can come anywhere near to. Capcom struck gold with Street Fighter 2 and they have been bringing out new versions of it ever since.

Though there have been many different versions of the game with various differing features you will never find a better one than Street Fighter 2 Turbo on the Super Nintendo. The turbo edition allowed players to play as the four boss characters and also remixed and balanced the moves of classic combatants.

There is an argument as to if the Megadrive or SNES version of the game is better. For our money the Super Nintendo one wins hands down every time. Street Fighter 2 belongs on the Nintendo system and, fittingly, can be found very easily and cheaply in cartridge form or on the Wii Virtual Console. Whatever you do don't get the awful Live Arcade version though.

                                   Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix

After Street Fighter 2 came Super Street Fighter 2. The new version added a further five characters which comprised of the excellent Cammy, Akuma and Fei Long and the not so good Dee Jay and T Hawk. Once again classic characters had their move sets tweaked as well. However, it is a little unbalanced if you know how to exploit it.

Though the game is available in various forms on the SNES, Megadrive, PS2, Saturn and Dreamcast, the best version by far can be found on Xbox Live Arcade for the sum of 1200 points. Here you can play the classic version or the HD Remix version which makes certain moves easier to pull off on the awful 360 pad.

The Xbox 360 version really is worth a look as serious effort has been put into sprucing up the game. The new title screen music is worth the asking price on its own.

Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold/Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper

The Street Fighter Alpha series mixes characters from the Final Fight universe with classic street fighters. There are three main games in the series and numerous different versions of each with tweaks and the occasionally added character. The Alpha series also introduced numerous new techniques such as air blocking, countering and dash attacks.

Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold added Cammy into the mix and still holds up exceptionally well. There is something about it that just feels so right and the bright characters and backgrounds help give the game a real vibrancy. It is also the version of Alpha 2 that really got the balance of all the new features right.
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper is the final version of Alpha 3 and has an absolute mass of characters to choose from. Any version of Alpha 3 is worth playing but the added characters and slight balancing of features makes this the most tactical of all the Street Fighter games.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper is one of the most flawless fighting games you will ever come across and in a real high point of an already excellent franchise. It is also, arguably, our favourite Street Fighter game ever.

You can pick up Alpha 3 on the Playstation and Dreamcast but the best version (and best place to find Alpha 2 Gold), is on the PS2 Street Fighter Alpha Anthology. Here you get all the games along with Gem fighters. However, you will have to unlock Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper by reaching the boss in the normal Alpha 3 game first.

It also has to be said that there is an absolutely stunning version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper on the Game Boy Advance. A marvel to behold, it's unbelievable that the development team managed to squeeze everything into it. It looks amazing as well.

                                              Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

It took three re-workings but finally Capcom managed to make the game they were trying to. It's not really worth bothering with the first two versions of the game but 3rd Strike cannot be ignored. Characters are much bigger and the tactical elements have been refined down to a core handful. However, the one big addition is the new way of blocking.

Pushing towards your opponent just at the point they strike you will parry and leave them open for a counter attack. This creates a nerve shredding game of cat and mouse. If you want evidence of the chaos this can cause then look at one of the many videos around the net.

Many people don't get on with Street Fighter 3 and it is fairly easy to see why. Aside from a handful of characters everyone is new and unfamiliar. This means players have to learn new techniques. The character designs are also a little uninspiring and certainly not as iconic as many of the others in the series.

If you can overcome this, there is a solid and tactical fighter waiting to be found. Street Fighter 3 certainly has a little slower pace than some of the other games but it also has its own distinct personality.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is best played on the Dreamcast. It can be a little tricky to find and the game may set you back the price of a new title but it is well worth investing in if you are a Street Fighter fan. An excellent version is also available via Xbox Live and the Playstation network.

Super/Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter IV may be the new kid on the block but it is a master class in how to revitalise an old franchise. It's much more accessible to newcomers than the Alpha series or Street Fighter III and has had most of the complicated techniques from those games removed. Yet, it still has stupid amounts of depth and some new tricks of its own.

The new graphical style is jaw dropping and the rounds go at a breakneck speed. All the characters from the original Street Fighter 2 are included along with Cammy, Fei Long and Akuma from Super Street Fighter 2, Rose, Gen and Dan from Street Fighter Alpha 3 and several new characters.

All the characters, with the possible exception of Rose, feel right at home in their new surroundings. After you have got to grips with the style of the game and the pad it is simply impossible to put down. Add in a host of new games modes and superb online play and this really is one of the most essential games for years. The 'super' and 'arcade' versions of the game add more characters and moves for an even deeper experience.

Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000/Capcom vs. SNK 2

Not happy with Ryu and co mixing it up with the stars of the Marvel universe, Capcom also secured a deal to have them knocking ten bells out of SNK characters as well. Capcom vs. SNK 1 and 2 are very different games and both are worth a look as they use significantly different control schemes. The list of characters in each also varies widely.

Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000 uses the four button system found in most SNK beat'em fighters. Characters only have a light and heavy attack which makes for a much faster paced and less tactical game. This is fine as the vs. series has always been about arcade style fighting.

In this respect Capcom vs. SNK can't really be faulted. The music and sound effects do an amazing job of creating an adrenaline fuelled game and it is incredibly hard to put down. Fights don't last long but they are chaotic, full on and filled with pyrotechnics.

Capcom vs. SNK 2 uses the six button control scheme found in most Capcom fighting games. It also adds characters from the Samurai Shodown and the Last Blade universe and greatly expands the character roster. You can also choose a number of different special bars and styles to suit how you want to play.

The game is massively unbalanced though. Mixing just about every different game from the Capcom and SNK universe creates some characters that simply don't fit together. Furthermore, the SNK characters feel far more uncomfortable with six button controls than the Capcom ones do with four.

Though a touch uneven and messy Capcom vs. SNK 2 is still good fun and well worth picking up for fans. Capcom vs. SNK Millennium Fight 2000 is best found on the Dreamcast. Capcom vs. SNK 2 only made it to pal territories on the PS2 and can still be found if you keep your eyes open.

Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service

The Vampire Chronicle series, otherwise known as Dark Stalkers, basically takes the Street Fighter template and puts zombies, were-wolves and vampires in the place of Ryu and his fellow fighters. The games may not have the same sort of appeal as the main Street Fighter series but they are undoubtedly good fun and well put together.

The long running franchise culminated in this little oddity on the Dreamcast. Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service is basically a compilation of all the versions of all the characters from the series. This means that if you like a character in his incarnation in the second game of the series then you can pick that version. This idea was later used by Capcom for the Street Fighter 2 Hyper Fighting Anthology on the PS2.

Originally, the game let you play online using the Dreamcast's wonderfully innovative service. Obviously, that part of the game is now long gone but it remains a very special fighter in it's own right.

There are an awful lot of bad versions of various Vampire Chronicle games around. It's best to avoid the PSP game and anything on the Playstation. This means that you will either need to import a game for the Saturn (We recommend Vampire Saviour), or get hold of the exceedingly rare Dreamcast game which was only ever given away to members of Club Sega in Japan. An HD remake is set to appear very soon so it may be worth holding out for that.

Street Fighter IV Review (Xbox 360)

Street Fighter IV Review (Xbox 360)

It's been far too long since Capcom gave us another proper instalment of Street Fighter. While we love all the Capcom vs. Marvel/SNK games there is just something extra special about the series that revolutionised the fighting world.

This game moves away from the relatively hardcore aimed Street Fighter III and is clearly meant to get as many people as possible back into the fireball throwing groove. Gone are the quickly forgotten characters of before and in their place sit the far more iconic combatants from the original Street Fighter 2.

Capcom has also picked some of the best characters from the other Street Fighter games. Cammy, Akuma and Fei Long join from Super Street Fighter 2, Sakura, Dan, Rose and Gen are brought in from the Alpha series and several newcomers are added for good measure. All the characters, with the possible exception of Rose, fit the new look and style of the game perfectly.

It is clear right from the start that Capcom have put an awful lot of care and attention into this title. The opening cinematic of characters fighting in a whirl of inky lines and splashes of black on white sets a dramatic and beautiful scene. The new art style of the characters and stages is nothing short of breathtaking and helps to really give that extra level of personality and flair to the bouts.

Characters are also much more different than in some previous games. For example, all the characters that use the basic fireball, dragon punch and hurricane kick move set all pull the moves off at different angles and heights. This makes often ignored characters like Sakura and Dan absolutely devastating in the right hands.

Most of the techniques, such as air blocking and the different Alpha styles, of the previous games have been stripped away and replaced with new systems. The super moves remain and are now joined by an Ultra move which can be initiated when your character takes a certain amount of damage. These moves are spectacular to watch and can often swing a match back in your favour.

Standard special moves can also be powered up by using a section of your super move bar. Using this technique imaginatively can help rain blows down onto your opponent. The most technical addition is the introduction of focus attacks. These work by holding two buttons down to charge and then releasing. While charging the attack your fighter can absorb one hit. This means you can use the move to counter an unsuspecting opponent. As you play the game more you soon realise just how important this seemingly simple technique can be.

As well as the main arcade mode the home version now has a number of different challenges to pit your skills against. There are survival and time trial modes and a mode which teaches you about each characters move set and combos. They aren't amazing but it's nice to see them included all the same.

However, the big draw is the ability to go online and take on opponent from all the over the world. We are absolutely delighted to say that we had hardly any trouble with playing online. Games run smoothly and it is very rare to get lag even against opponents on relatively poor connections. Of course you do get the odd bad game but we only experienced this a few times in over a hundred matches.

As wonderful as Street Fighter IV is there are still a few imperfections. Seth, the final boss is one of the worst characters we have ever seen. We expect more from a Street Fighter game than a cheap character that is merely made up of moves from other people. He is also incredibly cheap. Furthermore, Rose just doesn't seem to fit in, She's a great character in Alpha but both her new design and how she plays seems out of place here. The only other minor gripe we have is that it may well take players a good few hours to really get into the feel of the game.

A few minor points aside Street Fighter IV is arguably the best game in the series history. Once you get into how it works and find a character that suits you, hours of your life will simply disappear. Even on the Xbox 360 pad moves are fairly easy to pull off and playing online is a joy. There is really no reason why every fight fan on the planet shouldn't own this game. It's a modern classic and one of few games we will look back on in years to come and get that feeling of nostalgia about.

9/10

Retro 101's Favourite Beat'em Ups Part 2 - Capcom gets the Marvel License

If any company knows how to make a decent beat'em up, its Capcom. Between the mid 90s and 2002 Capcom first held the rights to use Marvel super hero characters and decided to use them in games across a number of different platforms.Out of this came a number of excellent fighting games.

We here at Retro 101 are sick to death of only seeing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 paraded around in every magazine and on every internet site while the other games in the series go relatively unnoticed. That is why we are happy to redress the balance and present a feature on all six of the retro Marvel 2D beat'em ups.

X-Men: Children of the Atom

The first and generally most ignored of the five fighters is the sublime X-Men: Children of the Atom. The game was something of a benchmark at the time of release with its huge characters, massive destuctible stages and the introduction of technical elements that would become common place such as air blocks, tech hits and reversals.

There are eight characters to choose from, each of which is incredibly different from the other. Each of the combatants has a different style and requires a lot of practice to be effective with. Furthermore, each fighter is designed to act as a nemesis for one of the others. For instance, Wolverine has a really hard time taking down the Sentinel, while Omega Red will quickly take out Cyclops.

Children of the Atom is a difficult game and will certainly take some time to get used to. The old jump kick and sweep combination that many gamers are used too won't do much good here, as the characters move sets simply don't work like that. Once you get to grips with it all though, it soon becomes clear just how far ahead this game is from the rest of the crowd. Even now it retains a sense of being unique, and as such still has much to offer fight fans.

Marvel Super Heroes

After the technical showcase of the X-Men game came this much more frantic and over-the-top offering. Eight fighters are available, but now most of the X-Men characters have been replaced by the likes of Spiderman, Hulk and Captain America. The scenery is still big and impressive, though there is much less crumbling of floors.

Where as Children of the Atom was based around basic moves being used to parry and counter, this title relies far more on characters special powers. There is also a selection of magical gems that can be used to give your character a boost. It may be the less technical title, but it is arguably more fun due to the faster pace, softened difficulty level and screen busting moves. The two games are very different in there approach so there is no excuse not to add both to your collection.

X-Men vs. Street Fighter

So we come to the first time Capcom decided to mix its fighting franchises, and it proves a master stroke. By now all memories of the technical bouts found in Children of the Atom are long gone, replaced by taking some of finest characters from the two franchises and letting them bash the living hell out of each other in the most fun and stylish way possible.

X-Men vs. Street Fighter introduced Gambit and Rogue into the fight for the first time and also added the ability to tag in a partner. Players now pick two characters to take on two opponents with both having to be defeated in order to progress. The constant tagging, even faster pace and even bigger special moves produce a real spectacle.

However, the game is not without its faults. The most noticeably of these is that each of the characters has at least one infinite combo. We're sure that many a player has been reduced to tears by a merciless pro hitting them with string upon string of unstoppable, never ending attacks. As well as this there are a few balancing issues with certain super moves being far superior to others. Flaws aside though, X-Men vs. Street Fighter remains a fun experience.

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter

As you might expect, this second entry in Capcom's vs. series is quite similar to the first. The major difference is that now instead of the X-Men there are characters from the whole Marvel universe. Cyclops, Omega Red and Wolverine make it through but the others are replaced by Spidey and co. Fan favourite Iron Man is surprisingly dropped though.

While on the surface things may seem a little too similar there have also been a number of refinements and tweaks implemented. The infinite combo moves are now long gone and the game has undergone a rebalancing. This makes what could have been a somewhat lazy follow up become a decent streamlined and refined effort. There is also an extra boss character to be dealt with. It may seem like more of the same but it is still as fun as any of the other titles.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of the Super Heroes

The first Marvel vs. Capcom introduces characters from Capcom's back catalogue into the action such as Strider and Mega Man. The game remains two-on-two, though now a third character can be called upon to jump in with a special move. The super moves have once again been ramped up in style and are now much easier to execute.

Unfortunately, Marvel vs. Capcom is arguably the weakest of the six games. Some of the characters are wildly unbalanced and it can be hard to tell when your character is getting hit due to some weak impact sound effects. The game also has one of the most frustrating and cheap boss fights in history.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2

The final and most grand entry into the series, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 pulls out all the stops to create a frantic fighting game. The matches are now three-on-three and the roster has been boosted up to include fifty-six playable characters. All the fighters from the previous games are here, along with combatants from pretty much every other Capcom game.

Tagging and special moves are now even easier to execute with two buttons being used for just that purpose. Unfortunately, because of this, we lose the Capcom standard configuration of a light, medium and hard kick and punch. The four remaining buttons are assigned to light and hard attacks. This may take away some of the tactical approach but it certainly helps make the matches move along at a break neck speed.

This really is a classic game. Aside from a couple of the characters (well, aside from Cable), it's balanced nicely and will take you days to find your perfect combination of three. The only slight complaint is that the sound is once again a little weak with impacts being hard to distinguish and the music not really fitting with the action. But these are minor points.