It seemed for awhile that 3D beat 'em ups had got the upper hand on the 2D end of the genre. In the early ninties it was Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat ruling the roost, but after the arrival of Namco's Tekken series, it seemed like the knockout blow for Capcom and their famous fighting franchise had been delivered. But late on in the PlayStation's life, they have one final shot at the fighting crown. The Street Fighter crew have teamed up with that of SNK - another legendary producer of games in the genre, in one all-conquering brawl. The fighting is how you would expect - two-on-two battles usually between thirty and sixty seconds long. The moves are far more complex than Tekken, and therefore its much trickier to get into. However, it's incredibly satisfying after you perfect your technique for hours on end and then annihilate your opponent with a well-judged use of your Super-Special. Everything moves at a lightning-fast pace and the graphics are filled with colour and background detail. Perhaps the coolest feature of this classic beat 'em up is the ability to make a team of fighters with four points. Each fighter is worth between one and four, and so you can choose to have four weak fighters, one devestating boss or something in-between the two (Ryu and Ken at two points each are a personal favourite). There are so many combinations to try, so many combatants to master and then there is always the two player mode to keep things going even longer. It may not have a great deal of modes but Capcom have filled the game with nice touches - there are Capcom and SNK artwork interpretations of each character and extended play allows you to unlock a variety of bosses and EX-versions of normal characters. Also avaiable for the first time on PSOne since DarkStalkers 3 is a Colour Edit Mode, allowing you to change the colour of any fighter in minute detail and while this is a megre diversion, it is a nice little extra. You also get the chance to change the music to classic versions of Street Fighter 2! As with most games in Capcom's legacy the strength of its lifespan comes in attempting high-scores and battling with your mates, and this is no different. Plus you will never get thrashed by beginners like on Tekken! The range of characters and playing styles, the super graphics, the tweaked gameplay and the two-player mode make Capcom the PSOne beat 'em up champions again, only just beating off competition from Tekken 3 and Street Fighter Alpha 3. Marvellous and heartily recommended.
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