The early 2000s was a great decade to be a fan of 2D fighting games. During this period in time, both Capcom and SNK collaborated on a series of fighting games that finally merged two of the best franchises in gaming history – Street Fighter II and The King of Fighters.
Capcom, just like SNK, agreed to develop games independently of each other. What eventually culminated from Capcom’s half of the agreement was the hotly anticipated Capcom vs SNK: Millennium Fight 2000; Capcom vs SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro; and Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001. Unlike Capcom, developer SNK would go on to develop two fighting games under the Capcom vs SNK licensing agreement. The first game, SVC: Chaos (i.e. SNK vs Capcom: Chaos), was being developed for the company’s (then still popular) Neo-Geo MVS system, while a second game – SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium – was to be a portable Neo-Geo Pocket release. The latter would eventually release on the NG Pocket to the delight of fans, while the former would disappear into obscurity until the reforming of SNK under the ‘SNK-Playmore’ banner.
The Nintendo Switch release of SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium – like previous NG Pocket releases – is identical to its cartridge-based counterpart. The game itself is quite large for a NeoGeo Pocket game, as it includes 26 fighters (8 of which are unlockable) from SNK and Capcom. SNK’s roster includes fan favorites such as Terry Bogard, Kyo Kunsanagi, Iori Yagami and Mai Shiranui (among others), while Capcom’s roster includes iconic fighters like Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Morgan, to name just a few.
Gameplay utilizes game mechanics from The King of Fighters series. At the start of the game (before choosing any fighters), the player can select from the following game types – Single, Tag and Team. Single, as the name implies, is where individual fighters square off in standard versus matches like Street Fighter II. Tag involves two fighters in a ‘Tag Team’ environment with the same rules as ‘Single’. Team, on the other hand, is more like The King of Fighters; it involves a team of three fighters versus the CPU in 2 out 3 matches.
SNK VS Capcom plays as one might expect from a franchise of this caliber: the combo system is easy to handle, and the classic combos associated with fighters like Ken Masters (i.e. a jumping Strong Kick connected to a Hurricane Kick, then followed up by a Dragon Punch) can be executed with ease. Terry Bogard’s popular offensive combo – which involves a Jumping Strong Kick that’s connected by a ‘Crackshot’, and then finished with a ‘Power Dunk’ – is also present, to name just a few. Basically fans from both sides of the spectrum will find little fault with their favorite SNK and Capcom fighter(s). The in-game action is fierce and it challenges the player from start to finish. The end bosses – Bison and Geese Howard – are no slouches either.
Developer Code Mystic did a great job on emulating this classic fighter, especially where the button sensitivity for attacks are concerned. For example: Lightly tapping the A button will produce a weak punch, while tapping B button will execute a weak kick. In addition, pressing down on either A or B will result in a ‘strong punch’ or ‘strong kick’ respectively. Due to how flexible the controls are, it’s very easy for newcomers and veterans alike to pull off Super Moves like Terry Bogard’s ‘Power Gyser’ or Mai Shiranui’s ‘ Cho Hisatu Shinobi Bachi’, among others.
Despite the age of this title, SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium still has plenty of action and content packed into its small NG Pocket ‘Rom’ to entertain gamers of all ages, including newcomers who are unfamiliar with SNK; their line-up of games; and the Neo-Geo Pocket as a handheld console. For those already familiar with the game, think of SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium as a fun (if not brief) trip down memory lane.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Code Mystic
Publisher: SNK
ESRB: T (Teen)
Price: $7.99
Size: 164MB
Code Mystics Website: https://www.codemystics.com/games.shtml
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |   |
| Classic 16-color graphics. | |
| Sound | |
| Catchy chiptunes of fighter anthems. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Still challenging and fun to play. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Fighting game fans will enjoy SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium. | |
