How would you define a hardcore gamer?  Maybe someone that can recite the entire dialog from a Final Fantasy game.  Maybe it’s a person that must always wear some type of gaming gear no matter where he or she goes.  For me the definition of a hardcore gamer I look no further than the SNK/Neo Geo faithful.  SNK has been around for several years but to me it wasn’t until SNK released the Neo Geo system that I began to realize just how “hardcore” gamers could get.

In case you’re not aware SNK released a home version of their Neo Geo arcade system in the early 90’s in America.  But this wasn’t just a home console system; the Neo Geo AVS was the same exact unit as its arcade counterpart.  So a gamer could go to an arcade to play an SNK game and then go to his/her favorite game store and purchase the same game.  The games were identical to the arcade versions as well because, once again, it was running on the same exact system.  But to me the biggest kicker was the price.  The Neo Geo AVS would cost close to $650.00, while the games could run $200.00 a piece.  To even think about playing the system and a game it was an investment of almost a $1000.00.

Something funny happened though, the systems did sell and the games sold as well.  In fact up until 2004 games were still being released for the Neo Geo AVS system.  But the games weren’t selling for $49.99, oh no.  Some of the games released would sell for over $200.00 (and that was a cheap Neo Geo AVS game).  The Neo Geo arcade system was still being produced and games were still being made for the arcade units.  So if a game was released for the arcade unit then a home version would almost certainly be released.  But even if a game wasn’t released for several months SNK/Neo Geo gamers were still purchase games and systems via trade shows or online.  Many of these gamers would purchase every game released for the Neo Geo, regardless of the price.  Hardcore!

One of the reasons why the Neo Geo system lasted as long as it did is because of fighting games.  In fact most people associate the SNK logo with 2D fighting games.  There have been numerous 2D fighting games released for the Neo Geo system since the arcade system was released in 1989.  In fact some of the Neo Geo games released are held in higher stature than the Street Fighter series by some hardcore gamers.  King of Fighters, Art of Fighting, Samurai Showdown (a.k.a. Samurai Spirits), Mark of the Wolves, and Fatal Fury are just a few of the fighting games released on the Neo Geo system.  Some gamers complained that Capcom milked the Street Fighter series to death but some gamers just couldn’t get enough of these games.  For every Street Fighter game released SNK would release another installment in their fighting game series. 

While most gamers were aware of the Street Fighter series other gamers were honing their skills on the King of Fighters series.  After so many versions of Street Fighter and SNK games the hardcore gaming world was shocked, stunned and full of joy when Capcom vs. SNK was announced.  Finally after several years gamers were now going to have the option to have Ryu vs. Ryo or Ken vs. Terry.  While the rest of the gaming world was fascinated with 3D graphics and special effects, the hardcore gamers were waiting for this type of game.  But believe it or not all of the “hardcore” SNK fans, you know the ones that spent $1000.00 buying the home version of the Neo Geo system, were happy.  The first Capcom vs. SNK game was to be developed not by SNK and Capcom but only by Capcom.  The hardest of the hardcore demanded a version developed by SNK and released for the Neo Geo system.  Well gamers had to wait for a long time but finally SNK did release SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom for the Neo Geo AVS system.  For some this is the game they have waited for and it’s hard for me to dispute anything more hardcore than having the game on the Neo Geo AVS system. 

But what about the rest of us that never purchased a Neo Geo system and don’t have the cash laying around to pay $300.00 for the game?  Well our prayers have been answered in the Xbox version of SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom.  For years it was hard for any system to compete with the Neo Geo in terms of handling some of the games released.  Even a system developed over 15 years ago could still out muscle some of the newer systems in terms of 2D games.  But with the Xbox version gamers get a game as close to perfect as possible without having to purchase a Neo Geo.  Heck, we even get a huge bonus with online play included with Xbox Live support. 

Almost all of the fighters you would expect (along with a few surprises) are included within the game.  Fighting fans should jump at the chance to give the game a try.  This is a true test of skills and patience with this game.  But it’s also a test to see which side is better, the SNK characters or the Capcom characters.  If you’ve always had it easy with Street Fighter then be prepared to see just how much you will need to practice when going against some of the SNK characters.  It’s also a great game to play to get acquainted with a series that you might not have played especially the SNK characters.  Some of the characters are amazing and offer a great chance to enjoy 2D fighting all over again.  Whether you’re a hardcore SNK/Capcom fan or just curious about fighting games, SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom is a great game that will have you screaming for more.

Gameplay 8.0 

For veterans of the Capcom vs. SNK series, SVC Chaos doesn’t offer anything radically new or different.  SNK vs. Capcom is the same game as Capcom vs. SNK but this time it’s developed by SNK.  Since both Capcom and SNK are kings of fighting games you get everything you would expect from a great fighter.  Tight controls, a large cast of characters, excellent combos, special moves, and many different types of gameplay modes are all included within the game.  Capcom faithful will have no problem pulling off all of their favorite moves with Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li, Sagat, etc.  The same is true for SNK fans, all of their favorite moves are intact within the game and there shouldn’t be a problem jumping into the game.

However a few changes had to be made in order to bring the SNK and Capcom worlds together.  One is the button layout.  The Street Fighter series always had 6 buttons to use during a match while SNK games were limited to four buttons.  But the Xbox controller has six buttons along with two shoulder buttons, so there had to be a change.  Capcom gamers will probably notice the biggest difference since the game is based on a 4-button layout instead of a six-button layout.  It’s not a big deal but I’ve heard some gamers crying foul because of this when the first Capcom vs. SNK game was released.  Hopefully by now everyone is aware of this change but if not, well now you know.  Also some of the moves by some of the characters have been changed, removed or redesigned in order to balance out the different cast of characters.  But this really isn’t a big deal unless you’ve become a Street Fighter or King of Fighters expert for the past 10 years.  If so then you’re probably already aware of the changes and you probably already bought the game for Neo Geo anyway. 

I did have a couple of issues that did hurt the gameplay score: the controller and the computer AI.  The Xbox controller is not suited for 2D fighting games such as this one.  I’m sure Microsoft probably never imagined the King of Fighters series coming to Xbox so the design of the controller doesn’t bode well for the gameplay.  The layout of the buttons had me hitting the wrong buttons several times in error because the buttons seem to lie over top of each other on the Xbox controller.  The other issue was with the AI, which was ruthless and sometimes cheap.  Every match seemed to play out the same way, the computer unleashes a large series of combos and moves that you have to block and then wait until you find an opening to attack.  Once you’re opening appears the computer then unleashes another series of combos and special attacks.  Repeat this cycle over and over again and this can cause severe frustration.  Now 2D fighting veterans will be aware of this and plan accordingly but new players will probably be frustrated right away. 

Graphics 8.2 

This is an excellent looking 2D fighter.  All of the characters look amazing with a ton of detail in every character.  All of the characters are animated beautifully and move flawlessly through out the stages.  All of the signature moves look the same regardless of which side chosen (SNK or Capcom).  Even some of the famous motions from the past (bouncy, bouncy) are included as well but just not overdone.  I did notice that the background/stage graphics were rather plain and missing the special effects seen in the Capcom vs. SNK series.  But since this is based on a 15-year-old arcade system I can understand why the backgrounds lack the detail of the characters. 

But there is one comment that I need to bring up to the Capcom faithful that haven’t played SNK vs. Capcom.  SNK made this game not Capcom so don’t expect the Capcom fighters to look the same as they have previously.  I would probably call the graphics for the Capcom fighters to be a mix between several different Street Fighter games.  The characters look similar to the early Street Fighter games but with an SNK flair to them.  For example Sagat looks similar to the original Street Fighter II than any other versions released.  He’s much skinner than the newest models that have been released over the past several years.  The Capcom fan boys might have a big problem with the way some of their favorite characters appear in this game. 

Sound 7.5 

The sound effects and music for the game come across loud and clear but lack the touch of some modern fighters.  This is old school fighting at its best and the sound effects reflect this as well.  Now you don’t get a hard rock sound track like another popular 2D fighter, instead of you hear sound effects and music that set the tone and atmosphere for the game.  The voices and sound effects of the punches and strikes are heard more often than the actual music in the game.  All of the voices in the game sounded like the Japanese versions instead of being re-recorded for the American release.  The sound effect and music fit the game but they’re not something that will impress everyone.

Difficulty Medium to Hard 

Gamers that grew up with the Playstation will be in for a rude awakening with SVC Chaos.  This game is intense and the computer will barely let up even when you lower the difficulty setting.  I found myself having to continue over and over again before I was able to beat just the 2^nd or 3^rd encounter.  It also seemed as if the computer would try and set you up for failure by having you face some of the hardest and toughest characters right away.  But practice makes perfect and if you have the patience and persistence to keep playing the game then the difficulty should slowly decrease for you.  Hardcore fighting fans will probably find the difficulty just right.

Concept 8.3 

Well if this was the first “VS.” game released in the Capcom/SNK series than I would rate the concept a 9 but this is technically the third in the series.  Now granted, this is the first series produced by SNK, it’s still the same game as the previous two versions of Capcom vs. SNK.  You have a set list of SNK characters and then you also have a list of Capcom characters.  It’s a dream match for fighting fans and it’s especially a wonderful dream for the SNK faithful.  The SNK version was several years in the making before finally being released but the same concept as in the previous Capcom version is still unchanged.  You beat the crap out of the computer and move on to the next battle. 

Now there are some nice features included within the game, one being the online mode and the other being the Color Edit mode.  Online fighting has been something in the works for years and while it’s still not perfect at least we get a chance to try it out.  The Color Edit mode is a nice feature that allows you to change the name and color of a character within the game.  Now you can change any of the characters you want and have them looking a particular way designed by you. 

Multiplayer 7.0 

This is a tough one to score since it all depends on something most gamers will have no control over, the internet.   The game is Xbox Live Compatible for you to compete online against other players. If you have a lightning fast internet connection and you’re playing against another player with a fast internet connection then the game plays almost identical to the offline version.  If your internet connection is running slow or is just downright slow, then you probably don’t want to even think about getting online with the game.  Most of the matches I had were lag free and played great.  But on occasion you will run into a match that has some lag and it ruins the game completely.  Playing a fighting game and having to wait until your character responds to the moves you want to perform is abysmal.  But the majority of the matches I played were fine and without any lag.  Another cool feature for the online mode is the ability to save a replay of the matches you have online.  Once you’ve saved the replay you can watch the match over again offline.  This was a really nice feature that can help you determine where you might have a hole in your strategy while fighting.  One big problem was not being able to replay someone you just fought.  After the match was over the game would put you back into the server to look for another match.  Why not give us the ability to play against the same person again?  But you can control who you fight against and only fight against players on your friends list.

Overall 7.8 

SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom is a dream come true for  SNK fans .  Finally being able to play as both SNK and Capcom characters in a fighting game is enough to please the majority of fighting fans everywhere.  But having this version designed by SNK is something that has been long overdue.  The tried and true gameplay, excellent controls, detailed graphics and online play add up to a great package for gamers.  However the difficulty and dated look of some of the graphics and sound effects  will have non-SNK fans looking elsewhere for their fighting fix.  But remember this, if you think you're a hardcore gamer just check out the Neo Geo and SNK fan sites to see just how high the bar has been raised by the Neo Geo fans.