
	Platform Xbox Genre Fighting Publisher SNK NeoGeo Developer SNK ESRB T (Teen) Released Q4 2004

- A crossover that makes complete sense - Lots of customization

- Xbox Live problems - Inexact collision detection - Crossover makes sense but the whole thing feels rushed

Review: DOA Ultimate (XB) Review: Guilty Gear X2 #Reload (XB) Review: Soul Calibur II (XB) Collectible Review: Morrigan (Darkstalkers)
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SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos

Score: 6.3 / 10

I wish there were more game crossovers. Can you envision a game that stars Master Chief and Gordon Freeman? Or what about Sonic and Mario? Other mediums have tried to make the crossover gimmick work – I remember reading a Spider-Man/Superman comic that even at 12 years old I thought was horrible – but there’s no guarantee of success. SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is an example of a series crossover that works: 34 character fighters from both SNK’s roster of fighters series and Capcom’s menagerie of characters are pitted against each other. It’s a concept that works so well because they weren’t that different to start

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with.

Having the two series in one game makes comparison every easy. By far SNK has taken more creative license with its fighters like the huge-nosed Mr. Karate, the mammoth Earthquake or the forever jiggling breasts of Mai Shiranui. (Seriously, they never stop moving.) That’s not to say Capcom is lacking in the creativity department, but I found myself sticking with the

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SNK roster because they held more interest for me.

By all accounts the control is very good, although there is some adjustment required to acclimatize to the stiff buttons of the Xbox controller. The signature moves of all the characters are here like Sagat’s Tiger Uppercut, Terry Bogard’s Power Wave and Guile’s Sonic Boom. Basically if you’ve been a long-time fan of either Fatal Fury or Street Fighter series, there’s zero learning curve (apart from performing counter moves).

Apart from problems with the collision detection, style and content are on par with what we’ve come to expect from both SNK and Capcom’s 2D fighters. The backgrounds and character animation are great and there are loads of fighting options. Arcade mode, Versus (only available for two players), Practice and Survival. Depending on how you set-up the myriad of tweakable details like AI difficulty and power gauge conditions the most challenging mode is Survival where you face a constant stream of fighters. The only energy boost received is between fights and is based on how you ended the match. (e.g. Win with a Super Special Move and restore ½ your energy).
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This mode separates the hardcore from the novice very quickly. Your only reward (besides bragging rights) for doing well is unlocking images for the defeated fighters in the Gallery.

If you don’t have a lot of fighter fan friends, Xbox Live is fully supported with matches and stat tracking. However, what should be a star feature is only a step above horrible. Finding an opponent is easy but once you’ve fought them – BOOM! – you’re in the lobby. There’s no rematch option as far as I can tell.

The last feature that I liked is the ability to repaint the characters. It doesn’t take the place of a full-blown Create-a-Fighter option but it does allow for some customization.

Fans of fighter genre should be all over this, as long as their standards aren't too high.

- Omni
(December 28, 2004)