
	Platform Playstation 2 Genre Fighting Publisher Capcom Developer Capcom ESRB T (Teen) Released Q4 2004

- Crossovers between five Capcom fighting franchises - A very old school feel to the fighting mechanics, bringing with it a lot of nostalgia of older gamers - The game is inexpensive

- The roster of fighters is a little small - Visuals are middle of the road - So is the sound - Very few available game modes

Review: Guilty Gear X2 (Playstation 2) Review: Capcom vs SNK 2 (Playstation 2) Review: Guilty Gear X2 #Reload (Xbox) Review: Street Fighter II Anniversary Collection (PS2)
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Capcom Fighting Evolution

Score: 7.6/10

Usually when I have a run-in with nostalgia, it turns in to one big disappointment, as I learn the memories of whatever it is I thought I liked are far more fun than the actual object or hobby. That in mind, I went into this game with a touch of trepidation, fearing that my memories of old-school Capcom fighting games had been fogged by nostalgia, and it would turn out that the games weren’t nearly as fun as I thought. Thankfully, after playing through this game, I’m happy to say that it actually is very fun, and the old fashioned way of playing a fighting game, circa ten years ago, really hasn’t lost its touch.

Unlike a lot of games that depend on nostalgic sentiment in order to work, Capcom Fighting Evolution (CFE) actually works a little different, as it takes a quartet of fighters from a variety of different Capcom fighting game franchises (Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter III, Street Fighter II, Red Earth, and Darkstalkers). It works out pretty well, too, as it allows quite a bit of variety in play styles as players pick the two characters they want on their team. The only thing that is a tad disappointing about the character selection is that the roster for the game is a little small. There are only about 20 characters to choose from, and when compared to a number of other current fighting games, including other Capcom fighters, the number doesn’t look all that dazzling.

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The game handles nicely, in an old school manner, as while there is a decent capacity for combos, there isn’t the insanely high-powered juggling of opponents like one would find in more current fighting games. In CFE, controlling one’s on-screen character really does feel like falling through a time warp to almost ten years ago. For someone like myself, who was growing up right when Street Fighter II hit the arcades, this is a most welcome change. There’s a time and a place for 20-hit combos, but there’s also

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a yearning for the good ol’ days when things were a little more slow, and relaxed, and gamers could take the time to smell the roses, and we all walked to school uphill in the snow for two miles everyday… ahhh, good times…

While looking at the game, the visuals won’t exactly knock a person off their seat, but they get the job done. The characters look clear, there’s a fair amount happening in the background, and the frame rate stays steady. For a 2D game, the visuals are nice, but not top shelf like other more recent 2D fighters like the recent entries into the Guilty Gear series. The audio is about the same, with elements that are functional, but not terribly dazzling. The music is a standard mix of cheesy guitars, and the occasional bit of dance music that tries too hard, par for the course for a fighting game. All the while players are bombarded with grunts, shouts, and little phrases from their on-screen alter egos while progressing through the levels. It’s not spectacular, but it’s not awful either.

One area that is a bit lacking is the number of game modes available for players. There are only three modes to chose from in this game: arcade, versus, and practice. Even compared to the cavalcade of different modes that Capcom squeezed into their Dreamcast fighting games five years ago, the number of modes available in CFE is quite sparse.

Nonetheless, despite the various stripped-down elements of CFE, the game still only retails for about $30US, which is not too shabby. With this, players get a nice crossover fighter between a good number of Capcom franchises, very responsive control, and a deliciously nostalgic, old school game experience. That’s certainly quite nice for the price.

- Mr. Nash

(February 5, 2005)