Thanks to its plethora of content, secret characters, and strong fighting game mechanics, SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium is the best NEO GEO Pocket Color game to be re-released on the Switch so far.
SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium
Developer: SNK
Price: $8
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review
I’ve reviewed quite a few of these NEO GEO Pocket classics, and they’re typically fun little fighters that have a good deal of content. SNK vs Capcom manages to tower above previous titles though, with its impressive amount of varied content and ambitious sprite-work. If you’re interested in grabbing only one NEO GEO Pocket fighter, make it this one.
Unlike previous titles like The Last Blade and Gals Fighters, SNK vs Capcom features characters from Capcom franchises in addition to classic SNK games. They’re primarily Street Fighter and Darkstalkers characters, but it’s fun to be able to set them against memorable SNK characters like Geese and Iori. There’s quite a good amount of variety in the playstyles of each character, so you’ll spend plenty of time clearing Arcade mode with each character without getting bored.
The gameplay of SNK vs Capcom can be pretty varied, as there are a few different styles you can play with. There are single matches, tag-team fighting, and different special move grooves to experiment with. Once you find a comfortable groove, SNK vs Capcom plays a lot like previous NEO GEO Pocket fighters. All the classic button inputs are required for special moves, with Capcom characters being a bit easier to play overall. You can fight through Arcade mode, which gives you some blessed cutscene dialogue and some fun goofy moments, making it worth going through more than a couple of times.
“The sprites are great at expressing the personality of each character despite the console limitations, which is impressive when you consider how many art styles a crossover fighter like this has to juggle.“
It’s not all fighting though, as there are minigames that do a nice job of diversifying SNK vs Capcom. These fun little minigames, presented in the Olympic mode, manage to mix things up with simple gameplay. These games also allow for further franchise representation, with Ghosts and Goblins and Metal Slug each getting some love through minigames. This helps it feel like a full crossover fighter, rather than a portable Street Fighter vs SNK-esque title. The emulation features like rewinding and swappable filters are great, as always, especially if you’re new to fighters like this.
Visually, SNK vs Capcom is quite impressive for a NEO GEO Pocket Color game. The stages are especially detailed, ranging from the particularly grand cathedral stage to the colorful underworld Darkstalkers stage. The sprites are great at expressing the personality of each character despite the console limitations, which is impressive when you consider how many art styles a crossover fighter like this has to juggle. Evil Ryu and Ryu are easy to tell apart because of their distinct animations, which is quite a feat on such a small console.
I also found the music to be a highlight of SNK vs Capcom, as the soundtrack is composed of quite a few fun remixes. Both Capcom and SNK music are represented nicely, as the simplistic sounds of the NEO GEO Pocket Color make for unique renderings of some iconic character themes.
The Final Word
SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium is the best NEO GEO Pocket fighter to be released on the Switch yet. There are lots of different characters, gameplay styles, and impressive visuals to enjoy, as well as unlockable characters to keep you playing for a while to come. If you can only get one of these fighters for now, I’d highly recommend you go with this one.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
