Let’s get this out of the way first: when people think of classic Capcom fighting games, Street Fighter is usually at the top of the list, but only Hyper Street Fighter II is included here. If you’re a Street Fighter die-hard, then you should be looking at 2018’s Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Instead, the Capcom Fighting Collection is a celebration of the Capcom fighters that time forgot.
The full Darkstalkers series is included, which means it is the first time that the sequels Vampire Hunter 2: Darkstalkers’ Revenge and Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire have ever been released outside of Japan. In addition to that, this is Red Earth‘s first-ever port from the arcades onto consoles, and even Cyberbots is having its first home console port outside of Japan. When it comes to Capcom fighting games, these are the prodigal sons, missing for decades, not just another repackage of games we’ve seen in collections a dozen times already.
Red Earth might be the most interesting of the bunch. Instead of being a traditional fighting game with a large roster of characters, this took the fighting game formula and turned it into an RPG. There are four distinct playable characters to choose from, and you’ll be taking on huge bosses. This feels more like the boss monsters you fight against in later Marvel VS. Capcom games than a 1v1 fight with a real opponent. But that’s no bad thing – it makes Red Earth stand out as unique among all of Capcom’s arcade games. Plus you can skip to the max level as long as you know the password. Thanks, internet!
For some players, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and Super Gem Fighter Minimix will take up more time than the other games combined. Super Puzzle Fighter is a classic color-matching game in the same vein as Puyo Pop. Super Gem Fighter Minimix takes the same chibi sprites and pits them against each other in actual combat, with heavily simplified Street Fighter controls and mechanics, combined with a gem collection system that makes it feel a bit closer to Super Smash Bros. than any other Street Fighter.
The rest of the games in the package are more traditional fighters, but that’s what we’re here for. Cyberbots is a bit closer to what we might expect, but still offers a unique take on mech combat. You’ll select a playable character, and then you’ll select one of three playable mechs, the combination you choose resulting in entirely different playstyles. The options can feel overwhelming at first, but once you settle into a mech and character combination you like, you’ll soon be dashing around the stage, poking at enemies, and executing command grabs. This is a solid, quick fighter which is pretty traditional once you get past the options.
The Darkstalkers series is where a lot of the action is, of course. The later games missed out on an arcade release outside of Japan before, and that’s probably down to health not regenerating after you win a round, leading to shorter games, and therefore less gameplay for your quarter when down at the arcade. That’s not a problem when you have infinite credits, and while the later Darkstalkers games are broadly similar, they each include unique characters and stages that make them worth visiting. If you’re playing some games locally with a friend, it’s worth having a go on each.
Hyper Street Fighter II is considered by some to be the definitive version of the fighting game that changed everything. While it doesn’t carry the same level of nostalgia that playing Street Fighter II on a SNES does, HSF2 does include gameplay modifiers that make it feel very similar to your favorite version of the game, and the version based on Super Street Fighter II Turbo even adds Akuma, just to make it even more appetizing. Fighting game fans will already have a dozen ways to play Street Fighter II, but if any version is missing, this is probably the one you need for your collection.
Away from the games, Capcom has given the Capcom Fighting Collection the same treatment as other recent arcade compilations. Some lovely original artwork, a catchy soundtrack for the menus, options to play both English and Japanese versions of the games, if available, and a library of concept art for the hardcore fans to gawk at. Each game is emulated well, and there are several scanline filters and scaling options for people who want a pixel-perfect representation of the games.
If there’s a problem, it’s that there isn’t a definitive collection of Capcom arcade games. There will soon be two Capcom Arcade Stadium compilations, a Street Fighter collection, and now Capcom Fighting Collection. Heck, Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium is even due to feature both Hyper Street Fighter II and three of the Darkstalkers games from this collection. If you want access to all the Capcom arcade titles, you’ll need to buy them all, but you’ll quickly find a few of them entirely redundant unless you’re going back for a single game unplayable elsewhere. Capcom Fighting Collection is a solid package with great options, including precious online play, but Capcom’s arcade bundles are bringing the value of the games into question.
Written by Dave Aubrey on behalf of GLHF.
