Capcom’s biggest arcade hit of the 90s was undoubtedly Street Fighter 2, a game that produced numerous imitators and set the benchmark for what gamers around the world expected from fighting and arcade games for years to come. But as the Capcom Fighting Collection underlines, there’s far more to the Osaka-based devs arcade output that decade than Ken, Ryu et al. This new compendium is easily the most diverse and varied release of its kind so far from Capcom, and is packed to the brim full of arcade classics that each offer something slightly different.
The biggest presence in the Capcom Fighting Collection belongs to the Darkstalkers series, with five out of the ten games included from this franchise.
This IP is set within a gothic horror universe, and features fighters based on iconic literary or movie monsters.
What is fascinating about the Darkstalkers games included in the Capcom Fighting Collection is you can really see how the series progresses with each new entry.
While the debut entry in the series feels similar to Street Fighter 2, as the series progresses more and more mechanics are added that speed up the fighting and adds more depth to it.
Gameplay elements that debuted in the Darkstalkers series such as EX gauges, chain combos and air blocking went on to appear in future Capcom games like Street Fighter Alpha, and in turn helped to define the future of the iconic series.
While Darkstalkers takes up the most amount of room in the Capcom Fighting Collection, there is space for plenty of other titles.
It wouldn’t be a Capcom collection without a Street Fighter game, and this time around it’s Hyper Street Fighter 2 that makes an appearance.
Besides this mainline Street Fighter game, two spin-offs are also included – Street Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo and Super Gem Fighter Megamix (also known as Pocket Fighter).
The former is a Puyo Puyo and Tetris esque puzzle game which sees you take control of chibi Street Fighter who control falling blocks of coloured gems.
You have to link together gems of the same colour which can only be cleared from the grid when a matching Crash Gem falls.
If you love puzzle games you’ll have a lot of fun with it and it’s a nice diversion from the other games in the collection.
The cute, chibi Street Fighter characters that appear in this game once again make an appearance in Super Gem Fighter Megamix.
This is a fantastic fighting game where mini Street Fighter characters such as Ken, Ryu and Chun-Li battle it out.
You’ll be able to perform all the moves you know and love such as Ryu and Ken’s signature hadouken, but you’ll also be able to perform more quirky and humorous moves such as hitting your opponent in the face with a street sign.
Gems will also be dropped that help power up your character, while you can also pick up items from treasure chests as well as food that helps give you more health.
It’s a fast-paced and frantic fighter that is ridiculously fun to play.
Elsewhere, the Capcom Fighting Collection also includes two interesting games – Red Earth and Cyberbots.
Red Earth is available for the first time on home consoles and it’s a fascinating fighting game.
The Quest mode is unlike any other fighting game in this collection, with players battling against huge imposing foes in each round that are almost like a boss in their own right.
You’ll also be able to level up your fighter as the story goes on, and even perform fatalities.
While Cyberbots – which was included with the Capcom Home Arcade machine – is a mecha fighting game where players can take control of a wide range of robots and engage in anime-style battles with plenty of destruction.
Like with other games in this compendium, it offers something very different to what Capcom usually produces all the while still retaining the same fighting game DNA fans know and love.
Overall, the Capcom Fighting Collection shows that it doesn’t have to be a matter of quality over quantity.
This latest release offers a huge and diverse selection of games for fans of arcade gaming to delve into, that will be fun to play time and time again.
If Street Fighter 2 is the main thing you think of when it comes to Capcom and the 90s, then this new collection will open your eyes to some of the many hidden gems out there.
The Capcom Fighting Collection is the best release of its kind and is an essential purchase if you love fighting games.
VERDICT: 5/5