One man's feeling of dread regarding SvC

I have dreamt of this game for years, like so many of you. When Capcom came out and essentially dropped the ball with CvS1, all I could do is gnash my teeth and wish that the real SNK would get a shot at creating the game and seeing how amazing Capcom fighters could be on the Neo hardware.

Now, the moment is at hand, and I'm not too excited about it.

Let's be 100% real here...SNK is DEAD.
No Shinkirou, no Kita, no Tonko, no tens of other unsung artists, musicians, and other programming folk who created the legendary body of work we worship on the Neo today. The people creating SvC:C are NOT the people who made Samurai Shodown 2, nor KoF'98, nor Last Blade 2, or Fatal Fury Special, or any other hallowed SNK classic. What we have here is a shell of the past, a revitalized 'SNK' in name only, who doesn't even have the decency to update some of the ancient-ass sprites for the SNK folk.

Is it too hard to ask for backgrounds that actually RELATE to the characters involved?
A fucking forest, some post-apocalyptic city, a power generator and a room with a big fuckin' crystal in the middle don't have jack shit to do with the great Capcom/SNK fighters I've played.
Even the worst BG in Third Strike, SSF2X or Alpha 3 owns the best pics we've seen thus far.
Don't get me started on the legion of shotos present in the fucking game either.

I know this will generate a shitstorm from the usual motley gang of Playmore apologists who like to hang on to the fantasy that the real SNK is alive and well, but I don't give a fuck.
This is my take on this game and I'm pretty damned sure I am NOT alone. My friend Sebastian, who lives in California and was a devout worshipper of some of the finest SNK classics ever (as well as being a nationally-known tournament caliber player) dumped a bunch of time on this game and had nothing but horror stories for me. Shoddy collisions, ridiculously easy crossups and sloppy combos and some really stupid occurences (like basic low attacks canceling FIREBALLS) have me really wanting to try this thing before forking out a load of cash for a game that is bound to have a 'fixed' sequel in about a year.

Then again, I am a gamer, first and foremost.

You should really try the game out for yourself before making such harsh judgements. I got my chance yesterday for the first time and I was completely blown away by how good it has turned out.

Let's just say that my pre-order will be going in as soon as preorders open.

Freelancer:
You should really try the game out for yourself before making such harsh judgements. I got my chance yesterday for the first time and I was completely blown away by how good it has turned out.

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I second that. I was getting tired of people trashing it long before it was out, and even when it came out, people are ready to smash the hell out of it before they play it. When I got my hands on it, though, and watched a LOT of gameplay firsthand, I was happy with what I saw. I'm excited to get some more play time in before I make a final judgement, but I like the game so far.

Dude, I've played the game for a rather decent amount of time and I can tell you this:

The game is good!

At first I was apprehensive about my enthusiasm for the game, I went out and ordered a home cart system just for this game, and I've been waiting to just send my money in for the pre-order.

Started having some second thoughts and if the game turned out to be crappy I was going to be pissed. Now that I've played it, I'm so PSYCHED for October it's not even funny.

I even had some of my friends with me who were die hard Capcom diehards and had them litterally say "I'm officially a SNK fan now".

It plays great, it looks great, it sounds great.

YES the SNK sprites could have gotten re-done. The only one that I saw from KOF that had something re-done was Terry for his standing animation, and then there's the Kim 2k2 sprite.

Yeah yeah, bitch all you want. I still think it looks good, even if it is from KOF. Yeah, for all my GGX2/SF3 graphical praise, I'm telling you now: This game looks damn good, Loopz.

It's one of those things where I see it and I actually thought to myself: "When the PS2 port comes out, if people bitch about the graphics I'm going to hurt them."

It has no resolution, no super animations, but it still looks GOOD. And not like "just OK good" but I can tell you that I look at the game and I'm just like "wow".

Yes it does make you sad to look at this and wonder why they haven't updated the SNK side to look as nice as the Capcom one, but IT CAN BE DONE! I think that in time they will be doing this, I just hope.

But that's the graphics and lets face it, they mean little to people who want to PLAY the game.

It's good, VERY good.

It's not extra slow or too old school, it's a really nice mix. All the characters look to have something to them and it's just damn fun. The roster, IMO is great, and well I had a friggin BLAST playing the game.

I had my Capcom headed buddies with me, and THEY had a blast playing the game.

There was a large crowd of people at ALL TIMES behind the line to play just watching the matches. It was awesome.

Think of it this way: If it wasn't a good game then why was it getting so much attention?

I like the idea that SNK is dead so good games can't be made now. Enzo ferrari died in the 80's, does it means that the 360 modena, the enzo and the 575 M are piece of trash? no, because men tried their best to continue the ferrari spirit.

Maybe I've just grown out of games; but I feel its stupid to make such a ruckus out of one.

I think the game looks great; I like the stagnant and isolated feeling of the backgrounds. I like the characters chosen for the game. I love the music. Who fucking cares though?

Nostalgia poisons the present, Loopz.
Perhaps you should stop looking for a repeat of the glory from your past and just think of it as a game---a temporary distraction from reality. A passtime.

<small>[ August 12, 2003, 07:05 AM: Message edited by: Kid Aphex ]</small>

Loopz, some of the things you wrote sound familiar.

In the first less blurry bunch of SvCC vids I noticed a lot of same-ol', the rotten old Iori combos, A or B poking, then qcb+P x3, etc., and other well-known stuff that we have seen time and time again. I didn't know that about the fireballs, sounds like the AoF2 projectile repell (which I thought sucked anyway, at least if you're a projectile user... ), but anyway, if it's true it would be a weird addition to a more or less modern 2D fighter.

Well... again, I haven't played the game yet so perhaps we're all totally wrong and it will be very good. Basically, there's no sense in judging a game before you have played it, but on the other hand, there's no need to get overly excited about any new Neo game and flame ppl who have problems trusting a vg company that hasn't delivered a real killer app yet.

I think the backgrounds were really more of a conscious reflection of the "typical" backgrounds SNK or Capcom had offered.

The generator room is like the boss level from KoF 99.

The Church is like the boss level from KoF 2000.

The forest is like the boss level from SFA3.

The apocalyptic stage is like the boss level in KoF 96.

As for the game, it's not imperative you buy it. I can't sell it to you. Simply wait for one of the arcades or a friend to get it and then give it a whirl.

After playing it myself, I already know that I'm buying it. Some of the Capcom characters have never looked better. Not even in SF3.

Some of the Bgs are really good while some are bland.And some of those hidden fighters are worth to play especially Geese, O.iori and demitri.
The Capcom cast are really well animated and some of the SNK cast are also well animated.As for the gameplay, i think it is pretty good.I like some of the new gameplay features such as the front guard cancel step(tapf,f while blocking) and the quick guard cancel step(tap BC after blocking).They open a window of opportunity for counter attacks.
I still haven't play the game a lot to really explore it so i won't judge it till then but i find it pretty good so far.

Actually, the game does seem pretty well put together. Though only time will tell in seeing how truly solid it is. It's looking good, and even the redone KOF characters look quite nice. You also see the old ones doing stuff they never did before, which also looks snazzy. The backgrounds do kind of make sense, though. Typically SNK never tried simply to impress with the backgrounds, they always sacrificed whatever background content they had for story. So in continuing with that pattern, it's safe to assume that these backgrounds also tell a story. (Since I hear they actually did make a story for this one. Even if it really can't be counted as canon.) Just like the KOFs. Pretty much all the KOFs. The backgrounds told a story more so than trying to be eye candy. Outside of Dream matches.

There's probably a good reason the backgrounds are devoid of life (that is, other living things). Things are probably situated in such a way that nobody alive is around. Given the look of the backgrounds (nearly all looking like they either went through some apocalypse or explained by some transdimensional universe idea seen in some anime).

the music for the forest stage is fucking PHAT

Dude, I've played the game for a rather decent amount of time and I can tell you this:

The game is good!

At first I was apprehensive about my enthusiasm for the game, I went out and ordered a home cart system just for this game, and I've been waiting to just send my money in for the pre-order.

Started having some second thoughts and if the game turned out to be crappy I was going to be pissed. Now that I've played it, I'm so PSYCHED for October it's not even funny.

I even had some of my friends with me who were die hard Capcom diehards and had them litterally say "I'm officially a SNK fan now".

It plays great, it looks great, it sounds great.

YES the SNK sprites could have gotten re-done. The only one that I saw from KOF that had something re-done was Terry for his standing animation, and then there's the Kim 2k2 sprite.

Yeah yeah, bitch all you want. I still think it looks good, even if it is from KOF. Yeah, for all my GGX2/SF3 graphical praise, I'm telling you now: This game looks damn good, Loopz.

It's one of those things where I see it and I actually thought to myself: "When the PS2 port comes out, if people bitch about the graphics I'm going to hurt them."

It has no resolution, no super animations, but it still looks GOOD. And not like "just OK good" but I can tell you that I look at the game and I'm just like "wow".

Yes it does make you sad to look at this and wonder why they haven't updated the SNK side to look as nice as the Capcom one, but IT CAN BE DONE! I think that in time they will be doing this, I just hope.

But that's the graphics and lets face it, they mean little to people who want to PLAY the game.

It's good, VERY good.

It's not extra slow or too old school, it's a really nice mix. All the characters look to have something to them and it's just damn fun. The roster, IMO is great, and well I had a friggin BLAST playing the game.

I had my Capcom headed buddies with me, and THEY had a blast playing the game.

There was a large crowd of people at ALL TIMES behind the line to play just watching the matches. It was awesome.

Think of it this way: If it wasn't a good game then why was it getting so much attention?

Click to expand...

OK, OK, I'll give it a shot. A close friend of mine is getting the game upon release, so I'll give it a whirl right away. It must be the slow, seductive call of the Bush/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz doctrines. It calls for me to deliver PREEMPTIVE STRIKES AGAINST GAMES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT SUCK.
I have proof that this game sports unbalanced gameplay, recycled sprites, as well as 500 tons of sarin in each and every cart. Supposedly Playmore also sought to buy yellowcake from Niger.
tickled

Loopz:

Dude, I've played the game for a rather decent amount of time and I can tell you this:

The game is good!

At first I was apprehensive about my enthusiasm for the game, I went out and ordered a home cart system just for this game, and I've been waiting to just send my money in for the pre-order.

Started having some second thoughts and if the game turned out to be crappy I was going to be pissed. Now that I've played it, I'm so PSYCHED for October it's not even funny.

I even had some of my friends with me who were die hard Capcom diehards and had them litterally say "I'm officially a SNK fan now".

It plays great, it looks great, it sounds great.

YES the SNK sprites could have gotten re-done. The only one that I saw from KOF that had something re-done was Terry for his standing animation, and then there's the Kim 2k2 sprite.

Yeah yeah, bitch all you want. I still think it looks good, even if it is from KOF. Yeah, for all my GGX2/SF3 graphical praise, I'm telling you now: This game looks damn good, Loopz.

It's one of those things where I see it and I actually thought to myself: "When the PS2 port comes out, if people bitch about the graphics I'm going to hurt them."

It has no resolution, no super animations, but it still looks GOOD. And not like "just OK good" but I can tell you that I look at the game and I'm just like "wow".

Yes it does make you sad to look at this and wonder why they haven't updated the SNK side to look as nice as the Capcom one, but IT CAN BE DONE! I think that in time they will be doing this, I just hope.

But that's the graphics and lets face it, they mean little to people who want to PLAY the game.

It's good, VERY good.

It's not extra slow or too old school, it's a really nice mix. All the characters look to have something to them and it's just damn fun. The roster, IMO is great, and well I had a friggin BLAST playing the game.

I had my Capcom headed buddies with me, and THEY had a blast playing the game.

There was a large crowd of people at ALL TIMES behind the line to play just watching the matches. It was awesome.

Think of it this way: If it wasn't a good game then why was it getting so much attention?

Click to expand...

OK, OK, I'll give it a shot. A close friend of mine is getting the game upon release, so I'll give it a whirl right away. It must be the slow, seductive call of the Bush/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz doctrines. It calls for me to deliver PREEMPTIVE STRIKES AGAINST GAMES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT SUCK.
I have proof that this game sports unbalanced gameplay, recycled sprites, as well as 500 tons of sarin in each and every cart. Supposedly Playmore also sought to buy yellowcake from Niger.
tickled

Click to expand...

I'd so comment on that but it'd spark a dumb political debate. Let us not ruin the sanctity of SvC shall we? wink

PS. It really is very very good. I even want to use Hugo now and I HATE throw characters. That's how damn good the game is!