Suprisingly enough, Capcom's monster fighting game has done very well. While Darkstalkers 3 is a solid fighting game with tons of options, there's something about the character line up that doesn't sit right with me. It's good to see them using all manner of monsters of myth and legend, but some of them are just plain stupid. I mean, who would want to play as a big gumpy Yeti when they could be someone cool like Morrigan, Talbain, or Felicia. As I said before, there's a ton of options. You can change the music and schemes of the game, the backgrounds... heck, you can even edit the character's colors. Fast paced, fun, but goofy. That's Darkstalkers 3. Score: 6
This was my first trip into the world of Dead or Alive. I already had heard about it's selection of attractive female characters, but I waited until the Playstation 2 version of the second game came out before I gave it a shot. My impressions? Whoa. This is the most beautiful looking 3D fighting game I have ever seen. The characters are very smooth, as are their animations. Backgrounds are simply unbelievale, and the music is very nice too. My only complaint? The story mode is kind of lame, but can you name a fighting game that has an exceptional story mode? I think not. Score: 10
Squaresoft making a fighting game? No way! It's true. Ehrgeiz is an innovatinve 3D fighter that sports a nice selection of new characters as well as Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Vincent Valentine, Yuffie Kisaragi, and Sephiroth. Unlike most 3D fighting games, the players are given the ability to run anywhere in the level they want to. There, they can attack with special powers or set their opponents up for pretty nice combos. In addition, there's a mini-RPG, and a handful of interesting mini-games to try out. On the downside, Ehrgeiz suffers where most fighting games suffer... in the way of story and endings. However, it makes a decent attempt to have a story, but it just falls a little short. If nothing else, play this game just to be kick butt with Tifa. Score: 7
The third in a crazy crossover series of Marvel comics characters and Capcom game characters, this was actually a very fun game to play. Although the selection of characters is kind of limited, a few more variations can be unlocked. The downfall is that the extra partner you select only comes in for a short time to enhance your attacks, and you can't switch them with your current character at all, as you could in the arcade version. Despite this, Marvel vs. Capcom is a fun and flashy fighting game. Score: 7
One of the only reasons I bought a Dreamcast was to play Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Was it worth it? Yes! This game is excellent. It has a whopping fifty-six characters, including Jill Valentine from Resident Evil. Cool? Yes! Three-person teams, snapbacks, and insane combos that can reach into the hundreds of hits all combine to make this one of the craziest crossover games in the series. Score: 8
Every once in a while, a seriously innovative fighting game comes along. The last time I saw this happen was when I played Ehrgeiz. Power Stone takes Ehrgeiz to an entirely new level. Capcom was not lying when it said this was a 'go anywhere, do anything' fighting game. Just about every object in the environment can be picked up, thrown, or otherwise manipulated in order to cause some serious damage. That coupled with power ups, weapons, and collecting the three power stones in order to obtain super moves makes this one of the funnest fighters I've ever played! Score: 9
Rival Schools is a pretty wacky fighting game. It has a very large selection of characters, and on the Evolution disc, there are a great number of options including league battle, tournament, and watch mode. Even the characters themselves are wacky, most of which are based on common Japanese school stereotypes. The story is a little weak, in that a particular High School is using mind control and kidnapping to rule the country, but the fighting is pretty solid. Teaming up with your partner can unleash devestatingly powerful attacks, and if you find that one is now working, you can switch off to the other character between rounds. Score: 6
Street Fighter Alpha 3 is my favorite Street Fighter so far. The gameplay is the most solid that the series has offered, and it plays real tight. Three fighting styles are offered: X-ism (Simple), A-ism (Standard), and V-ism (Variable) all allow gamers to customize their playing abilities and the attacks they can draw from. Aside from the styles, there are a load of characters to choose from. All of the old classic characters are back, including Guile. (You just have to unlock him), as well as several new ones, like Cody from Final Fight, Karin, and R.Mika. The graphics are just plain beautiful, and most of the music is pretty hard hitting, ranging from rock tunes to techno... plus there's no re-mixes, a good or a bad thing. Score: 10
The very first game in the insane "versus series", it was really nice in the arcades, but it didn't translate over well to the Playstation. First of all, the quasi-two character team doesn't work too well, having your partner only come in for special attacks. Secondly, the load times are terrible! I'd advise anyone to turn the shortcut option on, as you may spend a while waiting for the character selection screen to even load. Graphically speaking, the backgrounds are very nice and colorful. The character animation is decent, and the music is mostly remixed tunes but nothing special. You'd do better to go for later in the series. Score: 5
