Are you "PRO" material?

Note: This is the enhanced Japanese version named "Capcom Vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro". This version, "Pro", is not available in America, this is a Japanese-only release. The "Pro" version a slightly enhanced version with every secret revealed including hidden modes, characters, and two new additional characters from each company's past, Dan Hibiki (Street Fighter Alpha) and Joe Higashi (Fatal Fury). Please note, this version and the U.S. version of the original Capcom Vs. SNK are identical in gameplay with minor differences.

Nearly a year after Capcom's release to pair up two of history's biggest fighting game companies, Capcom, and SNK. SNK, which has recently filed bankruptcy in Japan and America, has been taken over by Capcom and AgeTec (which distributes former SNK franchise games in America). Capcom, however, was granted these rights as SNK took it's final strides in Japan (late 2000, the round of their closing in Japan). Leading into an impressive fighting engine and superb character line-ups against each other in impressive 2-D landscapes made Capcom redesign their recent upraising hit to create a "true" version named "Pro". What does this version do that the original version doesn't?

GRAPHICS: A-
Although not much has been changed from the original Capcom Vs. SNK, one must emphesize on what Capcom has introduced into our gaming industry and the advancement of simple 2-D animation. Using a powerful 128-Bit piece of hardware, the Sega Dreamcast, Capcom is able to use Sega's brilliant NAOMI graphics engine to create a new look to an old concept. Generally, Capcom has made 2-D reach the next level with 3-D highly-detailed SNK-inspired backgrounds. What will they think of next?

Whatever side you're on, or the core reason for buying the game, Capcom and SNK's top artists have joined forces to design each side. Capcom has it's anime-style sketchy pencil-streak approach and SNK has it's computer-generated "real" looking approach. Capcom is the reason I bought the game, but Capcom's drawings are awful in this game. For instance, while the Capcom artists designed Mai Shiranui (an SNK female Ninja), it seems they've made her forehead too big. Or Terry Bogard, who looks like he rolled around in dirt. SNK, however, has done a beautiful job creating Capcom characters for the first time, even if some drawings look unusual. Take M.Bison (or known as Balrog in the U.S. Street Fighter titles) who looks like an 80's-movie boxer instead of his comical and sinister Capcom approach. Or Sagat's "happy-go-lucky" look over his Capcom (true) mean and mercellous grin. Although my opinions are arguable, Capcom missed it's mark, but SNK did a fine job.

Two newly created or "borrowed" characters consist of one new Capcom character and one new SNK character. Starting with Dan Hibiki, although Capcom recycled his body, they've re-designed his facial animation. As well as some of his moves have been re-made, Capcom designed Dan to still look rushed, and sloppy. He alomst looks like a cartoony-inspired characture. Joe Higashi from Fatal Fury looks the same, moves the same, except he's been completely re-done but that's that. As well as the other characters in Capcom Vs. SNK Pro, some have been re-designed, some Capcom still resemble their older looks from Street Fighter (Zero) Alpha. All of SNK's designs are freshly done, and look better than ever. The only real flaws are that most of the characters suffer from pixelation against the smooth backgrounds.

SOUND: B
Speaking from the original Capcom Vs. SNK, Capcom delivers a techno-pumped rockin' soundtrack. Some tracks in the game are really catchy, like Geese Howard's Japanese-sounding techno track or Vega's (M.Bison) armegeddon "countdown" track. I also find that some of the tracks in the game are actually uniquely mixed with like the "Town Square" level with empty "gunshells" dropping and strange "babbling" in the background. Overall, Capcom brings forth another winning soundtrack that's different from the others.

Now speaking from Capcom Vs. SNK Pro, the music has not been altered or changed from the original release. With previously locked arenas, one can now listen to the added arenas without having to go through all the trouble "trial and error" of getting Battle Points like in the original. The game offers some newer tracks, or most notably, a "classic" variation of replacing the "2000" inspired techno soundtrack which comes default in the game. The "classic" soundtrack features some memorable themes from previous Capcom and SNK games. One of my favorite tracks was the memorable "Street Fighter II: Champion Edition" theme played in the "crashed car " level or "Ryu's theme" from his level (the one with the fire and the Japanese-looking bridge). Some SNK tracks didn't ring a bell, but that's simply because I've never really played many SNK games before.

One core problem that really doesn't effect the game is the non-transulated introductions. Some of the characters who cross paths in conflict (like Sagat and Ryu, Terry and Ken, Rugal and Vice, etc) say some dialouge in what sounds like Japanese and sometimes doesn't. For instance, Sagat says a line that sounds poorly transulated English "try it and kicked" or Zangief who says "I am red to fight". It's hard to say if some are Japanese and some are not. One of my favorite openings is when Geese and Vega (M.Bison) meet or Vega and Rugal, some of the effects are nicely done. It would of been nice to see more transulations so U.S. players can understand (Now I'm talking about the original U.S. version, Capcom Vs. SNK).

CONTROL: A-
Too try and balance the game accordingly, Capcom has devised a system of balance. This balance voids certain characters to be chosen together to form a too weak, or too powerful team. Capcom calls this a "Ratio" system. You have four "slots" where you can choose one to four characters to make your match. To make it easy, the characters have been broken down into four segregated balances...

"RATIO 1" - This is the weakest selection of characters, flawed in power and miniscule in defense. The only "pro" or benefit is that one can choose four of these guys making a four-man team. The malbenefit is that a RATIO 3 or 4 character can literally slice through them like they were butter...

CAPCOM: Dhalsim, Blanka, Cammy, Sakura, and (PRO version only) Dan
SNK: Vice, Benimaru, King, Yuri, and (PRO version only) Joe

"RATIO 2" - Ratio 2 is the moderate, whilst not mediocre, the all-around based characters with average amounts of speed, agility, and power. These characters can equally stand up against any opponent and bare a fair chance. Most of each game's "flagship" fighters are from here... (M.Bison is known as Balrog in the U.S. and Morrigan is a Darkstalkers character who was previously hidden in the original. Nakururu is from Samurai Showdown, was also hidden in the original)

CAPCOM: Ryu, Ken, Guile, Chun-Li, Zangief, E.Honda, M.Bison, and Morrigan
SNK: Ryo, Iori, Kyo, Mai, Terry, Raiden, and Nakururu

"RATIO 3": I like to think of the short-casted Ratio 3 guys as the "upper-classed" boss fighters since they've all shared a higher power over the others. Vega (M.Bison in the U.S.) and his Shadaloo cohorts reside him while SNK's "master" fighters appear here. It's questionable why they couldn't add another SNK boss so Balrog (M.Bison in Japan) could enter the Ratio 3 line-up, it maybe would have made things complicated...

CAPCOM: Vega, Balrog, Sagat
SNK: Geese, Rugal, Yamazaki

"RATIO 4": The untouchables, or the "pyscho" category. These fighters all have one prime directive in common. They can literally "annihalate" any one, because of their overbearing power and defense, they are opposite of the ratio one characters. Select one of these one-man armies and watch them literally eliminate the ratio one characters in two or three powerful strikes. (In the original Capcom Vs. SNK, Ratio 4 was an all-hidden category of fighters, now they are unlocked, but they are so powerful, you can only have one character in your team) What would have been fitting is to add the "Omega/Orochi" Rugal, featured in previous King of Fighters games. But only one SNK Ratio 4 character?

CAPCOM: Evil Ryu, Gouki (Akuma)
SNK: Blood "Orochi" Iori

Maybe this isn't the easiest system of balance to understand, but you really need to play the game to understand it truly. On top of the Ratio balance system, it works so that one could never be too weak or too strong. Some characters are disappointingly redone, such as Joe, who only supports one "lame" super combo, with a couple lame moves, it makes me really feel sorry for SNK fanatics, but on the other hand Capcom's attempted SNK-mockery, Dan, is no prize either with pitiful "taunt" moves.

LASTING FACTOR: B-
Well now that everything's been done and unlocked, Capcom Vs. SNK Pro only requires you're enjoyment since there is absolutely nothing more to work for. Although this version is titled "Pro" it's basically for the "losers" who are too feeble to give it a good try. That is why I picked this version up, because I didn't want to spend months, if years, to get the hidden characters and modes. Basically, since this version is never coming to American shores, the import price tag is especially a great value of $37.75-$40 (most import shops carry it for around this price, this is allegedly the MSRP in Japan). It's a bummer that I purchased the original version last November 2000 and now I have this much better version now.

If you still want to know if this is worth purchasing, it still includes a plethora of extras including the now unlocked "Pair Mode" which is more of a "free ratio" mode where you can choose any two characters to go into action. It's unfair, but who cares, right? Alongside a "Color Edit" mode, where you can design and upload your custom colors/skins, Network Option, which I do not know how to use (Don't get too excited, it doesn't allow you to fight over SegaNet), Neo-Geo Pocket transfer modes, and Versus options. The game truly has ambition, which is why this is the best collection of 2-D fighting any fighting fan could want. Should you import? Maybe a question you should ask yourself depending how much of a fan you truly are.

NOTE: This is a Japanese version and requires a Gameshark CDX, or other import playable device to play Japanese games on your U.S. Dreamcast.