Capcom vs. SNK 2 is one of my favorite fighting games – nay, games in general – of all time. Characters from both companies are just a phenomenal fit for a crossover franchise, especially when you consider the fact SNK’s fighting division as a whole was founded by the creator of the Street Fighter franchise in the first place. For the most part, Capcom was the one responsible for making these titles. A game could feature 20+ King of Fighters characters, but it would 100% feel like a Street Fighter game at its core. The only time SNK made a crossover of their own with this premise was when they dropped SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, their Neo Geo-y take on the formula. Which is now available on the Switch, mind you.

To start things off, SVC Chaos is not trying to be as flashy or feature-filled as Capcom’s takes on the crossover. This is, by and large, a Neo Geo game, limited by the hindrances of that 1990 piece of hardware (yes, the Neo Geo is that old). As a result, the graphics are more pixelated. That doesn’t mean they’re bad. On the contrary, the addition of a few filters and an obvious resolution upscale have resulted in a game that looks quite good on both a large screen and the Switch on portable mode. No framerate issues, no hiccups, no nothing. It’s a bit darker than Capcom vs. SNK 2, but it’s well-animated and detailed.

Being originally a Neo Geo game, don’t expect a punchy soundtrack. It’s still pretty good, considering the limitations. The odd thing about SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos‘ sound department is that voice samples are way more modern than the 16-bit MIDI tunes which comprise the soundtrack. Some of them, in fact, are identical to the ones used in Capcom vs. SNK 2, most notably the Capcom characters. But you’re not here wanting to know if a Neo Geo remaster looks good or not. Code Mystics is behind this port, so it is as good as their take on The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match in that regard. You want to know if the game is fun, if it plays well, if its controls are tight. Well…

In this case, it’s kind of a mixed bag. The controls themselves are responsive. The problem comes from the joycons (or even the Hori controllers) just not feeling ideal as fighting game controllers, as to be expected. Being made by SNK, combos are usually more complex to pull off than if this were a port of a Capcom crossover. There are no shortcuts, for instance.

The problem is more on how pathetic the difficulty scaling is, and not in a good way. I don’t remember the last time I have played a fighting game with a more frustrating enemy AI. They are prone to spamming projectiles and not giving you any room to breathe and think, even on the absolute easiest level possible. This felt like I was playing an actual Neo Geo cabinet twenty years ago, but in the worst sense possible – I was playing an unfair quarter muncher just hellbent on annoying me and consuming my coins. Whilst I did apprecite the multiplayer options as well, the Switch community isn’t as populated as the PC or PS4 ones. I also like playing the Switch on-the-go, so I focused a lot on playing against the CPU. And I hated the unfair difficulty spikes.

Whilst I do appreciate the fact this former hidden gem is now available in more modern platforms, there was no need for SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos‘ CPU to be this unfairly broken, even at the easiest level options I could find. We have already paid an upfront price for the game, we don’t need to spend quarters on extra fight attempts. Give us some room to breathe. Well, at the least the multiplayer netcode is as good as expected, even if I didn’t spend that much time on it. As for the rest, it looks good, sounds decent enough, and it’s a great way to preserve a classic. I really like SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, but I wish it had been better adapted for our current gaming landscape.

Graphics: 8.0 Upscaled from the Neo Geo original. The visuals do hold up, and there are some decent filter options.	Gameplay: 7.0 The controls themselves are responsive. The problem comes from the joycons (or even the Hori controllers) just not feeling ideal as fighting game controllers.
Sound: 7.5 It’s a bit odd. The soundtrack is very 16-bit-ish, but voice samples sound like they were taken straight from the DVD-based Capcom vs. SNK 2, sounding way better and cleaner than the soundtrack.	Fun Factor: 6.5 Whilst I do appreciate the fact this former hidden gem is now available in more modern platforms, there was no need for the CPU to be this broken, even at the easiest level. We have already paid an upfront price for it, we don’t need to spend quarters on extra fight attempts! Well, at the least the multiplayer netcode is as good as expected.
Final Verdict: 7.0

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is available now on PS2, PS4, PC, Switch and the good ol’ Neo Geo.

Reviewed on Switch

A copy of SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos was provided by the publisher.