I remember a time when Capcom was failing miserably with each and every new release, most noticeably their fighting games. Back when they decided to charge $40 for an updated version of Street Fighter II for the Switch, the vanilla version of Street Fighter 5, and whatever the hell happened to Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, those days are long gone now. We now live in an era where it seems like Capcom simply doesn’t miss. Every single outing of theirs is a banger, from new Resident Evil and Monster Hunter games, to their fighting game compilations. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 out now, may not be their best so far, but man, is it amazing, and definitely the one I was looking forward to the most.

The reason is simple. It is the collection that features both Power Stone and Capcom vs. SNK 2, the latter being the fighting game I may have played the most in my entire life, back in the Gamecube days. But this collection isn’t running solely on nostalgia, don’t you worry. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is yet another collection comprised of amazing fighting games preserved to posterity. And one absolute garbage fire.

A masterpiece.

Let’s start off with the stars of the show. Capcom vs. SNK, and its sequel, are two of the best fighting games of all time, and this is no point of discussion. Some may have grown up playing them on arcade parlors, some may have enjoyed the Dreamcast port, but most have grown up playing the sequel, Capcom vs. SNK 2, on sixth-generation consoles, be it in a vanilla version or the EO (“Easy Operation”) versions, the first Capcom fighting games to actually feature shortcut commands for special attacks and ultras. It was a point of discussion back then, but it’s now a staple in most fighting games. If you want to be a pro baller, just shut them off. If you want to have fun and not care about balancing, EO it is.

I’ll mostly talk about Capcom vs. SNK 2 because, to be honest, the sequel makes the predecessor feel mostly irrelevant. I get that you need to add both games in the package, but Capcom vs. SNK 2 is what you’re gonna play. And boy, does the damn thing hold. Crisp controls, amazing visuals that have aged like a fine wine, one of the best fighting game soundtracks ever, and the addition of online multiplayer was an absolute treat for me. Granted, my experience with that title has always been on the Gamecube; I expect that this isn’t that impressive for those who used to play it on the original Xbox.

Power Stone is finally available on modern consoles!

The next batch of games is the Power Stone duo. Without a doubt, this is the game the general populace was the most hyped for. Power Stone has always been that seriously neglected Capcom franchise that was unfortunate enough to have been linked with a dead-on-arrival console, the Dreamcast. With the exception of a collection released on the PSP two decades ago, those games had never been re-released for a wider audience. Until now…

Power Stone is very different from other Capcom fighting games. It plays more akin to a wrestling game mixed with Super Smash Bros, as it’s completely three-dimensional, platforming based, and full of items for you to wield. They are a bit complicated to pick up at first, but once you get a hold of the gameplay, they are really hard to put down. There’s a reason why these two games are so revered, after all.

You can ignore this one. It’s crap.

Plasma Sword and Project Justice are two three-dimensional fighting games that feel quite different from the rest of the package, but that doesn’t mean they are bad. Capcom isn’t known for 3D fighters, and have always trailed behind Namco and Sega in this regard, but those two titles included in the package are actually quite fun. That being said, you have to understand they are a product of their time.

Project Justice is actually Rival Schools 2. It’s a more traditional 2D fighter in terms of gameplay, but it’s a bit slower and clunkier due to it being an older polygonal title, and one of the first polygonal fighters made specifically by Capcom (we are not counting Street Fighter EX as a result). You just need to re-learn and readapt your brain to this older playstyle. The same can be said about Plasma Sword, though this one is faster-paced, and weapon-based. I have no idea if the game was created to compete with Soul Edge, but it more closely follows that game’s premise, albeit in a sci-fi, quasi Star Wars-esque way.

“This is tuna with bacon, this is tuna with bacon…”

There are two more titles in Capcom Fighting Collection 2 and they are probably the weirdest inclusions in this package, for completely different reasons. One is actually a really good game that just feels out of place in this collection, whilst the other… well, it’s crap.

There is a Street Fighter title in here, even though there is an already extant collection comprised solely of Street Fighter tiles. At first glance, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper sounds like a pointless addition, even if, let’s face it, Alpha 3 might actually be the single best old-school Street Fighter ever made. The game is an ehanced version of the previously released versions of Alpha 3, however, with some balancing tweaks and more characters, such as Fei Long and Dee Jay. All in all, it’s the best version of the best classic Street Fighter. Even if it stands out like a spoiled child who invited themselves to a birthday party, it is one of the best titles in Capcom Fighting Collection 2.

Possibly the best version of the best Street Fighter game.

The same CANNOT be said about the last title in this library, Capcom Fighting Evolution. It’s the epitome of a pointless fighting game, being a late, ugly mess of a game, with poor controls, visuals, and a paultry roster. It plays incredibly poorly, and just feels completely rushed. It is one of the lamest fighting games from Capcom, and I question its inclusion, to be honest. Sure, I kinda get it – if you want to preserve games, you need to include some duds as well – but there must have been other titles that should have been considered over this one. Or maybe Capcom is planning a third Fighting Collection, who knows. I’d be down.

It’s almost as if Capcom was trying to make a Star Wars fighting game years before Teras Kasi…

Ignoring one or two slightly dated titles, plus a truly terrible one, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 goes to show that no one is doing arcade gaming preservation as well as Capcom right now. Just the inclusion of Capcom vs. SNK 2 by itself, in such a pristine, rollback-supported stated, is enough of a reason for you to purchase it, but add in games like two Power Stones and the best version of the best Street Fighter, and what you have here is more than a lot of bang for your buck. What we have here is an infinitely enjoyable collection of fighting works of art.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch.

Reviewed on Xbox One.

A copy of Capcom Fighting Collection 2 was provided by the publisher.