SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom Game Sample - Xbox
0An interesting but half-hearted SNK (Playmore) rendition of a crossover fighter that sometimes makes you wonder if it was playtested before release. When the best part of a fighting game is the dialogues that characters exchange plus the story with multiple endings and this outweighs every other aspect, they should really slap a "Buyers Beware" sticker somewhere on the packaging. What's sad is the SNK crossover before it on NGPC, Match of the Millenium, was a brilliant game in just about every respect, but it was one of the last hurrahs of the original SNK.
The game was panned somewhat upon its release due to its odd character roster (with several lesser-known favorites), archaic design and complete character imbalance, but worst of all, its controls were condemned by many due to how difficult it is to connect simple inputs. Not only that, there's some definite priority issues (moves being way too slow or too fast in recovery and Guard Cancel Front Step Throw Spamming) and infinites that people have discussed over the years. I think a few things were tweaked in the console versions (or rather, the Xbox and PS2 game), but it hasn't made the game much better, mainly because the controls still kinda suck.
SVC Chaos stars 36 characters from SNK and Capcom fame. As the game leans on the SNK side, the Capcom characters were redesigned with mixed results and some characters just look out of place (especially since the SNK characters ironically didn't undergo any real facelifts... Demitri looks awesome though). The stages are decently designed and characters like Earthquake and Hugo are HUGE, but not without a catch; there's slowdown on some stages. Overall, while some have complained about the game visually, I think it's decent even if it looks more like mid-late 90s SNK fare, which is a testament to just how charming their style is. However, the slowdown in this day and age is unacceptable, especially since it wasn't the greatest-looking game to begin with. The audio doesn't really stand out; the music is decent but some of the characters sound a bit strange.
Gameplay-wise, the game is a complete toss-up. Some characters will seem useless and get savagely raped by over-powered or even otherwise average characters. Characters like Tessa (Tabasa), which people feared in the Arcades, seems to have been toned down a bit since she can't consistently juggle with her ice special and since the hit detection for throws and some attacks seems adjusted... you have to be IN THEIR FACE to grab them... you can't just be "close" as the game points out. The roster may make or break this game for some as well, though I have no qualms with it. I think it's nice to see Warrior Maiden Athena, Red Arremer and Tessa in the game.
The game is sorely lacking in extra content and what little there is aside from Athena and Arremer is lame, but I didn't expect much anyway. I can say that the creators, oddly enough, put a lot of effort in the dialogues. While the conversations aren't free of typos and some just seem inaccurately translated in general, they are amusing and let you see a different side to certain characters. Unlike most fighters where characters only speak with rivals or foes, every character speaks with every opponent they encounter. There's also various endings in the game that you'll have to work for, but just considering that this game has some interesting chats puts it ahead of most (if not all) other cross-over fighters IN THAT REGARD (in large text so we don't get confused; I'm not saying it's better than most because it's not).
Overall, this game was panned quite a bit. It's not that bad, but there's a lack of effort in this game, but it isn't entirely Playmore's fault; take into consideration that they were just picking up where SNK left off and didn't have the time or budget to do more with the game at the time. I'd love to see a sequel though. Considering SNK Playmore can produce KOFXI, they certainly have the ability to make a cross-over title that's off the chain.
Anyhoo, this is a simple video showing simple stuff in the Xbox game. The PS2 version wasn't released in NA and there's oddly very few videos for the console versions. I purposely absorb some damage to show Tessa's various moves, most importanly her Exceed move. Enjoy.