SNK has been bringing its classic NEO-GEO Pocket Color games to the Switch for a while now, and there were two games fans truly hoped to see arrive on the system. The first of those was the fighting game SNK Vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium, which was released last year, was one of the best fighting games for the handheld SNK system. Fans have been waiting since, and their patience has been rewarded with the release of SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters Clash, a card game RPG that stands out as one of the best games on the system.
The first crossover between SNK and Capcom, SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters Clash was released in 1999 and calls to mind the video game version of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. A card battler RPG, the game originally came in two versions, an SNK deck version and a Capcom deck version. For this release on the Switch, both versions were included in the same package and players need only make a choice at the start which version they want.
SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters Clash is somewhat similar to Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic: The Gathering in its layout and design. Each character places three Character Cards that are drawn a single one at a time and are used to attack the opponent’s card and then the opponent’s HP. Cards will be victorious based on how many BP they have, and while a card with more BP will be victorious, it will also lose BP based on the card it attacked, so the goal is to keep focused and keep the hurt on the opponent.
As with many other Card-Based tabletop games, there are a number of other factors to consider such as special abilities. These special ability cards can be activated during a round, either during the player’s turn or the opponent’s turn in order to gain an advantage or nullify one. Cards can also be combined, or United, if they are a related card, which will greatly increase the attack, but doing so will leave players open to a counter so it is a risky maneuver.
There is more of course, but what stands out here is the overworld, which calls to mind the early Pokémon RPGs as well as the video game adaptation of the trading card game. This is not a deep RPG by any means, but it is charming as heck, and a real treat for fans of both Capcom and SNK. Players will need to go through multiple areas with SNK and Capcom themes in order to challenges others and win boosters and is all and all a good time.
There is a strategy involved in this game as well, in the form of the SP which are gained from drawing and using Character Cards. This SP is used to activate the Action Cards that can be used to gain an advantage on the field but knowing when and where to use the Action cards involves understanding the Character Cards’ abilities and BP as well as understanding the same for the opponent. This can lead to some drawn-out battles, but they just feel right and knowing how to truly play the game is rewarding.
One neat feature here is that players can trade cards between the two versions in the single game to make it easier to collect all 300 cards and can also play versus mode using a single system where each player holds one end of the Switch. Like with other Neo Geo Pocket Color ports to Switch, the game is not only emulated perfectly, but the emulator also includes some nice additions as well, such as including the options for a system set up, and a Neo geo Pocket Color appears on screen to play the game on.
Players can adjust the controls as they want, adjust display options, and there is even a rewind function included. In addition, there are a variety of skins for the on-screen Neo Geo Pocket Color in the form of the various different models of the system. The manual for the game is also digitally replicated here and that is a nice touch, and if players feel the screen is too small, then they can enlarge the image or zoom in to see better.
Overall, this is a must-play on the Switch and a standout from the Neo Geo Pocket Color. We highly recommend this to all.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Images were taken from Nintendo.com