SNK has been bringing many of their classic Neo Geo Pocket Color games to the Switch recently under the Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection label, with titles like King of Fighters R-2 being hits. Now they have brought one of the most desired titles to the Switch with SNK vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium, and what a release it is.

For those not familiar with the Capcom vs SNK series, it is a vs crossover series with Capcom and SNK characters and has spanned multiple entries, some designed by Capcom and some by SNK. SNK vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium for the Neo Geo Pocket Color is one of the games for that system that just feels full. Whereas some SNK fighters on the Neo geo Pocket Color feel a bit bare bones by today’s standards, SNK vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium is full to the brim with content that you can enjoy.

The fights can be done in 1v1, 2v2 or 3v3 forms, and there is a variety of styles you can choose the fight to take, such as a combo heavy mode or a quick attack mode. The roster is full of characters from SNK and Capcom, including Ryu, Felicia and Morrigan, as well as Terry, Kyo and Nakoruru, and you can mix and match the characters to your liking.  The fights feel great and everything good about previous Neo Geo Pocket Color games like Gal Fighters, Fatal Fury First Contact and King of Fighters R-2 was refined and perfected here, with the flaws being removed, This is a great playing fighting game, and there is a great training mode as well, helping you get the hang of each character for when you are ready.

 

But it is not just the fighting modes that are notable in the game, but also the various side modes. Olympic Mode will see you engage in a number of events that pay tribute to a number of Capcom and SNK franchises. These include a target shooting minigame based on Metal Slug, a platforming minigame based on Ghosts ‘N Goblins, a rhythm minigame from the Capcom side, and a Samurai Shodown inspired minigame where you must slash at dummies.  This may sound basic, but its all in great fun and really adds to the overall experience.

 

The controls are responsive as I said, and the two button inputs are used well. While Capcom fighters are six button affairs and SNK fighters four button, the controls for both sets of characters are adapted well here. The controls depend on how hard you press the button and for how long, in order to determine the type of attack. SNK vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium is one of the easiest fighters to get the hang of, with everything feeling smooth and natural. Add in the above mentioned practice modes and you manage to get the hang of the game easier. The fighting is intense and fast and I truly enjoyed this one immensely. The only drawback is the lack of clicky sticks from the actual Neo Geo Pocket Color, meaning a bit of the precision from the actual game is sadly lost and cannot be replicated.

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.. Almost every aspect of the Neo Geo Pocket Color was replicated, including the options for a system set up if you want, and a Neo geo Pocket Color appears on screen for you to play the game on. You can adjust the controls as you 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 digital replicated here and that is a nice touch. As well, If you feel the screen is too small, then you can enlarge the image or zoom in to see better.  I just wish we would see some of the non fighting games come to the Switch as well.

 

Disclaimer: A review key was provided

 

 

 

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