PC Games

Published on May 16th, 2025 | by Lander Van Poucke

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Review (PC)

Hot off the heels of the announcement of the Marvel vs Capcom Collection last year, which once felt like a faraway dream for most fans of those games (like myself), the dream of another part of the Fighting Game community was realised soon after. Capcom vs SNK 1 and 2 would be ported to modern systems! And if that wasn’t enough, 6 other games would join these two iconic classics in the all-new Capcom Fighting Collection 2!

EVERYBODY RUMORED, NOBODY BELIEVED

The Marvel vs Capcom collection, which released last September, set a new standard for Capcom’s arcade collections. It’s host of new features return here, like quicksaving in the middle of an arcade playthrough, giving you the ability to pick up back where you left off later, rollback netcode, more difficulty and control options like single button special moves, more display options for screen filters emulating the arcade experience of your choosing, different versions of titles in the collection (Japanese or English), secret boss characters available in the roster and more. I’m glad to see that Capcom brought these features back around for this collection, setting a likely gold standard for any future Capcom collections to come.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 sports 8 games, 4 2D and 4 3D games, with some of those 2D games having 3D elements in it’s background. Let’s take a brief look at each game and the quality of the version brought to this collection. For people familiar with these games: these ports are based off the arcade versions, similarly to previous collections, as Capcom has had trouble porting the home versions of it’s arcade classics up until now. This is usually not that big of an issue as the versions are usually simiar, but a lot of these games in particular do have extra features and modes specific to the home version, which will be missing here. If you’re new to these games this is a minor issue, but fans familiar with these titles may feel like they’re missing out.

Capcom vs SNK 1 & 2 are obviously the main draws of this collection, and quite honestly worth the price of admission alone. Ever since Capcom & SNK seemingly started working together again last year when Terry Bogard & Mai Shiranui were announced as DLC characters for Street Fighter 6, the prospect of ports or a new CVS game seemed like a *slightly* realistic, but likely faraway dream again for fans of Capcom & SNK’s team-ups. Upon the reveal of the Marvel vs Capcom collection, we figured it’d be a little wait before CVS could possibly get their turn as well, but a mere two months later – surprisingly – CVS 1 & 2 were announced to be ported alongside a host of other games in Capcom Fighting Collection 2, making way for another round of celebration in the fighting game community. Marvel had their fun, baby. Now it’s our turn.

The games are as stylish as ever, like CVS 1 with it’s gorgeous presentation, electronic music, and surprisingly innovative and interactive stages. From shadows that react and grow when fighters pass by, to sliding doors that react and open to a fighter’s presence, I was surprised and impressed by the fact this 20 year old game had more detail in it’s stages than any modern fighting game. In CVS1 you can choose between two gameplay styles or grooves: the Capcom or SNK groove. Prefer dashing like in Street Fighter with Mai? Capcom groove. Or you’d rather be rolling like a SNK character as Ryu? SNK groove. As someone who had an easier time playing Garou: Mark of the Wolves over Street Fighter 3, it was nice to get to use SNK’s control scheme with Street Fighter’s characters.

Shadows react to your fighter’s presence

CVS2 spots a huge roster, and an expanded groove mechanics. Instead of just Capcom & SNK grooves, you can choose between 3 different kinds of specialisations related to each company for 6 total. C, A, P, S, N & K grooves give you different subsets of each company’s mechanics, be it dashes, rolls, air guard, a mixture of these and more. CVS2 in particular is beloved by the competitive part of the fighting community for it’s mechanics, considered one of the best Capcom games of all time. Much like Marvel vs Capcom 2, I imagine Capcom vs SNK 2 will be the main draw of this collection. You can even switch between versions of the game via EX settings: the original arcade version or the Capcom vs SNK EO version. Hidden characters are also available in the roster as an option. Anyone familiar with CVS2 will be delighted with these options.

On the other end of that beloved spectrum is the black sheep of this collection, and the game that was met with a lot of groans in the community at the reveal of it’s inclusion. Capcom Fighting Evolution is a notorious and controversial title, a game that was cobbled together with fighters and mechanics from Capcom’s different series after the project it was set out to be originally was canceled. If you’d like to learn more about all that, I recommend seeking out your favourite Fighting Game creator on Youtube for a history lesson. When it comes to it’s inclusion in this collection I was more than fine with it, enjoying the game a surprising amount when checking it out for this review. Being able to choose between different characters from a lot of different Capcom fighting games or even the illustrious mascot Ingrid to make a team of two gave me a good time regardless. I can see why it’ll remain as a stain to people familiar with this era of fighting games, but for more of a casual like me it makes for another fun arcade experience in this collection. I liked the option to be able to choose which character to continue as between rounds in particular. Though, I do admit the lacking quality of the stages & backgrounds is distracting at times.

Surprisingly, Street Fighter Alpha 3, which was already included in the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary collection, also comes back with a port of a different version in this collection. Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper is the version this collection sports. Alpha 3 is beloved so I can see why this title was chosen for a return, but I would prefer the Street Fighter games from the 30th anniversary collection would receive an update together. A lot of those ports are far more lacking and flawed than the feature rich collections and ports we get nowadays. Still, Alpha 3 Upper’s inclusion is great as a bonus for anyone that doesn’t own the 30th Anniversary collection. It’s a beloved game with a pretty expansive arcade mode and an extremely large roster of characters, including the choice between 3 different gameplay styles. Beware, though, as Alpha 3’s final boss is notoriously difficult. And a lower difficulty isn’t going to save you. I should know.

Project Justice (or Rival Schools 2) was probably my favourite game from this collection, by far. It’s a 3v3 3D fighter boasting a large roster of varied characters, from high school punks & gym teachers to leaping boxers and even an elegant girl that uses her violin to fight and fence, I was impressed by pretty much every facet of this game’s design. The arcade mode is surprisingly deep and expansive with it’s dialogue scenes and branching storylines compared to the other, briefer modes in this collection. The character designs are all unique, innovative & varied. There’s team mechanics, and expansive air combos. The 3D models don’t look half bad for this era either, sporting quite a bit of detail. The same can be said for the stages. The AI made sure to show off some insane combos on me, even juggling me in the air at some point, showing off the full potential of this game. But two can play at that game. I’m glad the Rival Schools series is represented with this game in the collection. Everything positive about Project Justice gets wrapped up in a great soundtrack that often overtook my senses with it’s tunes.

Another 3D fighter included in this collection is Plasma Sword, a game reminiscent of Soulcalibur, with designs clearly reminiscent of Star Wars. Pretty logical, as Plasma Sword was a proof of concept for a possible Star Wars fighting game by Capcom. With the “empire” mentioned in the story and even the name itself (Plasma Sword = Lightsaber) those inspirations are quite clear. Many of the stages reminded me of Star Wars locations. Inside the Death Star, on the desert planet of Tatooine. Still, Plasma Sword is very much it’s own thing, boasting a whole roster of pretty unique characters sporting different weapons and more than just plasma swords. Plasma rings, staffs, guns and more made for a variety of opponents to face. It’s Soulcalibur-reminiscent as I mentioned before, which is ironic, given the fact Soulcalibur would eventually attain Star Wars characters in it’s roster. Plasma Sword has simpler controls but was also a fantastic 3D fighting game experience despite that. I hope it’s inclusion in the collection lets it garner a larger audience. For someone new to this title, it’d be a lot of fun to explore the roster with a friend.

Lastly, we have the Power Stone duology. Two iconic games that are beloved by many. If the CVS games are worth the price of admission alone, the same can be said for the Power Stone games. Power Stone 1 is a 1v1 3D fighter where you battle an opponent on an interactable stage, trying to attain 3 gems for a temporary but powerful power-up to get an edge up. Attack your opponent to knock the gems out of them and take them for yourself before they can collect them all, all the while all kinds of interactables drop out of the sky to either aid you or your opponent. Weapons like flamethrowers or rocket launchers let you do extra damage and switch up the offensive on the fly, and it makes for a pretty intense and chaotic experience. A rare thing I found in Power Stone 1? A fighting game final boss that was *not* frustrating, and actually uniquely designed and a lot of fun, unlike the other bosses from this era that were mostly beefed up and unfairly insane AI programs that dish out a ton of damage.

Power Stone 2 is even more chaotic in regards to it’s gameplay. With a 1v1v1v1 gameplay loop and even bigger and more interactable stages, Power Stone 2 has a lot going on on the screen at the same time. It’s an excellent party game and often the preferred installment out of the two, but some people will likely prefer the simpler and more manageable Power Stone 1. I certainly felt overwhelmed having to deal with 3 opponents at the same time, as they also fought amongst each other. The AI would get on a turret and target me specifically, which was a lot of fun. These are two excellent party games for your friends, and beloved inclusions to round out an excellent collection of games and series.

All the games are playable both offline and online, be it in ranked or casual matches. You’re able to queue for multiple different games at once and enter training mode in the meantime, or even enter any arcade mode for an offline playthrough while you can still wait on a game. During the review period I tried finding an online game during several playthroughs of all the different games as I was checking them out, but was unable to find one, so I was unable to get a feel for the rollback netcode and connection stability. Probably in part due to the fact that I’m reviewing the game on PC, and there is unfortunately no cross-play at this time. The same was true for previous collections, so keep in mind you’ll be separated by which platform you choose if you plan to hop online. Still, if the Marvel vs Capcom collection is anything to go by, the netcode should be excellent. I should also mention that the one button special move feature seems to be unavailable on keyboard & mouse.

Training mode & the museum from previous Capcom collections also return, the latter being my absolute favourite feature in any of these collections. Browsing the beautiful art and never before seen developer notes of these games, especially after experiencing them and being enamored by certain aspects of their design or certain characters, is a treat, so make sure to give the museum a look over if you end up enjoying one or more of these titles. Your favourite soundtracks are also available in the music library, including the new tracks made for this collection’s menus.

Lastly, the “Fighter Awards” menu is a great way to track your progress & achievements throughout the games, as certain achievements require you to play through the arcade modes with every character or to attain secret endings. You can keep track in which game you finished the arcade mode with which character, and keep count of how many times you have as well. It also provides details for branching story paths and how to achieve them in Project Justice’s arcade mode, as an example. It’ll hopefully help you avoid headaches if you end up being on the hunt for a Platinum trophy.

Official illustration by Tamio

Final Thoughts

All in all, unlike some of the other arcade collections Capcom’s released, I like every game in this collection. To the general audience it’s already worth a lot of money for the Capcom vs SNK or Power Stone games alone, but you get 8 excellent titles (7 depending on who you ask) for 10 bucks less than the Marvel vs Capcom collection, but boasting the same features and with an equal quality in games. I’d say that’s a good deal. Capcom seems to have figured out a gold standard for their arcade collections when it comes to creating good and expansive ports, and I can only hope that future collections continue to receive the same love & care. There are still many classic arcade era titles that could use a proper home on modern systems, and there are some older collections that could use a revisit, but Capcom has delivered once again.

About the Author

Lander Van Poucke Lander is a passionate gamer from Beligum with a flair for the dramatic. Enjoying storytelling in games, he favours single-player games, RPG's & fighting games for their lore and characters.

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