Title: SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters’ Clash
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Code Mystics
Publisher: SNK
Release Date: January 12th, 20221 (NA)
File Size: 233MB
Review copy provided by SNK
It’s been a bit, but thankfully SNK and Code Mystics have brought another Neo Geo Pocket Color game to Switch, and this time it’s what may be the system’s signature title; SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters’ Clash! Originally in classic Pokémon fashion, this released as both an SNK version and a Capcom version, well fear not as this release includes both (and their JP versions as the other games do)! So how does this game fare? Does it play with a winning hand or does it go to the graveyard? Let’s find out!
Here’s the new version select screen.
When you first boot up the game, as mentioned you actually get BOTH the SNK and the Capcom versions in one. You get to choose which one to boot up via a new screen. After you pick one and get past the title screen, you have the option to just begin the game, or view a sort of tutorial demonstration of how the card game works. However, I VERY highly suggest also referring to the included scan of the game’s original manual. The in-game tutorial, with its very limited text space (they have a very bad habit of shortening words), is just not adequate at all for teaching you the more in-depth mechanics, at least in describing them. Thank god for the manual.
Anyway, you start a new game and you can pick your character between a boy or a girl (each version comes with their own pair). In fact when you begin (after choosing your 6-character name), you immediately meet with your other version counterpart and then have your first battle. When battles begin, the person to start is randomly picked, then (say it’s you) you draw 5 cards and you get a look at the playing board and a number of options.
The playing field (they should call it the “card board” heh…) (SNK version)
I’ll do my best to describe this as even I had a lot of trouble grasping this before reading the manual (READING the manual? Unthinkable!). Anyway, you’ll want to select a Character Card (CHA Card), which has battle points (BP) and a second number giving your team soul points (SP), or the game’s mana so to speak. You can only add one new character at a time into your side of three card spaces on the field. Also, any character added can’t attack until the next turn (this is called the “Freeze” period). However, if you have a compatible character card, you can “back-up” the one you played. Certain characters have other characters that can back them up, doing so adds power to them (but removes the back-up character card from play after).
You also have action cards (AC Card), these are your special benefit cards that cost SP to use and can do anything from unfreezing your cards, to even allowing you to KO your own character to inflict its HP worth on an opponent’s card. BTW, the point of the game is to deplete your opponents main health points (think the Life Points system from Yu-Gi-Oh). When you attack with a character, if the opponent doesn’t counter, the character will directly attack the player. Countering basically uses the chosen character as a shield to protect the player.
The first building you start in (SNK version)
Now a big point are the Unite attacks. These cost SP and then you can have two (or three for more points) attack the opponent all together, which combines their battle points. If the opponent counters, then their character’s BP will remove your Unite attack’s points matching the amount, but the rest will go to the opponents HP. See how it works? In classic card game fashion a LOT is luck-based but once you have it figured out it can be able to be worked through. Upon winning, you’ll get some cards from your opponent.
Visually it’s super Pokémon-esc in the overworld. It’s funny as the core overworld is awfully small. Your goal is to explore these five buildings (it’s all in a singular map where you just click which building to move to), but the places you roam look right out of a Pokémon game. The funniest bit was one area having a Game Corner-esc spot and if you click on a slot machine, your character comments about being able to play it if you could “find a coin”… sound familiar? The card art is very well drawn in an exaggerated chibi-style and full of life. Attack effects are alright for what it is.
Oh hey it’s that one guy from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! You know… Pokémon Trainer’s dad! (SNK version)
Audio-wise it’s a typical Neo Geo Pocket Color assortment. Nothing that memorable in my personal opinion. What caught me by surprise was the audible “CARD FIGHTERS” on the title screen in surprisingly good quality. Yeah, eat your heart out Pikachu!
Overall this will certainly appeal to card fans and fans of both SNK and Capcom. There are a LOT of cards to collect it looks like (possibly 300 in total?). And you get both versions in one, rather than having to buy them separately like in the old days. One oddity was that when I tried booting up the Capcom version for the first time (after starting with the SNK version), it hanged on the loading screen. I had to quit the game with the home button. It worked fine after loading it up again, but still. The game has a native save system and the same collection-wide features (rewind and filters). However it seems like the “save state” where it boots you back to where you left off is of course limited to whichever version you last played. No big deal, just make sure to save either version when quitting.
You’ll Love:
+ Two versions in one is flat-out the coolest aspect. What a value.
+ The presentation is pretty neat, and the card art is really nicely drawn.
+ Card gameplay is fun once you know what you’re doing.
+ Lots of cards to collect to satisfy the collecting type.
+ NPCs have some interesting things to say. There’s a decent amount of intractability in the overworld.
+ The same great features as in other games in the Neo Geo Pocket Color series on Switch.
+ Has screenshot and video capture support.
You’ll Hate:
– READ THE MANUAL. You’ll have a hard time understanding how you properly play if you just rely on the not very good tutorial.
– The overworld is seemingly very small, with only five buildings to explore and even then it’s not much. This isn’t some grand, card-battling adventure seemingly.
8/10
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