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It seems few characters get re-used as often as those in fighting games. It's undoubtedly got something to do with how much time we spend learning a particular character. It's a good thing the stories are usually so sparse because that means they seldom get killed off and with each new generation of hardware we'll probably see them again in some form - several times. Capcom Fighting Evolution brings together a few characters from Darkstalkers, Red Earth and Street Fighter 2, Alpha and 3. It's the same game that's been available on the PS2 (Click Here for the review), but now you can play online. All of the characters appear in their original two dimensional glory and in this case, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's not as if most of these characters haven't been re-imagined with better graphics several times, so it's not a bad thing to see them in their original form. A little nostalgia never hurt anybody. If you'd rather max out your hi-def TV and you have no old school love for what Ryu used to look like, you probably wouldn't be buying this game anyway.
The controls and gameplay are all solid and familiar. Old-timers will appreciate the simple six-button setup. If you're familiar with any of the titles represented you'll feel right at home. Aside from the obvious fighting, the key strategy is choosing your fighters before the fists fly. You can switch characters between rounds if you want to, though you don't have to, and it's not a tag team. The most obvious strategy is to pick your favorite character, then add someone to the team that balances him out. The fighting system of the entire match will also change depending on which character you choose. So if you use an SF3 character you'll be able to parry with the D pad. And if you use someone from Alpha, you'll be able to pull off the counters from that game. The differences aren't huge, but it's a new nuance that will be appreciated by those who played the original games to their fullest. The biggest disappointment is the incredibly short character roster. There are only four or five characters offered from each game. Those hoping to play anyone other than Ryu, Zangief, M. Bison or Guile from SF2 are out of luck. There are only a few game modes, too: arcade, versus and training. There are a few unlockable characters and other extras, but that's it. On the plus side, there are some new backgrounds and character endings. Online play is expected by now and works smoothly when you can find a game. And it's too bad the character list is so short. Even so, fighting aficionados with any history in their bones will have plenty to appreciate in Capcom Fighting Evolution. They'll also get a kick out of the crossover mix between these very different games. It's just not the end-all, be-all compilation it could have been. The most unique thing about it is the chance to create match-ups between games with such different themes. Otherwise, most of these characters are available in other forms and in games you probably already have.
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