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When good concepts go bad.
June 18, 2007 | 8:46 AM PSTby: Weston Bass
SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters DS - When good concepts go bad.
With time and the rose tint of nostalgia, sometimes we remember games of the past as being better than they actually are. Apparently SNK Playmore came to this conclusion without actually bothering to go back a replay the original Card Fighters on the NeoGeo Pocket Color. Instead of building upon that great strategy game and adding to it, SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters DS has become an unplayable game where the only strategy needed is to make sure your turn is first.
The single-player game starts off looking and feeling a lot like another game featuring diminutive monsters trapped in little balls. After picking your character linked to either the SNK or Capcom story, you start your quest to be the best card fighter and freeing the brainwashed denizens of Tower Town by climbing the card fighting ranks of a 21 floor card fighting tower. Every floor looks mostly identical, and the tedium of this world is only broken by replacing it with the tedium of the actual card battles. The mechanics of the game are simple: during each turn you can put into play three types of cards. Character cards have the strength and HP typical of most card games, action cards involve either defense or attacks, and counter cards counter. New cards can be added to your starting deck, but figuring out what they actually do is nothing short of guess work or gambling and simply playing the card because the Engrish translations are either ambiguous or, in most cases, completely wrong.
The number of cards you can play depends on the number of force orbs you have accumulated during the round. This number is tied to the number of character cards you have in play. The problem is that because action cards use up a turn, simply defending an attack uses up your precious force orbs. This means that defense is for all intents and purposes a wasted turn. For the single-player game, it all boils down to the player who attacks first will most certainly win. This “strategy” will carry you successfully through the entire single-player game. Or it would, if the game’s bosses didn’t require you to bring them specific cards before they agree to battle you. This game padding design often requires you to back track to various floors in search of these cards in trades or the various shops.
If you are masochistic enough to try the game+ mode after beating the game once, you will run into a game freezing glitch in the ninth floor of the tower when talking to a character you must fight in order to proceed. SNK Playmore will be offering cartridge replacements, according to a message on their website.
The graphics are passable during the story mode, but where the game really shines is in the sometimes stunning artwork on the cards. Fans of both SNK and Capcom games will find great character art for some of their favorites, and not just their respective fighter catalogs. You’ll find characters from Phoenix Wright, Devil May Cry, and even Metal Slug. Honestly though, without Wi-Fi online dueling and a broken battle system, we can’t imagine anyone wanting endure this game enough to complete their card collections.
Controls are handled with the d-pad and buttons. The only time the stylus is used is to mimic slicing open new packs of cards. Because this is a turn based game, tight and responsive controls aren’t exactly prerequisite. You can trade or battle against other players via local wireless multiplayer, but the odds of you remaining friends after convincing them to buy their own copy this game are slim.
The game features unassuming sound effects and music. Those hoping for classic SNK or Capcom tunes will be disappointed, but really, this game has far bigger issues than the music.
For shame, SNK Playmore, for shame. The original Card Fighters featured a great battle system that could only be improved by adding more cards and taking advantage of the DS for higher resolution art. Everything about this game screams lazy. From the horrible localization to game ending bugs, there is nothing here worth players investing their time and money on.
[Editor's Note]: While this review is based off a widespread issue regarding a buggy cartridge, the replacements do not have any difference in gameplay. Meaning, the outcome of the scores would not change.
With time and the rose tint of nostalgia, sometimes we remember games of the past as being better than they actually are. Apparently SNK Playmore came to this conclusion without actually bothering to go back a replay the original Card Fighters on the NeoGeo Pocket Color. Instead of building upon that great strategy game and adding to it, SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters DS has become an unplayable game where the only strategy needed is to make sure your turn is first.
The single-player game starts off looking and feeling a lot like another game featuring diminutive monsters trapped in little balls. After picking your character linked to either the SNK or Capcom story, you start your quest to be the best card fighter and freeing the brainwashed denizens of Tower Town by climbing the card fighting ranks of a 21 floor card fighting tower. Every floor looks mostly identical, and the tedium of this world is only broken by replacing it with the tedium of the actual card battles. The mechanics of the game are simple: during each turn you can put into play three types of cards. Character cards have the strength and HP typical of most card games, action cards involve either defense or attacks, and counter cards counter. New cards can be added to your starting deck, but figuring out what they actually do is nothing short of guess work or gambling and simply playing the card because the Engrish translations are either ambiguous or, in most cases, completely wrong.
The number of cards you can play depends on the number of force orbs you have accumulated during the round. This number is tied to the number of character cards you have in play. The problem is that because action cards use up a turn, simply defending an attack uses up your precious force orbs. This means that defense is for all intents and purposes a wasted turn. For the single-player game, it all boils down to the player who attacks first will most certainly win. This “strategy” will carry you successfully through the entire single-player game. Or it would, if the game’s bosses didn’t require you to bring them specific cards before they agree to battle you. This game padding design often requires you to back track to various floors in search of these cards in trades or the various shops.
If you are masochistic enough to try the game+ mode after beating the game once, you will run into a game freezing glitch in the ninth floor of the tower when talking to a character you must fight in order to proceed. SNK Playmore will be offering cartridge replacements, according to a message on their website.
The graphics are passable during the story mode, but where the game really shines is in the sometimes stunning artwork on the cards. Fans of both SNK and Capcom games will find great character art for some of their favorites, and not just their respective fighter catalogs. You’ll find characters from Phoenix Wright, Devil May Cry, and even Metal Slug. Honestly though, without Wi-Fi online dueling and a broken battle system, we can’t imagine anyone wanting endure this game enough to complete their card collections.
Controls are handled with the d-pad and buttons. The only time the stylus is used is to mimic slicing open new packs of cards. Because this is a turn based game, tight and responsive controls aren’t exactly prerequisite. You can trade or battle against other players via local wireless multiplayer, but the odds of you remaining friends after convincing them to buy their own copy this game are slim.
The game features unassuming sound effects and music. Those hoping for classic SNK or Capcom tunes will be disappointed, but really, this game has far bigger issues than the music.
For shame, SNK Playmore, for shame. The original Card Fighters featured a great battle system that could only be improved by adding more cards and taking advantage of the DS for higher resolution art. Everything about this game screams lazy. From the horrible localization to game ending bugs, there is nothing here worth players investing their time and money on.
[Editor's Note]: While this review is based off a widespread issue regarding a buggy cartridge, the replacements do not have any difference in gameplay. Meaning, the outcome of the scores would not change.
November 20, 2009
