SNK vs. Capcom

The SNK vs. Capcom series is a collection of video games by either Capcom or SNK featuring characters that appear in games created by both companies. The "vs. series" terminology originates from the fact that many of these games (but not all) are fighting games.

As a rule, games in this series either contain SNK vs. Capcom or Capcom vs. SNK, the first company denoting the company behind the game's development. Games in this series appear for various platforms, including the NAOMI (arcade), Neo-Geo (arcade), PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Xbox, Neo Geo Pocket, Neo-Geo Pocket Color, and Sega Dreamcast.

History

The supposed origin behind this series was an issue of Arcadia magazine in which there were articles covering both The King of Fighters '98 and Street Fighter Alpha 3, both of which were released at around the same time. Readers had misread the cover, which said KOF vs. SF, to mean that there was a fighting game that would pit characters from Street Fighter and The King of Fighters. Because of this uproar, Capcom and SNK supposedly signed a deal that would allow them to produce only two fighting games concerning both franchises in 1999 (the Card Fighters series (see below) were not fighting games and therefore were exempt from the rule). It is highly suggested that SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos was only made in order to fulfill the contract obligations that SNK made prior to the company filing bankruptcy and their eventual closing in 2000. Also, if one company was the main creator of one game, the distributing company would gain the profits and not the company that licensed the characters for use (although SNK gave the rights to use the SNK characters to Capcom for the first Capcom vs. SNK game, SNK did not profit from the game, which did not help their financial problems). There were interviews with SNK that it would be possible to renew their contract with Capcom to make new SNK vs. Capcom games,^[1] but in another interview, both companies stated that they would not do any further collaboration with each other. SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS will probably be the last crossover game between both companies.^[2] However, in an interview from January 2009, Yoshinori Ono, the producer of Street Fighter IV, expressed interest in a possible third game if fans demand it.^[3]

SNK-produced games

• SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium - A portable fighting game developed by Dimps and released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. The game features three different playing rules to choose from (Single Battle, Tag Match, and Team Battle). The game also features an "Olympic Mode" with themed minigames.
• SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash - Also released for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, a collectable card game featuring trading card based on SNK's and Capcom's properties. Two versions were produced; the SNK Supporter's Version and the Capcom Supporter's Version.
• SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters 2 Expand Edition - The sequel to Card Fighters Clash, released on the Neo Geo Pocket Color in Japan and Asia only. Includes cards based on Capcom vs. SNK 2.
• SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos - Released for the Neo Geo (both arcade and home versions) and ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A one-on-one fighting game featuring 36 characters.
• SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS - A Card Fighters Clash sequel released for the Nintendo DS.^[4]

Reception

In 2012, Complex ranked Capcom vs. SNK at number 38 on the list of the best video game franchises.^[5]

References

See also