Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001

Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (Millionaire Fighting 2001 in Japan) is a sequel to the fighting game Capcom vs. SNK. This game was released on NAOMI hardware in the arcade. It was later released for the Dreamcast (Japan only) and PlayStation 2, with the GameCube and Xbox receiving an updated version titled Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO.

Gameplay
Capcom vs. SNK 2 combines characters and gameplay elements from various Capcom and SNK fighting games, mainly the Street Fighter and The King of Fighters series. Other elements, most noticeably different fighting styles, incorporated elements from other games as well, such as Street Fighter III, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and the Samurai Shodown series.

In contrast to the original Capcom vs. SNK, characters no longer have a specific "Ratio." Instead the player can select up to three characters in a team and give an amount or ratio (up to four) to each as desired. In console versions of the game, players can also choose a 3 on 3 game in Arcade Mode with the Ratio System removed.

Unlike the first game, which was based on the two-strength, four button system of punches and kicks (The King of Fighters format), Capcom vs. SNK 2 is based on the three strength system of punches and kicks (weak, medium, and hard), native to the Street Fighter series, and the SNK characters have been tweaked to fit the 6-button style. The overall system is derivative of Street Fighter Alpha. However, a number of different fighting styles called Grooves, which mimic other Capcom and SNK games, are included in the engine. These dictate both the character's Super Gauge system (energy for super attacks, or desperation attacks), and special techniques (such as dashes, running, and guard cancels) called "Subsystems." There are six in total, each designtated with a letter (C, A, and P for Capcom and S, N, and K, for SNK), along with custom grooves that can be programmed in home versions of the game. Each player designates prior to the match which groove his or her team will use and the team

Character sprites and graphics
Because Capcom vs. SNK 2 features a roster composed of characters from numerous games and hardware eras, the appearances of several of Capcom's characters have been considered substandard in comparison to the newly drawn SNK characters. Instead of choosing to redraw its characters, Capcom took the approach of reusing old character sprites from previous games and inserting them in among the other characters. The result created a significant disparity, particularly in the case of characters like Morrigan, whose low-resolution sprite from the original Darkstalkers games appears washed out and lacking in detail when compared to other of Capcom's newly drawn characters, such as Maki, Eagle, Ryu, Ken, and M. Bison (even Chun-Li and Yun have new sprites, which are based on their CPS-3 sprites from the Street Fighter III series). This has led to criticism of Capcom's art department.

Reviews

 * Famitsu - 35/40
 * Electronic Gaming Monthly - 8.16/10
 * Game Informer - 7.75/10
 * Official PlayStation Magazine - 4.5 out of 5