REVIEW:  Releasing in 1999, SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium is the first-ever crossover fighting game between the two "gods" of the 90s arcade days —  paving the way for the eventual Capcom Vs. SNK series which launched in arcades shortly after. The Match of the Millennium boasts a grand total of 26 characters from an impressive variety of SNK and Capcom IPs, including: Street Fighter, Vampire Savior, The King of Fighters, and Samurai Shodown. A few SNK character sprites return from earlier NeoGeo Pocket Color titles, all retaining their lovable "chibi" style and form. Impressively, most SNK veterans are slightly redrawn or retouched from earlier titles. Of course, all of the 2D sprites on Capcom's side are completely new and created especially for this charming title, fitting into the game's gorgeous art style perfectly!


SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium also features an impressive variety of modes and match-up options (especially innovative for a handheld fighting game in 1999), including: Traditional 1-VS-1, "KOF style" 3-VS-3, and even... a very cool and solid 2-VS-2 Tag Team mode!

 

 

The Match of the Millennium's 16-bit charm, catchy art direction, and streamlined animation speaks for itself. The character sprites and backgrounds are incredibly sharp, clean, and look superb on the NGPC screen. MOTM is no doubt one of the best looking NEOGEO Pocket Color games to date! The colors are crisp, the characters are charismatic, and the iconic special attacks & effects are simple yet satisfying. Most importantly, MOTM's gameplay is intuitive, easy to get into, and actually surprisingly deep and combo-friendly. Once you learn the basics, you'll be performing classic bread-and-butter combos with ease thanks to the NEOGEO Pocket's excellent, pleasingly "clicky" and responsive D-pad! (One of my all-time favorite D-pads, for sure.)


Arcade / Story mode provides each character with a "short & sweet" storyline. There's actually quite a lot of dialogue to read through in a single playthrough, some of which is rather hilarious (in a good way) even if some things seem mistranslated (in traditional SNK fashion). In fact, there's more dialogue and effort put into character interactions in this game than in most arcade fighting games at the time of its release. Story mode also features some enjoyable cutscenes — with plenty of cool 2D artwork to gaze at. In short, SNK did an awesome job with this game's presentation and packed in a lot of heart.

 

 

Also included are some bonus Mini-Games, adding even more charm and personality to the package. These bonus games include a Dance Dance Revolution style game starring Felicia from Darkstalkers, a Ghost & Goblins mini game starring Sir Arthur, a Metal Slug shoot'em up with Fio & Marco, and a Samurai Shodown bamboo-cutting mini game featuring Jubei Yagyu. Throughout the various modes, old school Capcom and SNK fans will enjoy many entertaining character cameos and other Easter Eggs mixed into backgrounds, endings, super moves, and story mode cutscenes.


For presentation-value alone, SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium a must-have title for anyone who calls themselves a SNK or Capcom fan. SNK delivered some amazing fan service to this game, being the first to bring together fans of both companies in such a brilliant and innovative way. Due to the fact that the graphical capabilities of NGPC are limited, it seems like the artists behind the game really put in that "extra" effort to make The Match of the Millennium more enjoyable and stand out.

 

Page Updated: June 28th, 2024 Developer(s): Capcom Publisher(s): SNK Platform(s): Neo Geo Pocket Color, Nintendo Switch Artwork By: Falcoon Release Date(s): Nov. 30th, 1999              NGPC Dec. 22nd, 1999             NGPC 1999                                      NGPC Feb. 17th, 2021             Nintendo Switch Playable Characters:  Kyo Kusanagi, Terry Bogard, Iori Yagami, Ryo Sakazaki, Mai Shiranui, Yuri Sakazaki, Haohmaru, Athena Asamiya, Nakoruru, Leona Heidern, Geese Howard, Akari Ichijo, Orochi Iori, Ryu, Ken Masters, Chun-Li, Morrigan Aensland, Felicia, Zangief, Sakura Kasugano, Dan Hibiki, Guile, B.B. Hood, Evil Ryu, M. Bison, Akuma Support Characters:  Karin Kanzuki, Arthur, Firebrand, Marco Rossi, Fio Germi, Jubei Yagyu, Sagat Featured Video: Related Games: SNK Vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash, Card Fighters Clash 2, Card Fighters Clash DS, SNK Vs. Capcom: Chaos, Capcom Vs. SNK, Capcom Vs. SNK: Pro, Capcom Vs. SNK 2, King of Fighters R-1, King of Fighters R-2, Fatal Fury: 1st Contact, SNK Gals Fighters, Last Blade: Beyond The Destiny, Samurai Shodown: Pocket, Samurai Shodown 2: Pocket, Guilty Gear X Advance, Darkstalkers, Darkstalkers 2, Darkstalkers 3, Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo Revival, Street Fighter Alpha 3: Upper, SFA3: Max, Pocket Bravery    Gameplay Engine  9.0 / 10 Story / Theme  9.5 / 10 Overall Graphics  9.0 / 10 Animation  9.5 / 10 Music / Sound Effects  9.5 / 10 Innovation  9.5 / 10 Art Direction  10 / 10 Customization  7.5 / 10 Options / Extras  9.0 / 10 Intro / Presentation  9.5 / 10 Replayability / Fun  8.5 / 10 "Ouch" Factor  8.0 / 10 Characters  9.0 / 10 BOTTOM LINE  9.5 / 10     Final Words: Upon its arrival, SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium was easily one of the best, most-polished portable fighting games to date. Especially for a 1999 handheld game, it was very much ahead of its time. MOTM is an amazing little package. The streamlined gameplay is straight-forward, solid, fun, and uniquely complimented by the NEOGEO Pocket Color's responsive and enjoyably "clicky" D-pad. MOTM was indeed one of the main reasons to own a NEOGEO Pocket Color (besides Card Fighters Clash, of course). The impressive roster of 26 fighters stands on its own, but one of my favorite aspects of MOTM is how every character has his or her own original (yet remixed) background music! For a game that is literally "small"... MOTM packs more heart and polish than some other recent fighting game releases the "big boy" consoles. Visually, the stylish and charismatic character sprites & artwork also stand on their own, and are truly the star of the show. In my opinion, this game has the best "chibi style" art I've ever seen. Everything just looks clean... and easily-likeable without being too over-the-top or obnoxious. If for some reason you think this game looks "too kiddie" for your tastes, you might be surprised how much it grows on you after playing it. SNK Vs. Capcom: MOTM has a better gameplay system than some arcade fighting games I can think of over the years. At the end of the day, SNK Vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium was not only the humble beginning of the epic Capcom Vs SNK saga... but a truly unique and badass little fighting game in its own right. ~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen      Click Here for all Posters / Box Art / etc. Click Here for all Screenshots! FOLLOW    ON:                             TFG NEWS CHARACTERS GAMES