SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium is a stunning game for its time, offering up fluid movements, sharp visuals, and impressive play when compared to anything on handhelds at the time. SNK could have been content to make a great fighter, cramming twenty-six fighters (and an impressive number of their movesets) from across Capcom and SNKās fighting franchises. Instead, it added a bunch of minigames that offer fun challenges, charming looks at characters, and some nice details, making for a rich package that few fighters match even today.
Throwing down against this massive roster of fighters is likely enough to keep most players busy for ages. Especially with three different fighting modes and battle styles thrown in to allow you to mix it up. There are a bunch of characters you can unlock. Still, how well do you think youād do against one hundred matches all in a row? How fast could you take down five foes without a break? How many matches could you win if the first hit decided the fight?
These challenges are all available in SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millenniumās Olympic mode, an array of minigames and challenges. These build upon the regular fighting gameplay by giving you interesting challenges like forcing you to budget health and play carefully, move as fast as you can, or find a means to strike without getting hit back. These all task you with trying your favorite characters in different ways, prioritizing new moves and different combat styles.
Not that you donāt need these abilities in a regular match, but certain moves and styles have greater value in these unique challenges. You might want to play more conservatively when your health only gets refilled a tiny bit between each of the 100 matches of survival mode. You may not feel like you usually go all out, but every sliver of health suddenly becomes much more precious when the risks are so much higher. Meanwhile, you might find yourself playing too carefully if you need to take folks down in one hit or steamroll them quickly. I found it made me look at the charactersā abilities in a new light, enriching the main game and giving me a new appreciation for how each character played.
SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium doesnāt just mix up its fighting matches with its minigames. It also offers a few playful games that are unique to whatever side youāre playing on. The Olympics are SNK vs Capcom, after all, so whichever side you choose, youāll find yourself squaring off against opponents from the other company (which can also factor into your strategy in some interesting ways). These games will have you shooting aliens, slashing dummies, and dancing all night. They make for some odd additions that bring some fun charm and variety to the game.
On the SNK side, you can try out the Target9 minigame. Metal Slugās Marco makes an appearance here, and you will help him shoot down alien ships before they blast you back. Itās a twitchy minigame that ramps up in difficulty in a hurry. You can also try out Blade Arts, which sees Samurai Shodownās Jubei cutting up straw dummies that pop up around him. Again, youāll need to be quick to do well.
The Capcom minigames also prioritize familiar faces. Touāll be able to guide Ghosts Nā Goblins’ Arthur as he leaps across cliffs, dodging the Red Arremer as you try to snag treasures. When youāre done getting your skin torn off, you can switch to dancing with Darkstalkersā Felicia in the Cat Walk minigame, tapping A, B, and the Directional Buttons in time with the beat.
None of these games is particularly complex, but they all bring a bit of playful charm to SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium. Itās nice to have something completely outside the game to cool down with if youāve had a few bad matches. (Pr lost in Survival after sinking almost an hour into it, which I donāt want to talk about.) Itās good to see other flagship characters make an appearance, and the silly dance competition with Felicia gives you a bit more time to savor the gameās great music. Good luck getting through Chun Liās track, though.
These diversions come with some great prizes, which adds to their appeal. The points you earn in playing them (whether you win or lose) can be spent on unlocking new moves for each character. You need a fair amount of points, so expect to spend a lot of time here, but they give players something to work for. I often put fighters down when thereās no real-life opponent to play against, as there feels like there really isnāt much for a goal to work towards besides beating the quick story mode. These minigames give me something to strive toward, making me feel like Iām making progress even if Iām just puttering around. That said, the costs to unlock moves are a bit ridiculous, so unlocking everything for everyone may wear your enjoyment of these games down quite a bit.
With new unlocked moves, as well as unique match demands, I found that SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millenniumās minigames do an excellent job of keeping the game fresh and new while teaching you to appreciate the fighters’ movesets. Theyāre light and silly at times, sure, but they also give more excuses to savor the art, sound, and smooth gameplay in this impressive handheld fighter.
SNK vs Capcom: Match of the MillenniumĀ is available now on the Nintendo Switch. It is also available on the plucky Neo Geo Pocket Color.