DESCRIPTION

When two juggernauts collide, usually only one is left standing or they bounce off each other and continue along their respective, unstoppable paths. It's a rare happening indeed when the two stop, shake hands and then fuse their top properties into one game. So the announcement of SNK vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium created much skepticism at first as it seemed too good to be true.

Now the NeoGeo Pocket is hosting the unthinkable. Whether it's Capcom's Ryu versus SNK's Kyo or Darkstalkers' Morrigan facing off against the fatally furious female, Mai Shiranui, the question of who's the best can finally be settled in a more definitive way than through idle speculation.

Players will also be able to test their mettle through a wide variety of play options. Single competition is joined by the Capcom tag method as well as the more traditional three character teams found in the King of Fighters series. Specific team combinations are also given special names, such as Ryu and Kyo's "Team Mighty." Playing through the assorted fighting modes will net you additional hidden characters as well.

For fans still wanting more, SNK obliged by adding an Olympics Mode where the SNK or Capcom characters compete for high scores and medals. Players will find themselves tackling a variety of game modes including Survival Mode, Time Attack Mode and First Blast.

These three will test your fighting skills against the computer in several different ways. Survival will pit you against as many as five character teams as your lone character can handle. Time Attack concerns itself with the speed of your wins, and First Blast starts off both fighters at no life so the first strike to connect will result in a win.

There were also a few less conventional modes popped in as well. Players will be able to team up with Arthur from Ghouls N' Ghosts in a cash-grabbing mini platformer, dance with Felicia, shoot alien skeet with Marco Rossi from Metal Slug, and practice the Blade Arts with Jubei Yagyu from Samurai Shodown. Winning points in these events will allow you to unlock special hidden super moves for the fighters as well.

So pack up your sword, don your aikido pants, secure your black belt and tighten your combat boots. They're all ready to rumble, and there's going to be a war! ~ Joe Ottoson, All Game Guide