In the world of fighting games, Capcom is the company with the most classic and iconic game releases that players love to revisit. The level of hype and excitement from playing Capcom arcade fighting games are what built the competitive fighting game community that we know today. But Street Fighter games wouldn't be the sole thing that expanded the legacy of Capcom fighters, especially after their characters crossed over with a rival company in the 90s, giving us some of the best crossover titles in video game history. And beyond that, new ideas and new technology helped create fighting game experiences that have stuck with people for decades. It's everything that fighting game players love brought together into a neat package labeled the Capcom Fighting Collection 2. It is the second bundle that gives people the Capcom titles they've wanted to see again for a long time.

As the second iteration of Capcom fighting game classics to be grouped together, this collection puts the crossover fighting games as the main headline, while also adding elusive titles that have long been absent from modern consoles. There are a total of eight games included that Capcom developed for arcades from 1998 to 2004, making it an ideal collection for any fighting game fan who was playing arcade games in the early 2000s. While most people would worry about each game being changed in detrimental ways, this collection maintains their integrity and gets them to feel as close to arcade-perfect as possible. But it doesn't neglect to add in more options for those who want to customize their experience with each title, as well as a ton of extra goodies for fans of Capcom fighting games.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 price and availability

You can find Capcom Fighting Collection 2 available for PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox consoles. There is a standard version for every platform that includes the collection, but it can be purchased digitally as well on PSN, Xbox Live, Nintendo eShop, and Steam. However, there is also a bundle that includes the game with the Capcom Fighting Collection 1, giving customers both releases in one package. The bundle is available for all platforms as well. Physical copies of the game at retailers can include an original comic while supplies last.

• Standard Edition Digital: $39.99
• Standard Edition Physical: $39.99
• Bundle Collection: $59.99

The mark of the millennium

One of the best eras for fighters

Games like Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 and Project Justice were released during a period of great change in pop culture. New consoles like the PlayStation 2 were arriving on the scene, people's taste in music had changed, and many preconceived barriers were being questioned and shattered in great ways. This was the case with fighting games, as Capcom led the charge for the genre with major releases. Their biggest arcade competition was SNK Playmore, with whom they eventually collaborated to make multiple crossover games featuring characters from both Street Fighter and The King of Fighters series. This is why one of the most important games in this collection is Capcom vs. SNK 2, even though we have both Capcom vs SNK titles included. The other major additions to this bundle are the two Power Stone games, which have hardly been re-released on digital storefronts or modern consoles. They are Capcom gems that fans have continuously requested for years.

But does that mean the rest of the collection are throwaway titles? Not at all, far from it, actually. Games like Project Justice and Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein are cult hits that have also been elusive classics, and many have wanted to see them make a return. And it doesn't hurt to see Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX as an additional title to complete the collection, giving a full scope of what it was like playing arcade fighters in that era. The collection offers a good value to both new and old fighting game fans. You may not have known much about Plasma Sword, but you might've seen Hayato appear in Marvel vs Capcom 2 without ever knowing the game he originated from. And if you missed out on the hype that was Power Stone 2, then this is the best way to experience it.

At the same time, every game has multiple filters and presentation options to make it look its best. Not everyone will like the same filters on display, if any at all, but there are many to pick from. Small additions like multiple background wallpapers are a nice touch for each individual game. Still, they're only relevant if you stay within the original or semi-expanded display options, not when the games are stretched out to full. But even then, you can increase the resolution size of the games to further tinker with how they look, which might be great for higher-resolution displays.

The buttons just hit right

This is true love making

The content of every game in the collection is exactly what it was during its original release. There isn't a character or a pixel out of place that you'll notice when playing through any of the arcade modes for each title. Special inputs and strategies you remember using often are going to be valuable here against the CPU and other players. However, the options you have to tinker with in each game are different. An ensemble of difficulty and match settings can let you customize how you play through each game, but additional settings for unlocking secret characters, mirror matches, and overall game speed are there as well. For titles like Capcom vs SNK 2, you can even switch between allowing balance changes from the original release and the E.O. release of the game, which had certain changes to different characters and more. The collection does a great job of offering enough options that don't make things feel limited, allowing players to have fun with everything and still keep the integrity of the games intact.

At the same time, multiple games have additional modes and features to engage with beyond the typical Arcade mode. Versus Mode is present for every game when all you want to do is play locally against friends. Training Mode options in every game give the tools needed to help improve one's skills and learn the intricacies of match-ups. Hit-box displays and other helpful information detail nearly everything you would need to know about a character and their attacks. Most modern fighting games include things like this and have become popular features, so it's great to see these classics have something similar.

Like the previous Capcom collections, you can switch between the English and Japanese versions of each game. This changes the balance of gameplay and presentation of menus. Having the original Japanese releases of each title is great for those who want an even closer experience to the original releases, especially if you're curious about any other differences between regions where these games came out. It does not change the other core options that are present in the menus, but it's a nice thing to have.

Taking the fights online

These hands are rated E for everyone

Fighting games past and present are meant to be played with other people, so eventually going online is a necessity. Playing the Capcom Fighting Collection 2 online is very similar to the previous collection, with all the same options as before. All eight games can be played online, which is a great thing, but options are limited. You can enter into Ranked or Casual matchmaking to pair up with someone online, or you can create a Custom lobby to fight with someone. Lobbies can have up to nine additional players, with cross-region and version options available. However, the quality of matches you encounter will vary greatly. Depending on the strength of the internet connection, one might have excellent matches or very choppy encounters in all the online games. For ranked battles, this will be a problem, especially when there's little to no penalty if someone disconnects from a match prematurely.

Waiting for an online match can be done by waiting in the menus or playing an arcade mode for a specific game, as you are in matchmaking, giving a similar feeling to when you're playing in an arcade before someone walks up to the Player 2 side. There are also leaderboards and a high score challenge mode to mix things up. There really isn't a reward offline for exploring this, other than seeing your name on the leaderboards for each game.

The retro goodies and extra sounds

Some things hit and some don't

Luckily for fighting game fans, this collection doesn't just come with the games alone, but a Museum mode with lots of extras. Capcom went an additional mile and added a gallery with promotional material, arcade marquee cards, and concept art for every game included in the collection. It's very neat to see documents and older promos for these fighting games, especially ones released in specific regions. However, most of the images that have Japanese text don't have any subtitles or windows that translate what is written. Previous Capcom collections have had similar issues with documents and artwork text that weren't translated. It would be nice to know exactly what was written on some of the old character design documents and arcade pamphlets for every game, especially when there's a lot of text on them. Regardless, it's still great to see all of this material that celebrates each game.

What will be a hit or miss with most people is the new music added just for Capcom Fighting Collection 2. Almost every game has new remixes of its soundtrack that can be switched with the original music in the menus. Although some tracks sound good, the majority of the new music lacks the personality and impact that original music from these games had. None of the new tracks for Capcom vs SNK 2 are even close to the quality of the original music. The same could be said for both Power Stone 2 and Project Justice. Inevitably, this will come down to individual tastes in music, but most people will probably prefer to stick with the original tracks when they play.

Playing through each game won't unlock any new bonus rewards, but there are Fighter Rewards that you can keep track of. These are milestones and achievements that show which games you finished or completed with certain characters. Some of these are also tied to trophy and achievement support on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam. Not much comes from earning these achievements, other than bragging rights for doing something special.

Running it back with Capcom

The Capcom Fighting Collection 2 doesn't achieve a perfect win, but it does stand as another victory of retro goodness for fans of fighting games. Each title included in this collection is a beloved classic from an era that many love to reminisce about. The collection renders what we know and like about these games authentically while also lightly polishing up some of their best aspects. The online experience could always use some improvement, as well as parts of the extra content that these Capcom collections often provide. But when it comes down to it, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a great way to turn up the nostalgia and run it back to a fun time in fighting game history.