👊 SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Pocket Sized & Packing A Punch!" 👊

About 20 years ago a game called SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium came out on the Neo Geo Pocket and made the Neo Geo Pocket Colour worth buying! 

It was such a highly regarded title that more Neo Geo Pocket Colours were bought because of this title than any other game on the system. It was seen as the killer app that might make the Pocket Colour a viable opponent of the Game Boy Colour (that didn't work out too well in the end)

The game featured fighting characters from the SNK and Capcom fighting games who were the two biggest names in the fighting game scene in the early 2000s. Rightly so, fans went mad for this combination fighter as it was a simple yet complex fighter with all the tactics you’d expect from a full-blown fighter but in pocket form.

The game came with a great roster of fighters from both camps who were portrayed in a cutesy style but with fantastic artwork to back it up.

The game plays like a dream and it’s hard to believe this was packed into a handheld the size of the Neo Geo Pocket Colour as it feels ahead of its time.

You also got reworked classic stages for the handheld version which take me back to those fighters of the early 2000s.

The game is filtered down into two parts. First, there’s the standard fighting game and theme there are the bonus games that sit alongside the main fighter.

The best part of this cracking little title is the fighting game element that takes you through the game's storyline, and up to a fight against mutant Ryu or Iori. 

A nice touch is that each character has a rival that will jump in at the middle of the storyline for a bit of a sparring session.

The combat is broken down into best-of-three battles, one-match brawls, two-on-two tag-team battles or three-on-three team match which really mixes the action up nicely!.

During the course of the game you’ll earn extra characters by completing the game and the game will randomly punch out a number of squares from a nine-tile grid to reveal the new character which is a nice touch and also keeps you coming back for more to uncover new characters.

As there are only two buttons to use moves are therefore gauged by how long you hold the kick or punch button e.g the longer you hold the button, the stronger the move. 
I found using the Switch analogue stick was fantastic for pulling off special moves especially with my beloved Ken.

The other game mode is something called "Olympic Mode." whereby you will pick a team (SNK or Capcom) and then you’ll be tasked with competing in seven different events.
Such as a 100 one-round fights endurance run or seeing how many opponents can you defeat in a 10-round KO challenge or a time trial to see how long will it take you to beat five opponents.

Alongside that are four mini-games that are Capcom or SNK themed depending on the team you choose to compete for. Team Capcom have an odd but amusing Ghost 'n Goblins game that sees you controlling Arthur as you try and grab the cash bags while avoiding a ghost! There’s also a Dance Dance Revolution style-challenge that sees you taking on some rhythm action challenges. The SNK challenges put you in a Metal Slug mini-game versus alien UFOs and a  Samurai Shodown stage where you will hack at fight dummies in a dojo. 

This Switch port comes with the usual settings to customise your screen and also gives you some nice scans of the original manual.

"Right I’m off to one-hit kill ten opponents and then cool off with Arthur as he jumps over ghosts to collect bags of cash (just another day in the Games Freezer)"