SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium

SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium ranks among the best fighting games ever released on a handheld console. It brings together the stars of two Japanese houses that had spent years competing against each other in arcades: Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Morrigan step into the ring against Kyo, Iori, Terry and other faces from the world of The King of Fighters. The player can choose between several match formats, from a classic one-on-one duel through three-fighter team battles to a variant where characters switch mid-round. Controls rely on just two buttons, yet still manage full special moves, super techniques and defensive maneuvers, because the Neo Geo Pocket Color's microswitch joystick reads quarter-circle motions with a precision no ordinary d-pad can match.

The graphics rely on strongly shortened, cartoonish character proportions, which keep the animation legible on a small screen even when it fills up with effects. Even so, recognizable poses and move execution are preserved, so the game behaves like a real fighter, not a simplified imitation. Alongside the arcade ladder there's a series of bonus disciplines that test reflexes and character knowledge outside of regular matches, unlocking further bonuses. The music recasts familiar themes from both series into three-channel chip sound and, surprisingly, holds onto the mood of the originals well, even though the instrument palette is only a fraction of the arcade versions.

At the time, critics welcomed the title as proof that a portable fighting game didn't have to be a compromise, and together with the card game from the same brand, it became one of the main reasons to buy the console. Its influence is visible in later portable crossover fighters, which borrowed the idea of pairing a full-fledged fighting system with short bonus disciplines. Today the game works as an ideal showcase of what the Neo Geo Pocket Color could do: short sessions, instant access to the action, and a system that reveals itself gradually. Anyone looking for a single title to try the platform with will practically always reach for this one.