Reviews// Capcom, SNK & Sammy revive the 2D beat 'em up

But quite apart from the tricky choice of controller options, the fundamental question is: if you want just one of these 2D revivals, which one do you opt for? For SPOnG, the Street Fighter Aniversary Collection strikes us as the pick of the bunch. It includes two notably different installments of the series and will strike a nostalgic note with many. However, newcomers to 2D fighting might find Guilty Gear X2 Reload more immediately engaging; it’s hard not to succumb to the high-calorie all-singing, all-dancing eye candy on show; whilst, on the other hand, lovers of King Of Fighters may be content simply to take the unsullied 2000 & 2001 double-pack on-line, leaving everything else on the shelves. As for SVC Chaos: that seems to be lagging a little behind, and we'd suggest this purchase should be the last on the list (with the comparatively elderly Capcom vs SNK 2 remaining higher up the list of essentials).

Fans of 2D fighting games are fairly devoted in their cultishness, and we can verily imagine anyone equipped with a pair of sturdy arcade sticks will go out and buy all of these games as and when they reach release. The schedule, as prioritised by us, looks a little something like this:

[b]Street Fighter Anniversary Edition [out now] A
Guilty Gear X2 Reload [26th November] A -
King Of Fighters 2000 & 2001 [12th November] B+
SVC Chaos: SNK vs Capcom [5th January '05] B -[/b]

If you're completely new to the genre, Guilty Gear X2 may be the friendliest introduction. If your beat 'em up education has been shaped on these shores, Street Fighter Anniversary will provide the warmest glow; and if you're a hardcore collector of all things fighty and Japanese, the King Of Fighters double pack is worthwhile. SVC Chaos struggles slightly next to these: but for completists, is equally valuable.