SNK vs. Capcom: SVC CHAOS

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The history of the arcade fighting game is just as rough and tumble as the games themselves, and few examples of this are more impactful than the rivalry between Capcom and SNK. Most are probably familiar with Capcom’s legacy, but for those who don’t know, SNK is beloved by fans of classic arcade and fighting games alike for their amazing string of original fighting game classics whose characters would ultimately merge into the King of Fighters series, an iconic roster that begged to be paired against its chief quarter-munching rival.

This would happen several times, but each developer would offer fans unique versions of the experience, each with their own unique flavor – and degrees of success. SNK vs. Capcom: SVC CHAOS, originally released back in 2003 in both arcades and on the aging Neo Geo platform, serves almost like a time capsule of just how tumultuous this rivalry had become – and how there would be a clear winner.

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A brief history: SNK was in a dire restructuring frenzy during the early 2000s and deep in the throes of bankruptcy. As a result, the belabored developer/publisher was desperate to survive within a declining arcade market by any means possible. Throughout their financial turmoil, SNK began collaborating remotely with their frenemy Capcom, who at the time produced some of the best games on the market, including Capcom vs. SNK 2, a superior arcade fighter which included a fine sampling of SNK’s own roster.

Unfortunately for SNK, they couldn’t reap any profit from those titles as they were developed and published by Capcom themselves. However, SNK were still contractually obligated to make their own coin-op crossover fighting game and under a deadline to deliver a product, of which the portable (but still excellent) Neo Geo Pocket games of the era wouldn’t count.

This is a glossed over synopsis of how SVC CHAOS eventually came to exist, and still shows after all these years. I’m no stranger to this game either and remember its release back in summer 2003. Me and a couple of close friends first played it on a deluxe upright cabinet converted for Neo Geo MVS that randomly popped up at our local Regal Cinema. My initial response was of mild interest, but it was quickly apparent that while the game was a dream match in spirit, something special was missing in favor of a deliberately old-school feel.

SVC CHAOS takes a more traditional approach in terms of gameplay. This is a 1-vs-1 affair that’s more reminiscent of Super Street Fighter II Turbo; with some sprinklings of Fatal Fury, Street Fighter Alpha, and even light dustings of Samurai Shodown for good measure. There’s very little fluff or distractions that get in the way of the action (nor enhance it, either), which may not sound appealing if you liked elements of the groove system or team ratios featured in the better-known Capcom iterations.

The largest criticism is how the game is notably drier and more grounded than its predecessors, with the usual subsystems of cancellable moves, dashing, super move bar, and an Exceed ultra move that works as comeback mechanic that’s only available once during an entire match. There’s plenty of depth here, but it’s not as accessible, optimized or inviting for modern audiences to easily embrace. There’s also the matter of difficulty on single player that quickly ramps up, and basically a rite of FGC passage when, or if you finally do reach Princess Athena or Red Arremer, both of which exhibit the notorious SNK boss syndrome.

The presentation is also a mixed bag. SVC CHAOS is a Neo Geo game from its twilight years, so it has a unique blend of peak sprite-based graphics where characters are vividly animated and exude a certain charm lacking in many of today’s games. Beyond the typical SNK cast, other combatants (like Shiki and Mars People) and the whole Capcom roster are completely overhauled to a degree that would make Street Fighter III zealots blush. SNK definitely gave characters like Guile, Chun-Li, Demitri, Red Earth’s Tessa/Tabasa and especially Zero from Mega Man Zero a lot of graphical love, or at the very least an interesting visual twist on their familiar designs.

Everything else from the background to the in-game cinematics and dialogue is less impressive and questionable in scope. Forgetting the game was release on (even by 2003 standards) ancient hardware, nothing here is low quality, but SVC CHAOS goes for a muted and dystopian aesthetic that’s far more melancholic than what we’d seen in Capcom’s dazzlingly bright and colorful dream match titles. That’s still evident in this version, as SNK and Code Mystics (who handled this port) left everything intact for the purists to enjoy, as the core version of this game is taken straight from the home Neo Geo AES release.

So what did Code Mystics do with SVC CHAOS? As I already said, everything directly related to the core game itself remains untouched with all extras and secret characters unlocked from the start, with the only real addition being a new menu UI that’s feature-packed and stacked on top for easy access. Aside from this, bonus content includes in-game achievements, an expansive gallery featuring all the character, background and promotional artwork, and hitbox on/off toggle for training purposes.

Online play with rollback netcoding is here and performs as well as you’d expect, especially with a wired Ethernet connection. The experience is flawless when playing against others at a observed 30-40ms ping and emphasis on delivering the most straightforward matchmaking lobbies possible, and the tournament settings. It’s hardly the most sophisticated system out there, but it delivers a reliable amount of players and competition outside of Fightcade.

Upon its original release,  SNK vs. Capcom: SVC CHAOS had the misfortune of having to follow Capcom’s superb Capcom vs. SNK 2, arguably one of the greatest fighting games ever made. As a result, SVC CHAOS was overlooked by most everyone except pure arcade fighting fanatics, for valid reasons. Admittedly, time hasn’t healed all wounds, but this re-release lets the game finally stand on its own merits, and Code Mystics was smart enough not to tamper with the original experience while focusing on delivering solid online play. It remains a niche game for old-school fans, however, though requires less effort to appreciate than “smacking a baby. Not that anyone would ever do that!”