Reviewed
06.22.2003
Publisher
Capcom
Developer
Capcom
Format
1x
GD
Origin
Import
Available
Aug.
15, 2000 (Japan)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Adjustable
Dimensions
2D
View
Side
Genre
Arcade
/ Fighting
Player(s)
1-2
Options
Arcade
Stick
ASCII
Pad
Backup
3
Modem
Rumble
VGA
Box
VMS
/ VMU
Requires
n/a
Importable
95% |
| Intro |
|
> A seamless, arcade perfect compilation of Vampire (Dark Stalkers),
Vampire Hunter (Night Warriors), and Vampire Savior (Dark Stalkers
3). The latter two were released for Saturn as well.
For the uninitiated, Vampire Chronicle (VC) is a 2D versus fighting
tour de force! The good news is VC has a network mode. The
bad news is VC is only available in Japan, which breaks the once constant
flow of Capcom games from Japan to America.
> As I said above, this game is only available in Japan. If you can
find it and want to pay the (sometimes) exorbitant price for it, then by
all means snag it now! VC is just as playable as any other Capcom
fighter you may have imported. The menus are largely in English,
while the victory text and speech are in Japanese. |
| Graphics |
|
> I know some people are going to complain about the resolution in Capcom
fighters, especially when utilizing the VGA mode. Personally, I don't
mind seeing high resolution graphics that come no where near to maxing
out my PC screen, as long as they're faithful to the original. Make
no mistake, VC's graphics are perfect in that light.
> The thing that purists will love the most is the continued exceptional
hand-drawn animation, courtesy of the pros at Capcom. Ever since
the first Street Fighter II hit the arcades, Capcom has been doing
this genre better than anyone. The backgrounds are beautiful and
varied, as expected. Last but not least, the special attacks light
up the screen with dazzling effects. |
| Control |
|
> VC uses the tried and true 6 button configuration that Capcom basically
invented. If you have the ASCII
Pad then you'll be in heaven. If not, it's going to take
some time to get acclimated to using the triggers.
> You can play with the basic rules of all three games in the series, as
well as fine tune the difficulty, speed, and other attributes. Heck,
if you want, you can even taunt your foe. I have no problems with
VC's gameplay. Kudos to Capcom. |
| Sound |
|
> I'm sure you can pretty much imagine what the music is like, especially
if you're a seasoned Capcom player. Thankfully, VC's music isn't
annoying at all, although hardly memorable. As for the sound effects,
they're true to the original and top notch. I just have one question.
Does anyone know what the advantage to 'QSound' is? I would guess
it adds some sort of 3D effects. |
| Fun |
|
> Jeez... Tons of options. As I said before, you can play in Vampire,
Hunter or Savior mode, which obviously encompasses the series. Pick
from a plethora of characters and even change the color of their outfits.
Tweak the gameplay and you're good to go against the CPU or a friend (online
if you were lucky enough to connect while DC games were up). This
is 2D fighting at its best. |
| Bottom
Line |
|
> To be perfectly honest, I don't think the Vampire series is better
than the Street Fighter Alpha series. However, its characters
are highly unique and a pleasure to watch, especially most people's favorite,
Morrigan. I would get Street
Fighter Alpha 3 (Saturn / Dreamcast) before this game, but it's
well worth it for fans of the series. |
| Ratings |
| Overall:
9.0 | Graphics: 9.0 | Control: 9.5 | Sound: 9.0 | Fun: 8.5 |
|
