I am still surprised that it took this long for Gamecube to receive an incarnation of one of Capcom's 2D fighters. With endless possibilities and mixtures of the same classic formulas that Capcom has tweaked over and over, they decided to bring Capcom vs. SNK 2 over to Gamecube and add EO to the end of the title. What does EO mean? It means that they got to put "only on" in the top left hand corner of the box art. EO, as I will refer to it from now on, will indeed appeal to fans of the series or to old school 2D fighting gamers, but those looking for something fresh or new…sorry.

Lots and lots of characters from both sides are playable, which means more old school moves and attitudes. The gameplay is extremely similar to past incarnations of both the Capcom and SNK series, and in fact, it is virtually untouched. Pick up the controller, choose your favorite character, and never stop playing. This is how Capcom would like gamers to play the game, unfortunately that is much easier said than done. Gamecube's controller is quite possibly the last controller you would want to use for a classic 2D fighter. The analog is awkward, the D-pad is to small, and the button configuration is uncomfortable when trying to perform strategic combos. Of course though there is always the option to purchase a 3rd party arcade stick, which may not be a bad idea considering many new fighting games are coming out soon.

As far as the graphics go, "old school" is still the term of choice. Capcom could have easily cleaned up the graphics and added several more new frames of animation to the characters moves. Instead, the characters lack fluid animation, which isn't a horrible thing to those looking for an "old school" experience. Oddly enough, there are some random 3D backgrounds that pass by the fight scenes time to time. The special moves do not look bad either. The animation is stiff, but the effects for a select few of the special moves are eye candy.

Old school, old school and umm…old school. Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO's audio has followed the trend set by the rest of the game. Luckily, it works, and it works pretty darn well. The sound effects truly add to the experience. Each punch, kick or special attack is recognizable by sound, and very familiar in a cozy and comfortable way. The soundtrack is kind of gross, but then again, this game will mostly appeal to the classic fighting gamers that will feel right at home with the tunes played.

In closure, to those still in doubt of whether or not to purchase this game, I'd suggest to follow the trend of the review. Old school 2D fighting gamers should give it a try, but those looking for something new should save their cash flow, or possibly rent it.