DARKSTALKERS RESURRECTION

With three episodes and two add-on released in arcade between 1994 and 1997, Darkstalkers is a series whose generation Street Fighter IV has probably never heard of. At most, there are three damsels Series (Morrigan, Hsien-Ko and Felicia) in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 because the game lacked female characters ... Short "Dark" is a game that less than 20 years can not know.

This series thematic barred and the genesis of inflated ego (read our report on this subject) that Yoshinori Ono, architect of the comeback of the fighting game, desperate to return to the life. Problem: even at its heyday, Darkstalkers was already a niche in a niche and Capcom, in fear, brakes today with both feet ambitions of its producer. Aware of the problem, it splits the two and proposes to test the attractiveness of the series via emerged. Thus was born Darkstalkers Resurrection compilation Vampire Hunter and Vampire Savior. His goal: to educate players the principles of gameplay of the series, refresh its unknown image and hope that sales follow, provided publicly asked by Capcom for the arrival of a true fourth episode.


BEULETTA

So play the game and do not go around the bush: this reissue is not surprising. We find the same comprehensive treatment performed on previous editions of Capcom, namely online gaming via GGPO, graphics filters to help get the sprites 1994 on our HD TVs, covering 16/9 neat, friendly options in the different game modes, and bonuses in the form of galleries and videos to unlock.

And immediately you feel a little care on details: the menus, stories about the characters and their stories help us learn more about the background of the game bloated; tutorials to help in Night Warriors learn basic combos and Savior have both a text whose tone and vocabulary change from one character to another, participating in their characterization, but also to combine the general theory of fighting game ( cassages the guard, successful layouts specific location) and its demonstration scripts. A real tutorial in a Capcom game? We had stopped believing. First game to push the characterization and differentiation of total characters to the point of making defectors (Guilty Gear and BlazBlue top), Vampire Savior even seen decorated with friendly lessons on mechanical games that only work for each character . A significant "luxury", which allows to learn to love the game as it is constantly surprised by its inventiveness.


ANE TO CUDDLE

If it keeps the same button layout as Street Fighter is an unparalleled nervousness that makes the title salt. The jumps are very fast and very low, which encourages air attack. The guard is available both on the ground in the air, are the beginnings of air combat games seen here emerge. The dash shorten distances and often put the character who performs in a specific state which promotes the attack. Chain combos are easy to do, beating the EX often bourrines properties, being able to strike an opponent to the ground if we can catch the timing, tech hit to push his opponent ... And we do not mean the system round without a break and "Dark Force" of Savior, then it becomes an orgy of gaming systems to master.

All this helps highlighting the attack at the expense of the game midway from Street Fighter II, which saw two adversaries watch and find the key. The game based distance shots is obviously always present but difficult to achieve. More than the application of a set of distance fixed by the capabilities of the characters, the interest of the security ultimately rests more on the tactical choices made in real time and exploiting multiple game systems to open custody. Combos, easy to make and very fast, also participate in this focus makes Darkstalkers "a Street Fighter II without zoning and full of trickery." But rich and exciting, a kind of first sandbox genre.


 all is not rosy because if the gameplay has not aged a bit, and the art direction is impeccable, the title suffers from an unfortunate comparison between his additions related to the emerged and technical deficiencies related age. First, find in this reissue a Vampire Hunter, second title in the series, is a bit strange because it splits into two buyers of the title. While it is understandable that its gameplay a little less nervous, system of rounds near a Street Fighter and the absence of some good mechanical barred serve to reassure the younger one begins to regret that the care n 'was not put on the Savior to make more substantial pre-cited contributions.

 small details are also spoil the appreciation such as the menus licked give way to screen for too pixelated time selection. The illustrations redone for the occasion, very pretty, are used only partially, contrasting poorly with the original design whose style and the color are too different to pass the pill. If internships are always pretty and inventive, some sprites that are already laughing at the time of Capcom vs. SNK 2 (Morrigan cuckoo!) Are more pity today on HD TV. Even with a lot of affection for the title, we must admit that it is ugly, the filters are not solving the problem. To this is added an unfortunate translation, trying to keep gender-specific (but not the good, a shame) English terms, making all extremely confusing: "Your Crouching Fierce is your attack then the important part is continue the chain into a Standing Roundhouse. " That is not very clear in a way that is itself not at the base. Shame given the educational ambition of the title.