Capcom Fighting All-Stars (is it doomed to fail?) ..

Time to touch upon a new editorial, and what better time, than when I finally obtain a new domain name for Curse of the Moon. You can now have all your Talbain goodness at www.talbain.com! That's right, we're prime-time now, baby!

So, Capcom is making a new game you say? A 3D game? An "all-star" game? Well, I say .. Curse you for such false rumors! However, then we actually see that Capcom is indeed making the game. At that point, I do not know whether to well up with tears of joy, or well up with tears of sadness!

This may be a good move for Capcom, but we will touch upon a few things, and just see if this game is going to be any good from the details presented.

First, and foremost, this is supposed to be an "All-Star" game, yet Capcom introduces three new characters? Okay, I suppose that is to bring in a new audience. Now, where are the all-stars? Ryu, of course, a Capcom legend. Chun-Li, of course .. Charlie? Okay, he's more popular than Guile, but c'mon .. Guile was the first, he's the star! Cammy? Where is Cammy? Where is the British babe that we all love? What about Darkstalkers, where are the Darkstalkers? Maybe Capcom just did not want to re-do Morrigan's sprite for a 3D game. Haggar I can see, but he hasn't been around since God knows when. Of course! Strider Hiryu! He's an all-star, but he would have never had a shot in this game had Capcom not put him in the Marvel v. Capcom series.

Well, so it seems we have a rather mixed-match cast of characters that I would hardly call all-stars. True, some are legends in their own right, but I see no real fan-favorites in there. So, the character cast is a downer for me. Do not get me wrong, there is nothing more exciting than kicking Ryu's ass with Hiryu in glorious 3D, but I think Capcom could have done better.

Now we touch upon the past history of Capcom. And a sad, sad fact that Capcom has to live with. They are known for making sub-par 3D conversions of their classic 2D series. Street Fighter EX is the shining example. A good game in it's own right, but it never had the Street Fighter feel you expected. Granted, Capcom has made some outstanding 3D fighting games, but they were never based of previous 2D works. Rival Schools, and to a lesser extent, Star Gladiator, were great! I just do not think that Capcom will have the ability to pull it off with this "All-Star" game, especially if they use the same formula that was used with Street Fighter EX.

My final gripe is more of a personal one that does not affect my interpretation of the game itself .. WHY ISN'T TALBAIN IN THE GAME!? Biased I am, and I would have loved to see the Werewolf Hurricane in glorious 3D. It would finally put to rest the "Yugo v. Talbain" arguments that are quickly arising with Bloody Roar's popularity (Talbain would win, hands down .. I will refrain from explaining why). I think Capcom just needs to get more use out of the Darkstalker series, since it has such untapped potential. I shouldn't go on about it here, since that is what my entire previous column was about.

Anyway, we bring ourselves back to the question. Is Capcom Fighting All-Stars doomed to fail? With everything presented .. I still do not know, and will not until I play the game. I think that Capcom could have a top-notch fighter on their hands if they do it right. If they do it wrong, though .. Then I believe that we will just have another Street Fighter EX collecting dust. I hope it succeeds, and I hope that Capcom finally claims a place in the 3D market that Rival Schools clutched at. Yet, only time will tell.

Until them, I remain ..
D'