Latest news with #ProjectJustice
The Verge
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Capcom goes for deep cuts with latest fighting game collection
At this point, there are more than enough ways to play Street Fighter II. But Project Justice and Plasma Sword? Well, those are something entirely different, and much harder to find. And Capcom has made the smart decision to continue to make some of its more obscure fighters the focal point of its growing library of retro collections. While it's called Capcom Fighting Collection 2, the latest release is actually the third in the series from Capcom. The first, in 2022, focused on 2D games like Darkstalkers, Cyberbots, and, yes, SFII. That was followed by the long-awaited collection of Marvel vs. Capcom releases. The latest collection isn't quite as focused, but instead covers eight Capcom fighters released between 1998 and 2004, spanning arcades and consoles like the Dreamcast. Mostly these games are divided into two categories. There are a bunch of 2D crossover releases that mash up characters from different franchises. That includes two SNK vs. Capcom games — Millennium Fight 2000 Pro and Mark of the Millennium 2001 — along with Capcom Fighting Evolution, which brought together characters from Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, and Red Earth. If nothing else, Fighting Evolution is notable for being a game where Ryu can fight a dinosaur. Rounding out this half is Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper, which isn't a crossover, but is an excellent 2D fighter. In fact, all of these are. They're slick and polished, filled with incredible animation and character designs, and lots of interesting mechanics based around teams and power-ups. These are games that largely came out as interest in 2D fighters seemed to be dwindling, and Capcom was throwing everything it could at keeping the genre appealing. Because of this, they're some of the most over-the-top examples of a fighting game. Perhaps more interesting, though, is the quartet of 3D fighters included in the collection, which were all early attempts at exploring the genre in a new dimension. They're all pretty different because of it. Power Stone and its sequel were particularly ambitious, with their large, interactive levels that players could run around, collecting items and power-ups as they fought. The other two are somewhat more straightforward but with their own twists: Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein is built around weapons-based combat, while Project Justice puts you in control of various fighting teams as you punch your way through a surprisingly deep storyline about rival schools. These games haven't aged as well as their 2D counterparts. The controls can be a little fiddly, and the action is often slower, with floaty physics. But they still stand up, even to someone like me who never played them originally. More importantly, though, they're finally available for a wide audience to play. Despite being a cult classic, the most recent port of Power Stone came out on the PlayStation Portable in 2006. This collection is long overdue for most of these games. Aside from the games themselves, which are available in both their English and Japanese incarnations, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 has the usual assortment of add-ons, like online support, a music player, and a collection of associated art. It's not as robust as, say, a Digital Eclipse release like Tetris Forever or Atari 50. But Capcom's new collection nails the important thing: it's eight classic games that all play great, showcase an interesting evolution of the genre, and are finally available for modern players.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a celebration of early 2000s brawlers
Fighting games fans thought it would never happen. But then the first Capcom Fighting Game Collection came out last fall with remasters for some of the most important titles from the mid to late 90s (plus one from the 2000s) — all in the same package. We're talking about absolute classics like X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes and most importantly, Marvel vs. Capcom 2. But the goodness doesn't stop there because in a few months, another anthology is due out — the Capcom Fighting Collection 2 — which features an arguably even stronger lineup of brawlers from the early 2000s. And after getting the chance to preview the game prior to its official release on May 16, this assemblage is both a tribute to fighting game history and a great way to waste time smashing buttons. Before we get in too deep, I should mention that only three out of the eight total titles were playable during my demo (Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millenium 2001, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper and Project Justice). Regardless, here is the complete lineup of games in Capcom Fighting Collection 2: Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 PRO Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 Capcom Fighting Evolution Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper Power Stone Power Stone 2 Project Justice Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein Now I'll be the first to admit that I don't have a ton of experience with SFA3U or Project Justice compared to some of the other titles in this collection, but even with the latter featuring what looks like crude graphics by modern standards, it's clear there's an interesting fighting game beneath those big blocky polygons. Plus, thanks to a huge catalog of extras like classic instruction cards and move lists, it was easy to pick up the basics while getting additional context into the game's development. I can't wait to play more. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Meanwhile, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper represents a version of the game that was hard to get outside of Japan and features a complete roster, including the six characters that were only available in certain home console releases. Notably, there's also a fix for the glitch that allowed easy infinites when using the V-ISM mechanic, which is an oft-cited reason why the game didn't catch on (especially in the West) as it upset balance and allowed people to abuse custom combos. But without a doubt, the crown jewel of the entire collection is Capcom vs SNK 2, which, in my opinion, is one of the top 10 fighting games of all time. From its funky character select screen with those iconic diamond tiles to an incredible soundtrack filled with bangers like the songs for the New York, Barentsburg and London stages, it's got more style and personality than it knows what to do with. Seriously, put those tracks on and if you aren't instantly bobbing your head to the beat, you might be dead inside. CvS2 also offers more polished takes on the ratio system from its predecessor and the ISMs from SFA3 with the Groove system that gives you a wealth of playstyles for every character. So even though I only had 30 minutes to play, I couldn't help but grin every time I got to unleash a custom combo using A-Groove Ken or troll the CPU with ratio four Haohmaru. The controls are tight, the graphics are super crisp and the game plays just as well as I remember. Better, even, considering today's controllers and arcade sticks are more precise than anything we had 20+ years ago. While I didn't have a chance to test it, it's also important to note that the collection is adding online multiplayer with rollback netcode to every game. This should be a huge upgrade when compared to alternative solutions such as apps like Fightcade, which often aren't as stutter-free as proper in-game matchmaking (as evidenced by some of the hiccups in the clip above). My one small complaint is that while I appreciate little details like having a bunch of visual treatments that make the game look better when played on modern LCDs compared to old-school CRTs, I wish they came with more descriptive labels instead of simply being listed as Filter A, B, C, etc. But perhaps most importantly, by putting all these games in one place, it's so much easier for people to access titles like CvS2, which have been hard to find since its original release back in 2001. Honestly, I'd pay $40 just to have a modern version of CvS2 and Power Stone 2 that I can play without dusting off a PS2 or Dreamcast (the latter of which I don't even own). So to get both of those alongside six other titles with tons of original art, improved training modes, a couple of bonus songs and a limited edition comic book (only for physical copies, though) feels like a truly excellent value. Sure, these games might just be rereleases, but for those with fond memories of early 2000s fighting games, it feels like this is true love we're makin' all over again. The Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is available for pre-order now with official sales starting on May 16 for $40.
CBS News
31-01-2025
- CBS News
Man killed in 1986 Minneapolis boxcar fire identified after donation from nonprofit
MINNEAPOLIS — A man killed in a 1986 boxcar fire in Minneapolis has been identified with the help of a nonprofit dedicated to solving crimes and cold cases. According to the organization Project Justice, the man is identified as James R. Wakkinen. Wakkinen's identity remained a mystery for nearly 40 years due to the severity of his injuries and lack of forensic tools at the time of the fire, the nonprofit says. A donation from Project Justice allowed his DNA to be sent to a forensic lab in 2023 for retesting. The Las Vegas-based nonprofit partners with law enforcement around the country to solve cold cases by funding independent DNA testing. "When a victim is identified, the family finally gets answers, but the grief never truly goes away," Justin Woo, who cofounded the nonprofit, said in a statement.
