Michael Kottler

A truly amazing Capcom fighting game featuring the Street Fighter & Darkstalkers characters from Super Puzzle Fighter II (easily the best multiplayer puzzler on PS1). Everything about this game shines, from the crazy moves and lore-deep sprite changes to the on-screen fight action which combines dynamic battles with a surprising level of depth for a Capcom fighter clearly intended to appeal to newcomers to the SF and DS series of games who perhaps felt intimated by the high learning curves of long-established fighter series to the highly-detailed, colorful and humorous animated/interactive backgrounds to the funny voice work, to the fun and engaging soundtrack and sound FX, to the many often humorous cameos from SF and DS icons who didn't make it into Pocket Fighter aka Super Gem Fighter Mini-Mix as playable characters. Pocket Fighter is visually engaging & fun to play with a distinctive look & feel including colorful mini-fighters, each one armed with familiar moves plus humorous new additions & utilizing a simplified combo system that opens this game up to a wider audience while sacrificing very little depth and challenge for advanced players. The humorous cut-scenes in story mode which tell the tale of each fighter's time in Japan and ultimately each one's reason for fighting have a sometimes awkward feel in the USA/Eur releases leading one to believe that, as happens often in the entertainment industry, we English-speaking culture enthusiasts are "protected" from the original content as we're apparently too immature to handle more sophisticated themes and/or insights into Nipponese culture. I first noticed this watching the US version of Speed Racer as a child then later as a 'tween while enjoying the original Battleship Yamamoto anime (renamed "Starblazers" for English-speaking audiences) which whitewashed or edited out completely several aspects of each show. I've observed this practice in 1000's of Japanese cultural exports from manga to anime to you name it, even the four great classics of Chinese literature. Pocket Fighter does fall prey to this nearly ubiquitous culturally-focused marketing and protecting-us-from-ourselves process, but in this case the content removed or altered takes little if anything away from the total Pocket Fighter experience. Pocket Fighter is one of the most enjoyable fighting games released for the PS1 & I can attest to the efficacy of its less-complex combo-system and one-button comical "crazy" attacks combined with special moves activated by the classic combination of joystick movements and button mashing in enticing previously tentative or younger gamers to give fighters a try while maintaining the games integrity. Additionally, Pocket Fighter pays homage to its Super Puzzle Fighter II roots (and other Capcom games in other ways) via the addition of the colorful gems from Puzzle Fighter which players can collect to upgrade their power level when executing special moves. Some fighter purists might point out that Pocket Fighter is no Street Fighter Alpha in terms of complex attack and defense tactics but its focus on fun over expertise is part of its appeal and once a gamer has spent time with Pocket Fighter, its tactical nuances become clearer and more rewarding. Pocket Fighter is a memorable solo or shared experience in any social context & a game which fully lives up its lineage, packing all the fun, thrills & humor you'd expect from a Capcom mash-up into an easily-approachable, colorful, engaging & humorous gaming experience sure to equally satisfy newbies, experts and everyone in between. In short, Pocket Fighter is a unique & addictive classic sure to fulfill your deepest SF/DS desires.