Has been translated an old interview of 'Capcom vs. SNK 2'
Nov 13, 2022 15:28:15 GMT
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Post by Karman Cole on Nov 13, 2022 15:28:15 GMT
Capcom vs. SNK 2 Another Play Guide – Dev Interviews Pt.1
From the Capcom vs. SNK 2 Another Play Guide (October 15, 2001), interviews with the game’s Producer, Noritaka Funamizu, and one of the game’s lead artists, Shinkiro. Thanks to Comfort Food Video Games for providing the scan and commissioning this translation!
General Producer
Managing Director and Operating Officer, Chief of Development Division 1
Noritaka Funamizu
Representative Works: 1943, Dynasty Wars, Warriors of Fate, Street Fighter II, Darkstalkers, Street Fighter Alpha, Capcom vs. SNK
Role: Producer, Supervisor
Favorite Character: E. Honda
“You can’t make fighting games this way anymore”. 2D fighting games, which could be considered the product of Noritaka Funamizu’s life’s work, celebrate their conclusion with Capcom vs. SNK 2. But what does this game mean to him? And what will fighting games look like from here on?
Something lacking in the first CvS
– Tell us about the development of Capcom vs. SNK 2.
Funamizu: The original Capcom vs. SNK had a very short development cycle, so we knew from the start that there were some things we couldn’t see through all the way. In spite of the fact that a clear distinction was growing between fighting game fans and normal game players, we decided to keep it mechanically simple and easy to pick up, in hopes of attracting more casual players. We especially wanted to do this because it was a “Vs.” game. We had already expected that we would be flooded with comments from fighting game fans about how it was lacking, and that’s just what happened. In a way it was according to plan, and a lot of people were able to pick the game up. But on the other hand I can’t help but feel that 2D fighting games themselves just lack the ability to reach that breadth. So from the very moment development on Capcom vs. SNK ended, we decided to make Capcom vs. SNK 2, and had settled on the key design philosophy for it.
– And what would that philosophy be?
Funamizu: Of course, that would still be “expanding our breadth”. But not among casual players; this meant expanding our breadth among fighting game fans. That means people who enjoy playing fighting games, as well as newly-converted normal game fans. So this time, we wanted to do our best to hit points to really win over fighting game fans. Stuff like “add parrying into the game and I’ll play it”, or “add this character and I’ll play it”. We increased the number of Grooves to 6 for the sake of the players who get really into the mechanical side of fighting games. We wanted them to be able to choose their favorite mechanics. So with that mentality we tried to stuff the game to the gills, so everyone will be able to find their favorite parts of fighting games in here.
– It does seem like the release of CvS2 is bringing some former fighting game fans back into the fold.
Funamizu: We had put more of a focus on bringing those people in with the first game, but the second actually ended up being more successful at it. When people talk about why they like CvS2, we get a lot of responses like “I like doing this combo” or “this character’s movement and offense are good”. This is pretty much what we had anticipated. We wanted to bring those kind of sensory parts of the experience to the forefront. In the most extreme terms, as long as we could achieve that, we were fine with the balance being off. No matter how good the balance may be, if the game isn’t fun, nobody is going to play it. The game can be the most well-made game in the world, but they’ll play it, say “wow, this sure is well-made”, and then not touch it again. We don’t want to make something like that. As long as we (Capcom) are the ones making the game, we would never leave it at that!
We initially disavowed the term “Online Game”
– What do you think about the current state of fighting games both in the arcade and at home?
Funamizu: That’s a tough one. Among people who play at the arcade, you have people who enjoy the atmosphere, those who like the feeling of being at an event, people who want to have matches with others… And at home, there’s a lot of people who simply enjoy the game and characters in a very pure sense. Playing at home tends to just be an extension of the normal way one plays a game, just playing it for the sake of enjoyment. But the arcade has more of a reputation of being a place for serious fights.
For this reason, we felt that we had to include a mode for serious training in the home version. So that one day, the person at the bottom of the pecking order shows up having gotten way stronger. Setting the stage for people to be able to show off the fruits of their efforts.
– Is that why Capcom started investigating online play in fighting games from early on?
Funamizu: For arcade players, online matches are a training ground, while for home players, they’re the grand stage. Isn’t it great that you can play the game no matter what system you own? It’s no fun not being able to enjoy the game just because you don’t own a specific console. With the upcoming release of the Nintendo GameCube version, soon Dreamcast, GameCube and PlayStation 2 will be connected via CvS2 (laughs).
– So you’re saying that through online play, the amount of fun players can have will grow?
Funamizu: Well, I don’t like calling things “Online Games”. That feels like you’re trying to designate it as a specific genre, “Online Games”. The kind of game that’s full of characteristics that make it obvious the game was designed with online play first and foremost. We didn’t want that at all, so we initially disavowed the term “Online Game”. But what we do want to do is take the concepts that make for successful games, like cooperation, competition, and communication, and enhance them via online gaming. Being able to use the internet to make those elements even more easily enjoyable than before. Though online gaming in current Japan still carries the burden of the cost of internet. I can’t stand that at all. Games should be something anyone can enjoy freely.
A brief look at the notes on which planners and character designers wrote down ideas. From movement, to graphics, to damage, all kinds of fine details are documented here.
Fighting games are my life! I left nothing on the table
– Is there anything in particular you focused on with CvS2?
Funamizu: Making sure we created the game in a way that left nothing on the table. There’s a fundamental difference between making the last entry in a series, and making something intended to have a sequel. Movies are the exact same way. If it’s part of a series, it’s obvious when a second entry is building up to a third.
If you don’t have that mindset when you’re creating something, sequels become very difficult to create. Street Fighter II was simply made with Street Fighter II in mind, making a Street Fighter III impossible. And when we ended up needing to make a Street Fighter III anyways, it was really just a well-made take on Street Fighter II. So depending on whether you anticipate making a III or IV, or if you decide that II is good enough, you see differences in the end result. This time, I felt that this was all I had left in me, so I left nothing on the table. I guess you could say that was our main focus with CvS2? We had originally planned for Capcom vs. SNK to be a full series, with plans for up to Capcom vs. SNK 3. But for various reasons, we decided to stop it here. Honestly, that goes for 2D fighting games in general…
– Huh!? You mean you’re not going to make 2D fighting games this way anymore?
Funamizu: That’s right. Even within our own company, we’re made fun of for clinging to our old ways. I know for a fact that there are lots of people out there who still enjoy 2D fighting games, but it’s really tough to keep making games while they’re being trashed. So, we’re thinking of a new way to do 2D fighting games. For starters, we figure this will be the last one with sprite-based graphics. After this it’ll probably be 3D graphics, or maybe something else.
Right now, I’m thinking we’ll probably go with a fully polygonal approach. There’s all kinds of applications for it, and lots of advantages, but the gameplay can still be 2D. In any case, I think there’s still fun things left to create. You’ll probably be able to see the realization of this vision around 2003 or so.
– Lastly, what exactly would you say fighting games are to you?
Funamizu: If I had to try to describe it… fighting games are my life (laughs). They’ve been what I’ve done for work for so long, they really are just a part of my life. It’s been 10+ years I’ve been working on fighting games, now. Even when it’s felt like things are going south, there have been critical junctures where I’ve had to make choices with the games we make, and they ended up being received well. I think Capcom vs. SNK 2 ended up being a fitting title for yet another of those turning points.
Design Lead
Design Division
Shinkiro
Representative Works: Capcom vs. SNK
Role: Main Visuals, Character Illustrations
Favorite Character: Chun-Li
From the time he joined SNK, Shinkiro has brought character to fighting games through his powerful illustrations. From the particulars of his illustration to technique, to the reason he joined Capcom, we ask about his memories of illustrating Capcom characters.
Drawing while smiling in the mirror
I’ve loved drawing for a long time, but it wasn’t until I decided that I wanted to make a living off of it that I started illustrating seriously. There was a time when I drew manga, actually. It was serialized in a national magazine and everything, but I was plagued with self-conscious fears. “I don’t have any talent”. So, I didn’t end up doing it for long.
On the road to working in the game industry I went through design school, an illustration office, and manga work, but to tell you the truth, at the time, and even now, I’ve never had a particular interest in games. I was just living in Esaka (the location of SNK’s main office at the time) and happened to see that SNK was hiring, so I applied without even knowing they were a game company.
As far why I joined Capcom, at the time SNK was developing the Neo Geo Pocket SNK vs. Capcom, there was a lot of interaction and exchange going on between the two companies’ design departments.
From then, I worked on Capcom’s Capcom vs. SNK games, and before I knew it, I was in the seat behind Kinu Nishimura (laughs). I know it might look like it was a case of headhunting, but it was actually a transfer agreed upon by both Capcom and SNK, so that’s not quite right… Just something of a quirk of fate.
I did this when I was at SNK too, but whenever I need to draw a body or muscles, I’d reference bodybuilding or fitness books. For clothes, I’d put on the clothes I have on hand, so that I could capture the feel of it actually being worn by a person. I’ve actually put on a hakama myself in order to draw Geese’s hakama (laughs). And to capture subtle expressions, I’d draw while looking at myself in the mirror. I feel like if you saw me drawing while smiling into the mirror, furrowing my brow, it’d be pretty unsettling. Not exactly something I want people to see (laughs).
All of Shinkiro’s illustration is done digitally. “From the rough sketch, I draw it all in Photoshop. I don’t use pen and paper at all. Coloring is done with many, many adjustment layers”. Thanks to Shinkiro’s influence, many members of Capcom’s design division have started using this technique. By the way, we were surprised to find that the Shinkiro-style illustrations for the SNK characters in the first game where actually done by Capcom designers imitating his style.
There’s meaning to the SNK touch, the Shinkiro touch
If you compare them to SNK’s characters, Capcom’s characters tend to have more unrealistic, anime-like proportions, which I had some trouble with. Drawing cute girls in that style is particularly tough! I worried quite a bit this time over how cute to make them. I had to make sure it didn’t get too similar to Kinu’s drawings, or too different from my usual style, so it was a tricky balance. I was definitely worried about angry fans being like “this is all wrong, this isn’t Morrigan at all!”, but because this was for a game where Capcom and SNK characters are all under one roof, I decided that there was good reason to stick with the SNK touch, to the Shinkiro touch, until the end.
With that Shinkiro touch, big, muscular characters are well suited to my style, and I could draw them pretty naturally. Characters like Zangief and Blanka have muscles to spare, and are just these big, half-naked guys, so they were fun to draw. Clothes are tough to draw, after all. I was in charge of the main illustration that ended up becoming the main poster, and if they hadn’t told me things like Chun-Li being the Capcom representative character, or that Haohmaru should be a focus, I would’ve drawn nothing but the muscular characters. Though of course there was part of me that was like “I wanna draw Chun-Li!!”.
As Shinkiro mentioned, he once drew manga. From the now 10 year old Neo-Geo version of Art of Fighting, here is one of his comics included in the game’s manual!
From the Capcom vs. SNK 2 Another Play Guide (October 15, 2001), interviews with the game’s Producer, Noritaka Funamizu, and one of the game’s lead artists, Shinkiro. Thanks to Comfort Food Video Games for providing the scan and commissioning this translation!
General Producer
Managing Director and Operating Officer, Chief of Development Division 1
Noritaka Funamizu
Representative Works: 1943, Dynasty Wars, Warriors of Fate, Street Fighter II, Darkstalkers, Street Fighter Alpha, Capcom vs. SNK
Role: Producer, Supervisor
Favorite Character: E. Honda
“You can’t make fighting games this way anymore”. 2D fighting games, which could be considered the product of Noritaka Funamizu’s life’s work, celebrate their conclusion with Capcom vs. SNK 2. But what does this game mean to him? And what will fighting games look like from here on?
Something lacking in the first CvS
– Tell us about the development of Capcom vs. SNK 2.
Funamizu: The original Capcom vs. SNK had a very short development cycle, so we knew from the start that there were some things we couldn’t see through all the way. In spite of the fact that a clear distinction was growing between fighting game fans and normal game players, we decided to keep it mechanically simple and easy to pick up, in hopes of attracting more casual players. We especially wanted to do this because it was a “Vs.” game. We had already expected that we would be flooded with comments from fighting game fans about how it was lacking, and that’s just what happened. In a way it was according to plan, and a lot of people were able to pick the game up. But on the other hand I can’t help but feel that 2D fighting games themselves just lack the ability to reach that breadth. So from the very moment development on Capcom vs. SNK ended, we decided to make Capcom vs. SNK 2, and had settled on the key design philosophy for it.
– And what would that philosophy be?
Funamizu: Of course, that would still be “expanding our breadth”. But not among casual players; this meant expanding our breadth among fighting game fans. That means people who enjoy playing fighting games, as well as newly-converted normal game fans. So this time, we wanted to do our best to hit points to really win over fighting game fans. Stuff like “add parrying into the game and I’ll play it”, or “add this character and I’ll play it”. We increased the number of Grooves to 6 for the sake of the players who get really into the mechanical side of fighting games. We wanted them to be able to choose their favorite mechanics. So with that mentality we tried to stuff the game to the gills, so everyone will be able to find their favorite parts of fighting games in here.
– It does seem like the release of CvS2 is bringing some former fighting game fans back into the fold.
Funamizu: We had put more of a focus on bringing those people in with the first game, but the second actually ended up being more successful at it. When people talk about why they like CvS2, we get a lot of responses like “I like doing this combo” or “this character’s movement and offense are good”. This is pretty much what we had anticipated. We wanted to bring those kind of sensory parts of the experience to the forefront. In the most extreme terms, as long as we could achieve that, we were fine with the balance being off. No matter how good the balance may be, if the game isn’t fun, nobody is going to play it. The game can be the most well-made game in the world, but they’ll play it, say “wow, this sure is well-made”, and then not touch it again. We don’t want to make something like that. As long as we (Capcom) are the ones making the game, we would never leave it at that!
We initially disavowed the term “Online Game”
– What do you think about the current state of fighting games both in the arcade and at home?
Funamizu: That’s a tough one. Among people who play at the arcade, you have people who enjoy the atmosphere, those who like the feeling of being at an event, people who want to have matches with others… And at home, there’s a lot of people who simply enjoy the game and characters in a very pure sense. Playing at home tends to just be an extension of the normal way one plays a game, just playing it for the sake of enjoyment. But the arcade has more of a reputation of being a place for serious fights.
For this reason, we felt that we had to include a mode for serious training in the home version. So that one day, the person at the bottom of the pecking order shows up having gotten way stronger. Setting the stage for people to be able to show off the fruits of their efforts.
– Is that why Capcom started investigating online play in fighting games from early on?
Funamizu: For arcade players, online matches are a training ground, while for home players, they’re the grand stage. Isn’t it great that you can play the game no matter what system you own? It’s no fun not being able to enjoy the game just because you don’t own a specific console. With the upcoming release of the Nintendo GameCube version, soon Dreamcast, GameCube and PlayStation 2 will be connected via CvS2 (laughs).
– So you’re saying that through online play, the amount of fun players can have will grow?
Funamizu: Well, I don’t like calling things “Online Games”. That feels like you’re trying to designate it as a specific genre, “Online Games”. The kind of game that’s full of characteristics that make it obvious the game was designed with online play first and foremost. We didn’t want that at all, so we initially disavowed the term “Online Game”. But what we do want to do is take the concepts that make for successful games, like cooperation, competition, and communication, and enhance them via online gaming. Being able to use the internet to make those elements even more easily enjoyable than before. Though online gaming in current Japan still carries the burden of the cost of internet. I can’t stand that at all. Games should be something anyone can enjoy freely.
A brief look at the notes on which planners and character designers wrote down ideas. From movement, to graphics, to damage, all kinds of fine details are documented here.
Fighting games are my life! I left nothing on the table
– Is there anything in particular you focused on with CvS2?
Funamizu: Making sure we created the game in a way that left nothing on the table. There’s a fundamental difference between making the last entry in a series, and making something intended to have a sequel. Movies are the exact same way. If it’s part of a series, it’s obvious when a second entry is building up to a third.
If you don’t have that mindset when you’re creating something, sequels become very difficult to create. Street Fighter II was simply made with Street Fighter II in mind, making a Street Fighter III impossible. And when we ended up needing to make a Street Fighter III anyways, it was really just a well-made take on Street Fighter II. So depending on whether you anticipate making a III or IV, or if you decide that II is good enough, you see differences in the end result. This time, I felt that this was all I had left in me, so I left nothing on the table. I guess you could say that was our main focus with CvS2? We had originally planned for Capcom vs. SNK to be a full series, with plans for up to Capcom vs. SNK 3. But for various reasons, we decided to stop it here. Honestly, that goes for 2D fighting games in general…
– Huh!? You mean you’re not going to make 2D fighting games this way anymore?
Funamizu: That’s right. Even within our own company, we’re made fun of for clinging to our old ways. I know for a fact that there are lots of people out there who still enjoy 2D fighting games, but it’s really tough to keep making games while they’re being trashed. So, we’re thinking of a new way to do 2D fighting games. For starters, we figure this will be the last one with sprite-based graphics. After this it’ll probably be 3D graphics, or maybe something else.
Right now, I’m thinking we’ll probably go with a fully polygonal approach. There’s all kinds of applications for it, and lots of advantages, but the gameplay can still be 2D. In any case, I think there’s still fun things left to create. You’ll probably be able to see the realization of this vision around 2003 or so.
– Lastly, what exactly would you say fighting games are to you?
Funamizu: If I had to try to describe it… fighting games are my life (laughs). They’ve been what I’ve done for work for so long, they really are just a part of my life. It’s been 10+ years I’ve been working on fighting games, now. Even when it’s felt like things are going south, there have been critical junctures where I’ve had to make choices with the games we make, and they ended up being received well. I think Capcom vs. SNK 2 ended up being a fitting title for yet another of those turning points.
Design Lead
Design Division
Shinkiro
Representative Works: Capcom vs. SNK
Role: Main Visuals, Character Illustrations
Favorite Character: Chun-Li
From the time he joined SNK, Shinkiro has brought character to fighting games through his powerful illustrations. From the particulars of his illustration to technique, to the reason he joined Capcom, we ask about his memories of illustrating Capcom characters.
Drawing while smiling in the mirror
I’ve loved drawing for a long time, but it wasn’t until I decided that I wanted to make a living off of it that I started illustrating seriously. There was a time when I drew manga, actually. It was serialized in a national magazine and everything, but I was plagued with self-conscious fears. “I don’t have any talent”. So, I didn’t end up doing it for long.
On the road to working in the game industry I went through design school, an illustration office, and manga work, but to tell you the truth, at the time, and even now, I’ve never had a particular interest in games. I was just living in Esaka (the location of SNK’s main office at the time) and happened to see that SNK was hiring, so I applied without even knowing they were a game company.
As far why I joined Capcom, at the time SNK was developing the Neo Geo Pocket SNK vs. Capcom, there was a lot of interaction and exchange going on between the two companies’ design departments.
From then, I worked on Capcom’s Capcom vs. SNK games, and before I knew it, I was in the seat behind Kinu Nishimura (laughs). I know it might look like it was a case of headhunting, but it was actually a transfer agreed upon by both Capcom and SNK, so that’s not quite right… Just something of a quirk of fate.
I did this when I was at SNK too, but whenever I need to draw a body or muscles, I’d reference bodybuilding or fitness books. For clothes, I’d put on the clothes I have on hand, so that I could capture the feel of it actually being worn by a person. I’ve actually put on a hakama myself in order to draw Geese’s hakama (laughs). And to capture subtle expressions, I’d draw while looking at myself in the mirror. I feel like if you saw me drawing while smiling into the mirror, furrowing my brow, it’d be pretty unsettling. Not exactly something I want people to see (laughs).
All of Shinkiro’s illustration is done digitally. “From the rough sketch, I draw it all in Photoshop. I don’t use pen and paper at all. Coloring is done with many, many adjustment layers”. Thanks to Shinkiro’s influence, many members of Capcom’s design division have started using this technique. By the way, we were surprised to find that the Shinkiro-style illustrations for the SNK characters in the first game where actually done by Capcom designers imitating his style.
There’s meaning to the SNK touch, the Shinkiro touch
If you compare them to SNK’s characters, Capcom’s characters tend to have more unrealistic, anime-like proportions, which I had some trouble with. Drawing cute girls in that style is particularly tough! I worried quite a bit this time over how cute to make them. I had to make sure it didn’t get too similar to Kinu’s drawings, or too different from my usual style, so it was a tricky balance. I was definitely worried about angry fans being like “this is all wrong, this isn’t Morrigan at all!”, but because this was for a game where Capcom and SNK characters are all under one roof, I decided that there was good reason to stick with the SNK touch, to the Shinkiro touch, until the end.
With that Shinkiro touch, big, muscular characters are well suited to my style, and I could draw them pretty naturally. Characters like Zangief and Blanka have muscles to spare, and are just these big, half-naked guys, so they were fun to draw. Clothes are tough to draw, after all. I was in charge of the main illustration that ended up becoming the main poster, and if they hadn’t told me things like Chun-Li being the Capcom representative character, or that Haohmaru should be a focus, I would’ve drawn nothing but the muscular characters. Though of course there was part of me that was like “I wanna draw Chun-Li!!”.
As Shinkiro mentioned, he once drew manga. From the now 10 year old Neo-Geo version of Art of Fighting, here is one of his comics included in the game’s manual!
Capcom vs. SNK 2 Another Play Guide – Dev Interviews Pt.2
From the Capcom vs. SNK 2 Another Play Guide (October 15, 2001), interviews with the game’s Character Lead, Shinji Kaminaguchi, Scrolling Lead, Chika Nagayama, and Sound Leads Masayuki Endou and Satoshi Ise. Thanks to Comfort Food Video Games for providing the scan and commissioning this translation!
Character Lead
Development Division 1
Shinji Kaminaguchi
Representative Works: Marvel vs. Capcom, Strider 2, Capcom vs. SNK series, etc.
Role: Athena Asamiya pixel art, etc.
Favorite Character: Rock Howard
Pixel art, the foundation of characters’ movement and techniques, forming together into gorgeous animation. Within lies the craftsman-like artistry of a pixel artist, packing each frame full of passion for every member of the cast!
From an animation standpoint, 1 frame makes the difference
At the beginning of development, when I began working with SNK’s precious characters, my main concern was how much I could deviate from their existing image. Capcom vs. SNK 2 is a 6 button game, so when it came to additional moves like medium attacks, I had to think on it in those terms. But every time SNK looked over my work, they were just like “okay, okay!”, perfectly calm about it. I think I had maybe built things up in my head. For instance, Hibiki’s level 3 Super Combo, with the part where her hair clip falls out, had really expanded out from the original concept. But SNK seemed very pleased with it.
Capcom and SNK characters have a different artistic touch to them, and different body proportions. We needed to have them moving together, on the same screen, while ensuring nothing about it felt “off”. Simply put, Capcom characters needed to be stretched out, SNK characters needed to be shortened, while being careful not to overdo it, lest the characters end up no longer resembling themselves. Maintaining that fine balance certainly frayed our nerves. Also, as of CvS2, we started using 3D backgrounds, meaning the pixel ratio of the 2D characters changed in turn, which also gave us a lot of trouble. As a result of that, we needed to retouch even the characters who were in the previous game. And what’s more, there are so many characters in CvS2! In the end, we had more staff working on the pixel art side of things than you can even imagine.
In terms of our process, we would hand-draw rough versions of every frame of a motion, and then scan them and have them dotted. Completing one character would take about 7 or 8 months. And there were many elements of that process we were particularly fastidious about. For instance, Chun-Li’s Spinning Bird Kick startup is just one frame, but it’s because of that frame that the animation works. We here are a lot who tries to pour life into that kind of thing. Is it the soul of an artisan… or just some bizarre spirit we posses? Even when we’re told to stop, we don’t quit (laughs).
Scrolling Lead
Development Division 1
Chika Nagayama
Representative Works: X-Men, Alien vs. Predator, Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara, Marvel vs. Capcom series, Capcom vs. SNK series
Role: Backgrounds (Osaka Castle stage), etc.
Favorite Character: Kyosuke Kagami
We’re sure there’s no small number of players entranced by the moving 3D visuals in the stage backgrounds. Despite her petite and dainty appearance, these powerful realistic movements were brought to life by the passion of the Scrolling Lead, Chika Nagayama!
Even the smallest background movements required full attention!
Of course, the biggest point of concern when it came to backgrounds has got to be “movement”. Every one of the movements of background characters were made possible by referencing the movement of those around me. There were lots of background characters that we wanted to include this time, but weren’t able to. All of those characters were determined through discussion with the planner.
In the Nairobi stage, rally cars rush from the back of the screen into the foreground. We intentionally made it so they went just high enough that it seemed like they would crash into the fighters, but barely miss. So if you go “whoa!” and crouch out of instinct, that’s all according to plan. And in the New York stage, the beer-drinking figure gradually acts more and more drunkenly. We really focused on the details!
An effect that makes you block high
without even thinking. But you can’t
actually block it… right!?
Because the backgrounds were 3D this time, it wasn’t difficult to have elements of it move, but we still ran up against storage and processing constraints. Many tears were shed over elements we had to remove. For instance, in Kinderdijk (the windmill stage), we wanted the grass to be longer and blowing in the wind. And in Barentsburg (the ice stage), we had planned on having even more things fly out of the ships.
CvS2 was a challenge to ourselves to attempt expression in 3D, so I feel that as we continue to refine our skills, we’ll be able to accomplish even more in that space. With the shift to 3D, we were able to create dramatically more realistic movements, so of course I want to continue trying to animate all sorts of things! From the actual movement, to the means of presentation, it feels like there’s still so much potential. I hope to continue creating the kinds of backgrounds and objects that nobody has ever seen before.
Sound (SE) Lead
Development Division 1
Masayuki Endou
Representative Works: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Capcom vs. SNK series, etc.
Role: Sound effects
Favorite Character: Ken
Part of CvS2’s appeal comes from the characteristic voices ringing out during matches, as well as the tension created through sound effects. With a focus on post-recording, we ask Masayuki Endou about the ideals of SE.
Sound effects, voice… the balance of sound itself is the most important element of all
– The game really is packed with speech, giving it a bustling feeling.
Endou: Even if the character’s pose is the same, changing their dialogue can completely alter the vibe. We used that fact to flesh out the characters, for as much dialogue as the game could hold. For instance, when Benimaru beats Kyosuke, he says “Do you understand now, kid?”. This was actually ad-libbed during post-recording.
We had a lot of ad-libbing for special move voices too. We tried our best for some cool reads on special move callouts, without feeling bound to how it was done in previous games. Terry’s “Power Dunk” and Iori’s screams have a different vibe compared to how they are in SNK’s games, but they’re good in their own way, right?
The person who plays Ryuhaku Todoh is Aono Takeshi, famous for playing grandpa Tomozo on Chibi Maruko-chan. When we first heard his voice we were so moved, like “this is it! This is the voice!”. We completely forgot we were working, and we were engrossed in his performance without even checking the tapes (laughs). But as expected, his performance was great, and most everything was good in one take.
– Was there any part you put particular effort in?
Endou: A particular focus for us this time was the narration. We wanted something cool, in a way that hadn’t been done before in a fighting game, so we asked the currently-active TV and radio DJ, Hiroaki Asai. DJs have a different manner of expression than voice actors do, so I think it really ended up having an impact.
We also put our all into the hit SFX. The effects we went with this time were pretty flashy, but because CvS2 is an extremely lively game itself, I think it’s a great match! Nevertheless, we did at least make sure that it wouldn’t obstruct the background music and voices. Of course, when you have music, narration, voices, sound effects, and environmental noise all audible at once, maintaining the audio balance as a whole is the most important thing of all.
Sound (BGM) Lead
Development Division 1
Satoshi Ise
Representative Works: Street Fighter III series, Capcom vs. SNK series, etc.
Role: BGM
Favorite Character: Blanka
When it comes to creating fighting games that are exhilarating and thrilling, you can’t forget about the music blasting in the background. We spoke to BGM Lead Satoshi Ise about bearing the responsibility of CvS2’s music.
To the very end, sound is a part of presentation
– Tell us about how you approached CvS2’s sound.
Ise: The goal this time was to create something that retained the melodic nature of the previous game’s music, while being easy to follow and catchy. There’s not enough memory space to create a song for each character, so music was created based on work-in-progress images of the stages. It’s easy to picture what to go for when you see the Chinese restaurant in the Shanghai stage, right? That was the first song completed for the game.
But my personal favorite song is the one for the England stage. It’s really cool, if I do say so myself. I’m personally into this kind of trendy music, and am quite fond of the vocals.
– What kind of tools did you primarily use?
Ise: In general I don’t trouble myself with anything too fancy. This time, the Novation SUPERNOVA2 synthesizer got a lot of heavy use. It can produce some really bold sound!
– Did you have to consider the difference between it playing in the arcade and at home?
Ise: When I first started composing the music, I didn’t really think at all about the difference in hardware between arcade and home consoles. All the hardware has high bitrate and sampling rate, so I just approached it the same way you’d approach normal music. Though I did try to make it so it would sound nice coming out of any old speaker.
– What role does sound play in a fighting game?
Ise: It’s something you can’t go without, but it can’t stand out too much either. I feel as though to the very end, sound should be thought of as just one part of the game’s entire presentation.
From the Capcom vs. SNK 2 Another Play Guide (October 15, 2001), interviews with the game’s Character Lead, Shinji Kaminaguchi, Scrolling Lead, Chika Nagayama, and Sound Leads Masayuki Endou and Satoshi Ise. Thanks to Comfort Food Video Games for providing the scan and commissioning this translation!
Character Lead
Development Division 1
Shinji Kaminaguchi
Representative Works: Marvel vs. Capcom, Strider 2, Capcom vs. SNK series, etc.
Role: Athena Asamiya pixel art, etc.
Favorite Character: Rock Howard
Pixel art, the foundation of characters’ movement and techniques, forming together into gorgeous animation. Within lies the craftsman-like artistry of a pixel artist, packing each frame full of passion for every member of the cast!
From an animation standpoint, 1 frame makes the difference
At the beginning of development, when I began working with SNK’s precious characters, my main concern was how much I could deviate from their existing image. Capcom vs. SNK 2 is a 6 button game, so when it came to additional moves like medium attacks, I had to think on it in those terms. But every time SNK looked over my work, they were just like “okay, okay!”, perfectly calm about it. I think I had maybe built things up in my head. For instance, Hibiki’s level 3 Super Combo, with the part where her hair clip falls out, had really expanded out from the original concept. But SNK seemed very pleased with it.
Capcom and SNK characters have a different artistic touch to them, and different body proportions. We needed to have them moving together, on the same screen, while ensuring nothing about it felt “off”. Simply put, Capcom characters needed to be stretched out, SNK characters needed to be shortened, while being careful not to overdo it, lest the characters end up no longer resembling themselves. Maintaining that fine balance certainly frayed our nerves. Also, as of CvS2, we started using 3D backgrounds, meaning the pixel ratio of the 2D characters changed in turn, which also gave us a lot of trouble. As a result of that, we needed to retouch even the characters who were in the previous game. And what’s more, there are so many characters in CvS2! In the end, we had more staff working on the pixel art side of things than you can even imagine.
In terms of our process, we would hand-draw rough versions of every frame of a motion, and then scan them and have them dotted. Completing one character would take about 7 or 8 months. And there were many elements of that process we were particularly fastidious about. For instance, Chun-Li’s Spinning Bird Kick startup is just one frame, but it’s because of that frame that the animation works. We here are a lot who tries to pour life into that kind of thing. Is it the soul of an artisan… or just some bizarre spirit we posses? Even when we’re told to stop, we don’t quit (laughs).
Scrolling Lead
Development Division 1
Chika Nagayama
Representative Works: X-Men, Alien vs. Predator, Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara, Marvel vs. Capcom series, Capcom vs. SNK series
Role: Backgrounds (Osaka Castle stage), etc.
Favorite Character: Kyosuke Kagami
We’re sure there’s no small number of players entranced by the moving 3D visuals in the stage backgrounds. Despite her petite and dainty appearance, these powerful realistic movements were brought to life by the passion of the Scrolling Lead, Chika Nagayama!
Even the smallest background movements required full attention!
Of course, the biggest point of concern when it came to backgrounds has got to be “movement”. Every one of the movements of background characters were made possible by referencing the movement of those around me. There were lots of background characters that we wanted to include this time, but weren’t able to. All of those characters were determined through discussion with the planner.
In the Nairobi stage, rally cars rush from the back of the screen into the foreground. We intentionally made it so they went just high enough that it seemed like they would crash into the fighters, but barely miss. So if you go “whoa!” and crouch out of instinct, that’s all according to plan. And in the New York stage, the beer-drinking figure gradually acts more and more drunkenly. We really focused on the details!
An effect that makes you block high
without even thinking. But you can’t
actually block it… right!?
Because the backgrounds were 3D this time, it wasn’t difficult to have elements of it move, but we still ran up against storage and processing constraints. Many tears were shed over elements we had to remove. For instance, in Kinderdijk (the windmill stage), we wanted the grass to be longer and blowing in the wind. And in Barentsburg (the ice stage), we had planned on having even more things fly out of the ships.
CvS2 was a challenge to ourselves to attempt expression in 3D, so I feel that as we continue to refine our skills, we’ll be able to accomplish even more in that space. With the shift to 3D, we were able to create dramatically more realistic movements, so of course I want to continue trying to animate all sorts of things! From the actual movement, to the means of presentation, it feels like there’s still so much potential. I hope to continue creating the kinds of backgrounds and objects that nobody has ever seen before.
Sound (SE) Lead
Development Division 1
Masayuki Endou
Representative Works: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Capcom vs. SNK series, etc.
Role: Sound effects
Favorite Character: Ken
Part of CvS2’s appeal comes from the characteristic voices ringing out during matches, as well as the tension created through sound effects. With a focus on post-recording, we ask Masayuki Endou about the ideals of SE.
Sound effects, voice… the balance of sound itself is the most important element of all
– The game really is packed with speech, giving it a bustling feeling.
Endou: Even if the character’s pose is the same, changing their dialogue can completely alter the vibe. We used that fact to flesh out the characters, for as much dialogue as the game could hold. For instance, when Benimaru beats Kyosuke, he says “Do you understand now, kid?”. This was actually ad-libbed during post-recording.
We had a lot of ad-libbing for special move voices too. We tried our best for some cool reads on special move callouts, without feeling bound to how it was done in previous games. Terry’s “Power Dunk” and Iori’s screams have a different vibe compared to how they are in SNK’s games, but they’re good in their own way, right?
The person who plays Ryuhaku Todoh is Aono Takeshi, famous for playing grandpa Tomozo on Chibi Maruko-chan. When we first heard his voice we were so moved, like “this is it! This is the voice!”. We completely forgot we were working, and we were engrossed in his performance without even checking the tapes (laughs). But as expected, his performance was great, and most everything was good in one take.
– Was there any part you put particular effort in?
Endou: A particular focus for us this time was the narration. We wanted something cool, in a way that hadn’t been done before in a fighting game, so we asked the currently-active TV and radio DJ, Hiroaki Asai. DJs have a different manner of expression than voice actors do, so I think it really ended up having an impact.
We also put our all into the hit SFX. The effects we went with this time were pretty flashy, but because CvS2 is an extremely lively game itself, I think it’s a great match! Nevertheless, we did at least make sure that it wouldn’t obstruct the background music and voices. Of course, when you have music, narration, voices, sound effects, and environmental noise all audible at once, maintaining the audio balance as a whole is the most important thing of all.
Sound (BGM) Lead
Development Division 1
Satoshi Ise
Representative Works: Street Fighter III series, Capcom vs. SNK series, etc.
Role: BGM
Favorite Character: Blanka
When it comes to creating fighting games that are exhilarating and thrilling, you can’t forget about the music blasting in the background. We spoke to BGM Lead Satoshi Ise about bearing the responsibility of CvS2’s music.
To the very end, sound is a part of presentation
– Tell us about how you approached CvS2’s sound.
Ise: The goal this time was to create something that retained the melodic nature of the previous game’s music, while being easy to follow and catchy. There’s not enough memory space to create a song for each character, so music was created based on work-in-progress images of the stages. It’s easy to picture what to go for when you see the Chinese restaurant in the Shanghai stage, right? That was the first song completed for the game.
But my personal favorite song is the one for the England stage. It’s really cool, if I do say so myself. I’m personally into this kind of trendy music, and am quite fond of the vocals.
– What kind of tools did you primarily use?
Ise: In general I don’t trouble myself with anything too fancy. This time, the Novation SUPERNOVA2 synthesizer got a lot of heavy use. It can produce some really bold sound!
– Did you have to consider the difference between it playing in the arcade and at home?
Ise: When I first started composing the music, I didn’t really think at all about the difference in hardware between arcade and home consoles. All the hardware has high bitrate and sampling rate, so I just approached it the same way you’d approach normal music. Though I did try to make it so it would sound nice coming out of any old speaker.
– What role does sound play in a fighting game?
Ise: It’s something you can’t go without, but it can’t stand out too much either. I feel as though to the very end, sound should be thought of as just one part of the game’s entire presentation.
hope you are ok dude
