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.
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).
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!!”.
