Capcom Fighting Collection jams ten classic arcade games from Capcom’s rich history into one package with all kinds of features added on like online multiplayer, training modes, and art and music galleries, making this title all the better. Ahead of its release on June 24, I was given the opportunity to go hands-on with the collection, and you can read my early thoughts on it here. On top of that, we were allowed to send some questions to the game’s producer Shuhei Matsumoto. Matsumoto is in charge of Capcom Fighting Collection, but he’s also involved with the Street Fighter franchise and more, so it’s fun to get some insight on the title from one of the minds behind this collection as well as other Capcom titles. Below are all of Shuhei Matsumoto’s responses to this Capcom Fighting Collection-focused Q&A.
John Carson: How did you choose which games are included in this collection?
Shuhei Matsumoto: This project began when Capcom legendary programmers KOBUTA and MUUMUU said, “Matz, it’s time to port Red Earth to current-gen consoles!” From there, we selected arcade titles from the 90s.
I especially wanted people to be able to play Super Gem Fighter and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo now which is why we included those.
JC: Some of the games in the collection have been released on multiple platforms. Which versions of these games did you use?
Matsumoto: These are all arcade versions of the games. From there, we looked into versions that had the largest player base, and ones that are currently being used for tournaments. You can refer to the following for the versions in use.
Hyper Street Fighter II: Japan 040202 / USA 040202
Super Gem Fighter Minimix: Japan 970904 / USA 970904
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo: Japan 960531 / USA 960620
Red Earth: Japan 961121 / USA 961121
Cyberbots: Japan 950420 / USA 950424
DarkStalkers: The Night Warriors: Japan 940705 / USA 940818
Night Warriors: Darkstalker’s Revenge: Japan 950302 / USA 950406
Vampire Savior: Japan 970519 / USA 970519
Vampire Hunter 2: Japan 970929
Vampire Savior 2: Japan 970913
JC: How did you put together the archival side of this collection? What were some of your favorite assets and art you were able to share in the game?
Matsumoto: Capcom legend SHOEI brought out all of his carefully stored materials and we prepared them together. Everything was wonderful, but the Darkstalkers art was especially dynamic and we were blown away by it.
JC: Does the inclusion of series like Darkstalkers, Cyberbots, and Red Earth increase the chance of a revival of any of these series in the future?
Matsumoto: I genuinely want these titles to be played once again on current gen consoles. I also want people who may have seen them but never had the chance to play them to get this opportunity. That said, we do not think that this will necessarily increase the possibility of these series being revived.
JC: Is there an underrated game in this collection you’d like people to play and talk about more?
Matsumoto: Definitely Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and Super Gem Fighter! We have implemented the capability of online matches, so we want people to play against each other and get excited. We strongly feel that now is the time to bring out the full potential of these titles.
JC: Can you talk about the decision to include Vampire Hunter 2 and Vampire Savior 2, and which of the two do you prefer?
Matsumoto: We included them because we felt we had to bring these Japan-only games to the rest of the world. In terms of which one I like more… that’s difficult to answer (lol).
JC: This isn’t a question, but I’d like to thank you for including Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and Super Gem Fighter. They were some of my favorite games to rent growing up.
Matsumoto: Thank you for the comment! Let’s get people hyped for these titles once it’s released!
JC: How important is it to you to preserve these classic games, and do you think there’s a chance for a new group of players to become fans of these older titles?
Matsumoto: I think classic materials should definitely be preserved. This is true not only for games but also for all industries and cultures.
My goal is to revitalize the community by doing so. I also want people who have never played Capcom’s past titles to get a chance to, and I want people who jumped in after Street Fighter V to be able to say, “I didn’t know that costume was from this character!” and fall in love with the characters, world and story from these original titles. I believe one of my jobs is to create these kinds of opportunities for our players.
JC: Will working on this collection inform your work with upcoming fighting games in any way?
Matsumoto: If the scale and concept are similar, it is highly possible that the learned experience will be reflected in future projects. The mindset is to continue doing what worked and to optimize where we can for future titles.
Capcom Fighting Collection releases June 24 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC for $39.99.
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