Darkstalkers combo a fun,
frightful fight
Duo of Vampire Hunter, Savior offered in package
At this point, we know what Darkstalkers is and isn’t. My worried brow of concern isn’t with getting a new one but more with the re-releases of the trilogy of games and the two supplemental games released as upgrades. We know what to expect when it comes to Darkstalkers, but as occasional compilations are released, we have to take a critical look at whether it’s worth your time and currency to engage in Capcom’s release the Kraken in the form of remakes strategy.
Darkstalkers Resurrection aims to do what Capcom’s previous release in Marvel Origins
did: Release two games in the series as starting points to get you to explore more. Resurrection consists of two games: Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge and Darkstalkers 3. Both games are included in their entirety as American arcade ports emulated on disc with extras added for the home release. Much as with Marvel Origins, there’s online play and gallery unlocks from challenges added. Everything has been given a fresh coat of paint with newer art and visuals, which means a lot considering Darkstalkers 3 was released in 1997. All of this results in a nice-looking, souped-up package.
The gameplay is as clean as it ever was, and because it’s emulated from the arcade ports, it’s better than any other release that came before it with the exception of the PlayStation 2 Vampire Collection. Everything works the way it should in terms of combos and Darkstalkers’ notoriously hard-to-do moveset. The moves land the way you want and there’s no lag. Noting that this is an acceptable port for high-level competition, Resurrection hits the right spot in terms of playability. If you wanted to know how Darkstalkers played in the arcade without trying to emulate it with MAME or Fightcade, Resurrection is your answer.
There really isn’t anything wrong with Resurrection, either. The only annoying thing about the game is the fact that it didn’t sell well. That isn’t the game’s fault, though. This is a technically sound port of two fantastic fighting games that play well and work well in what they’re being asked to do: Be a representative of a long-dead fighting franchise to introduce newer folks to the Vampire/Darkstalkers scene. It’s done its job admirably with strong mechanics and gorgeous updated visuals. You can’t ask for more from a retro fighting game. This fantastic fighting fright fest deserves more respect for its ability to shine 25 years after its last release and should scare up a spot in your fighting game collection.