The Capcom Fighting Collection is a new game that collects some of the biggest fighting titles from the eponymous company's catalog. Classics like Hyper Street Fighter 2 and cutesy spin-offs like Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix are featured in the collection, as well as original artwork and a music library. It's an exciting new anthology that celebrates Capcom's long history of fighting games. Capcom also has a rich history of horror games, though, and a similarly themed collection would likely be just as successful.
Whereas Capcom's major platformer is Megaman and its biggest RPG is the Monster Hunter franchise, Capcom has published multiple hit horror games. Some series are certainly more obscure than others, but revisiting the older titles may renew fan interest and inspire new remakes. In any case, Capcom can continue the success of its various anniversary collections with a new survival horror angle.
Horror Games by Capcom
Capcom's biggest horror series is hands down Resident Evil. Its first entry was originally released in 1996 for the PlayStation, and was based on one of Capcom's previous games, an adaptation of the Japanese horror film Sweet Home. While Resident Evil received a remake for the GameCube in 2002 and Resident Evil 2 received one in 2019, their original versions deserve to be preserved for new generations to experience. Many quality-of-life improvements could be made (like reducing load times during door-opening cutscenes and adding more save points), but its fixed camera angles should be preserved to maintain the original design's integrity.
Similarly, the Dead Rising games stand out as examples of Capcom's horror success and therefore should earn a spot within a collection. Even more desperate for a re-release, however, are the Dino Crisis games. These games are much less celebrated than the zombie-themed siblings, but Dino Crisis nonetheless experienced its own degree of success and developed a cult following. While it's often been referred to as "Resident Evil with dinosaurs," there's much more to Dino Crisis; the game's director, Shinji Mikami, intended the game to be "panic horror" and feature more intense chases. Its last port came out in 2000, so Dino Crisis is in dire need of a re-release.
Preserving Capcom Games
In addition to its more notable franchises, Capcom has published a handful of various one-off horror titles. One of its first was the aforementioned Sweet Home Famicom adaptation. Not only has the game never been released outside of Japan, but it's also never been re-released on any other console. Similarly, Clock Tower 3 and its spiritual successor, Haunting Grounds, have only ever been available for the PlayStation 2. As time goes on, it will only get harder to experience these games by way of an official release — especially considering Sony's PlayStation preservation efforts. Re-releasing them in a collection makes them accessible to new players and existing fans.
When it comes to preserving its history, Capcom is one of the more proactive game companies. Street Fighter, Megaman, and Devil May Cry games have all been collected and released in various capacities. There are plenty of gamers who would have never played those games had Capcom neglected to publish them for newer consoles, and Capcom's horror games warrant the same degree of care. The games themselves may or may not have aged well, but they're important pieces of history, and their contributions led to some of the most commonly utilized elements of today's games. Without games like Resident Evil, games like Five Nights at Freddy's, Dead Space, and P.T. may have never been made.
Capcom Fighting Collection releases on June 24, 2022, for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
