When I sat down to demo Capcom Fighting Collection 2, I thought I knew exactly what I was in for. During a preview event, I’d get to go hands-on with three games in the upcoming package. I fired up the opening menu and started scrolling through some familiar options, which included Street Fighter game and Capcom vs. SNK games. It was the third option that caught my attention, though.
“Project Justice? What’s that?” I thought.
Minutes later, I’d just discovered my new favorite fighting game — one that reminded me why retro collections like this are so vital to game preservation. Keeping the classics alive is important, but obscure gems deserve that same treatment. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 understands that, and it’s better for it.
If you’ve never heard of Project Justice before, don’t feel too bad. A sequel to 1997’s Rival Schools: United by Fate, the 3D fighting game launched in 2000 for exclusively for the Sega Dreamcast (and in arcades). Like a lot of games on Sega’s ill-fated console, it’s since risen to cult classic status alongside fighters like Power Stone and its sequel, both of which are also featured in this collection.
It was easy to see why after playing for only a few minutes. Rather than presenting itself as a hyper serious brawler, Project Justice is a goofy high-school anime that plays like a straight-up comedy. Its roster of students all have absurd gimmicks that had me cracking up as soon as my demo started. One character, a swimmer who fights in a speedo, kicks his opponents with his oversized flippers. Others use violins, soccer balls, cameras, and more as weapons. Every high school archetype is represented here in some ridiculous ways.
The fighting itself isn’t too complex. It’s a simple and stiff 3D fighter where special attacks and team combos take center stage rather than a fast-paced showcase of technical skill. If you want something like that Capcom Fighting Collection 2 brings plenty of it. My time with Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 and Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper were much more familiar. In those 2D fighters, I was managing screens full of gauges and juggling strategic team-building systems. I imagine those are the kinds of games from this package that will get the most play in the competitive fighting scene.
And yet, I couldn’t stop playing Project Justice during my 45 minute demo. What it lacks in nuance, it makes up for in personality. In 2025, it strikes me as a great casual party game that deserves a second wind thanks to its rerelease.
This is ultimately what I want from releases like Capcom Fighting Collection 2. Replaying the classics I already know is all good fun, but I want to discover games that I never knew existed too. I was just as excited to play 1997’s The Punisher in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics as I was playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes again. Collections like this should give us a complete vision of history, rather than reinforce the same cherry-picked list of influential classics.
If you love video game history, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is the kind of package you’ll want to own when it launches this year. It’s a snapshot of a delightfully experimental era for fighting games, one that the Dreamcast played a major role in. If you’re anything like me, with a hunger for oddball games, there’s a good chance you’ll find your next favorite fighting game here.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 will launch in 2025 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
