Namco
× Capcom
STORY:
Namco X Capcom takes place in the year 20XX (sometime in the
21st century). The story is driven
by the characters Reiji Arisu and Xiaomu (original characters created specifically
for NXC). The two of them work for a special unit called Shinra and
they are tasked with investigating spirit and otherworldly disturbances.
They are initially investigating a strange "sleeping sickness" in the Shibuya
area of Japan, when it becomes apparent that something much larger is at
stake. Characters, both good and evil, from other times and other worlds
begin appearing in Japan in the year 20XX.
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Pretty
sure all of these guys know Karate.
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ABOUT:
Namco X Capcom (pronounced "Namco
Cross Capcom") is a hybrid Action RPG / Tactical RPG starring a handful of familiar fighting game characters from
Capcom &
Namco. Namco X Capcom was released exclusively for the PlayStation 2
and only in
Japan. No doubt an eventual crossover between Capcom and Namco was
inevitable, and for any fighting game fan, this was a pretty historic and
epic game (which is primarily the reason why the game earned its profile here on TFG).
Unfortunately, the game wasn't localized in regions outside of Japan. There are several theories why this might've been, one being that many games (besides fighters) represented in Namco X Capcom are Japan-only games themselves. Namco
Capcom was succeeded with spiritual successors Project X Zone (2012) and
Project X
Zone 2 (2015) which brought Sega into the mix.
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The Dream Team of Felicia
and King! =3
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In Namco X Capcom,
there
are 50 levels total (45 normal levels / 5 prologue levels) and the playing
through the game takes between 70 to 100 hours to
complete. Namco's Takuji Kawano (of Soul Calibur fame) is responsible for the
game's official character illustrations (all of which can be found in the Art
Gallery below).
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As if that
oversized-bug-man stood a chance.
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Movement
is done on a square grid with turns being determined by figuring out which
character has the highest AP (comparable to the CT system
used in Final Fantasy Tactics). On the player's turn, he or she can move
their character into position and choose to attack an enemy. At this point,
the game switches into the Action RPG portion. Characters have a number
of "Branches" they can use. Each direction on the directional pad combined
with the O button will perform an attack. Each attack uses up 1 branch.
If you perform a certain number of Aerial Chains (hitting the enemy in
mid-air), you will gain bonuses, from extra experience points to items
to more branches to use in the same turn.
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Former
rivals... Karin and Sakura teaming up!
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Upon filling up the character's Special
Gauge, players then hit the Triangle button to perform a special attack. They
will also be able to select a Multiple Assault attack if their units on
the board meet the conditions. Defense also puts the player in the action-RPG
mode, this time blocking to reduce the enemy's damage. Successfully blocking
attacks will also increase the amount of AP the player's unit has.
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Page Updated: |
January
20th, 2024 |
Developer(s): |
Monolith
Soft |
Publisher(s): |
Namco |
Artwork
by: |
Takuji
Kawano |
Platform(s): |
PlayStation
2
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Release Date(s): |
May 26th, 2005 |
Characters: |
Akuma,
Armor King, Arthur,
Astaroth,
Bison, Cammy,
Captain Commando, Chun-Li, Demitri, Devil,
Evil Ryu, Felicia,
Guy, Heihachi,
Hideo, Huitzil,
Jin
Kazama, Juli, Juni,
Karin, Ken,
Kobun, Kyoko,
Lei Lei, Lilith,
Mitsurugi, Mike
Haggar, Mokujin, Morrigan,
Ogre, P.
Jack, Q Bee, Red
Arremer, Rose, Roll,
Ryu,
Sakura, Strider
Hiryu, Taki,
Tron, Zabel |
Related
Links: |
Sep.
2015: Project X Zone 2 Character Artwork
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Featured Video:
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Related Games: |
SoulCalibur
2, TEKKEN 4, Rival
Schools: United by Fate, Project Justice,
Darkstalkers, Vampire
Savior,
Street
Fighter Alpha 3, Street
Fighter X Tekken, Marvel Vs. Capcom, Marvel
Vs. Capcom 2, Capcom
Vs. SNK, Capcom Vs. SNK 2, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, SNK
Vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash, Card
Fighters Clash 2, Card Fighters Clash
DS, SNK Vs.
Capcom: The Match of the Millennium, SNK
Vs. Capcom: Chaos |
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Gameplay
Engine
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Story
/ Theme
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8.0 / 10
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Overall
Graphics
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7.5 / 10
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Animation
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7.5 / 10
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Music
/ Sound Effects
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7.5 / 10
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Innovation
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Art Direction
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8.0 / 10
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Customization
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Options / Extras
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Intro / Presentation
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7.5 / 10
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Replayability / Fun
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"Ouch" Factor
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Characters
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9.0 / 10
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BOTTOM LINE
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Final
Words: |
If you're wondering why Namco X Capcom gets a
page here on TFG (since it's clearly not a fighting game), it's because this title is
an important part of history! This game packs tons of fan service, featuring many tributes to fighting games in particular... not to mention the badass artwork and 2D sprite-work.
In case you haven't noticed, the bulk of the protagonists and antagonists in
the game are indeed fighting game characters. Plus, more people should know about this game (and demand its re-release in the
West).
Namco X Capcom got mixed reviews, but definitely seems like a worthy
playthrough for those of us who love our Capcom & Namco characters. Sadly,
the Namco X Capcom has still never seen any kind of release outside of Japan, so like most others, I've never
gotten a chance to play (and fully review) the game. For the record, I'd be glad to purchase a
localized PSN or Steam version.... you listening Bandai Namco?
Project X Zone, a tactical RPG released for
the Nintendo 3DS starring characters from Capcom, Namco & Sega, is more or
less the "spiritual successor" to Namco X Capcom. The sequel, Project
X Zone 2: Brave New World even brings back the Namco X Capcom protagonists from Namco X Capcom,
Reiji & Xiaomu. Can you imagine an actual fighting game with such an epic roster?
~TFG
Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen
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