Twenty-five years later, and Power Stone 2 is still a blast to play. What other fighting game has four players going at it across two submarines, complete with missile launchers? Or starts you out on an airship before fighting while falling, and then finishing it up on the ground? Toss in a variety of items and the power stones, and it's basically controlled chaos.

One part party game, one part fighting game, Power Stone 2 is an evolved version of the original. What makes it work is the fact that you're battling three other characters and avoiding stage dangers. The first two to get knocked out are out, while the remaining two move on to the next stage. While the main levels are competitive, the two boss fights are essentially cooperative, so you'll want your partner to help take down the big baddies.

It's a testament to the quality of the game design that Power Stone 2 is simple enough to be pick-up-and-play, but it also has enough depth to be worth another go.

The downside to the version contained in Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is that it is just the arcade game. Players who were introduced to the game on the Dreamcast will find it to be more bare-bones than they remember, as none of the additional home game modes are present. While I understand the arcade version is the original version, from both a preservation standpoint and a fun standpoint, it'd be nice if Capcom considered adding the Dreamcast version in an update.

For one thing, the arcade version ran on Naomi hardware, which was basically a souped-up Dreamcast, so bringing over the Dreamcast code shouldn't be a major obstacle. Secondly, the extra modes would be nice to have without shelling out a Benjamin or two for the Dreamcast game disc.

Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro was a massive crossover when it debuted, and like Power Stone 2, the game is easy to jump into but difficult to master. The options can be overwhelming at first (new players may wonder why teams can have a different number of characters), but once you get into it, the game balance shines.

Visually, the detailed sprites and luscious backgrounds are a treat for the eyes. I don't know if I'm showing my age, but the distinct and detailed art styles have much more personality than a "realistic" modern game. The distinct looks also keep Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro from looking dated. This could just as easily be a new game done with pixel art and animation — if you ignore the techno/computer-voiced announcer. That little bit of audio work is absolutely of its time.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the visuals (or gameplay) of Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein. Booting up an early version of Capcom Fighting Collection 2 and goofing off with Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro and Power Stone 2 was a lot of fun, but jumping into Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein felt like booting up an early PlayStation One game.

In honesty, that's probably not too far off because while the home version was released on the Dreamcast, the arcade version ran on the Sony ZN-2 hardware, which was more or less an arcade version of the PlayStation.

Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein is serviceable, but the visual design makes the game look dated. The background art is passable enough, but both the characters and the special effects have a somewhat basic look to them, especially after playing the other two games. This was a time when the number of polygons was limited due to CPU power, and the accompanying texture maps were limited in detail due to memory.

Gameplay in Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein is straightforward, and like most early polygonal fighters, there is a side-step button, but it's not going to compete with the best of the genre. That said, it is still interesting to look at because it is from a slice of time when Capcom's teams were experimenting with 3D fighting games and trying to figure out what worked and what didn't. Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein isn't a terrible game; it's just not an amazing one.

As for the engine powering the games, if you've played Capcom Fighting Collection or Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, you know what to expect. Online play is available for all the titles in the collection, there is plenty of artwork to unlock, there's a training mode, a quick save, and one-button special moves.

One bit that stood out in the preview build was the display filters. While the default options looked good enough for Power Stone 2 and Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein, it was more of a challenge to find one I liked for Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro. The traditional scanlines seemed to remove a little too much detail, while the default RGB pixel mask was too noticeable during play. The best CRT filters are those you don't notice. Here's hoping this can be tweaked before release.

Along with the three titles above, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 also includes Capcom Fighting Evolution, Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001, Power Stone, Project Justice, and Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper. Most of these titles are heavy hitters.

We'll have a full review next month when the game drops, but if you're a fan of fighting games, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 should already be on your pre-order list.