I consider Capcom to be masters of the fighting genre and why not? They practically invented it. Back in 1991, the company came through with Street Fighter II, a game that's considered to be the granddaddy of the fighting genre as we know it, and to this day, it's still mentioned on the lips of every hardcore fighting fan out there and embraced with its numerous advantages in the arcade, on the SNES, and in countless collections. Now, about 14 years later, Capcom may be getting a little out of hand with their fighting efforts, as they have brought their mish mashed brawler Capcom Fighting Evolution to the Xbox, complete with Xbox Live support.

When the game debuted on the PS2 last year I wasn't entirely crazy about it, and that's basically the same case here. The game introduces fighters from five different Capcom games and throws them together in one huge smorgasbord with mixed results. You've got fighters from Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter III, Darkstalkers, and the never-seen-in-the-U.S. fighting game Red Earth. While it's great to see some bizarre faces in the mix (Red Earth consists of warped-out animals and dinosaurs in battle gear), the fighting system possessed by each character is different, which could lead to some unfair balancing during the fighting rounds. Some pro fighters will embrace this, but others may find themselves screaming foul when all they want to do is perform a super combo.

Also worth noting are some of the cast choices. I can see why some faces were chosen from Darkstalkers and Street Fighter II, but would it have been a difficult task for Capcom to throw in all the fighters from all the games? It worked for Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 with its staggering 60+ fighter count, so why can't it work here? Makes very little sense.

The gameplay, aside from this system issue, is awesome, just like any Capcom brawler before it. Super moves, combos, throws, and other maneuvers are performed with ease, and the gameplay is very solid online and off. The big advantage with this Xbox release is its Xbox Live support, and there's quite a large community to take advantage of, ready to fight in different levels. It's pretty well done and worked well for me, although, let's face it, I haven't really been brushing up on my combos like I could be.

As far as the game's design, it too is up in the air. The character animation is as solid as could be, but I found the backgrounds to be rather drab and lifeless, especially compared to the ones featured in Street Fighter Anniversary Collection. Furthermore, the sound is a joke. The soundtrack is pretty lame (no custom soundtrack options) and sub par sound effects are just terrible. The voice samples are alright but mostly get drowned out.

There are a few unlockables to check out and the fighting is solid, but I can't help but think that Capcom Fighting Evolution is actually step backwards, and it's also weighed down by the price of the game, which is a whopping $40. However, despite the high price and the several issues, those looking for an online fighting game will want to pick up Capcom Fighting Evolution right away. Everyone else who sees it as a curiosity piece would be wise to rent it first, as it isn't quite as "evolved" as I thought it'd be.