Capcom, It’s Time — Bring Back Power Stone
Capcom has announced that it will host a virtual Showcase next week, during when E3 usually takes place, on June 12th. During that time, they’ll show off a number of new reveals, as well as some potential DLC for existing games, such as Street Fighter 6.
Obviously, people are talking about, “Hey, can we bring back Dino Crisis?” And I’m all for that. But I think another franchise needs revisiting, especially in an age when we’re starting to get into fighting games where multiple people can have fun. And that’s Power Stone.
For those unfamiliar, Capcom released Power Stone in the heyday era of the Sega Dreamcast, creating an unprecedented fighting experience on the same level as Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. It featured an eclectic list of characters, taking on one another in big, ever-changing stages, using whatever weapons and tools they could get their hands on.
The game was a hit. So much, in fact, that it warranted a sequel, Power Stone 2, which came out just a bit later. And it was just as massive a hit, with more characters, more stages, and more beat-em-up fun than you could shake a stick at.
But, outside of a re-released collection for PlayStation Portable (which was pretty good as well), Power Stone has laid dormant. Nothing. Not a re-release, not a tournament bow, nothing at all. It just remained on the Dreamcast and PSP as something of a legacy.
But, lately, we’ve seen Capcom paying more attention to its classics. Darkstalkers got some love with its awesome Capcom Fighting Collection. And a number of arcade favorites have returned with the Capcom Arcade Stadium titles, which could see even more added (like, fingers crossed, Cannon Spike, another Dreamcast favorite).
So…yeah. The timing feels just about right for Power Stone to make a return. Add cross-platform online play, maybe exclusive characters, and perhaps even a touch or two to make it worth playing on the competitive scene. I doubt that it would steal Street Fighter 6’s thunder, instead creating some of its own. It’d be a great surprise title at EVO, to the point that it could become the next Smash, now that Smash is officially “retired” (thanks, Nintendo).
Let’s see it happen, Capcom. The power is youurrrrrs!
