The Darkstalkers series (known as Vampire in Japan) is a trilogy of 2D gothic-horror fighting games developed by Capcom that ran primarily on the CPS2 (Capcom Play System 2) arcade hardware between 1994 and 1997.

Core CPS2 Trilogy

The series consists of three main entries and two mechanical updates on the CPS2 board: 

1. Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors (1994): The debut title featuring 10 playable “Darkstalkers”—monsters based on horror archetypes (vampires, mummies, werewolves). It introduced Air Blocking, Crouch Walking, and Chain Combos to the 2D fighting genre.
2. Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge (1995): Known as Vampire Hunter in Japan, this sequel added two new characters (Donovan and Hsien-Ko) and refined the “Special” meter, allowing players to stock multiple levels of super moves.
3. Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire (1997): The final major entry (often called Darkstalkers 3). It completely overhauled the round system with the Damage Gauge System, where players have two “life bars” but the round does not reset after one is depleted. It introduced the antagonist Jedah and the Dark Force system.

Key Gameplay Innovations

The CPS2 hardware allowed for a level of visual detail and mechanical complexity that surpassed its predecessor, the CPS1: 

• Chain Combos: A “Magic Series” system where attacks could be linked from weakest to strongest (e.g., Light Punch -> Medium Punch -> Heavy Punch).
• Fluid Animation: Using the CPS2’s 32-bit color depth, Capcom created massive character sprites with unique animations for specific types of damage (e.g., being sliced in half, frozen, or burned).
• EX Moves: The series popularized the use of super meters to perform enhanced versions of special moves (ES Moves) or cinematic finishing moves (EX Moves).