Limited Run #100: Skullgirls 2nd Encore (Vita) Edition

Hand-drawn fighting games don't come around often, and they almost never get physical releases this good. Limited Run #100: Skullgirls 2nd Encore for the PlayStation Vita arrives with reversible cover art, an individually numbered slipcover, a thick full-color manual packed with character profiles and move lists, and a soundtrack CD in its own jewel case. The game itself is a stunner.

Fourteen wildly original characters, each with unique mechanics, all rendered in gorgeous hand-animated frames set against a Dark Deco backdrop. Michiru Yamane handled the soundtrack, bringing the same compositional brilliance she's known for. This is fighting game artistry given physical form.

Being LRG release number 100 gives this one symbolic weight in the catalog, and the Vita's fighting game library has become a collector's hotspot. Skullgirls earned its cult following through genuinely excellent design, balancing accessibility for newcomers with the depth competitive players demand. The numbered slipcover, the dedicated soundtrack disc, that meaty manual.

This is the kind of release that shows what physical media can be when someone actually cares about the presentation. A cornerstone Vita fighting game collectible.