Darkstalkers, known in Japan as , is a series of 2D fighting games developed and published by Capcom, beginning with "" ("Vampire: The Night Warrior") in 1994. The series is set in a pastiche gothic horror universe and features a highly stylized, cartoonish graphic style. It features characters based on either various kinds of monsters (the titular "darkstalkers") or their hunters, who are all engaging in combat against each other. "Darkstalkers" introduced many of the concepts used in later Capcom fighting games, including its first use of 16-bit color animation sprites and gameplay mechanics later employed in the "Street Fighter Alpha" and "Marvel vs. Capcom" series.