The way I see it, there are two types of people in this great world of ours. Those who think that 2D fighters are the pinnacle of gameplay and fast-paced reflexes, and those who have no idea why Capcom and SNK keep pumping out these dinosaurs of a bygone era. Being a gamer of the former persuasion, I think you can guess what the outcome of this review is going to be. For those of you who belong to the latter, STOP READING NOW. This game will just justify to you the opinions you already have. For the rest of you, read on to find out why Marvel vs Capcom is one of the best 2D fighters ever to grace a console
Still here? Excellent.
STORY? THERES A STORY?!?
Although totally unnecessary and only used to tie together the bouts of pure adrenaline-charged action, there is a story. The premise goes something like this: A super-being, incredible of great power, appears on our planet. As any self-respecting insane villain bent on universal destruction would do, he decides to cause a bit of trouble. Its up to a mixed band of super-heroes (from the Marvel and Capcom franchises, duh) to compete in some tournament thingy and beat up people. Or something.
Quite frankly, the story sucks. Big time. But why should we care, when all we want to do is kick some butt?
READY
Rather than just give us a bare-bones arcade port of the game, the gods at Capcom have honored us with extra modes. While not quite as mode-heavy as, say, SFA3, a bit of effort has been put into the conversion. Besides the standard arcade, versus, survival and training modes, a new mode called "Cross Fever" has been included. This enables you to have a four player head-to-head match. Thats right - FOUR characters simultaneously on screen! You may be a bit wary of having that much action on the one screen, but at no time does it get too confusing to stop being insanely playable. The frame rate takes no hit whatsoever, meaning that its as smooth as proverbial silk.
With a total of fifteen selectable characters from the start, theres plenty here to keep you occupied. Your characters are a mixed bunch, from the super buff "I-can-break-stones-with-my-bare-hands" heroes, to the buxom "oops-I-left-my-clothes-at-home" heroines. Youre guaranteed to find characters that suit your tastes. You fight as a tag-team, but you also have a NPC that you can summon when you need a helping hand. Once youve made all your decisions, its time to battle!
FIGHT!
If youve already played Capcoms other 2D fighters, youll feel right at home here. Youve got the six buttons, the obligatory quarter-circle moves and the tinny, highly artificial music. One thing that the "vs" games have over their other Capcom brethren is, of course, the frantic combat. If you are in any way prone to seizures, Id HIGHLY recommend that you that you dont play this game. The amount of pyrotechnics on screen at any one time is enough to make your eyes water. Tag-team specials add even more color to the screen (if thats possible).
As with all Capcom 2D fighters, combos are the real meat of the gameplay. Theres nothing more satisfying than letting loose a devestating combo on your opponent. Once again, Capcom have innovated on tried-and-true mechanics, and introduced aerial combos. Aerial combos add a new dimension (if upwards is a dimension) to the gameplay seen in previous Capcom offerings, where combos can be performed in mid-air. Combos in excess of 50 hits are common if you know what youre doing.
K.O.!!!
As the saying goes, theres a dark cloud to every silver lining (or is it the other way round?). Whilst it doesnt affect the gameplay one iota, the graphics are decidedly primitive. Yes, it is just a 2D game, but is it too much to expect a higher resolution? The sprites and backgrounds are drawn in 320x240, even though 640x480 could easily be achieved. As such, the characters are noticeably pixellated. The upside to this is that this allows more frames of animation, giving a smoother gaming experience.
Those people in the world that havent played a 2D fighter before (yes, all three of them), may find this game quite difficult. The learning curve is incredibly steep, and even on the easiest setting can cause problems.
One other quibble with this game (and every other SF game in existence) is the uninspired endings. Youve battled your way through hordes of tough enemies, and youre left with an ending of bitmap stills and cliched dialogue! Wheres the FMV? Wheres the gritty, thought-provoking ending? There is a unique ending for every character, though, so I guess we cant complain TOO much.
The arcade stick is an absolute necessity if you want to play this game to the best of your capabilities. It is absolutely impossible to play the game properly using the standard controller, as it only has four usable buttons. Playing the game with the DC controller is an exercise in pure tedium.
LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!
Its hard to fault a game like Marvel vs Capcom. Deep, addictive gameplay, fast-paced action and insane multiplayer make it a game worthy of your hard-earned cash. Fans of the genre will flock to this in droves, while newbies may be attracted to it because of its frantic gameplay. In a world where high-polygon models and epic quests rule supreme, there isnt much room left for the 2D fighter. With so many games focussing on complicated physics engines and strategic combat, its great to play a game where the only ingredient is a liberal serving of fun.
And thats what games should all be about, right?
Still here? Excellent.
STORY? THERES A STORY?!?
Although totally unnecessary and only used to tie together the bouts of pure adrenaline-charged action, there is a story. The premise goes something like this: A super-being, incredible of great power, appears on our planet. As any self-respecting insane villain bent on universal destruction would do, he decides to cause a bit of trouble. Its up to a mixed band of super-heroes (from the Marvel and Capcom franchises, duh) to compete in some tournament thingy and beat up people. Or something.
Quite frankly, the story sucks. Big time. But why should we care, when all we want to do is kick some butt?
READY
Rather than just give us a bare-bones arcade port of the game, the gods at Capcom have honored us with extra modes. While not quite as mode-heavy as, say, SFA3, a bit of effort has been put into the conversion. Besides the standard arcade, versus, survival and training modes, a new mode called "Cross Fever" has been included. This enables you to have a four player head-to-head match. Thats right - FOUR characters simultaneously on screen! You may be a bit wary of having that much action on the one screen, but at no time does it get too confusing to stop being insanely playable. The frame rate takes no hit whatsoever, meaning that its as smooth as proverbial silk.
With a total of fifteen selectable characters from the start, theres plenty here to keep you occupied. Your characters are a mixed bunch, from the super buff "I-can-break-stones-with-my-bare-hands" heroes, to the buxom "oops-I-left-my-clothes-at-home" heroines. Youre guaranteed to find characters that suit your tastes. You fight as a tag-team, but you also have a NPC that you can summon when you need a helping hand. Once youve made all your decisions, its time to battle!
FIGHT!
If youve already played Capcoms other 2D fighters, youll feel right at home here. Youve got the six buttons, the obligatory quarter-circle moves and the tinny, highly artificial music. One thing that the "vs" games have over their other Capcom brethren is, of course, the frantic combat. If you are in any way prone to seizures, Id HIGHLY recommend that you that you dont play this game. The amount of pyrotechnics on screen at any one time is enough to make your eyes water. Tag-team specials add even more color to the screen (if thats possible).
As with all Capcom 2D fighters, combos are the real meat of the gameplay. Theres nothing more satisfying than letting loose a devestating combo on your opponent. Once again, Capcom have innovated on tried-and-true mechanics, and introduced aerial combos. Aerial combos add a new dimension (if upwards is a dimension) to the gameplay seen in previous Capcom offerings, where combos can be performed in mid-air. Combos in excess of 50 hits are common if you know what youre doing.
K.O.!!!
As the saying goes, theres a dark cloud to every silver lining (or is it the other way round?). Whilst it doesnt affect the gameplay one iota, the graphics are decidedly primitive. Yes, it is just a 2D game, but is it too much to expect a higher resolution? The sprites and backgrounds are drawn in 320x240, even though 640x480 could easily be achieved. As such, the characters are noticeably pixellated. The upside to this is that this allows more frames of animation, giving a smoother gaming experience.
Those people in the world that havent played a 2D fighter before (yes, all three of them), may find this game quite difficult. The learning curve is incredibly steep, and even on the easiest setting can cause problems.
One other quibble with this game (and every other SF game in existence) is the uninspired endings. Youve battled your way through hordes of tough enemies, and youre left with an ending of bitmap stills and cliched dialogue! Wheres the FMV? Wheres the gritty, thought-provoking ending? There is a unique ending for every character, though, so I guess we cant complain TOO much.
The arcade stick is an absolute necessity if you want to play this game to the best of your capabilities. It is absolutely impossible to play the game properly using the standard controller, as it only has four usable buttons. Playing the game with the DC controller is an exercise in pure tedium.
LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!
Its hard to fault a game like Marvel vs Capcom. Deep, addictive gameplay, fast-paced action and insane multiplayer make it a game worthy of your hard-earned cash. Fans of the genre will flock to this in droves, while newbies may be attracted to it because of its frantic gameplay. In a world where high-polygon models and epic quests rule supreme, there isnt much room left for the 2D fighter. With so many games focussing on complicated physics engines and strategic combat, its great to play a game where the only ingredient is a liberal serving of fun.
And thats what games should all be about, right?
