Sean Valjean
Lets Bitch About This Thing We Love
Hello! Welcome to the first of what I'd like to make a regular series. As a life-long gamer, what better way to contribute to our video game forum here at WZ than to share my thoughts on the entertainment media that I love. How this will work is simple. Whenever I complete a game I’m currently playing, I’ll write a review on it. It could be anything from the NES to the PS3 (except PC). It’s a surprise each time! Reading these will be digging through the treasure chest at the dentist’s except without the cheap spider rings or the label-less candies that look suspiciously homemade. So without further ado, the review:
Now THIS is how you start a review series. To call this game highly anticipated would be an understatement. Fans have been waiting a full decade for this sequel to the wildly popular Marvel vs Capcom fighting games, but more importantly the chance to finally realize the Taskmaster vs Nathan "Rad" Spencer mega dream fight. But does the game live up to the hype? The answer is a resounding yes.
The crazy, ADD-friendly formula returns but the gameplay is as tight and intuitive as ever. Those crying over the fact that the roster only has 38 characters (as opposed to the previous games 50+) can jump off a bridge. Though lower in number, each feels unique with distinct moves. X-23 is fast, combo-crazy but weaker than her male counterpart, Phoenix is a powerhouse with a glass jaw and can be knocked out quite quickly if you're not careful. Ryu is a powerful "all-around" as you'd expect and MODOK just plain sucks (Kidding. He can be quite good actually, when mastered). It's the epitome of quality over quantity. Taking into account each character’s strengths and weaknesses is key to building a winning team and makes the whole process much more strategic and engaging. The character select also has a sweet remix of that kick-ass “I wanna take you on a ride” song from the last game, which is worth at least twenty cool points.
Wolverine immediately regrets asking Trish why she made the roster over Virgil
Unlike MvC 2’s roster (which may as well been called X-Men & Friends vs. Street Fighter & Co.), this new roster, ranging from the iconic to the obscure, is much more diverse and a better representation of both universes. I was initially upset about the lack of old favorites like Mega Man and Venom, but after playing a few sessions as the much-better Zero and the awesome Wesker, I didn’t miss them at all. Little touches such as the ability to save and load teams (thus cutting down selection time and quickening the time between bouts), tailored dialogue between characters and an improved single player campaign with character-specific endings are nice as well. However, I wish the endings were told through the beautifully animated CG cutscenes of the trailers and intro instead of static comic panels they went with.
Combat as improved as well, with an updated control scheme. Some fans may refer to the control as “simplified” but I prefer to call them “streamlined”. Character swaps and switches are now performed with just the press shoulder buttons, with the specials mapped to a single button making it easier than ever to pull off big moves. The game ditches the 4 button control scheme for a 3 button version, with launches being mapped to the remaining button. Thus, this game is a bit easier to play than the last two but doesn’t sacrifice any skill or strategy. Though combat can still degenerate into a chaotic, seizure-inducing mess the combat still requires the timing and precision of a Street Fighter game.
Some specials can now be aimed in many directions to catch dodgy opponents
A welcome addition for casual players is the new Simple Mode. Basically, it maps entire combos and special moves to a single button. This basically turns each button into a God, allowing for even the most complicated moves to be pulled off at ease and giving newbies a fighting chance against veterans. Some may call it cheap but I think it’s a great way for non-competitive players who just want to try it out to still be able to do cool stuff without having to be babied. Personally, I’d like to see something a similar mode used in future fighting games.
My only real problem with this game is the online mode. It has all the standard modes that you’d expect from an online fighter like ranked and player matches and…that’s it. Really? Considering that Capcom’s last fighter, Super Street Fighter IV, had the most robust online mode I’ve ever seen in a fighter I’m surprised at how bare-bones this online mode is. You’d think it’d be easy for Capcom to just use the online structure from that game in here. That’s pretty weak and sort of waters down the arcade experience that this game is going for.
Crappy online aside, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is the best crossover fighter ever made (IMO) and shouldn’t be missed by fans of either universes or fans of the fighting genre in general. The attention to detail for each character, skin tight gameplay and gorgeous presentation will be enough to keep this disc spinning in you console for months.
Final Score 9.25/10
Random Thoughts
-Every time Nathan “Rad” Spencer (AKA Mr. Dumb-Dead-Wife-Arm) says “Get over here!” I die a little inside.
-If I got a dollar each time my friends referred to Super Skrull as the Green Goblin, I would be a very rich and frustrated man.
-Remember that sweet trailer with Captain America stopping a falling helicopter with only his shield? That needs to happen in his movie.
Keep a lookout for more reviews in the future!
Now THIS is how you start a review series. To call this game highly anticipated would be an understatement. Fans have been waiting a full decade for this sequel to the wildly popular Marvel vs Capcom fighting games, but more importantly the chance to finally realize the Taskmaster vs Nathan "Rad" Spencer mega dream fight. But does the game live up to the hype? The answer is a resounding yes.
The crazy, ADD-friendly formula returns but the gameplay is as tight and intuitive as ever. Those crying over the fact that the roster only has 38 characters (as opposed to the previous games 50+) can jump off a bridge. Though lower in number, each feels unique with distinct moves. X-23 is fast, combo-crazy but weaker than her male counterpart, Phoenix is a powerhouse with a glass jaw and can be knocked out quite quickly if you're not careful. Ryu is a powerful "all-around" as you'd expect and MODOK just plain sucks (Kidding. He can be quite good actually, when mastered). It's the epitome of quality over quantity. Taking into account each character’s strengths and weaknesses is key to building a winning team and makes the whole process much more strategic and engaging. The character select also has a sweet remix of that kick-ass “I wanna take you on a ride” song from the last game, which is worth at least twenty cool points.
Wolverine immediately regrets asking Trish why she made the roster over Virgil
Unlike MvC 2’s roster (which may as well been called X-Men & Friends vs. Street Fighter & Co.), this new roster, ranging from the iconic to the obscure, is much more diverse and a better representation of both universes. I was initially upset about the lack of old favorites like Mega Man and Venom, but after playing a few sessions as the much-better Zero and the awesome Wesker, I didn’t miss them at all. Little touches such as the ability to save and load teams (thus cutting down selection time and quickening the time between bouts), tailored dialogue between characters and an improved single player campaign with character-specific endings are nice as well. However, I wish the endings were told through the beautifully animated CG cutscenes of the trailers and intro instead of static comic panels they went with.
Combat as improved as well, with an updated control scheme. Some fans may refer to the control as “simplified” but I prefer to call them “streamlined”. Character swaps and switches are now performed with just the press shoulder buttons, with the specials mapped to a single button making it easier than ever to pull off big moves. The game ditches the 4 button control scheme for a 3 button version, with launches being mapped to the remaining button. Thus, this game is a bit easier to play than the last two but doesn’t sacrifice any skill or strategy. Though combat can still degenerate into a chaotic, seizure-inducing mess the combat still requires the timing and precision of a Street Fighter game.
Some specials can now be aimed in many directions to catch dodgy opponents
A welcome addition for casual players is the new Simple Mode. Basically, it maps entire combos and special moves to a single button. This basically turns each button into a God, allowing for even the most complicated moves to be pulled off at ease and giving newbies a fighting chance against veterans. Some may call it cheap but I think it’s a great way for non-competitive players who just want to try it out to still be able to do cool stuff without having to be babied. Personally, I’d like to see something a similar mode used in future fighting games.
My only real problem with this game is the online mode. It has all the standard modes that you’d expect from an online fighter like ranked and player matches and…that’s it. Really? Considering that Capcom’s last fighter, Super Street Fighter IV, had the most robust online mode I’ve ever seen in a fighter I’m surprised at how bare-bones this online mode is. You’d think it’d be easy for Capcom to just use the online structure from that game in here. That’s pretty weak and sort of waters down the arcade experience that this game is going for.
Crappy online aside, Marvel vs Capcom 3 is the best crossover fighter ever made (IMO) and shouldn’t be missed by fans of either universes or fans of the fighting genre in general. The attention to detail for each character, skin tight gameplay and gorgeous presentation will be enough to keep this disc spinning in you console for months.
Final Score 9.25/10
Random Thoughts
-Every time Nathan “Rad” Spencer (AKA Mr. Dumb-Dead-Wife-Arm) says “Get over here!” I die a little inside.
-If I got a dollar each time my friends referred to Super Skrull as the Green Goblin, I would be a very rich and frustrated man.
-Remember that sweet trailer with Captain America stopping a falling helicopter with only his shield? That needs to happen in his movie.
Keep a lookout for more reviews in the future!
