Game review: Marvel vs. Capcom 2

When Capcom released X-Men vs. Street fighter, it shook the beat 'em up crowd BIG time. Never before had we seen a 2D beat 'em up that was so over the top which featured attacks that engulfed the whole screen and had characters launching themselves 3 screens high into the air. Marvel super heroes vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom came along, more over the top and epileptic fit inducing than the last game, and we thought it'd end there. That was until Capcom decided "F**k it! Let's do another sequel!" and they chucked in every character and their kitchen sink for Marvel vs. Capcom 2. This game is the classic that fans and Capcom alike won't let be forgotten: with a console re-release in 2002 and a surprise HD'd up digital release in 2009 when fans didn't even think it was possible. Yep. This is the game that just keeps on giving.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 brought two pretty big changes to the series. First off was that the team count was upped from two to three: which means six times the crazy on screen. Battles aren't as hectic as you'd expect given this. And if anything, the action is quite tame considering. Especially with Capcom doing away with Marvel vs. Capcom's duo attack system and the lack of a partner assist. The second change is that by gaining an additional team mate, we lose two attack buttons. There are now no medium attack buttons. Just weaks and heavies, with the two freed up buttons being reserved for bringing in your team mate waiting in the wings to perform an attack (just as you could in Marvel super heroes vs. Street Fighter).

With so many characters at your disposal it's easy to feel overwhelmed at first. But the truth is you probably won't use half of them, and fans will find their beloved favourites feel a little different, or oddly un-changed. You can blame the character balancing for this: which is completely off. The new additions to the cast are greatly over powered, where-as the returning cast have been considerably weakened; some of whom have lost moves in the process. You'll find characters who you once loved, feel different and less effective now than they did in the games they debuted in. Omega red and Silver Samurai are nowhere near as powerful and menacing as they were in Children of the atom. Rogue no longer has the ability to steal a move and use it on her opponents as she did in X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Chun-Li and Morrigan have both lost a super combo attack and have been greatly weakened since being the two baddest bitches in Marvel vs. Capcom. Capcom have made no effort to update the characters' move sets neither. None of the Children of the atom or Marvel super heroes cast have any new moves. Had Capcom spent a bit more time balancing the characters, this game would've been better for it. But the fact is, that even though the cast of characters is overwhelmingly impressive by number, Capcom didn't do anything but just throw them all into the game. Very little, if any balancing was done to ensure every character is fun, effective and worth using.

The longevity of the game wears off pretty quickly. Especially with the digital re-releases having all of the characters unlocked from the start. A lack of modes also hurts this game a great deal. A Survival mode to let enthusiasts battle it out as long as they can hold out without having the last boss and credit roll break the streak would've done nicely. As would options to opt for 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 matches. A cool little library mode with character profiles, histories and which Capcom published game or Marvel comic they debuted in would've helped given the series a greater sense of history.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is a nice looking game. The HD re-releases for Live arcade and the PlayStation network look very clean and snazzy. But there are some sprite clipping issues when certain attacks and super combo's are pulled off. Issues which were NOT evident in the Dreamcast version. It seems that even all these years on, none of the 'superior' systems can be hosts to a perfect version which runs as good as the Dreamcast original. The 3D rendered stages look super sharp in HD, but also highlight the iffiness: particularly stages which stretch back quite a distance. Surprisingly the sprites don't look too bad. They're much more fluidly animated than I remember. CPS-2 is outdated as shit, but it still holds up well. It is a shame Marvel vs. Capcom 2 didn't get the full HD remix treatment, but 'Hey ho!' After Marvel super heroes vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom had things looking a bit messy and overly chaotic - it's nice to see the series looking clean. And despite the action, it's always easy to keep a handle on what's going on, and who is who.

The audio is a mixed bag. Whilst the soundtrack is well composed and arranged, it doesn't really set the tone for the game all that well. It really is difficult to get amped up for a fight and get in the mood to Optic blast a cactus in its face when you're listening to what sounds like 'Porn groove jazz classic compilation volume 3'. Thankfully, the Live arcade and PlayStation network re-releases allow you to play your own music during matches. So you can sling on something with a bit of a bounce and an edge to it whilst you're air combo'ing into oblivion.

Loading times on the Live arcade and PlayStation network releases are not as quick as they were on the Dreamcast, which I find shocking. Baring in the mind the Dreamcast had to run the game off of a disc and not a hard drive. The loading times are not major issues, but those who played the Dreamcast version extensively will notice the extra second or 2 it takes in between matches, and that screens which could be skipped in the original, can't be skipped any more. Not good.

Depending on which version you own, you'll have a slightly different play experience because of the controls. The Dreamcast version is my preference of choice when it comes to the controls. The D-pad feels good, as do the buttons. I'm fortunate enough to also own a Dreamcast arcade stick, so I can really get to work. The PlayStation version benefits from having a stellar D-pad, but buttons that don't always feel right. The Xbox 360 pad has good tactile buttons, but a shitty D-pad: although surprisingly, it does have an analogue stick which works well with the game. If you're fortunate enough to own all systems, then it's down to preference. But I personally feel the Dreamcast pad is the best all rounder for the game because of it's size, buttons and D-pad, and being the one controller which oddly sits nicely in-between being a conventional pad and an arcade stick.

The online play in the new Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (not a HD remix) version is decent. Thankfully it's much more easier to connect to matches than it is in Street Fighter IV and features lobbies. But the menu's aren't the most user friendly, and the presentation is really basic. Some avatar action, nicer font and a better layout would've done wonders. Matches run smoothly. I've yet to have a game with lag, or find latency a major issue. Things get choppy during the character select screen, but everything irons out as soon as the match starts. The lack of options is pretty dissapointing though. And the front end menu's to the online set-up certainly pales in comparison to Street Fighter IV's.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is a great game because it's fun. And how can you not love how many Capcom and Marvel characters you have at your disposal!? But the issue is that you feel Capcom didn't do enough to really hone the game. It's solid. But with some tweaks it could've been the best thing ever.

This game is definitely worth purchasing if you're not already fortunate to own a copy of it. Even if you own the Dreamcast version it's worth picking up the re-release for the online play, HD output and convenience of not having to lugger out your Dreamcast. But if this doesn't bother you, then the Dreamcast version will do you just fine.



The good
+ Nice presentation
+ Online play
+ It's Marvel vs. Capcom bitch!

The bad
- The character balancing is off, and was not rectified for the digital re-release
- Some clipping and loading issues occur in the digital re-release