It’s been roughly over ten years since we’ve seen the crossover magic between Marvel Studios and Capcom, and we can still recall the good ol’ days playing the hard-to-find Xbox version of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for endless hours, just for the sake of pounding someone with a team-up 30-plus hit combo. Since that time, we’ve gotten the much more affordable – and accessible – Xbox Live version, complete with online play. But still, we needed a true sequel – and this week, we finally have it with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. The story is pretty much nonsense, but if you’re buying a fighting game to get into the story, you might want to sit down with a role-playing game to get an idea what you’re missing. The universe is at risk, and it’s up to your team of three warriors – from a cast of over 30 – to do battle with teams and eventually come face to face with Galactus, a planet-eating terror that’s going to take a lot of damage before he goes down. Fortunately, these warriors are amongst the best Capcom could ever pick for a fighting game.
True, some favorite faces are missing, like Strider and Mega Man, but others more than make up for it. We can’t tell you how much fun we’re having with Wolverine and his alternate, the beautiful X-23, or the Hulk and his gorgeous cohort, She Hulk. There’s also plenty from the Capcom side, including the modern Bionic Commando, along with Viewtiful Joe, Amaterasu from Okami and Arthur from Ghouls n’ Ghosts. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. What’s great about Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is its balance. No matter whom you choose, you seem to have a fair chance of winning, whether you’re trusting in the hammer of Thor or letting loose with Dante and his sword/gun combination. If you feel something isn’t working, you can always go into the practice arena and try out your skills. And if you think the fighting arena is going to laugh you off with your rookie skills, a Simple Option is available, making building combos much easier than it deserves to be. The gameplay in itself is terrific, with lots of opportunities to chain attacks, combos, super moves and team efforts, all into one explosive smorgasbord of thuds and oofs. There are times when the character movement is a little slow, but you can make up for that with some strategy, and really let the other team have it with counters and quick combos. And again, the practice arena is always available before you take on others locally or through Xbox Live.
Xbox Live support is superb, as you can get into quick match-ups with very little lag. However, we’re somewhat disappointed by the limited options Capcom has provided here. There’s no option to observe match, nor any modifiers to make a tournament just the way you want it. Nevertheless, it’s great hooking up with others and seeing the wins and losses reflected on your virtual license, which is just a right bumper button press away. Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 goes with a 3-D look, a huge upgrade from the 2-D style visuals of the first two games. While some may miss the old motif, we like this one just fine, with striking character animation that may catch you off guard (X-23 by herself is a suave figure, and sexy as hell) and some very familiar backdrops, from Nick Fury’s carrier to the classic Ghouls n’ Ghosts universe. The winning animations are a nice touch as well, including Deadpool, who literally panders to the viewing audience. It moves very quickly too, with very little lag in performance. As for music, it’s not entirely memorable, but we will say it’s very Marvel Vs. Capcom-y. Each character has their faithful themes, some better than others. The voicework is superb, with an option to choose between US and Japanese actors, so it sounds more authentic.
The sound effects are good, too, though mostly made up of smacks and crashes. Along with multiplayer and story mode, the game also features a mission structure, in which you complete several tasks in order to get to know your character better. Seriously, though, it takes time to get through, and you’d probably be better off learning techniques on your own. Still, if you want to try it, go for it. And did we mention the unlockables? Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 comes with a slew of content, including bonus characters like Akuma, Hsien-Ko (from Darkstalkers) and Sentinel, along with new voice samples and artwork. Sadly, the promised DLC characters, Shuma-Gorath and Jill, aren’t available yet. We actually have to wait a whole month for them. But never mind. Although Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 lacks in multiplayer diversity and a story mode that makes some kind of sense, its fighting action is as enriched as ever, and the presentation knocks our socks off. If you’ve been looking for the next great fighting game, it might just take you for a ride.
