There is something special about Capcom. In an age of downloadable content and expanding games much farther than is on the disc, Capcom is able to release sequels that have everything the older game had but with additions that could easily be downloadable content. While it was a strategy that worked pretty well before anyone had any idea what "DLC" meant back on the Super Nintendo, it's something that many people nowadays don't really like. It started with Super Street Fighter 4 and now it has come back in the form of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. But is this sequel that has been released less than a year after its predecessor worth the 40 dollar price tag?

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was surprisingly lacking for a retail game. There was an arcade mode, training, mission mode, local multiplayer and online multiplayer. Sadly there really isn't much more to Ultimate than what was in the original. The only substantial change is the new Heroes and Heralds mode, but luckily, this mode is actually pretty fun. Although it is really just a variation of arcade mode, it has just enough variety to be fun. You start by being either a hero or a herald which doesn't do anything besides change the look of your character. From there you choose a stage and battle the opponent with your team. For every win you get, you gain a little more control over the stage and the closer you get to 100 percent the harder the opponents. The final goal for this mode is to gain control of every stage. While this may not sound so special, the standout part of this mode is a card based system that is involved. The cards are based off of Capcom games and Marvel comics and give you unique abilities during battle like going invisible, allowing you to absorb damage or giving you more health and special bars. It's a very cool system and does give some variety to the otherwise regular matches you would be doing in this mode. Now even though I do like this mode, its only one new mode and that is a little disappointing.

Although the lack of new modes is a bit disappointing, all the old modes are still good. Arcade mode is still a good time waster, but with only six matches and a boss fight, it won't take long to beat. Mission mode teaches you combos for all of the playable characters which is cool but the combos get too hard too fast and with only 10 missions a character, the curve is bad for rookies. Finally there is the online multiplayer. It really hasn't gotten any additions, you can do ranked and player matches that keep your record and have you leveling up for the more wins you have. The big addition though, is the ability to watch your opponent's battles while waiting for your own, which is much better than just staring at an uninteresting screen while you wait for your match. Overall all of these modes are good, but if you don't have an internet connection then you won't get much out of this game at a time.

However, the big draw of this game wasn't the new mode or changes to the old ones, it was the new characters. The game has added 12 new characters to enter the fight, six from Capcom and six from Marvel. The new additions are Strider, Firebrand, Vergil, Frank West, Phoenix Wright, Nemesis, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, Nova, Rocket Raccoon, Hawkeye and Iron Fist. Overall I do like all the new characters and they fit in well with the rest of the roster but I do have a few issues with them. First off, we really didn't need another Servbot sized character in the form of Rocket Raccoon. Even though I do like the character and his humor, a lot of the characters will have a lot of trouble hitting him. Second, it may just be me but the Capcom's side is much stronger than the Marvel's side. Most notably would be Vergil who has a combo that can literally take out an entire life bar. Still, those are just small problems, I do like the new characters but I really wish they were just in the game to begin with or just cheap downloadable characters.

If you have played Marvel vs. Capcom 3 then you will be pretty familiar with how this game plays. There have been some tweaks to combat to improve with balancing and some characters have been given an extra move or two but overall if you have been playing the original lately then the transition shouldn't be too hard. However if you're not familiar with how the game plays, here is a quick explanation.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a three on three fighter where your aim to take out your opponents team before they do the same. Even though there are only two main fighters on the screen at once, the characters that aren't fighting can use assist moves to help you out or can be swapped in at any given time. The actual fighting really boils down to four attack buttons. A light attack, a medium attack, a heavy attack and a launch attack. These buttons can be combined for dozens of different combos and special attacks. However, the launch button is what makes Ultimate stand out against other fighters. Ultimate has a lot of air combat, from combos that involve switching characters or using hyper combos during an air juggle; it is something that you really don't see in other fighters. Finally there is the X-Factor, the ability that gives you more strength and speed for a limited time. While it was severely overpowered in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 it has been balanced much more in this game and the ability to do it in mid-air is a good addition and adds to the air combat. The best way to describe this combat is that it is very easy to pick up but it will take a lot of practice to master.

As for the presentation, it hasn't really changed since Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The game has taken on a more comic book styled appearance. Menus change in the form of turning pages, the character selection screen looks like and opened comic book and the intro to each match shows the characters in panels. Characters still look beautiful with the cell-shaded graphics and each of the new stages also look great. The sound of the game is once again great with character themes playing while they are fighting and it still gets me each time I hear my character yell out the name of their partner when I swap them. Plus you can't forget Deadpool who's lines (even though I don't think there are any new ones) are still classic and make me laugh every time I hear them. The original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 looked and sounded great and since Ultimate isn't much different; the same can be said for it too.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a good game, but it should have never been released. This is the game that we should have gotten earlier this year when Marvel vs. Capcom 3 came out. This game could have also gone the same way as Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition where they could have added the features from Ultimate as downloadable content for like 15 dollars or something. Don't get me wrong, Ultimate is a solid fighter and I have had a good time with it but 40 dollars is a steep price tag for something that should have just been downloadable content. However if you want a good fighter and you got rid of the original and are craving some more fast paced fighting, this is the game for you.

8.25 out of 10

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