Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Blog Post: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: A Good Time Worth Fighting For

Tim Gruver — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 06:10:00 GMT

The fighting genre is much overlooked among the hot 3rd-person shooters and action games of the industry, but a few like Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 are rare and enjoyable exceptions that warrant attention. As other games are worried about depth and scope, MvC 3's wacky and wild fun hardly cares to pay attention, and it's all the better for it. Decked out with an awesome character roster and flashy gameplay, it proves that games can just be fun and not always revolutionary. As DC's Injustice nears release, there's every reason to look back at this last great fighter of Marvel's, and Warner would be better off for it.

Premise:

In a few brief comic-book panel descriptions, MvC 3 follows the tale of Doctor Doom and Albert Wesker's assemblage of all of Capcom and Marvel's greatest villains in an attempt to unite and conquer both universes. This awakens the wrath of the master of the universe, Galactus, who then can only be stopped by Marvel and Capcom's greatest heroes as they try and put a stop to the disaster before all is lost.

Presentation:

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 doesn't try to be a work of art, but what it does do is provide a wonderful visuals and that faithfully interpret its beloved franchises. The cartoonish, comic book animations of its levels' backdrops and characters are glorious to see in all of their nostalgic charm. The characters themselves look fresh off the same comic-book panels, yet still retain the essence of their series appearances and wield all of the same personality you love them for. While characters like Dante and Deadpool are comically narcissistic, Doctor Doom and Wesker are vain and arrogant. Chun-li and Chris Redfield demonstrate their typical amount of cool confidence and others like Nemesis and Hulk are just there to destroy stuff. It's a shame that this awesome roster of fighters aren't voiced beyond of a few one-liners and grunts, but you'll probably be so entertained watching them beat the crap out of each other that it hardly matters.

Gameplay:

Flair and pizazz fill Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 with a lot of entertaining spectacles, and that includes its gameplay. The action is fast and furious with blinding visual effects that blast their way straight from a comic-book page with their striking precision and over the top action. Characters will be flung high into the air only to be mercilessly pummeled back to earth with crazy, cartoonish finishing moves that will invoke both laughs and cool satisfaction. Your fighters control and move fluidly and sport abilities that fit their characters. Wolverine claws away at his opponents with destructive ferocity, Dante fights with his trademark sword and guns, Viewtiful Joe's small frame is fast and quick, and the Hulk simply smashes opponents to bits. Attacks can be stringed together for special combos and released in powerful hyper and team combos of multiple fighting partners that pull of quite the spectacular chain of almost unbeatable attacks. Fighters like Super-Skrull and Phoenix will decimate their opponents with crippling blows while others like Deadpool and Phoenix Wright's will take down foes with comedic moves that feel just right for the game's nonsensical tone.

Outside of the basic on-line multi-player duel matches, MvC 3 features a robust single-player experience. Through arcade mode, players will fight randomly selected AI opponents and work their way up to fighting the final boss of Galactus to complete each fighter's individual ending cinematic. On high difficulties, these tricky fights are nice to play even if your reward for them feel generally unfulfilling in what character endings you get.

In addition, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 sports a wide range of play modes. Players can choose from Hard, Medium, Easy, and the new Very Easy modes if they beg for mercy (and you'll need it) from the arcade's challenging AI opponents. Furthermore, the game is highly accessible to newcomers and beginning players will much appreciate the tutorial "training" modes that are offered to hone your skills outside of the arena. It's disappointing not to see any more unique modes other than these and there's every hope that

A Note on the Ultimate Edition: Aside from its "Fate of Two Worlds" version, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3's "Ultimate" edition contains much of the original's DLC and several exclusive characters, including Jill Valentine, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Rocket Racoon, and Phoneix Wright. All of these fighters are a blast to play, especially for the hilarious antics of Phoenix Wright. Thus, newbies to MvC 3 should certainly lean towards the Ultimate version for the sake of this great extra content.

Final Call:

In many ways, Marvel Vs. Capcom is must of the same from its 3rd entry and its shows in how much they could've done. However, what great things are done in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 are nothing but enjoyable to see of its popular characters and more fighters would do well to take notes from such consistent quality. DC has much ground to make up from Marvel's gaming successes, but if Injustice is any bit as fun as MvC 3, I'll be a happy fighting camper.

Blog Post: An Epic Edition

Jonathan Harrison — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 01:53:00 GMT

MvC 3's iconic fighting experience is back and better than ever with great character appearance updates, lights, sounds, all-around visuals, and control scheme. I highly recommend this game to anyone who adores Marvel, Capcom, and fighting games.

Blog Post: Truly a Smash Hit

Daniel — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:41:00 GMT

I've never been a huge fighting game guy. I enjoy Super Smash Bros, and I played Soul Caliber 2 and 4 (but those got real old real fast). So then Marvel Vs Capcom 3 came along. I saw that several characters I liked were in it like Iron Man, Chris, and Wesker. It also seemed pretty fun looking. When I picked up the game I was first in awe of the awesome opening cutscene, which immediatley led me to pick Dante as my main fighter (I never played DMC before this game) and I was suprised at how fun at how easy to play and fun the game was.

To boot there is a nice selection of characters. I became attached to Dante, Wesker, Deadpool, and Chris quickly. Each character takes some skill to master, in fact I still haven't learned the extent of Dante and Chris' power despite my constant usage of them. One thing that cracked me up about the characters is how much the Marvel and Capcom characters look. Capcom characters range from normal looking (Chris) to really Japanese looking (any street fighter character) while almost all the Marvel characters look flat out ridiculous as opposed to their movie counter parts. That didn't stop me from enjoying the graphics though. The graphics are gorgeous with really vibrant comic book colors though.

Fighting is really easy to jump into. That's easy for me to say because I'm an experienced gamer. However people like my sister and other family members had an easy time jumping into it too. The handicap actually works really well and assures an even match. There is also a simple mode that we never bothered using. The combat is way more fast paced than the slow Soul Caliber fights. Dante was so awesome in the game I decided to end up checking out the Devil May Cry series and I'm now loving it.

There really isn't anything in the way of story mode. There are opening movies that kind of pull some vague plot together, but that's about it. I wish they would have done something more with it. They also failed to put in many unlockables. A couple of characters, opening movies, art work, and models is about all there is in the way of that section. The "mission mode" is really nothing. Just a bunch of short challenges that act almost like a tutorial.

Despite these short comings I still play Marvel Vs Capcom 3 a lot and has found its way into the selection of games that I will openly offer to play multiplayer with anytime. If you like fighting games, get it. If you think it looks cool, chances are your probably right. It's cheap now anyways. I imagine the Ultimate edition is better, but I haven't bothered buying it yet.

Forum Post: Re: Is marvel vs capcom 3 a short game?

Nidav3 — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:49:00 GMT

This game was definitely not what I expected it's only good for a rent. Lack of game modes are the main reasons and wasn't this game upose to have a real story mode?

Blog Post: Mravel vsapcom

shao cow kahn — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:45:00 GMT

lets face it Mk is way better than this. Sure good graphics, cool characters, and neat stages, but you can barely what is going on in the game. Also when beat story mode there is really nothing eles to do

Wiki: Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Guides

Anonymous — Tue, 24 May 2011 07:18:00 GMT

Guides for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Wiki Page: Marvel Synopsis

elliotc6 — Tue, 24 May 2011 02:18:00 GMT

Character Synopsis: Marvel.

· Captain America: Although Cap has some options at range, like the Charging Star and Shield Throw, Captain America is best used close to medium range, where his devastating combos can be used. Stars and Stripes does good damage, and can be great to combo in or out of, but it’s very easily blocked. His basic stats are impressive, dealing good damage with his basic blows, but his Hyper Combos are underwhelming, leaving you with limited options. He’s not the most adept at air combat, but can usually hold his own. His assists are unimpressive, usually causing him more damage than he deals.

· Deadpool: Deadpool’s greatest asset is his incredible speed. He has the projectiles to play a good keep away game, but can be an effective close up fighter as well. Pineapple Surprise is a great technique, causing good damage and causing separation from your opponent, giving you space to shoot him to pieces. His light attacks are very fast, and can often interrupt other characters attacks. His Hyper Combos are humorous, but are not as powerful as other peoples. While he has a decent air game, his launch lacks range, sometimes making it hard to get people in the air.

· Doctor Doom: Doom is a very strong fighter, having a host of powerful offensive and defensive abilities. His Molecular Shield and Photon Array are very effective defensive maneuvers, and should be used aggressively. Both his assists and Hyper Combos are excellent, and his projectile game is strong. He really only lacks speed, and it can be difficult to close in with him. Otherwise, he is a great choice to bring as an assist character. Use his Level 3 Hyper offensively to break up combos. It tends to catch people off guard, and deals massive damage.

· Dormammu: When used correctly, Dormammu can be absolutely devastating. He is a brute, possessing brutal basic strikes and multiple abilities that do massive damage. Be sure to power him up with his Dark Spell moves constantly, as it makes him stronger and opens up new moves. Harness the powers of the Creator and the Destructor! His moveset is varies, and has options at every range. Dark Hole keeps enemies where you want them, and Liberation removes from where you don’t. But the Lord of Chaos really shines up close. His Hyper Combos decimate up close, and his great launch attack sets up surprisingly fast air combos. A great all around character.

· Hulk: Good news for fans of MvC 2, the Hulk finally learned how to fight in the air! To great effect actually. Hulk’s greatest features are his stellar stats. He takes little damage, making an awesome tank for your team make-up. His move set revolves around juggles, keeping enemies incapacitated so he can hurt them…a lot. Hulk Smash isn’t just a catchphrase anymore, it’s a versatile move that can launch enemies into the air, smash them back down, and keep them bouncing. His gamma related moves help him close the distance somewhat, but if you’re playing as Hulk, you want to remain as close as possible to them. Because of his size, and lack of effective projectiles, it can be easy to eat waves of fireballs. Close the gap! His assists are to be used similarly in close combat, as are his Hypers.

· Iron Man: Iron Man is one of the most versatile characters on MvC 3. At every range, he has a number of tricks to get him out of trouble. Uni-Beam is an effective projectile beam, Smart Bomb keeps them at range, and Repulsor Blast punishes them for getting too close. His attacks are all both quick and powerful, with multiple ways to combo into and out of his moves. His Proton Cannon Hyper Combo is an excellent way to either end a combo, or interrupt an opponents attack. It’s fairly quick, and has the added effect of knocking back an enemy if they are too close, setting them up perfectly. He can fly, and usually has little chance of being outmaneuvered in a fight. His assists are likewise versatile, so set him up to compliment your other characters abilities.

· Magneto: With Magneto, employing a variety of ranges is the key to survival. He has a Disruptor Beam for long distances, as well as his Hyper Gravitation move that brings enemies in. His basic move set is best suited for medium range. His strikes have fairly good distance, but his relatively low speed can get him pummeled on the inside. Force Field is an excellent counter that helps balance this out, and should be used both aggressively and often. His Hyper Combos all do massive damage, but are ineffective at a distance. Use him a main, and assist with him sparingly, to make the best of his high damage capabilities.

· M.O.D.O.K: M.O.D.O.K. is a highly technical character, button mashers need not apply. There are two words you need to know to effectively use M.O.D.O.K.: Analyze Cube! Again, and again…and again. It is not only an excellent keep away move that can be employed at all ranges, a key to using M.O.D.O.K. to his full potential, but every time you use it, it powers up his Psionic Meter, making all Psionic abilities more powerful! You see the potential. His easy to use Barrier also powers up along with it, and is perfect for keeping people where you want them. It even allows him to use a Jamming Bomb, reversing the other characters controls! But be careful, his basic stats are sub-par, and gets absolutely wrecked in air combat.

· Phoenix: Phoenix is a very high risk/high reward type character. Her moves all deal an insane amount of damage, her combo chains can stretch ridiculously far, and she is the only character that can heal herself. What’s more, if her Hyper Combo gauge is full at time of death, she returns fully powered as Dark Phoenix, getting full health and an added boost to her power. She is an incredibly strong aerial combatant, with numerous ways to quickly get around the battlefield. All of this does come with a downside however. She takes more damage than anybody else, and can go down alarmingly quick at the start of a fight, especially if your opponent has X-Factor induced.

· Sentinel: Size does matter after all! This boy has some range. Sentinel is a great juggle combatant, preferring moves that pinpoint specific spots and dominating them. His strikes are excellent, with some reaching a third of the way across the screen. His launch move is particularly devastating, but unfortunately he doesn’t have the aerial combat chops to truly capitalize on that. Sentinel Force is a great projectile that can be aimed where you want, and Rocket Punch does nice damage at medium range, but that’s about it as far as moves go. Be careful with him though, he makes for a very big target, and tends to eat a lot of damage.

· She-Hulk: If you’re a fun of the projectile game, and prefer to keep some distance between you and your opponent, stay far, far away from She-Hulk. However, if you can deal with the up-close combat, and the barebones offering of moves she has, She-Hulk can be quite a surprise. Her basic stats are excellent, she takes some of the least damage in the game. All of her moves can be combo’d into and out of in multiple ways, and, although her moves have no long range, all of her strikes have very good distance. Her Hyper Combos all require you to be literally right next to your opponent, so it’s very important not to stay too far away, no counters or projectiles to keep you safe.

· Spider-Man: Like to move around a lot? Tired of sitting still all the time? Are you a huge fan of campy one-liners? Then Spider-Man may be just the person for you. An incredibly agile and mobile combatant, Spider-Man’s combo game puts many to shame. He works best when his opponents can’t flank him, so use him against larger opponents, or make great use of his debilitating Web Ball. Web Ball makes a great assist, and should also be used, ideally in conjunction with Web Swing, to close the gap, and get folks into the air, where Spider-Man really shines. Maximum Spider is easily used to cap a combo, and Ultimate Web Throw deals massive damage to an airborne foe. Both should be used frequently.

· Storm: Personally, Storm is one of my favorite characters. She is a fantastic striker that, while not dealing the most impressive damage, can use her superior range and quickness to decimate fools. Her move set is ferocious, combining range and power in impressive quantities. Whirlwind is a competent projectile attack, but Typhoon is the real gem. It’s nasty. Most are, however, slow to pull off, making timing very important when using her. Her Hyper Combos negate a little of that. Lightning Storm is an excellent way to punish enemies that get too close, and if they like to assist, Hail Storm can decimate a whole team. The animation takes a little time, but it works from across the screen, and its instant hit capabilities usually negate a block.

· Super-Skrull: Super-Skrull is an offensive monster. Possessing all of the Fantastic Four’s powers, Super-Skrull puts them to great use. He does more damage with his strikes than most, and his Chun-Li like Tenderizer is always a formidable combat option. Most of his moves are combos in and of themselves, and are useful at various ranges. Inferno is a devastating Hyper, that can destroy half of someone’s life bar. His assist’s are frankly unimpressive, but Super-Skrull can be a fantastic main for your group if your focusing on dealing as much damage as possible.

· Taskmaster: If you’re facing an opponent who favors the turtle style of defensive play, then Taskmaster may be just the character you’re looking for. He only has three base moves, and all appear to be unimpressive at first glance, but each one has a combo that can only be activated when its respective move is blocked. And with taskmaster’s brutal basic damage, you can be assured your enemies will be blocking often, or pay with their lives. His Hyper Combos round him out well also. Legion Arrow inflicts a lot of damage for a simply projectile Hyper, and the Aegis Counter is easy to pull off, and can save your life if employed at the right time. His assists are particularly good, each one tailored to a specific situation that you should learn and exploit.

· Wolverine: A perennial favorite, if you don’t know who he is at this point, you might want to be picking another game. Wolverine is the best at what he does, and what he does is destroy people in up close and personal combat. Those claws aren’t for show and, although he has a few ways to close the gap, you should remain as close as possible to make full use of them. Wolverine is a combo powerhouse, and can attain huge chains in short periods of time. He’s a great character for beginners, as there isn’t much subtlety to his play style. His defense is amazing, so don’t worry too much about swapping licks with your foe, as Wolverine will win most such match-ups.

· X-23: Speed, finesse, and grace are the calling cards of Wolverine’s feminine side, X-23. In the right hands, X-23 can finish people off with one continuous combo. Without a doubt one of the fastest characters in the game, X-23 prefers to keep combat on the inside, with almost no ways to mix it up at a distance. She also possesses an intriguing level 3 Hyper. She turns invisible, allowing the player to beat down their opponent at their leisure. She is an absolutely ridiculous air combatant, second only to Viewtiful Joe. Her other Hypers are pretty standard, but are great ways to finish one of her many combos. Her assists usually aren’t very helpful, but if air combat is your thing, or the fine art of subterfuge, bring X-23 along for the ride.

Wiki Page: Capcom Synopsis

thegodofwine7 — Tue, 24 May 2011 01:21:00 GMT

Character Synopsis: Capcom

· Akuma: While not quite as user friendly as Ryu, Akuma possesses a lot of easy to use moves and solid stats, making him a very good main for any team. However, he also has many advanced moves, and almost his whole set has some sort of alternate ability you can attach to it. Learn these and apply them to your strategy to use Akuma at full effectiveness. His assists come in distinct, but useful, flavors, and should be used strategically. His is strength is his versatility, so don’t get caught up in a pattern. Many other fighters can outclass Akuma in one discipline, especially speed, but few can fight him on all fronts. Don’t forget Backflip and Ashura Senku, both can get you behind an opponent for maximum damage.

· Ameterasu: Aside from the absolutely stunning visual treat you get from playing Ameterasu, you’ll find that she can be as much a physical treat. In the hands of someone who knows how to work the basic combo system, Ammy can deal massive amounts of damage with her strikes, and can often interrupt other’s attacks with her own speedy licks. Her Hypers are a mixed bag. Okami Shuffle is nice, but Vale of Mist is awful. Note that she has three different weapons, activated by down, down, and one of the attack buttons, and that each gives you a different move set. Exploit them all.

· Arthur: Arthur exists to serve the projectile *** in all of us. This guy can, and should, launch his lances, arrows, bombs, daggers, and dragons with stunning control and power. Obviously this makes him an attractive long range assist character, but don’t think that’s all he can do. While lacking immense powers, his quick strikes and solid air combat skills make him a reliable up close fighter as well. His unique Golden Armor Hyper should be exploited near the end of his life, because, when it’s busted, he takes extra damage until you replace it. If an opponent likes to assist a lot, use his Level 3 For The Princess Hyper to decimate them, and marvel at how beautiful it is

· Chris: They give the impression that Chris got kind of pulled into this world, but this man came packing some serious heat. Chris plays the projectile game almost exclusively, to the detriment of most other forms of combat. He’s quite hardy, allowing him to soak up damage, and deal it right back at range. Use his Shotgun and Stun Gun to keep enemies from getting to close, and blast them with relentless gunfire. He can even go prone and take pot shots with his Magnum, making him a difficult target. There can be trouble if your foe gets in your face, particularly speedy ones, but use him right and they’ll never get the chance.

· Chun-Li: It’s hard to say much about Chun-Li that most of you don’t already know. You know about the devastating kicks, you probably know about her slow but powerful Kikoken and you might not know that her thighs weigh two hundred pounds each. Chun-Li is a fan favorite for a reason, and her Hyakuretsukyaku, (yes, it’s actually called that) a.k.a. Thousand Rending Kicks is a big part of why. It is a very easy to use maneuver that even the noobiest noob can spam, and that’s part of her appeal. But true pugilists know that those are brutal when used to cap a combo, not to mention her very good Hyper Combos.

· C. Viper: If you didn’t know any better, you might be fooled into thinking that C. Viper kinda sucks. Her move set certainly isn’t the most accessible one, requiring often tricky timing and space to use correctly. However, when applied in the right manner, she can seamlessly and systematically destroy someone. EX Burning Kick is a great opener for almost any combo, and Thunder Knuckle is just as good a closer. Her Hypers deal huge damage, particularly her Level 3 Full Throttle, which kills half a health bar when landed.

· Dante: Many people, arguably, consider Dante to be the most dominant character in the game. He’s certainly a blast to play as, with a whopping 32 unique moves at his disposal, he doesn’t lack for combat options. He can hit you from any range, and can close any gap with ruthless efficiency, where he can absolutely dominate in hand-to-hand and air combat. His sword, Rebellion, gives him excellent range, and he has perhaps the best launch attack in the game. He can even activate his iconic Devil Trigger mode, increasing all of his already considerable stats. He lacks only a single high damage move, but otherwise, it’s difficult to hate on Dante.

· Felicia: If you can manage to take your eyes off the jiggle physics long enough, (I saw you staring) you’ll find a fighter than can fit in well no matter what team you’re looking for. While short on long-range attacks, Felicia is a ferocious up-close fighter who can do it all. Combining speed, power, and versatility in a small package, Felicia can buff her attack strength with Kitty’s Helper, and both her regular, assist, and Hyper versions of Rolling Buckler are excellent moves that can close the gap, deal damage, and provide a jump in point for her nice air combos. Don’t let her bubbly personality fool you, she’s brutal.

· Haggar: The Capcom version of the Incredible Hulk, Mike Haggar is a guy that’s been around for a little while. The wrestler turned Mayor is a brutal tank, and should be used up close and personally. He has a variety of throws and juggles at his command, but his options at range are fairly limited. If you can manage to stay close to your opponent, Haggar can be a force, and his throws and Hyper Combos should be exploited as often as possible to exploit that. He is surprisingly adept at air combat, and he can take more of a licking than most people. He does lack speed in his strikes, so make the best of his fists with Spinning Lariat and Violent Axe to open yourself up for more combos.

· Hsien-Ko: Hsien-Ko is a unique character to say the least, and probably gets played a lot less that most others. However, learn to use her and you could be in for a surprise. Hsien-Ko relies and speed and trickery to dismantle the opposition. She brings a surprising versatility to the battlefield, (and a healthy dose of Japanese anime charm), and it all starts with her varied move set. Senpu Bu and Anki Hou are both fantastic long range options, bringing both speed and power. Henkyo Ki is respectable as a mid-range attack, and Houten Geki wrecks people who get too close as, does Hyper Tenrai Ha. However, in most cases, it’s better to stick with the superior damage dealing Hyper Chiretou. Her assists are likewise useful, but she isn’t a great striker, so assisting is defiantly her best role.

· Morrigan: a\A returning favorite from Marvel vs. Capcom 2, everyone’s favorite Darkstalker is back with a whole new bag of tricks. Morrigan excels at air combat. Boasting the ability to fly, with multiple projectiles and throws, she can be effective anywhere on the battlefield, but especially in the air. Her quickness in aerial combat is hard for many to match, and many of her combos get you in a position to do just that. Her basic strikes have decent range and power, but it can be difficult to get up close and use some of her more powerful moves, such as Vector Drain and her Level 3 Hyper Darkness Illusion, both of which deal incredible damage. Her assists run the usual gambit, so pick them accordingly and Morrigan be a great fit for your team.

· Ryu: If this is your first time playing a Capcom fighter, it’s probably best to start with Ryu. One of the most incredibly versatile characters in the game, Ryu’s mix of great stats and awesome moves make him very tough to beat. All the staples are there, Hadoken is awesome as always, and moves like Tatsumaki Senpukyaku and Jodan Geri are great for keeping your opponents close or far respectively. Most of his moves are air OK, and, when combined with his excellent speed and power, make him a deadly air combatant. His Level 3 Hyper deals great damage, but you have to be super close to get it to connect. His other two Hypers are excellent in their respective ranges, and Shinku hadoken can absolutely wreck an assist character.

· Spencer: Hey, Spencer learned how to jump! Spencer has few moves, but the way they interact off of each other is the real treat for Spencer fighters. His Wire Grapple can be used to combo into a multitude of moves, and should be used often. That arm is there for a reason! It has a small charge window, but Armor Breaker is an excellent counter move, interrupting most other people’s moves and combos. His assists are particularly good, from any range, and his Hypers are both a great way to close the gap (Bionic Lancer) or make them do it instead (Bionic Maneuvers). His stats are above average, but he has trouble holding his own in hand to hand combat, so make the most of his maneuvers and subsequent combos to use him most effectively.

· Trish: The supernatural demon hunter from the original Devil May Cry makes her fighting game debut alongside Dante in MvC3. Like Dante, she is an absolute wrecking machine when used correctly. One of the top five aerial combatants in the game no doubt, Trish brings flight, multiple air traps, and some impressive range to dominate the sky. Besides Low Voltage, Trish’s moves revolve around the concept of trapping your opponents, then finding various ways to get them into said traps. Like Phoenix, she deals and takes a lot of damage, but not to near the extents that Phoenix does. As far as Hyper’s go, Maximum Voltage is OK, but Round Harvest is incredible, and should be used as often as possible. Just make sure to keep her out of harm’s way, work the traps, and enjoy this devil temptress.

· Tron: When playing with any filthy rich adolescent girl who commands robots, control is the most important lesson to learn. Trust me. This holds true for Tron Bonne as well, as her and her Servbots can exert a mean amount of control of their foes. Beacon Bomb is a staple of her attacks, and much like Spiderman’s Web Sling, freezes enemies in their place so you can wreck havoc on them. Her impressive power and numerous short distance combos and throws, especially her various Shakedown attacks, make for an impressive up close fighter, but, when far away, don’t hesitate to use Beacon Bomb to close the gap. She is particularly adept at assists, with all of them providing nice range and damage, and a satisfying mix of Hypers can guarantee that Tron can help in almost any situation.

· Viewtiful Joe: Without a doubt my favorite air combatant, if speed and elusiveness are your thing, Viewtiful Joe is right up your alley. Once perfected, Air Joe (yes, that’s the name of the move) becomes a beacon of destruction, wrecking fools in the air, and frustrating them to the point of madness. Up close, his speed is difficult to match, and he can take a decent amount of damage. Viewtiful God Hand Hyper even slows enemies down, allowing you to exploit Joe’s speed even more. Unfortunately, he lacks power in all of his moves. When fighting with Joe, matches tend to turn into a battle of attrition, so swap him out often so he doesn’t lose much health.

· Wesker: One of the more technical characters around, Wesker is an interesting study into the theory of defensive play. It’s alarmingly easy to jump in and just deal a lot of damage with him, but, for those who take the time to learn his nuances, he can be a countering nightmare. His Hyper Counter should be used to break combos, and then start your own with his incredible speed. His Magnum Shot (Forward + Heavy) is such a hard way to take somebody out, but it serves a more practical purpose of being one of the fastest and strongest projectiles in the game. Wesker has numerous options to get above, around, and behind his opponents, like Phantom Move and Jaguar Dash for example, and a variety of throws type moves to capitalize.

· Zero: Although it’s hard to say for sure, I think Zero is my favorite character. As far as basic strikes and combos go, nobody can match Zero in terms of speed and damage. He is a ferocious air combatant, with his launch attack and Rekkoha being particularly punishing. He can charge any of his strikes into a Hyper Buster attack, and his projectile and rush attacks are top notch. Combo his basic strikes into a launch, then hit them with Rekkoha while they are helplessly flailing to the ground. Sougenmu can even be activated as a Hyper Combo, increasing his speed and strength, and lasting longer than other’s similar abilities. He doesn’t have the greatest armor in the world, but when you’re unleashing a never ending storm of sword strikes, it seems to be a pretty good trade.

Blog Post: Pretty Fun

Kyle — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:29:00 GMT

I never played the earlier games but i heard they were all great fighting games, so i decided to pick this one up. I'm not that great at fighting games but i enjoy playing them anyways, and this was no exception. All the characters were fun to use, and i enjoyed learninng all their specials and beating up on the computer. There weren't that many modes to play, but i enjoyed this game a lot anyways

Blog Post: Creedal Review

Creed Morganna — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:04:00 GMT

When i bought this game i had decent expectations, i hope it would be entertaining easy to get in to and fun and i was right. Offering easy to get used to controles and a balanced character list that can be made to fit most peoples fighting styles. This game can offer hours of fun, I've caught myself playing the game well into the night. The only problem is when you have online play the opponents they set you up with are not balanced to your fighting experience. After you reach the rank of Fighter they opponent matcher may have you fighting against someone with 300 or more battle experience than yourself. My best advice would be to play offline for a while until you feel confident in your fighting ability then move to online play. Except for that lone factor MvC3 is a great buy for anyone who enjoys fighting games. So thank you for reading and "Good Luck True Believers.

Blog Post: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Game Review

Nick — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:57:00 GMT

So, I did something just a bit out of character and picked up a brand new game on release day. That doesn't happen often. Usually I try to be a bit more frugal with my purchases and wait until they're used at Gamestop or something. However, there was the perfect storm of having a couple of beaten games waiting to be traded in, a good deal at Gamestop where they were handing out an extra 50% on all trade-ins and the release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on Tuesday. I like my fighters. I'm not especially great at them, but they are a lot fun in my opinion. For a glance at this review including images and video - peek at my blog.

I played part 2 a ton in the past, and have been looking forward to part 3 for quite awhile now. The premise is pretty basic stuff. There's a large pool of fighters from both the Marvel and Capcom universes, and you put together teams of three to duke it out in Street Fighter-like fashion. It's all very over-the-top and people looking for a solid storyline need not apply. However, if you enjoy a fast-paced, balanced fighting game with a good number of characters to pick from, this might be the game for you.

For those familiar with Street Fighter or Marvel vs. Capcom 2, you will find that the controls are a bit different. Instead of buttons mapped for various strength punches and kicks, now they are simply mapped for power to the face buttons - light, medium and hard with a fourth 'pop up' button for attacks meant to pop your opponent up into the air. The shoulder buttons are used for things like calling in a special attack from a team mate, or swapping out your character for another one on the squad. As the combat progresses a power meter slowly increases and allows you to pull of big attacks that can rack up the hits and damage.

There are some online modes - ranked or unranked matches against people and there is a lobby system where up to 8 people can occupy a virtual room and you take turns playing one another in a sort of 'winner stays' style you might see at an arcade. There is a story mode, though it's really little more than characters talking at the beginning of rounds as random combinations of characters are pooled together and increase in difficulty on your way through several matches culminating in a big end fight against Galactus. Whichever member of your team that deals the killing blow is the one whose ending you get to see, which consists of a few static images and some text overlay with music.

There are also mission modes, which try to teach you how to do combos and learn a player's moves in a sort of stage-by-stage training progression. There is also the requisite training mode, where you go against a computer opponent you can help tailor to specific situations. So, with this game having been hyped up quite a bit now, what are my thoughts?

Graphics - 8:

This is not the most technically amazing game. Backgrounds look good and are heavily animated, though sometimes you don't even really get a chance to sit back and enjoy them as you're participating in the frantic fights themselves. Characters remind me a bit more of the chunky style used in Street Fighter 4 than the prior Marvel vs. Capcom game, which does a good job of making the game look like it is taken from a comic book or cartoon. Still, the game is loaded with vibrant colors, explosive-looking super attacks and the framerate doesn't tear as it moves along at a smooth clip.

Sound & Music - 8:

The music matches the feeling and tempo of the game itself, and the voice work is decent - what there is of it. It generally consists of a few one-liner comments between the lead characters right before the start of a match. The sound effects are pretty solid, with a variety of tones and special effects. It's not going to blow you away with surround sound technical proficiency, but it's not going to make your wife complain about hearing nothing but gunfire and explosions either.

Gameplay - 9:

The game feels like it has been slowed down from part 2, but I think the game actually plays better for it. It is still very fast-paced, and you don't feel like you can take any 'time off' in most matches. One of the keys is to always be moving. Seems like any time I try to stop and 'think' - either cpu or human opponent drills me. The game is best played instinctively. The controls feel pretty good - some of the super moves can be a tad difficult to perform under duress, but most are just fine. Throwing out my fireballs or doing dragon punches all come very naturally after years of playing Street Fighter games. The menu is nothing special to look at, but it gets the job done. The roster of characters also feels very well-balanced. In my online matches, I saw almost completely different characters every time. That's unusual in my experience, and gives me the impression that people can find favorites and play them while not feeling like they are hurting their odds of success.

Intangibles - 7:

The game is a lot of fun. You're going to spend most of your time fighting and that part of the game is nice and tight. There's also a fair amount of unlockable content - including 4 fighters (that were probably a bit too easy to unlock as I got them all in about my first 40 minutes of playing). There's a lot of characters here, but like 20 less than in part 2. I've seen that bother a lot of people, but honestly I'm good with it. The characters feel a lot better balanced than in the later iteration. Plus, most of the characters feel unique from one another. Sure, you might use the same move input, but that same control scheme might make one character do a rising uppercut and another character launch a flurry of missiles. That's a far cry from version 2, which had several characters who felt exactly the same, just skinned differently. There are 2 additional characters coming out for download soon for purchase (or for free if you bought the special version of the game). There are some omissions that fans will consider glaring, and a few added in who just seem goofy or out of place. My youngest wanted to know where the Fantastic Four were at, and I admit a few favorites of my own like Psylocke and Cyclops were nowhere to be found. I suspect we'll see a bit of DLC come out - already Capcom has announced some new costumes. I'm rather hoping for more modes or characters though than outfits. I also can't help but think that given Capcom's history, that there will be a super-duper-shiny-edition that comes out in about a year, though nothing's been announced that I'm aware of.

So, why this score? Well, the game does get some demerits. It seems like there should be some more modes for one. Also, while there is a fair amount of bonus content to unlock, none if it is terribly compelling. You can look at 3D models of characters, or get new titles or icons for when you play online. There's also a fighter's card that keeps track of your record, stats and playing style, which is cool - but it comes at a bit of a cost. This extra content and this card seem to force the game to do a lot of saving, which is not a super quick process. It's not a huge deal, but when you just really want to get back into a match and hit someone, waiting for the profile to save can be at least mildly annoying.

Also, the online lobby sounds good in theory, but there's a lot of sitting around. It would be nice to actually spectate the people who are fighting, but I didn't see a means of doing so if there is a way. Also the single player ranked matches are hit and miss. My lag time was good in all but one match, which is huge for a game like this built on twitch reflexes. But, a lot of times it just does not come back with a match. Tonight for example, I only got to fight 4 times out of 13 attempts to find an opponent, and I left my settings wide open to have as many options as possible. Considering the game's recent release date and popularity, it sure seems like there should be plenty of people playing right now.

Overall - 8:

I've sunk in probably around fifteen hours so far overall, and have unlocked over half the trophies. I've beaten the game now with about 1/3 of the total cast of characters. I've enjoyed the game quite a bit - and so have my younger two children. There is a simple mode to the controls I did not really talk about much because I only used it for a few fights. The idea is that it can help you perform some techniques that might otherwise be too complicated for the player. It's nice to see my daughter be able to use moves that she normally would only see once in a blue moon by complete accident. Some people worried that making special moves a single button press would give an advantage to these players, but I don't think that's the case. From what I have seen of it so far, it lets them do things they normally would not be able to consistently, but it does take away from their flexibility. I think someone on the normal controls has a better repertoire to react with for given situations during a fight, so skill still tends to win out more often than not. The key is, the younger kids are having fun with it, and so am I. There is a lot of addictive fun to be have with this game, and its broad cast of characters really helps with the game's appeal as well.

Blog Post: MvC 3 Jill Valentine And Shuma Gorath Impressions

Tim Turi — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:33:00 GMT

One is a former S.T.A.R.S. member. The other is a tentacled, inter-dimensional cyclops. Together they make up the new DLC characters for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. I recently downloaded said add-on and went a few rounds with the intriguing new contenders.[Excerpt]

Being the Resident Evil fan I am, I immediately checked out Jill Valentine. She’s sporting her latex jumpsuit from Resident Evil 5, and the all the feline-like abilities Wesker bestowed upon her. Jill specializes in a series of lightning-quick kick attacks along with several advanced throws, making her an up-close-and-personal pugilist. Her most unique power allows her to crouch like a feral cat and teleport around the screen, which is perfect for slipping under jumping enemies and retaliating from behind. Her hyper-combos include spinning machine gun jump and a flurry of devastating kicks. Overall, Jill is a great addition to the MvC 3 roster, but I would have preferred moves with more personality like her old zombie summoning and rocket launcher.

Shuma Gorath is the other new DLC newbie begging to be downloaded. His fluid animations and spiky attacks hark back to his Marvel vs. Capcom 2 days, giving longtime fans a nostalgic treat. I love that he can shoot sticky eyeballs onto foes, which then detonate to lengthen combos. His lack of speed is compensated for by a lengthy eye laser beam and the ability to transform into a spike ball and sail through the air. His extended eyebeam hyper-combo delivers a double dose of pain, and the other turns him into a venus flytrap-like creature which sends the victim through a damaging dimensional vortex. Shuma Gorath is a wacky fighting game character, and I’m glad Capcom chose to bring him back.

If I had to choose only one of these characters to download, I’d have to go with Shuma Gorath, despite my love for Resident Evil. He has crazy animations, a more varied move set, and a MODOK-like WTF factor. These two fighters are good additions to any seasoned MvC player, but the existing roster is so diverse that you wouldn’t miss out on much by passing on this DLC. Each character is $4.99 (400 MS points), and available on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.

Blog Post: MvC 3 Jill Valentine And Shuma Gorath Impressions

Tim Turi — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:30:00 GMT

Blog Post: Take You For A Ride

StriderNo9 — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:10:00 GMT

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is exactly what you thought you’d get from a Vs. game. The Characters are colorful, the action is frantic, and the game is deep. Beyond anything else though Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is fun. The characters available are plentiful, They threw in a lot of fan favorites like Deadpool, and Ryu, and Spiderman, while also bringing some really obscure characters like M.O.D.O.K and Dormammu. If you remember how complicated MVC2 was, rest assured MVC3 is a lot easier to get into. The control scheme has changed to 4 buttons, 3 speeds of attack, and a special. With just those four buttons and quarter circle, back, forward, and "Z" angles with your controller you can pull off almost every move in the game. It makes it easy for anyone familiar to Street Fighter to get into without being overwhelmed with options.

Marvel vs Capcom 3 does a lot of things right, the game is just a ton of fun to play and learn. The advanced tactics are super rewarding and the game's balance plays a big part in that. A lot of the major offensive tactic can be countered by the defending player doing the same move. A lot of attention was put into a fighting system that looks button mashy (and can be for new players) but actually plays with a lot of skill and lets players take the fighters they like and really learn how they fit together. For example, lately I have used Iron Man, Captain America, and Spiderman. I usually use Spiderman first, to set up my fighters since he is fast but less powerful than Iron Man. Captain America is pretty good all around so I use him too for setting up a juggle, and always finish it with Iron Man since he isn't as good at juggling but can end a match with a powerful Hyper Combo. The game makes almost every character feel unique and if you've played other Vs. games you know that sometimes a lot of the peripheral characters used to feel like other characters with a palate swap.

I have yet to play an online match because Capcom refuses to fix it's old broken multiplayer code but I have played some local multiplayer and the game shines like every other Capcom fighter before it. Some of the UI really makes sense like setting up reserve characters so you can choose your presets quickly and jump into a fight, while other things are left out for no reason. Having to pause the game to get the moves every time is silly. I want to see the move while I am fighting.

As for fighting modes, there aren't many, you have your standard arcade mode, and training mode, mission mode which isn't as exciting as it sounds, and of course online play. The main thing that matters is that the meat and potatoes of Marvel Vs Capcom 3 is a fun game for everyone. Young and old fighters alike.

Blog Post: Marvel Vs. Capcom 3

Paul Shade — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:25:00 GMT

Over a decade of waiting, playing imitators and tournaments on its predecessor Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 arrives. Does this fighter's new moves and look hit hard and fast or is it just an assist spamming pile of junk?

Gameplay

One of the big problems with MvC2 is the balancing issues and the assist spamming. Both of these concepts are the most important parts of fighters, assist more so in the "Versus" titles. MvC3 does address these problems and the results are fairly good.

Assist spamming was a big problem online on XBL with MvC2. Everyone that played it remembers Cable's electro-whip while Sentinel and another beam character continuously spammed attacks across the screen. This was a problem before the game was launched on XBLA but I played it more on that than in arcades or on Dreamcast. This problem has been fixed in a few ways. The plays faster for one which makes it harder to bring out assist characters without them getting hurt. The second is there are less full screen beam assist. Lastly is that assist take a few seconds to recharge once used.

One of the biggest, if not the biggest, change are the controls. Instead of having three buttons that do punches and three that do kicks like in SSF4 or MvC2 Capcom streamlined the controls into light, medium and heavy attacks with a button that is used to pop up opponents, one that is all attack for hyper combos, and one that when pressed does a hyper combo combination. This setup allows new users to jump right in and gives a little bit of a new learning experience to the vets of the series. I personally like the new setup because it allows the games to be played at a faster pace and the combos are easier to do. However, many vets and some professional reviewers thought Capcom was playing to much into the non-veterans hands and don't like it.

Another new option is simple mode. By pressing a button instead of putting in the combination your characters do special moves. This mode does limit how many attacks you can do and it doesn't really teach you how to play but it is good for players that have never played or friends and family that will never own the game but want to try to compete with you in offline modes.

The last major add-in is X-Factor. When you hit all the face buttons your character in engulfed in a red aura. That has a different effect on all the characters but always regenerates their health. Other affects include: faster movement and stronger attacks.

One problem that seemed to pop up didn't have much to do with any one area so I'll put it in gameplay. Many vets complained that the roster wasn't big enough. There are 36 characters, some new faces but many have been in the series before, a 20 character drop from MvC2's 56. DLC will be a huge part of this game and there might even be something like a "Super" version later on. While I don't mind the roster size I do mind some of the picks, M.O.D.O.K and Thor are just awful. I don't love the idea of DLC but I will get it.

Another problem is a lack of game modes. Other than online and arcade mode you have training, mission mode(learning combos), and versus mode. No time trial, challenge or other modes that are in other fighters on the market. Even a story mode would have been nice to bring some light onto the endings which make no sense.

Overall the gameplay changes are for the best and are mostly an improvement over MvC2. However the lack of game modes and a shrunk roster have many of the fans worrying or complaining.

Gameplay: 8.75/10

Multiplayer

The reason you buys a fighter, to fight on and offline against people.

Offline is just that. You can play people or CPUs in a match. Nothing more nothing less.

Online is where it is at with MvC3. It has player matches that are lobby formats that hold up to eight people in one lobby. It also does ranked matches that you find someone around your ranks and fight to gain exp and for bragging rights on the leaderboards.

The ranked matches seem more competitive than the player matches. All matches show your playercard with your win-loss, title, emblem and win streak. the difference I think is that the win-loss in player matches, as well as the win streak, only deal with that lobby whereas in ranked matches it is in all ranked play. If you see someone with a 5 or 10 match streak in ranked play you want to beat them but at the same time you might be thinking they are pretty good so you try to plan out how to attack them.

Ranked matches can take a little bit of time to find. I tried to find one yesterday and I was searching for over a minute before I just quit looking. Other times I get right into a game so it seems more of a by chance system, if someone else is looking you will get a match. This can be annoying and it would have been made better if there were lobbies for ranked matches too.

That being said when you get into a match, ranked or player, there is no lag at least that I have experienced. Most players used different parties so you normally don't see the same characters twice in a row. Even if you do no two players play alike.

I do have a few issues with online modes. In SSF4 you had theater mode and could save replies or watch others replies. This is missing from MvC3 which I think is a pretty big mistake. It was fun to watch others and try to learn from them or put up your own matches for friends to watch. Another MIA mode is spectator mode in lobbies. You can't watch others fight while you wait in a lobby. This was a poor exclusion because most people don't stick around in a lobby if they can' watch the matches. I hope these come out in a patch sometime.

MvC3 is one of the best online fighters this generation. It captures the speed of and flashiness of the offline game with near zero lag online. Everyone plays different which means a different game every time you join a match. Missing modes hold this back from being a bright golden color but a slightly dulled gold is still a great reason to buy.

Multiplayer: 9.25/10

Sound/Music

The sound in MvC3 adds a lot of the fighter/comic feel to the game. The voices sound right for the characters as do their lines though they do get annoying to listen to after awhile, Deadpool most of all. The hyper combos and special moves sound like they look, Wolverine's claws sound like metal slashing across something for example.

The music is alright. The title music is catchy and some of the stage music is neat but nothing really catches you enough for you to care about it. It doesn't take away from the gameplay but it really doesn't add enough to help out the game overall.

Sound/Music: 7.25/10

Graphics

MvC3 has ditched the sprite look of the older games for a new, 3D look while fighting 2D battles, On a whole the game looks fantastic but it isn't without some down falls.

The characters at a distance look great with their new 3D look. They remind players more of the game characters from the Capcom side and really try to bring the comic book characters to life. However, when you zoom in on characters they seem to lose the detail that the sprites of MvC2 had. The hair looks flat and bland, outfits don't look as sharp and even some of the weapons just look plain. It's almost forgivable because 99% of the time you don't see them up close but you still see them up close at times.

The backgrounds look awesome. The 3D effect is really cool to look at even if some of the stages are a little busy. They are constantly moving around which adds in a neat atmospheric affect that a lot of fighters just don't have.

The game is very colorful too. All the characters seem to have bright colors pouring from their bodies. the combos are still flashy and brightly lit.

Graphic: 8.5/10

Replay

Technically this game has unlimited replay as long as you find people to play with. However, after you beat the arcade a few times all there is to do is mission mode and play online which can limit you. You can go for all the titles if you want and a new Shadow Mode, playing against famous people or players AI characters, which can add game time to this title. But being a fighter many will play it for a few months and it will die away.

Still this game will keep the fans going for a long time.

Replay: 9.0/10

Other

This is one of the better fighters out right now with SSF4 and Blazblue: CS. It is a great addition to the MvC series but I wonder if it is really enough after waiting more than a decade. So few modes and less characters seem to me like a bit of a rip-off. Nevertheless I love playing it despite getting slammed online.

Overall: 8.5/10

(My review is not an average of my numbers but what I feel the game as a whole should get. The numbers under each category are based on what I think those categories are in general when compared to most games on the market today.)

Blog Post: Maverick Reviews: Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Maverickx25 — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 03:41:00 GMT

Maverick Reviews: Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

I'll start off by saying that I am only ok at fighting games (or just about any game for that matter(. I seldom find a game that I click with and then proceed to unleash wrath of biblical proportions on my enemies. This game...just might fall into that category.

Again, I'm ok at fighting games. Usually my strategy is pick a character (which inadvertently ends up being the easiest characters to use like Ryu in SF or Jin in BlazeBlu), get familiar with said character and leave it at that.

The difference between Marvel vs Capcom 3 and the others is that with so many iconic characters that I know and love, it gives me a reason to break the one character/team habit. This game's been in the making for ten years and it doesn't disappoint.

Come! Let's enjoy chocolate flavored crack together, Reader!

Graphics: -0 (10/10)

Epileptics (and people with weak constitutions, small bladders, diabetes and heart disease) should seek video gamage elsewhere. This game is a pure visionary overload of fast-paced (think a baby spawned of speed and meth, dipped in sugar) awesomeness. Being a fighting game, graphics are nowhere near as important as everything else (duh!) but this game spouts out some great imagery and runs at a consistent sixty frames per second. The character models are all great (and look even greater with some of the alternate costumes). The character animations seamlessly flow together amidst the chaos.

Visually, this game is intense. During mission mode, performing the same combo repeatedly strained my eyes and I needed to take a break for a minute. So, again, epileptics stay clear.

Sound: -0 (10/10

Superb. From the great soundtrack of crazy, techno metal to all the well placed sound effects, the sound is solid all around. They really make this game sound hard-hitting. The thuds, cracks, whacks, sacks, heart attacks, bings, bangs, booms, bing-bang-booms, zings, zangs, pows and yow-sas all pack their punch (pun intended) and enhance the game's feel.

The English voice acting is all up to snuff. The likes of Dante and Deadpool are perfect: kickin' ass and shooting out one liners like bullets. Nothing is more satisfying. And if you don't like it...then just change their voice to Japanese. That's what most people do.

Control: -4 (16/20)

The control scheme has gone through some changes in the past ten years and it works great. It's pretty much the scheme from Tatsunoko vs Capcom, with some changes and triple tag team. You have a light, medium, heavy and special (air launch) button. The front triggers are tag buttons and the back triggers aren't used unless you map them to do so. If you press all four face buttons, you initiate X-Factor (speed and power buff cancel). Very easy to pick up. However, implementing them into amazing, epic and pack-a-punch combos that flawlessly transition into another is quite challenge. The fight stick is obviously still the best option over a controller. Also, there is a simple control option for beginners to fighting games and those who aren't committed to their craft.

Style: -3 (17/20)

This game series still delivers its massive amount of over the top awesomeness and then tops it with sprinkles. Yeah, you heard right: Sprinkles...get some.

Anyway, we have seizure inducing graphics, great sound and a solid control scheme that is simple to learn but heard to master. Now, there's already a reason this game gets an almost perfect score. Three words: Marvel...Versus...Capcom.

Right there! You have the top heroes and villains from the most critically acclaimed comic universe and throw in some of the most iconic characters from Capcom and you have a gravy train that exploded, rolled down the mashed potato mountain and crashed into a gourmet chicken pot pie. Massive nostalgia here.

Old favorites return (Iron Man, Spider Man, Ryu, Morrigan, etc) and new favorites emerge (Deadpool, Phoenix, Dante, Amaterasu, etc)and they are all mostly welcome (I still hate you Sentinel). Many will piss and moan about characters they know and love from the previous installment getting the axe but this is a new game, folks! We don't want a carbon copy, plus in this day and age, in a world where DLC, online patches and the like are so constant, you know they will be releasing characters (with more costumes) via PSN/XBL on a regular basis (Jill and Shuma-Gorath will be released in a month) and right now, there are many polls out there for DLC characters (Megaman X and Strider lead equally for Capcom and Venom and Gambit lead Marvel). So, be patient (being gamers and especially if you're playing this game, the old adage "Patience is a virtue" is valid).

All of the characters are great and for the most part, diverse. Most of the characters play exactly the same from their respective series (SF or previous MvC) and haven't changed. Wolverine is still a fantastic rush character (add X-Factor and his Berserker Charge hyper, he's a nightmare), while Dante is one of the most diverse characters, having possibly the biggest move set and chaining them together in one devastating combo is just oh so stylish and satisfying. Since there aren't many carbon copies of characters in this game, it'll be interesting to see the combinations of teams that players will create. The possibilities are endless in finding a trio that complement each other in battle. In the end, hopefully what you have is a flawless symphony of ass-kicking, projectile-firing, bum-rushing, air juggling and obscenity inducing badasses that make the little piggies cry all the way home.

Like any fighting game, you have your standard arcade mode, training mode and versus mode for offline. My favorite is the new Mission Mode. There are ten levels for each character and each level is designed to start off with basic special moves (down to forward attacks) and then move onto air combos and finally combos that if pulled off, take most of a character's health and make you feel like a god. I did all of Dante's (an hour long endeavor, give or take) and what's great is by learning the long ones, you can find other, more simplistic approaches to perfroming a combo that does the same amount of damage, if not more. For online, you have (again) your standard ranked and unranked matches. Now, you also get different lobby types depending on how you're feeling that day. If you're feeling blue (from getting your @** repeatedly handed to you over and over again) start a lobby with the title "Looking for Tutor." You can find someone who can be your test dummy and possibly even show you some new moves. If you feel murderous, start a lobby with the title "You Yellow Bas****! I'll bite your legs off!!"...hem hem, sorry. But you have your options and enough of them to keep you going. Oh and X-Factor is king.

Finally, I'm going to talk about the moisturizer the developers used on this game. Cause this baby is sooooooo smooth. The game runs at a consistent sixty frames per second and it also plays a huge factor in the gameplay. A frame (or a sixtieth of a second) could be the difference between a win and a loss. Certain moves have a certain set of frames where the move you perform renders the user invincible. There are also moves that are faster than others, meaning if your opponent performs a hyper that doesn't activate until say the tenth frame and you have a move that does at the ninth, your move will cancel his out. And the frame rate NEVER drops in doing all of this. It's a beautiful thing.

The deductions come from only a couple small things. The first is the character endings. Now, while it didn't kill me, SFIV had gorgeously rendered endings via movie cut scenes. The ones in MvC3 use comic stills. It's Marvel (hence a comic strip) but it would've been interesting to see Dante get into a battle with Ghost Rider. I mean, everyone knows that a story/plot is important and relevant to a fighting game right (You can't sense the sarcasm can you?)? But I digress

The last thing is the deduction related to online play. No Spectator Mode and the inability to watch replays sucks, as well as some other online modes that would've been a great feature. But again, patience, they will come. Then there's the online servers, which more than half of the time, give you nice messages like "Failed to join lobby session," or "Connection to host was lost." There's the occasional lag as well (ranging from not so much to WTF mate?).

Fun -0 (20/20)

Duh!

Special Deductions:

-1 for Sentinel...Is any explanation needed? Ok, how's aboot "Sentinel Force, Sentinel Force, Sentinel Force, Sentinel Force..." shall I go on?

-2 Just so the deductions are rounded off at an even 10 :)

Total Deductions: -10 (90/100)

Special Bonuses:

+2 for Marvel Vs Capcom

+1 for the X-Factor- An amazing buff cancel

+1 for the long ten year wait paying off wonderfully

Final Score: 94/100 A

If you're a fan, you most likely own the game and are enjoying it. If you're a fighting game enthusiast, you will love it. If you're a new comer, welcome to a franchise long thought dead that has come back to kick ass with a vengeance. If you want to know if I think the game is worth $60, then I say:

Shield Slash, Light punch, Medium Punch, Heavy Punch, Air Launch, LP, MP, HP, switch to Spidey, LP, Web Swing, MP, HP, switch to Dante, LP, MP, HP, down strike, Cold shower, Prop Shredder, LP, MP, Sky Dive, Cold Shower, Jet Stream, Jackpot, X-Factor, Triple Crossover Hyper Combo (Jackpot, Hyper Charging Star, Crawler Assault) K.O!!!

And I'm just getting started.

Blog Post: one of the best fighters ive played

Daniel Quiroz — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:06:00 GMT

I've been playing Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for a while now and its not too bad. The story or what fragments of a story I could get is the characters of both universes come together and figure out how their worlds came together while the villians are using the opppurtunity take conquer the world, but theres someone more sinister working behind the scenes and spoiler alert its not abyss. The gameplay is really good you still get get to choose three fighters and their assist types and fight in fast paced tag team brawls but now you have a few new toys to play with like the x factor which boosts your speed and attack power for a limited time to turn the tables in a losing fight, the team aerial combo where you switch between characters during combos to make quick work of the opponent, and a team aerial counter to prevent your foe from comboing you to death. The new characters feel right at home with rest of the fighters and add alot of change and balance to the game like dante works great for up close combo attacks and dormammu works great for distance deffense. The visuals are great the game feels like a comic book on your screen with page turns to rips in thescreen during hyper combos and the final boss rips the srceen open like paper. The new controls are something that didnt for because it felt unneccesary to change from two punch and kick buttons to three attack buttons and an uppercut button but it does work well when you get used to it and theres a simple mode for newcomers to figure out the controls. One problem I have with this game is the online play you have wait through lobbies and a lot of fights for your turn to play and theres not that much of options in the menu other than arcade, versus, practice, mission, options, and gallery and thats it. Theyre suppose to have jill and shuma gorath as dLc and i hope that they do that for the rest of the cast.

Blog Post: A BIG BLOW TO FANS EVERYWHERE.

Angel Rivera — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:14:00 GMT

When i first brought Marvel vs capcom 3 ,i thought to myself that this would be the best fighting ever,but i was wrong.This game have no real story ,there's no real replay value,and the roster is not really a crowd pleaser for me.They should add a story mode that could be like the Marvel comics Civil War,but no!Capcom i rather play lost planet 2!At least that has loads of replay values.So let this be a lesson to all who love MVC or other true sequels,Don't ask much in a sequel,they'll just ignore the wishes that every gamer want in a sequel.

Blog Post: Definitely Worth a Rental

Mista Brightside — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:06:00 GMT

Check out my review on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFRbAox8BLo

Blog Post: Capcom Does it Again

l0rdx3nu — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:37:00 GMT

Being a huge fan of Capcom games like Megaman and Street Fighter, as well as a lover for Marvel characters and comics, I had to try this latest game in the MvC series. Having played, and loved, Street Fighter 4, I knew Capcom wouldn't shoot out a bad game. After playing for some hours, this is what I have to say:

Graphics: Beautiful. The thick, comic like shading creates an amazing effect. My only complaint is on some levels it feels just too dark.

Gameplay: Smooth. The controls are simplified from Street Fighter 4, with the hold move types eliminated (for the most part), but are still fun to play with. There is also simplified move sets for beginners.

Content: Good, but lacking. Though the 36 characters included in the main package are great, there is few levels and few extras to dwell on. This is disappointing, considering Super Street Fighter 4 had a plethora of levels and content. It is speculated though by other review sites that it will be loaded with DLCs.

My Favorites: The Capcom characters are diverse and fun to play as. The 3 on 3 tag team style is awesome compared to SF4, and Deadpool is hilarious.

My Dislikes: Some of Marvel's characters could have greater move designs, such as Doctor Doom and Iron Man. The lack of levels.

Overall: A great fighting game, and as quoted here "Capcom is bringing back the genre". I give it a 8.75 out of 10. It is not as great as SF4, but it is an excellent fighting game, and definitely worth looking at by any fighting game fan or zealots of marvel and Capcom