[Shock Value is a bi-weekly segment which runs down inexpensive titles that are more than worth the money spent.]
- Title: Marvel vs. Capcom 2
- Developer: Capcom
- Publisher: Capcom
- Release: 2009
- Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360,
- Pricing: PSN: $15, XBL: 1200 points
With the long awaited and highly anticipated MVC3 coming out just one month from now, it’s high time that the bone series fans have been chewing on for ten years to get the respect it deserves.
Marvel Vs Capcom 2 simply exemplifies pretty much everything the developers set out to accomplish with the series. It pits the memorable heroes of the Marvel universe, with and against the familiar characters of the Capcom universe, in a game so unforgettable, it’s practically a legend.
The most awesome thing about MVC2 is that despite having a premise that pawns just about every other game ever made, it is actually a very solid fighting title.
People were going to buy it anyway just to see who’s stronger between Ryu and Cyclops, but who knew that so much high end game play would come from such a farfetched concept? The game packs an unmatched roster of more than fifty playable characters but this is a double edged sword. Sure there is plenty of variety but does anybody really think fifty characters can all be created equal?
An amazing thing about the game though is that even with so many characters, they all manage to be unique. This is thanks to the fact that many characters play the exact same way they have in various past games, so making this game was essentially just collecting sprites from a dozen or so different games and throwing them all together.
There aren’t many game play modes and there is virtually no story, but the real reason you’ll being going after this gem is for the game play. Sure you can cry about the lack of story, but it’ll be an afterthought once your eyes are wide and watering from the amazingly intense and speedy combat.
Battles are 3 on 3 and the combat that ensues is just over the top, fast, frenetic and ridiculous. Players can perform combos using their entire teams and perform super powered ultra combos with all three characters at once! The game play is insanely fast and that will take some getting used to for players of more composed fighters like Street Fighter or Tekken.
A retro and very jazzy soundtrack will flood you with nostalgia, and the updated graphics are refreshing. If it’s your first time in this game, you will certainly not be blown away by the sprites a la BlazBlue but they are crispier this time around, and very colorful.
The online mode is just frightening. Some people jump in and play with such profound skill and speed that you will barely believe your eyes. It isn’t rare for your entire team to get demolished in thirty seconds, in fact that will probably happen in your first few online outings. But practice, practice, practice and eventually it’ll be you who is dropping the jaws of others.
The endless challenge of the online mode is really a very good thing because you’ll only get better by playing better opponents and from the time I’ve spent with the game I can tell you; there are always better opponents. It also comes equipped with the standard versus and training modes.
At the end of the day, this is an iconic game that fans of the genre are probably already playing by now. Sure it came out in 2000, but the updated graphics and easily accessible download make this game so worth getting. I mean the last time I saw a physical copy it priced at more than $200 and it didn’t even work. Plus, when Marvel vs. Capcom 3 comes out next month, you don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t know why it’s such a big deal.