Review of Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
by Nu Jin, as a guest contribution to HSM
Ah yes, Capcom and their fighting games. They established a genre that, for decades, spawned copycats and inspirations. But it is Capcom, after all, that is known for turning comic-book properties into a gold mine, ranging from complex (Strider) to bizarre (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures), and producing games which are still sought-after titles to this day.
So when they released their crossover series with Marvel, arcades were in an uproar. We all were curious to see how Ryu would get along with Cyclops, or what would Wolverine do if he couldn’t show he was the best there is at what he does against Akuma, who seeks for a worthy opponent.
After their release of Marvel vs Capcom 2, it seemed that the company stayed silent. Rumors spread about a sequel, and everyone was clamoring for the next title the following year.
So: after a decade (and reacquiring rights), Capcom has kissed and made up with Marvel, licked wounds, and is ready to give the fans what they wanted. No, seriously: Capcom has put in so much fan service with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 that it’s not even funny. However, there are funny bits: Deadpool, for instance, who easily stands out as the best comedy relief in that game.
It’s also worth talking about the voice talent in this game. Seriously, this title has some of the best voice work I’ve ever heard, ranging from Johnny Yong Bosch (Bleach, Trigun, Power Rangers) and Steve Blum (Wolverine and the X-Men) to Josh Keaton (Spectacular Spiderman, Transformers Prime). I have never been so amazed to hear such good voice work in a fighting game, of all genres! These actors have breathed so much life into every character on the roster you’ll laugh (character interactions), facepalm, and in rare cases simply cringe (not all of the voices in this game are great…Akuma being the example).
Don’t like a particular character’s voice on the Capcom roster side? You have the option to switch the voice options to either English or Japanese — though the option set isn’t available on Marvel’s roster. On the Marvel side, however, their voices are so spot-on that the lack of this feature is easily disregarded.
MvC3 boasts a total of 33 characters (29 from the start), including unlockables (Akuma, Hsien-Ko, Sentinel, and Taskmaster). Compared to the prequel’s whopping 54 characters, it may seem like a let down to not see any of your favorite characters from either side to compile your favorite dream team, but Capcom and Marvel have made sure that this time around fans won’t be disappointed.
Your staples from Capcom (Ryu, Chun-Li, and Morrigan) and Marvel (Wolverine, Iron man, and Captain America) are here, along with a slew of new characters. Some from the previous Nintendo Wii entry Tatsunoko vs Capcom, like Zero and Viewtiful Joe, are included. There are also completely new entries altogether, like Phoenix and Arthur from the classic Ghosts and Goblins title. Even M.O.D.O.K, a character that I only knew for his big head, adds some of the quirkiness to the Marvel roster; but make no mistake, the guy is pretty darn good to use!
This time around, the game borrows some of the elements from the aforementioned Tatsunoko vs Capcom engine, but from there, it’s all from scratch. Four attack buttons (Light, Medium, Hard, and Special) and two partner buttons can be configured and customized on your own, but if you are one of the casual players that doesn’t like to fumble around with which button to press — or you just hate to cramp your thumb trying to make a half-circle forward motion on the pad — you can easily set the button mappings to Simple mode. But, for the hardcore nuts out there, you definitely want to use an arcade stick. No matter the setup, the game controls are very smooth and responsive; you will pull off your 40+ hit combos with ease in this game.
This game is pretty user-friendly. Mission mode gives you the “how to” lessons on your favorite characters, and the training mode is there for your combo-practicing.
The replay value is pretty high, with unlockables like Titles, Icons, and the ever-addicting Trophies for the PlayStation 3. The offline mode is very fun if you’re new to the series, but most of the experienced players will jump right on into the online portion of the game.
While this game is really good and lives up (somewhat) to the hype, I do have some issues with MvC3. For starters, the online mode isn’t as robust as many of the other fighting games out there. You are constricted to only an eight-player lobby and a Rank Match lobby. That’s it. For those who wish to get a full experience out of MvC3 like they did with Super Street Fighter IV…well, you will be disappointed.
While Capcom delivers with the goods, such promises like an actual Story mode, custom soundtrack, and the glaring omission of certain characters (Frank West, Mega Man) are disappointments for many of the gamers out there who are interested in this title.
But while these shortcomings are rather small, make no mistake: this game is packed with a ton of fun. There’s a bevy of characters and teams to choose from, and the “jump in and play” presentation is solid. Marvel vs Capcom 3 definitely lives up to the hype and then some. With the Arcade Edition patch looming around the corner for Super Street Fighter IV and even more fighters that are underway this year (Mortal Kombat 9, Street Fighter X Tekken, Arcana Heart 3), MvC3 is an impressive add to your gaming collection whether you’re a comics geek (like myself), a experienced veteran to the genre, or just a casual player.
Score: 9.25 out of 10.
About the Author: Nu Jin is an avid Home user and loves fashion, art, comics, and fighting games. Nu Jin is also the founder of FXO Entertainment, a subsidary of Nu Gen Productions, that houses upcoming comic projects and machinima.
February 21st, 2011 by Jin Lovelace | 6 comments
Jin Lovelace is a machinimist and team writer for HomeStation Magazine, as well as the founder of Twilight Touch Inc. -- http://twilighttouchinc.com and http://youtube.com/twilighttouchinc. When not found in PlayStation Home, Jin studies graphic design and illustration (character design and fashion), gaming, and the culinary arts.
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-_- Nervous, I was when I wrote this.
you did a great job Nu Jin, look forward to the next one
Excellent article!
Nu Jin -- What’s your team?
Everyone for now. I am still in the stages of finding that out but so far Magneto, Morrigan, and Dante is looking promising to me at this point.
Thanks for the feedback.
Nu Jin, You didn’t need to be nervous at all, I’m a HUGE fan of these games, I even have some of these games running in Emulation (The Capcom System 3 Emulator works as a dream for Streetfighter 3)
I’m a fan of all types of Fighting game, and if it has an online mode it just stretches its longetivity that much more. Im a Soul Calibur fan, Tekken, The original Streetfighter games I loved along with Xmen Children Of the Atom, which should of been released other than the atrocious Xmen Arcade game thats on the offering now. A much better game. Xmen Vs Streetfighter is still a crossover classic today and i still find myself playing that on some nights on Emulation too.
Ahhh Thank you, Cheeks! =)
I’m a HUGE fan as well and have been on the scene since childhood. What fascinates me about this genre is how the community has been brought together. Before, there were no such thing as Tournaments back in SFII days. Now my goal is to at least be placed in EVO or have a few wins under my belt.
Right now I am SO waiting on Arcana Heart 3 to be released in the PS Store along with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
Thanks for the great feedback, Cheeks. =D