Marvel vs. Capcom Origins brings video game fight fans back to the ‘90s arcades beginning with the September 25th North American launch on PlayStation Network for PS3. The fight begins the next day, September 26th, on Xbox Live Arcade. Price point: $14.99/1200 MS Points.
In case anyone out there forgot, Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is a retro combo pack containing arcade-authentic ports of Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes. A month from now, you’ll be able to fight it out locally against a second player or online in 8-player lobbies (with spectator mode and replay saves).
As pictured in the screenshot above and the full gallery below, the game will additionally provide multiple graphics/presentation options, including HD-smoothed widescreen and a variety of arcade cabinet views. Yes, that is a playable over-the-shoulder perspective you’re looking at. Pretty sweet!
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90’s arcade fighting game favorites Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes are joining forces for a digital download tag-team compilation on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade this September for $14.99/1200 MS Points.
Marvel vs. Capcom Origins, as the collection has been dubbed, will bring new features to these two retro fighters, including online play powered by GGPO net code, 8-player lobbies, spectator mode, replay saves, in-game rewards and unlockables, dynamic challenges and, of course, HD face-lifted graphics.
With the game being digital download, at least we should (hopefully) be safe from an ‘Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom Origins Super Duper This is the Version That Should Have Been Released in the First Place Edition’ six months later. Bummer, I guess that means I won’t be using the acronym UMVCOSDTVTSHBRFPE again any time soon.
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Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 stirs up a lot of conflicting emotions inside my gamer geek heart. I don’t fault Capcom for releasing yearly updates to its fighting game franchises. After all, fighting games are basically in the same boat as sports games, in that the only real room for evolution is through roster updates and balancing adjustments to the familiar formula of one-on-one fisticuffs. However, putting out a modified version of a game within a span of nine months and not even giving existing players the option to update through patches and paid DLC? That’s pushing it.
Unseemly as the process may be, it’s hard to argue with the results. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 takes everything that was so awesome about the initial version and ups the ante tenfold. This is a triumph of a fighting game, folks.
What’s new in this edition? Lots of stuff, actually. 12 fighters have been added to the roster – six per faction – to bring the total up to a beefy 48 iconic heroes and villains. Plus two more if you pay extra for Jill Valentine and Shuma-Gorath via DLC (nope, Capcom didn’t add those to the disc for some reason, but if you purchased them or any of the DLC costumes before you don’t have to buy them again). Three more if you throw in Galactus; however he is only playable in a separate bonus mode unlocked automatically for players with a save file from the original game still on their hard drive (otherwise he needs to be purchased by earning enough in-game player points). Still, playing as the cheap end-game boss for a change is devious fun, deep evil voice laughing at the puny mortals as you squash them like bugs.
What else? Oh, the stage count has been doubled – although sadly the new stages are re-skinned takes on older maps rather than completely original environments. For example, Bonne Wonderland is Kattelox Island with snow, Demon Village Redux is Demon Village with a black and white filter switched on, and Chaos at Tricell takes place in the Tricell laboratory, only the B.O.W.’s have escaped from their containment tubes and the wrecked lab is ablaze. A few different settings would have been nice. I mean, it’s not as if there’s a lack of source material to pull from. (I still want an Okami themed stage, dammit!)
By popular demand, online lobbies now support Spectator mode so players waiting their turn can actually watch the current match live rather than a dull graphic of rumbling health bars. All original characters have received rebalanced abilities and animations (though only serious competitive fighters are likely to notice them) and the X-Factor mechanic has been tweaked around a bit and can now be activated in mid-air for added versatility. The main menu has been reworked into a series of pages that you cycle through like a comic book, bringing greater continuity to the game’s presentation. And, as of a free game update released in December, a brand new online and offline mode called Heroes & Heralds bolsters what remains a fairly light mode selection compared to other modern fighters.
The 12 new fighters are clearly the main attractions. Collectively, the newcomers diversify the existing roster with incredibly unique fighting styles and a stronger emphasis on keep-away attacks. Joining the party on behalf of team Capcom, are Nemesis, Firebrand, Strider, Phoenix Wright, Vergil and Frank West. They square off against Marvel legends Nova, Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist and Rocket Raccoon. Inspired choices, I say.
They’re all phenomenal additions (Hawkeye and Strider are personal faves), but of the new kids on the block Phoenix Wright, Frank West and Rocket Raccoon are clearly the stars, mainly because their move sets are so completely different from the rest of the contenders. Phoenix Wright is a particularly oddball character, as he fights by being clumsy, sneezing, using collected pieces of evidence, calling in his assistant, and shouting lawyerly proclamations such as “Hold it” and “Objection”, the speech bubbles dishing out the damage.
As he does in Dead Rising, Frank West brawls using handmade instruments of death – or by whirly-hurling zombies across the screen like undead projectiles. His trusty camera can even be used to snap pictures and momentarily daze the opponent, and eventually, after enough pictures are taken, he levels up and his gear grows in power. At first he’s armed with plungers and golf clubs and baseball bats, but in due course axes, chainsaws, and other deadly tools make up his arsenal. As for Rocket Raccoon, he’s a clever little rascal. His diminutive stature combined with a mastery of gadgets and traps make him a defensive specialist and a tricky foe in the right hands.
Available play modes remain largely the same. Arcade, Versus, Training and Mission modes return, as do Ranked and Player online matches supporting quick bouts and lobby gatherings for up to eight participants. Sadly, that means previous flaws are back as well. During Arcade play, for example, the character endings are inadequately rewarding – a couple static comic book pages and a few lines of speechless text seem even lamer now after seeing what NetherRealm did with its incredible Mortal Kombat story mode.
For online play, matchmaking doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. As someone who plays fighting games for personal enjoyment rather than competitive glory, I find it extremely difficult to find fair online match-ups. Even when setting the search option to find matches of same ranking, I routinely end up in bouts against players of far greater skill and experience. Sitting on a sorry 2-6 record, how is it fair to match me up against someone who is 150-50? It’s not, and getting my brains beaten in isn’t very fun either. I’d be fine losing to other players of similar skill level since I at least have a chance to win, but I rarely find such pairings.
Luckily, Heroes & Heralds does its part to make up for the original’s slim content selection. Capcom again screwed the pooch not having the mode ready from day one; but hey, it’s a free upgrade, and I think we all can agree that free DLC is nothing but a good thing. In this case, it’s a great thing. Heroes & Heralds is by far the deepest, most fulfilling mode Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has to offer.
With the update applied, Heroes & Heralds shows up in the main menu segregated from the other online and offline modes. Playing offline by yourself, engaging in the usual three-versus-three team fights to cease control over nodes on a honeycomb-shaped map, or online in week-long campaigns against other live players, you first choose to fight as a hero, defending Earth against the Devourer of Worlds, or as a herald, waging war as a silver-colored minion of Galactus. The twist comes in the form of a new card customization system. As you win battles, you also earn virtual Marvel trading cards to use in creating decks that augment combat abilities (the Colossus card provides super armor, the Punisher boosts attack power when a teammate is KO’ed, Rogue adds a lifetap effect to Hyper Combos, etc). You can create as many three-card decks as you please, but only one deck can be equipped for any given fight.
This card carrying element is beneficial in many ways. For starters, it introduces an extra wrinkle of strategy to what is predominantly a style over substance brand of fighting game (not that the core mechanics don’t have substance, but Virtua Fighter this game is not). For comic and video game nerds, the cards also serve as yet another source of fan service, giving cameo roles to characters that aren’t playable in the game. Beyond that, the card collecting incentive by itself is just one more addictive draw to keep you fighting on.
Capcom surely did not skimp on fresh, compelling content in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. However, if you already bought the first Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and feel you have to put your foot down in a stand against Capcom’s attempt to shake more money out of your pockets, I can honestly respect that. I too want to be mad at Capcom for already asking fans to shell out $40 for an updated version of a game released within the same calendar year – and then also reselling the original’s DLC costumes and characters rather than putting them on the disc (not to mention holding back a whole new set of bonus costumes to sell at inflated DLC rates). I want to be angry, and then I play the game and have an absolute whale of a time, my heartstrings lovingly plucked as I live out fantasy matches I could only ever dream about as a kid gamer and card/comic collector raised on the Capcom and Marvel brands. Fate of Two Worlds was and still is a terrific fighting game, but this Ultimate redux is truly sublime. Worth every extra penny, too.
Pros:
+ New fighters expand roster with broader play styles and even more personality
+ Heroes & Heralds adds mode depth and addictive card collecting
+ Spectator mode for online lobbies
+ Playing as Galactus is cheap-bad-guy fun
+ Same kick-ass Marvel vs. Capcom gameplay and fan service, only better
Cons:
– Unevenly balanced online matchmaking
– Arcade mode character endings are still pathetic
– New stages are rehashes with slight thematic changes
– Original DLC fighters and costumes not included on the disc
– Updated content not available to existing players as originally intended
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Game Info:
Platform: Reviewed on PS3; also available for Xbox 360 and coming to PS Vita
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 11/15/2011
Genre: Fighting
ESRB Rating: Teen
Players: 1-2 (local and online with 8-player lobbies)
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
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Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has been out for about a month now, and the touted Heroes & Heralds post-launch DLC mode has been missing in action this whole time. Until now.
The Capcom Unity folks have announced the impending release of Heroes & Heralds, a free add-on introducing a new online and offline mode in which you choose a faction and customize your fighters with a deck of Ability Cards that grant your team special powers. Capcom’s blog is counting down to the patch release next week (December 19th, to be specific) with a week-long series of posts outlining different aspects of the mode and revealing various card abilities.
Here’s the previously released trailer if you missed it before. Watch for our review of the full game later this week.
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Capcom is already pushing fans to the breaking point with its Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 update release coming within the same calendar year as the original game. (Although UMvC3 is ultimately worth the upgrade, as I’ll explain in my upcoming review.) Now it’s time for the downloadable content roll-out to begin, and as usual it’s the type of nickel and dime bullshit that has made the three-letter DLC acronym a four-letter word to many gamers.
Beginning with the game’s November 15th launch earlier this week, Capcom’s plan is to release regular costume packs through February 21, 2012. Each pack, scheduled to cost $4.00/320 MSP apiece, will contain at least four alternate costumes, and by the end of the DLC spree all 48 heroes and villains will be rocking new, optional duds. That adds up to over $40 — the price of the game itself! — just for worthless costumes.
Once all DLC has been released, Capcom will be compiling a $20.00/1600 MSP Value Pack on March 6th containing all 48 DLC costumes from the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and all 48 alternate costumes from its Ultimate successor. I guess Capcom is hoping fans won’t have the patience to wait it out until March to get the DLC for a reasonable price. Although to me $20 is still a waste of money for character skins. You know, things that used to be–and still should be–free unlockables included with the game from the very beginning.
Here’s a listed breakdown of the DLC schedule along with pics of each alternate costume:
Costume Pack (MvC3) (11/15/11)
· Chris Redfield, Ryu, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Dante
The Rising Dead Pack (11/22/11)
· Frank West, Nemesis, Phoenix, Ghost Rider
The Evil Twin Pack (12/6/11)
· Hsien-Ko, Vergil, Deadpool, Spiderman
Ancient Warrior Pack (12/20/11)
· Arthur, Firebrand, Hulk, Magneto
Brawler Pack (1/10/12)
· Spencer, Haggar, She-Hulk, Iron Fist
Femme Fatale Pre-Order Pack (1/17/12)
· Morrigan, Chun-Li, X-23, Storm
Villain Pre-Order Pack (1/17/12)
· Wesker, C.Viper, Super-Skrull, M.O.D.O.K.
New Age of Heroes Pre-Order Pack (1/17/12)
· Akuma, Strider, Dr. Doom, Sentinel
Animal Pack (1/24/12)
· Felicia, Amaterasu, Wolverine, Rocket Raccoon
Weapon Expert Pack (2/7/12)
· Trish, Zero, Taskmaster, Hawkeye
Viewtiful Strange Pack (2/21/12)
· Viewtiful Joe, Tron, Phoenix Wright, Dormammu, Dr. Strange, Nova
Value Pack (3/6/12)
· All 48 DLC costumes included in the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 costume DLC Pack as well as all 11 of the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 DLC packs listed above for a value price of $20.00 (PS3)/1600 MSP (X360).
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Now let’s take a look at what’s on the other side:
Yep, that’s reversible box art, folks! Marvel’s comic artist Mark Brooks has created the alternate cover shot highlighting the game’s 12 new fighters. The catch? You’ll have to buy a first-run copy of the game to score the reversible packaging.
So which side is your favorite?
]]>It’s a bit shady of Capcom to already be re-releasing a game within the same calendar year, especially when features like the Spectator Mode and gameplay refinements seem like they should come to existing owners as part of a free patch. But at least it’ll be carrying a cheaper price of $39.99, so if you trade in your old copy you can probably get the new edition for around as much as Capcom would likely charge for this content as DLC.
Up top is a new trailer introducing the new fighters while also getting players reacquainted with the existing roster, and below are four gameplay clips spotlighting the four newcomers that have been announced thus far.
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The ultimate crossover fighting series is back after a ten-year hiatus. So, was it worth the wait? You bet your ass it was! That doesn’t mean it escapes the battle without a bloody nose and a black eye, but it still lands a knock-out punch of fan service and scores a decisive victory in the war to be the true champ of the fighting game genre.
Flashy is the most fitting word I can think of to describe Marvel vs. Capcom 3, as every aspect of the game is in your face and over the top. The core of the game remains true to series tradition, pitting Marvel superheroes and villains like Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Hulk, Doctor Doom, Deadpool, Magneto and Sentinel against iconic Capcom mascots like Ryu, Chris Redfield, Dante, Wesker, Chun-Li, Viewtiful Joe, Nathan Spencer, Amaterasu and Arthur in three-on-three tag-team showdowns of pure, unadulterated fan service brawlin’.
Fights still take place on a two-dimensional plane, but for the first time, the characters are polygonal instead of sprite-based, and jump off the screen with stunning three-dimensional depth and detail that displays their signature moves and powers more gaudily than ever before. The graphics are eye-searingly bright, bursting with over-saturated colors that really pop on a nice HD display, and every fight plays out like a spectacular light show of screen-filling energy splashes, lasers, explosions, spider webs, slash marks and dust plums set to a cacophonic concert of familiar Capcom tunes, identifiable one-liners, and booming sound effects you almost expect to be accompanied by ‘WHAM’ and ‘POW’ text bubbles as seen in the pages of a comic. It verges on sensory overload at times, but ultimately settles into a happy middle ground between beauty and chaos.
To an extent, Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s style does outweigh the substance of its gameplay, but that’s only because the style goes so ridiculously over the top. It is true that Capcom streamlined the gameplay from previous installments to bring greater accessibility to a wider audience of gamers, shrinking the old four-button fighting mechanics down to three main attack buttons (light, medium and heavy) and an all-purpose special attack that is used for launching opponents into the air and subbing in reserve characters mid-combo. There’s also a new ‘Simple’ control configuration that allows beginners to pull off crazy combos with single button presses — and even with the standard control scheme it seems much easier to pile up 50-hit combos.
This simplification may be considered “dumbing down” by veterans of the old arcade games, but to say that is a gross exaggeration, if you ask me. Yes, the game is much easier for ‘casual’ players to dive into and button mash to victory. But Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is still very much a game that rewards assembling a balanced team, mastering techniques like counters, hyper combos, aerial combos, tag assists and crossover attacks, and learning the diverse play styles of the deep and varied character roster. The game is properly balanced to ensure skill and know-how trump spam no matter what, and the gameplay runs so fast and so smooth and controls so well that most gamers will be too busy kicking ass to care about whether or not the game is as ‘hardcore’ as previous installments.
Where Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s substance falters is in the shallowness of its overall content. The usual offering of offline modes like Arcade, Versus and Training are available, along with a Mission mode with 10 individual challenges per character, each teaching a more advanced combo sequence. But unfortunately, the Arcade mode’s character-specific endings are woefully unrewarding, treating you to comic book stills and a scant few lines of meaningless text, which is disappointing in contrast to the game’s amazing intro and that insane launch trailer Capcom put out (watch it below). It’s still fun to play through with different characters and unlock new characters and all sorts of collectibles (sound samples, movies, bios, concept art, 3D models, etc.) – and the final battle against Galactus is an intense challenge, rather than the frustratingly cheap end boss bout most fighting games close with. But I was saddened that the ultimate pay-off was so unsatisfying, and overall felt the offline content to be lacking the spark of inspiration I expected from a sequel so long in the making.
As for Mission mode, it’s a nice teaching tool, but it’s really only a mode that veteran players are going to be able to appreciate, as the combos eventually become too complicated for the average player to master. I can get through around six or seven missions each time, but then I just hit a wall where I simply can’t get my fingers to move fast enough.
The selection of arenas left me wanting as well. Perhaps there are more to unlock that I have yet to see, but by my count there are only eight stages, and only a few of those stand out. The Daily Bugle stage with a giant Spider-Man balloon floating in the background is pretty damn epic, and I enjoyed the Ghouls ‘N Ghosts theme and the Tricell Laboratory. But I couldn’t help but lament the lack of a hand-painted Okami level and at least one throwback stage from Street Fighter.
Online play is where the game leaves its mark, though. You can engage one other player in random player or ranked quick matches or hop into lobbies of 2, 4, 6 or 8 players and play in a group rotation like in the arcades, the champ fighting on until someone can knock him off. The online performance is as smooth as butter too, preserving the integrity of every outcome thanks to a lag-free fighting environment. And I also like the way Capcom set up the ranking system – you have a player license card that keeps track of all your stats, experience points and fighting styles for other players to see, and as you progress through each mode you unlock new profile emblems and titles so you can show off your accomplishments. The only shortcoming is the lack of a spectator mode during lobby play. The players waiting their turn are forced to sit in a plain lobby and watch health bars on the side of the screen update as the current fight persists, and it’s a painfully boring process to sit through, even in a small four-player lobby.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 does disappoint in the outlined areas, but fortunately it excels in other areas that matter most: it’s outrageously fun to play, performs well online and off, controls like a dream, looks and sounds spectacular, and is properly balanced to reward dedicated players without scaring off ‘newbies.’ Simply put, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a treat of a fighting game for all challengers, and a flattering love letter to comic geeks and admirers of Capcom’s trademark retro camp.
Pros:
+ Fun, flashy and smooth fighting engine
+ Eye-popping visual effects
+ Deep roster of favorite Marvel heroes/villains and Capcom icons
+ Streamlined fighting engine makes room for all challengers
+ Properly balanced to reward skillful play over button-mashing spam tactics
+ Rock-solid online performance
Cons:
– Lame Arcade mode character endings
– No spectator mode in online lobbies
– Too few stage environments
– Mission mode is too demanding for average players
Game Info:
Platform: Reviewed on PS3, also available for Xbox 360
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 2/15/2011
Genre: Fighting
ESRB Rating: Teen
Players: 1-2 (offline and online; also supports 8-player lobbies)
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
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Four more fighters have been introduced for Marvel vs. Capcom 3, two for each side of the crossover conflict. Joining team Capcom are Sir Arthur from Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Nathan “Rad” Spencer from Bionic Commando, while Magneto and M.O.D.O.K. (aka “Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing”) bolster team Marvel’s roster.
Here are videos and screenshots of the new MvC3 crew in action.
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Gaming’s ultimate crossover fighter has become two fighters more ultimate this week at Gamescom, with Capcom confirming the unsurprising additions of Dormammu and Viewtiful Joe to the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 character roster. Videos and screenshots introducing the two new combatants are embedded down below.
I don’t believe Dormammu has any known catchphrases, but in the words of Viewtiful Joe, “Henshin-a-go-go, baby!”
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