'Marvel vs. Capcom 2' released for Xbox 360, PS3

The long-awaited sequel was released for next-gen consoles last month.

By Chris Stachiw

Published Aug. 28, 2009

"Marvel vs. Capcom 2," a game more than eight years old, still asserts its hold over the 2-D fighter genre, even with a new "Street Fighter" on shelves. Although it seems like it's taken just a little too long for Capcom to release "MVC2" on next-generation consoles, the game is still the same solid fighter that its fans have come to love and obsess over.

For newbies to the game, "MVC2" is exactly what it says, characters from the full spectrum of Marvel comics fight a multitude of Capcom video game characters in 3-on-3 battles. The premise is simple, but the game is surprisingly deep, featuring the ability to assign characters an assist characteristic and pull off satisfying hyper combos.

The controls are very similar to the "Street Fighter" series, but are easy enough for a casual gamer to pick up quickly and feel like they can pull off the hyper combos with relative ease. Hyper combos are a signature of MVC2, with each character having upwards of four hyper combos at their disposal. These combos are often character-centric, like Wolverine unleashing his Berserker Barrage, and Jill Valentine summoning the Tyrant to attack opponents. Although the hyper combos can be pulled off using a button and a directional assignment, novice players can also press two buttons to activate the combo, making the game a bit more approachable.

Gameplay aside, animation looks just as good as it did eight years ago, which is actually a bit of a compliment. The sprite animation now has the option of being filtered, using either a "crisp" or "smooth" filter that makes the game appear similar to 2007's "Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo HD Remix," instead of its original, pixel-filled look. The semi-3-D backgrounds still look great, as do the effects on the hyper combo finishes.

The vibrant colors of the finishers are intensified even more through use of a high-definition television. Those using HD setups might be interested in using the widescreen option for playing, but the edges of the some in-game objects don't match up, causing it to look awkward. Fortunately, the widescreen format translates well for actual game play, not cutting down on any part of the game itself.

Even with all this greatness, there are still a few minor problems with the game that don't really detract as much as they annoy. The online play, while still in its infancy and with the good possibility of getting updated in the future, is extremely laggy and takes an inexcusable amount of time to load fights. Capcom will most likely release a patch at some point, but it's disappointing for such a highly anticipated game to be released with an almost broken online component.

MVC2 also retains its balancing issues after all this time, allowing newcomers to pick the blatantly overpowered characters and win with very little skill. This can be annoying to veterans seeking a fair fight, and it seems the most overpowered characters are also the most popular (i.e. Spiderman). Aside from this, the game features no other major problems and actually runs pretty smoothly.

"Marvel vs. Capcom 2" is still one of the most solid and entertaining 2-D fighters around, though it did take an inordinate amount of time to come to the Xbox 360 and PS3. There are still some minor problems with the game itself, but the huge cast of characters and solid game play are worth the $15 download price tag, and will keep gamers enthralled for hours on end.