Dreamcast Playstation 2 Playstation 3 - Playstation Network Xbox Xbox 360 - Xbox Live
8.0 out of 10
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is an expensive game. The Dreamcast original is one of the more expensive games for the system, and the Playstation 2 and Xbox ports are even more expensive than the superior original. So, when Capcom announced that this game would be released as downloadable content for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for fifteen dollars, a lot of folks who never got to experience the original jumped for joy. Afterall, even though the PS2 and Xbox ports of the game were flawed, they were still fun and well worth fifteen dollars....So, even if the game had glitches and slowdown, it’d probably still be a good deal. Well, now that it’s out, how does the game fare? Is it a port of the ports? Is it a successful remake of the original? Well, read on and find out...And note that I’m only covering differences in the game, so if you’d like to know about the actual gameplay, check out the PS2 or Xbox reviews for Marvel vs. Capcom 2 elsewhere on this site....Or the Dreamcast one, whenever I get around to writing a review for that one.
If you’ve played one of the other Marvel vs. Capcom 2 games before, the first, very noticeable thing that you’ll see when you start the game is that everyone is already unlocked. This was disappointing to me. I look at unlocking characters as some good replay value...By already having the characters available from the beginning, what reason do I have to keep playing after I’ve run through Arcade mode a few times? Some may say the Online multiplayer, but to me, that’s not much of a reason. Yes, it’s fun to play online...But not fun enough to keep me playing once I feel like I’ve had my fill.
Speaking of the Online mode, the game can be fun online...But only if you’re not serious about fighting games. There are balance issues with the characters, like there have been since the Dreamcast original, however when fighting against other human players, it’s not uncommon to see these issues exploited, preventing you to have any real chance to win. It also seems to be almost as easy for a button masher to win a match as someone who is actually trying to be precise with their movements. So, if you go into the online matches with the main goal of winning every match, you’ll likely get frustrated quickly. However, if you’re going on just to have a good time and play the game for fun, then you’ll likely enjoy your time spent with the online modes.
Graphically, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on PS3 and Xbox 360 is superior to the other versions...The graphics aren’t really re-done like what Capcom did with Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, but they are noticeably better. There’s also the option to have the graphics look crisp, smooth, or classic. Classic brings back the pixelation found in the original game, for those who want to experience the look of the gameplay without pulling out their Dreamcast. Also, from what I’ve seen anyway, this version seems to be lacking the glitches and slowdown issues of the PS2 and Xbox ports that fans of the original complained about. So, that’s a plus. The only real problem with the graphics resides in widescreen mode, where the backgrounds cover the entire screen, but it seems as if the animation areas are still in ‘standard’ mode, as you’ll often see a gap between where an animation is starting to appear from offscreen and where the actual end of the screen is...It’s not really irritating or anything...Just confusing as to why they didn’t just fix it.
In the audio department, the terrible music is back, but seems to be clearer than it was in the original ports of the game. Fortunately, the game has support for custom soundtracks...So, once you get sick of the in-game music (which may not take long) you can pop in some Chubby Checker and enjoy some polka while giving a Servbot a spinning piledriver with Zangief...Hey, it’s still better audio than the actual in-game soundtrack. Cosmetically, this is probably the best of all versions of Marvel vs. Capcom 2...Which is nice.
In the end, what you’ve got here is a well-priced game that may have the best gameplay out of all of the versions of Marvel vs. Capcom 2...Maybe even better than the original. The only real problem I have is the total elimination of unlocking characters, alternate costumes, etc....I really feel like they took away about ninety percent of the replay value there. However, if you don’t want to pay a lot to experience this enjoyable game, then downloading it to your Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 is a wise move...It may not have the replay value of the other versions of the game, but everything else seems to be slightly improved upon...From the slightly-better graphics, to the custom soundtracks, to less slowdown and glitching, this version probably delivers the best gameplay of the bunch. If you’re a fan of fighting games, this is definitely worth a download....However, if you already own one of the previous Marvel vs. Capcom 2 games, there’s no real reason to get this version too, unless you plan on doing nothing but online multiplayer. - Ape
August 13, 2009
August 13, 2009
August 13, 2009
