Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (XB360/PS3): Hi, We're Capcom. We Love your Money.

Aside from perhaps Killer Instinct, a fighting game I have always been pretty proud about being good in was Marvel vs Capcom 2. I played the game constantly in the arcade (remember what those were?) and I've whipped many a chump out of their hard earned quarters with the surprisingly simple Ryu, Akuma, Morrigan combo. So I was pretty excited for Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of two Worlds and purchased it in kind. But if there is anything Capcom loves to do, its to rehash the shit out of a game they're released instead of just making a new one. And MVC3 was no exception. I said I wasn't going to buy this, but a combo of peer pressure and trade value drove me to update to....

ULTIMATE MARVEL VS CAPCOM 3: (XB360/PS3)

Essentially, this review can double up for both Marvel vs. Capcom 3 games as functionally they are identical between to the two, sans the addition of the 12 extra characters. I usually start off my reviews with a brief summary of the plot or story, but as is with most fighting games, there really isn't one. Essentially to get any kind of story in this game you have to complete the arcade mode, and the character you land last blow to the final boss with the ending vignette you receive. If you played the first MVC3, none of the ending have changed for the current remaining characters. But its still fun to see some of the crossovers. One of my favorites was She-Hulk's, A character I don't really use, but in her ending she presides over a trial with Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright (now playable). It made me laugh.

It was hilarious at the time, little did I know Phoenix would become playable

One of the biggest complaints surrounding this game is that the controls were "Dumbed Down". If I am remembering right, MVC2 didn't use the Street Fighter control scheme either. The Street Fighter franchise typically used three punch and three kick buttons with a light medium and heavy power. In MVC2 the reduced it 4 buttons and two assist buttons. MVC3 has done away with the punch and kick buttons to make way for a light, Medium, Heavy, and launch button in addition to the assists. This takes out the need to hit strong punch or kick for certain moves. For most of the characters, this doesn't change how their specific move sets play. If anything, its made using people like Akuma more fluid for me. Sure it takes away some of the complexity of the game but it still has some of the other control aspects like the advancing guard, air combos, and tag attacks. many people see this as a detriment, I personally had no issue with it.

There really isn't much variance in the play modes of the game. You have your standard arcade mode, where you just play 8 or 9 fights to the last boss. You have a training mode to play around in and a mission mode to try to learn specific combos. When you beat the game you unlock the ending and soundtrack to the character you won with. But unlike the original MVC3, there are no characters to unlock. I personally have never been a fan of this because it gives the player very little incentive to play by them self they do not have anything to earn by doing it. Then we have the online mode, its basically the same as the Verses mode you can play with a friend at home, but with more lag, people interrupting your arcade mode,  and people quitting if you are too good.

The last thing I guess I should address is the characters as well. On the Marvel side they added: Nova, Rocket Raccoon, Iron Fist, Hawkeye, Dr. Strange, and Ghost Rider. I have heard of 2 or 3 of these guys tops. None of them really made me go ape shit to play as any of them and I've yet to use them for any major length of time. On the Capcom side they added: Strider, Firebrand, Phoenix Wright, Frank West, The Nemesis, and Virgil. Now this line up was pretty stoke about since only one of them I'm pretty unfamiliar with and i never used  anyways (Strider).  While I love the addition of these characters, some of them just don't make sense to use. Phoenix Wright is nothing short of hilarious because none of his attacks are actually attacks. He has a very short range and requires you finding 3 pieces of evidence and hitting them with an objection before you really unlock some of his bigger moves. Frank West, the character I wanted most, as lots of different moves that change as he levels during the match, but you have to hit the camera snap at the right moments to go up a level and for me its been pretty difficult to hit. People like Firebrand, Nemesis and Virgil mesh with this game perfectly though, and combo together very well.

Virgil may be a bad ass, but I call bullshit: Nobody messes the Nemesis up.

Its difficult to rate a game like this because I begin to question their relevance. With online gaming taking a front seat these days in the development of gaming, the one on one fighters seem like a natural fit. But when I play the game online, it doesn't feel as satisfying. I don't get any real enjoyment out of seeing a number next to me name informing me that there's about 1.8 million other assholes who are better than me at the game. It pretty much feels like I am playing the game in the single player mode. Less so in fact because at least in single player mode I can unlock an ending when I win 8 times, I don't get lag from the arcade mode, or have people drop out of the game just as I am about to win. But just as I go to say that you probably could skip out on getting a game like this, I go to a fight night with some friends where we are all playing in the same room. Now the games are tense, heart rate jumps up. I can hear cheering or AWWWS when close match finishes. WAY more fun that playing the game solo. This is why they make games like these, the are intended to be played in a group that's what makes them fun.

But in this same fight night, I realized something. There are two types of people who play games like this. People like me, who find some characters they like learn some core moves and develop a strategy. Plays the game, has fun with it, and generally enjoys it. Then there is the "Other guy". You know that guy. Has one character he never deviates from. Learns their entire move set. Learns everyone Else's move set. Knows you are going to throw that Hadouken and is going roll forward MP at the 5th frame of the animation which will counter your move, bounce you up and then allow him to string together an air juggle that will deplete an entire life bar. We did a tournament at the fight night and a lot of the games were very close. But this one guy would just participate on another level. I refuse to use the word play. Because that kind of person doesn't play the game, they study it, make it a chore. The execute the game. Personally, I think if you are playing the game that way then you are missing the whole point. Unless you are professional or competitive gamer, you're just a prick to everyone else you are playing with.

I suppose I could give the game a recommendation if you are a fan of fighting games, fan of the series, or just have a number of people over to game on a fairly frequent basis. The fights are fast, flashy, and easy to pick up and play. It's a fairly competent fighting game and it definitely works in a groups setting but unless you are one of "those guys" I can't imagine you will keep playing it after a few weeks. I just rather that Capcom would have waited another few months and put all the characters in the first time instead of charging me an extra 40 bucks for it.

Pricks.