New Age of Heroes
Easily the most anticipated Capcom fighting game to date, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes was hyped to become the be all, end all king of 2D fighters. Despite a short delay (though much sooner than originally expected), the day of reckoning finally arrived. Judgement was to be passed on Capcom and only one question remained- was Marvel vs. Capcom 2 the best 2D, full-contact tag-fest that money can buy or just another upgrade to and aging sprite-based engine?
More than any other fighting game ever, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has a complete and total lack of any kind of plot. Sure, when you beat the game you get a few vague sketch-like pictures that seem to depict an explosion which several Marvel and Capcom characters are escaping from in an airship, but that's it! No background info, no character bios, not even an overall story for the final boss and why he (it?) is attacking. Come on Capcom, the endings might not have been much but at least they were something! Granted, you don't play a fighting game for its plot, but some of these fighters are new to the Capcom Universe- a little information on their origins would be greatly appreciated thank you very much.
It's nice to know that there are still a few companies willing to produce a classic sprite-based game when polygons are all the rage these days. Though Capcom also dabbles in the mainstream trend of 3D graphics, 2D titles continue to rule the company's overwhelming line-up. However, in this latest release, we get a mix of the old with the new. All of the game's characters are present in beautiful hand-drawn form, though they seem ugly when compared to the backgrounds upon which they play. The stages are colorful, well animated and composed entirely of polygons. That's right, they're 3D! Its seems even the traditional games aren't immune to modern design. That's okay with me; the combination works well and looks great. What more could you want?
As shocking as the use of polygons in a 2D game might be, the distinct change in sound will be more so to long-time fans. Gone are the familiar, John Williams inspired character-themed scores, replaced by much jazzier locale-based songs. For lack of a better work, the sound is unique but takes a little getting used to. Too be honest, I haven't really decided yet whether or not I like this new sound, but I give Capcom all the credit in the world for trying something new. On the other hand, I don't expect anything fresh in the effects department and nothing new is offered. After all, punches and kicks are only punches and kicks.
I can't believe it happened but it did: Capcom has actually changed the familiar control scheme of its long-time fighting franchise. Gone is the comfortable 6-button layout of weak-medium-strong replaced by the Dreamcast controller friendly button configuration of weak- strong-assist. Fear not my fellow gamers, this new style is actually for the better as it allows for higher (and more insane) combos and more fast-paced action. The medium attack is not forgotten though, as it automatically follows the light attack if a weak button is pressed twice in succession. Other minor tweaks have been made, the most notable being the much more finely tuned tightness of the controller interface itself. However, when said interface is compared to the silky-smooth joy of Street Fighter III: Double Impact, these improvements are very minor at best. Overall a nice change for the better.
As I've mentioned above, Capcom has drastically re-designed their Versus series by adding 3D backgrounds, changing the style of music and totally rethinking the controls. But that's not all that has changed. For starters, the menus are now low-rez friendly as are the fonts, matches have been made more dramatic with the addition of a third tag partner and the roster has more than tripled over the previous games making for a total character count of fifty-six. In fact, every fighter from X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom are present and accounted for. You'll also see plenty of new faces in the crowd, including two brand new characters to the Capcom Universe (expect to see them starring in their own games soon). Without a doubt Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is an extremely well put together fighting game.
The bonus system is rather unique in New Age of Heroes; Rather than inputting codes or beating the game within the confines of requirements; you earn points, which can then be used towards purchases in the shop. The Secret Factor (as it is called) allows you to obtain more stages, different costumes (color variations) and new fighters. Once the shop is completely sold out, the ability to select the same character two or more times for your team becomes available. As of yet, I have found no secrets beyond this visible offering.
What more can I say about Marvel
vs. Capcom 2 that hasn't already been said- it's a testament
to the fighting genre and if you consider yourself any kind of
fan you shouldn't even finish reading this sentence…just
go buy the damn game already!
More Dreamcast Reviews
Dreamcast
Version
Domestic
Genre
Fighting
Publisher
Capcom
Players
One-Two
Hardware
VMU
Jump Pack
Pluses
Great Graphics
Good Control
Many Extras
Minuses
No Story
in control rating