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News: Tom Morello stars in Guitar Hero III
Activision has announced that Tom Morello, from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, will guest star as a boss character in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Click here to read the article.
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Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Talk about milking the cow dry... Capcom decided to port over Marvel vs. Capcom 2 to the Xbox, a game that is now considered old seeing as the first console it was on was the Sega Dreamcast, which makes this game about three years old, if I'm not mistaken. Being a port doesn't help, being a three year old port pretty much guarantees failure... so you would think, but in the miraculous case of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 things aren't that bad.
The main reason that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 stays alive is the fact that there are 56 different characters to choose from! Of course you might be saying that it doesn't matter if there are 56 is they all suck. Well my friend, they don't! Characters include the best of the Capcom and Marvel universe. You have all your favorites from Street Fighter such as Ken and Ryu. On the Marvel side you have Spider-Man, The Hulk, and the X-Men... just to name a few!
The concept in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is pretty much the same as any other fighter. Choose your characters and battle it out against the computer and then meet a boss at the very end. Nothing revolutionary here, just good 'ol classic 2D goodness. I would have loved to see some sort of story to the game like the old Street Fighter games where you would get a short clip telling you what happened in their future.
Game modes include Arcade Mode, VS Mode, Training Mode, and Score Attack. Arcade Mode is just that... the arcade version of the game. VS Mode allows you to play against another person. Training Mode allows you to practice all of your moves with a non-moving target or a computer controlled target. Last but not least, you have Score Attack. In this mode you will challenge your high score. For example if your high score is 100,000,000 then you will try and get more than that. After you play each of these modes, the game rewards you with points that you can then use by selecting Secret Factor from the main menu. Here you will be able to buy secret characters, alternate costumes, and character art. Very cool indeed.
Controls in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 are quite easy and I was surprised that they worked well for this kind of game. The Left Thumbstick or the D-Pad are used for movement. The Left and Right Triggers call your partners for help. The Back button is used to taunt your opponents. X is Light Punch and Y is Heavy Punch while A is Light Kick and B is Heavy Kick. The White button is Light and Heavy Punch at the same time while the Black button is Light and Heavy Kick at the same time which makes executing combo attacks easier.
Visually, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is pretty much a direct port which is a shame. A few upgrades would have been nice. Since the game was meant to be 2D, I can't really judge it equally to all the other games on Xbox. Although Capcom's other fighter, Capcom vs. SNK 2 did look nicer. Even though the visual side of things is nothing revolutionary in today's terms it still gets the job done. It is nice to see that 2D fighters are still alive though. The interface could have used a hardcore make-over though... that shouldn't be too hard to do right? I can understand reworking the entire game to update the visuals a bit could be very time consuming but the main menu's interface is truly nothing that you be proud to hang on your wall. Characters are nicely done and well animated. The three character combo attacks are a sight that must be seen to be appreciated.
Sound in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is probably the weakest aspect of the game. The title theme becomes quickly annoying... and it doesn't help that it loops forever... it just keeps going! I would have loved to use my own soundtracks with this game. What better game to rock out to and kick ass in than MvsC 2, but alas you can't have cookies and milk. As far as sound effects go, they all sound recycled from past Capcom fighters. Nothing special here... keep the line moving.
Overall, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is an enjoyable game that should be a definite rental and a possible sale if you haven't played this game before.
Report Card:
Gameplay = 8
Graphics = 7.5
Audio = 6.5
Replay Value = 8
Overall: 7.5/10
Click here for the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 screenshots gallery!
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