How do you improve on an already stellar title? How about adding new characters, some new moves, and a host of options to the best 2D fighting game of all time? Throw in a three-player tag battle, some rendered backgrounds, and a funky soundtrack, and you’ve got the next in line for king of the 2D fighting games: Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Get ready to hail the conquering superheroes!
Comic Relief
Cacpcom does it again – they’ve added on to an already superior franchise
and improved the genre to boot. They’ve even added a few fan favorites from
past classics like X-Men vs Street Fighter (Iceman, Psylocke) DarkStalkers (Anakaris),
and even Tron Bonne! With this wild mix of fighters and the host of new specials
and super moves, your head will spin in amazement as you try to master over 24
fighters! There’s even hidden fighters like Storm and Colossus!
The graphics are the best ever seen on the Dreamcast – as far as 2D fighting goes. The detail and speedy movement on every single fighter is amazing. The super moves are screen-busting and gigantic, dazzling your eyes as the game does it’s best to burn your thumbs. There’s even attention given to all the small nuances, like Strider’s metal dogs, or Sonson’s monkey helpers. Your vision will blur if you try to keep up with it all.
The sounds get a little funkified with a disco-house beat, which is such a welcome change from the standard Capcom fight music. There’s also the standard catcall of moves like Iceman yelling out “Ice Beam!”, or Wolverine grunting out “Perfect X Barrage!”. It gets annoying when it happens three or four times in a row, but you’ll get used to it – and learn to love it.
Crusaders of Might are Magic
The controls are no more complex than any of the other Street Fighter games,
with the exception of managing all three tag team fighters. What you may not
expect is the game’s blazing fast speed, which can easily disorient novice
players. But most of the moves are the same for each player, and although button
mashers will miss the joy of hitting the combos or linking the super moves, the
game can still be enjoyed by both the learned and the uninitiated Street Fighter
fan.
Will purists argue that Marvel vs Capcom 2 is just more of the same, or a truly innovative and exciting game that warrants a place in the fighting hall of fame? It is certainly one of the most fun fighting games to ever hit the market, and we think it has lasting power. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 certainly puts out a heroic effort, one that will be appreciated by fans for generations to come.