Marvel vs Capcom 2 (PSN) Review

Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 08.27.2009

The classic 2D fighter hits the PSN for $15. Is it worth the purchase? Find out inside!


Game: Marvel vs Capcom 2
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Genre: 2D Fighting
Players: 1-2 players
Rated T for Teen

Finally we have an affordable way to play Marvel vs Capcom 2. For fighting game fans that never owned a Dreamcast or Xbox, playing Marvel vs Capcom 2 in their PS2’s was very expensive indeed: Used copies still go for around $70 at my local Gamestop, that is, if one is available. Now you can download this baby to your PS3 for $15!



Marvel vs Capcom 2 is one of my favorite fighters, but I am going to try to be as neutral as possible in my review. There is no doubt that Marvel vs Capcom 2 is a lot of fun, but compared to more recent fighters, it has a couple of issues that should have been addressed.

First of all, an introduction for newer players: Marvel vs Capcom 2 features 56 characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes: Wolverine, Spiderman, Hulk, Iron Man, Ryu, Ken, Guile, Mega Man, Jill Valentine, Cable, War Machine, Omega Red, Magneto, Akuma and M. Bison are some of the characters you can choose from. You pick 3 characters for each battle and can switch among them anytime. It is also possible to use a “Help” button that has one of your teammates run into the battle to perform an action, depending on what function you assigned them to. For example, if you have Cyclops on your team and he is set as “Projectile”, his help attack will be an optic blast. If you have Rouge on your team and she is set as “Dash”, she will run in and do a “dash punch combo” attack. The idea is that you can use your help characters to add an extra hit to your combos.



Combos are the name of the game in Marvel vs Capcom 2. Just go to YouTube or any other video site and witness some of the amazing and ridiculously long combos that can be performed. Each character also has a variety of “super combo” attacks that look flashy and deal a lot of damage. I have played this game on three different systems (arcade, Dreamcast and now PS3) and I still have my jaw drop at some of the longer, flashier and gorgeous combo attacks.

The single-player potion of the game features an Arcade Mode, Score Attack and a bare-bones Training Mode. Arcade Mode gives you unlimited “continues” to finish the game and beat the final boss Abyss. Abyss is cheap like every Street Fighter boss has been, but it is not as cheap as Seth was in Street Fighter IV. Score Attack works basically the same way as Arcade Mode, but you get only one chance to beat the game and set your score. Training Mode is the best place to begin practicing those insane combos, but it is not as in-depth as the training mode in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and feels a little bit dry as there are not many options at your disposal. To be fair, it is comparable to the training modes in other fighting games that where released around the same time as MVC2, but it goes to show that Capcom did nothing to improve upon the original game.



That is my main problem with the game. Capcom did nothing to improve upon the original game and I believe this game deserved the HD Remix treatment. I was willing to pay $20-$25 if necessary! The new additions include HD backgrounds and online play, but even those additions come with their own set of issues. The HD backgrounds are beautiful to behold, but it creates a contrast with the non-HD sprites that makes them look even worse. Don’t get me wrong, sprites don’t age as badly as polygons and the character models still look great, but the contrast with the background makes them look out of place. Online play is the biggest addition and works really well. I have played several dozen games and only had lag issues in 5 of them or so. Of course, things like “ping” and slow connections are guaranteed to break the experience for you. Online Mode features Player and Ranked matches on a system similar to that of Super Street Fighter II HD Remix.



However, it is not a secret that character balance is an issue and has been since the game’s original release. If you are a casual player that wants only to play the CPU or have fun with friends, this is not going to be an issue. But if you want to compete in tournaments and such, be aware that of the 56 characters, only a dozen or so are considered tournament worthy. Out of the top of my head I remember Cable, War Machine and Omega Red being one of the “super” teams.

The 411:



There is no doubt that Marvel vs Capcom 2 is a lot of fun, more so if you enjoyed the game on its original release and want to get reacquainted with how awesome it was. However, it makes me wish for an HD Remix version even more than before. If they had improved the sprites to HD, added a better training mode like the one in Super Street Fighter II and worked out the character balance issues, MVC2 could have been really great. As it stands, it is a solid fighter with a good online component and a lot of characters to choose from.

Graphics	8.2	The HD backgrounds look great and the character sprites have aged well.
Gameplay	8.0	The game is fast and furious. You can pull insane combos and playing with friends is great. Character balance is an issue.
Sound	8.5	The music and sound effects fit well within the game and are one of the game's strong points. They are better than some recent fighters like BlazBlue.
Lasting Appeal	8.2	With 56 characters to master and online play, MVC2 will last you a long time.
Fun Factor	8.0	Character balance aside, MVC2 is really fun, especially with friends. Online play adds depth and works well. Thumbs Up!
Overall	8.2   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 8 marvel vs capcom 2 Screenshots