I imagine San Diego Comic Con to be something along the lines of Oz: a place filled with magical creatures, lively colours, and odd-looking munchkins. If you're unaware of this colossal event, and you're too lazy to Google it, picture E3, but comic-themed, with panels on everything comic-related, from movies to TV series to videogames. It’s comic-geek heaven. This year, the San Diego Comic Con will take place between the 21st and the 24th of July, and there's plenty we gamers can look forward to. But there is one panel in particular has me salivating at the mouth: Capcom’s Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 panel. Game producer Ryota Niitsuma is set to reveal some “fantastic news” regarding the future of the franchise, and I am set to go into some full blown cardiac arrest depending on just how “fantastic” this news really is.

If I have my way, Ryota Niitsuma will be announcing shiny new DLC characters. What characters would I like to see, you ask? Well, I've spent months trying to decide that. After careful deliberation, and considering what characters could best serve to add diversity and balance to the roster, I decided to screw all that logic-infused reasonable stuff, and just wish for the characters I want to play with the most.

These are the few. The proud. The wishlist.

1: Emma Frost

If there is one thing that the boys and girls at Marvel Comics are good at, it's creating strong female characters, and Emma Frost is probably the fiercest bitch you will find in the colourful pages of the X-Men comics. The quintessential ice-queen, Ms. Frost is a former villain and foil to the X-Men. Emma has seemingly left her evil ways behind her, working her way up the ranks of the team until she eventually became co-headmistress of the Xavier Institue, alongside her boyfriend Scott Summers, better known as Cyclops.

As for her power set, Emma is a world-class telepath, with a secondary mutation which allows her to turn her skin into diamond; these two disparate power sets would allow Capcom to really create an interesting move-set. Emma’s telepathy could make her perfect for confusing the enemy or setting up traps, while her diamond-hard skin could give her some real powerhouse moves. Not to mention, she’s a total knockout.

2: Megaman X

A robot bounty-hunter of the future, the blue bomber's 'mature' incarnation, simply known as 'X', gives you everything you love about the classic Megaman, whilst oozing both style and charm.

The classic Megaman has been featured in both previous Marvel Vs. Capcom games, but Megaman X has never made a proper appearance in the series. We were all lucky enough to have X’s partner, Zero, included in the original roster but - alas - a Marvel Vs. Capcom game without Megaman just doesn’t seem right. This is Capcom’s chance to undo this wrong.

Can you imagine just how cool a Zero and X team-up would be. Yeah, you just nerdgasmed.

3: Iron Fist

Daniel Rand: world-class businessman by day, The Immortal Iron Fist by night. Iron Fist is arguably Marvel Comics' most popular and prominent martial arts character, currently serving on the New Avengers, alongside heavy hitters like Wolverine and Spiderman. Gifted with both superb martial arts skills and the power of the Iron Fist, Danny Rand is able to focus his Chi directly into his fist, granting his hand superhuman power and making it impervious to injury, not to mention the ability to heal himself and others.

To recap, he is basically Bruce Lee with superpowers. You can see why Iron Fist is a perfect fit for this game. I can imagine Iron Fist being a quick character which you play fast and hard, something along the lines of a mix between Chun-Li and Ryu. The thought makes me giddy.

4: Ryu (Breath of Fire)

Capcom’s main claim to fame is undoubtedly the Street Fighter series, as well as the myriad of action-orientated titles the company has produced over the years, spanning everything from Megaman to Resident Evil. This is probably why many are quick to forget all about the small RPG series that could: Breath of Fire.

Although the games in the Breath of Fire series are not directly related – much like the Final Fantasy series, the stories in each BoF game are stand-alone adventures – all the games in the series put you in the role of a blue-haired boy named Ryu who, besides being able to handle a sword or two, can freaking turn into a dragon.

Yeah. You read that right. The kid turns into a dragon.

I rest my case.

5: Spiderwoman

Jessica Drew débuted as Spiderwoman back in 1977, and after some popularity in the early eighties, the character remained largely unused, right up until author Brian Michael Bendis brought her back in a very big way, featuring her in the roster of the New Avengers in 2005. Since then, Jessica has proved to be one of the most compelling characters the House of Ideas has to offer.

Besides wielding a host of superhuman powers - including Venom blasts, superhuman strength and reflexes, flight and a form of pheromone control – Spiderwoman is a highly trained Shield and Hydra operative. If you’re not fluent in Nerd, that means she’s basically a superspy who could kick your ass from here to next Sunday without batting an eyelid. With all of the above combined, Spiderwoman has the potential to be a real powerhouse in the game. Are you picturing Super Venom Blasts and Pheromone traps? I’m right there with you.

6: Strider Hiryu

He is a member of an elite clan of 'cyber-ninjas' from the future, and he will bring the pain.

Hiryu is the main character of a very well-loved 1989 Capcom side-scroller platform game, but the character doesn’t require much introduction for anyone who has ever played Marvel Vs. Capcom 1 or 2. A mainstay of the series, Strider’s popularity - and awesomeness - know no bounds. You read that first part where I said he was a cyber-ninja, right? Quick, powerful and undeniably flashy, Strider is not simply a perfect fit for the style of this game; he helped define its style. You really can't ever have too many ninjas.

7: Elektra

Oh, Elektra. Words escape me. With a past shrouded in tragedy, Elektra has emerged not only as a formidable assassin, but as the premier assassin of the Marvel Universe, and with her omnipresent va-va-voom factor, she redefines the phrase "looks that kill".

A take-no-prisoners ninja-for-hire who straddles the line between hero and villain, Elektra is definitely a gripping character and her skill set makes her a perfect fit for a fighting game. I can’t imagine Elektra would be a very powerful character, but I’m sure she could give the quicker characters of MvC3 a run for their money.

8: Vergil

The yin to Dante’s yang, Vergil is the evil twin brother you never wished for. Débuting in Capcom’s first Devil May Cry, Vergil really came into his own as the main antagonist of Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening. Throughout the course of the game, we learned that Vergil has two defining traits: the first is his lust for power, and the second is that he's a badass who can rival even Dante’s cool-factor.

Although Vergil and Dante share the same demon powers, the way those powers are channelled are quite different. Dante is kind of a no-holds-barred, in your face fighter, whilst Vergil has a certain finesse to his moves. Don’t you worry about Vergil simply being a new 'skin' for the already-existing Dante character.

9: Ms. Marvel

Tall, blonde, and tough; what more could a comic geek ask for? Ms. Marvel has been gracing comic book fans with her presence since way back in the sixties. Her popularity and relevance have not always been constant, but during the last decade she has truly come into her own, arising as what Wizard Magazine would call Marvel’s premier superheroine.

With a power set that could make Superman blush, Ms. Marvel comes packing flight, invulnerability, super strength and energy blasts. There isn't a single character currently on the MvC3 roster which she couldn’t take on. Like I said at the top, Marvel has a knack for creating tough females, which is why it’s so depressing that there is real lack of female fighters on the MvC3 roster, and that those who are present (with the exception of She-Hulk) are all of X-Men fame. It’s time for Marvel to bring out their femmes fatales in force.

10: Cyclops

Expecting another Capcom character, were you? Well, tough cookies. No way was I going to conclude this list without adding the leader of my favorite comic book team, the X-Men.

Wolverine may be the most popular X-Men-man, but Cyclops has proven to be much more than the 'boy scout' he was originally perceived as. In recent years, Cyclops has come to be a true leader in the pages of Marvel Comics, not only for the X-Men, but for all of mutant kind. As for his pedigree as a fighter, the character has proven his worth in both Marvel Vs. Capcom 1 and 2. Cyclops has yet to make his presence felt in the wiring and plastic of my PS3, and I think it’s time for Capcom to do something about that.


Well there you have it; my DLC wish list. Hopefully one or more of these characters is announced by Mr Niitsuma during the San Diego Comic Con, if any DLC characters are even announced at all. What do you think Mr Niitsuma will announce, and what characters would you like to see added to the MvC3 roster? Comment below, gamers.

Labels: 2011, Capcom, Comic-Con, Joey Núñez, Marvel, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, San Diego Comic Con 2011

In 1992 I was not much to look at. A below average height 7 year old boy with questionable social skills and an apparent lack of talent for anything involving a ball, bat, glove, or set of wheels, I was not what you would call an imposing young tyke. There were, however, a couple of things I was pretty good at during that young age. Very good at, actually. The first was remembering the name, power set and origin story of every character featured in my favourite Saturday morning cartoon: X-Men. The second was the ability to execute a flawless DOWN + DOWN-FORWARD + FORWARD motion on my SNES controller, culminating in the most glorious battle cry of all time... Hadouken!. These are talents that I have kept ever since.

Over the years my love for the X-Men evolved into a full blown Marvel comics obsession. While Stan Lee tended to my love for comics, Street Fighter nurtured my love for gaming. To this day I’m still a sucker for a good fighting game; everything from Tekken to BlazBlue - you name it, I’ve played it. So you can imagine my reaction all those months ago when Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds was announced by way of that geektastic trailer featuring the likes of Ryu, Morrigan, Chris Redfield and Wolverine.

The doctors said I was touch and go there for a while, but since first watching that trailer I have fully recovered my eyesight and the use of my left arm.

Yes, I was pretty excited, I mean wasn't everyone? Fans of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 had been clamouring for this game for years, and when Street Fighter IV came around and proved that the fighting scene in gaming was most definitely not dead, the clamours only got louder. So why on earth do I find myself writing up a piece in defense of Marvel vs. Capcom 3? The reviews are in, and the game is good! Haters, however, are gonna hate.

If you haven't followed it, let me describe the different camps who have problems with Marvel vs. Capcom 3. On one side of the bunch you have the hardcore fans who are disappointed in the apparent dumbing-down of the control scheme, and on the other side you've got casual players who love to scoff at the mere 36 characters, compared to the 56 featured in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Surely, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is not the second coming of Christ; and no, it is not the perfect fighting game, but I’ll be damned if I stand by idly and let you fine readers allow a couple of naysayers turn you off of this fine game.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the fighting game equivalent of a bowl of cool beans bathed in awesome sauce. Let's discuss why.

Characters

There is a reason Marvel is called the 'House of Ideas'. The stories and characters the company has produced over the years are some of the most memorable and iconic in all of comics. Featured in television, literature and cinema for decades, the characters of Marvel have withstood the test of time and proven to be near and dear to the hearts of many millions across the globe. The faces featured in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 are a great representation of what Marvel is all about.

The necessary crowd-pleasers like Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America and Wolverine have all made a triumphant return to represent Stan Lee and friends, but Capcom spiced up the comic book roster by throwing in some great new additions like She-Hulk, Phoenix, Deadpool, X-23 and the almighty Thor. Some fans have questioned the inclusion of lesser known characters such as Taskmaster, Dormammu or M.O.D.O.K., and to some extent I can relate. I am definitely not a M.O.D.O.K. fan, and would have much rather preferred his slot be given to a competent fighter (did anyone at Capcom even hear about Iron Fist or Elektra? Come on now!). But I recognise that these 'unknown' characters add nothing but new personality to the game, and help therefore make the roster of characters that much more unique.

As for Capcom, well, where do I even start? You would think that Capcom would play it safe and draw heavily from their fighting franchises (Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, et cetera), but as usual the company seemed determined to represent themselves with characters from all over its diverse library of villains and heroes. Some standouts worth mentioning are the Resident Evil trio: Chris, Wesker, and Jill Valentine (the last available as DLC); Spencer of Bionic Commando fame; the devilishly awesome demon hunters of Devil May Cry: Trish and Dante; and Amaterasu, the god which is dog, but is still really a god, originally featured in the cult hit, Okami. Per usual the company managed to stick in some oddball characters, which actually works given the random context of the game. Most notable in this category are Viewtiful Joe and Arthur, of Ghosts n’ Goblins.

Now, if you are at all familiar with the characters I’ve mentioned above you may worry that this is a mismatched roster. I mean, how can you have Amaterasu (a god) fight Deadpool? How does that even work?! But that’s just the thing - it works perfectly! I will admit that there are some balancing issues to be dealt with (*cough* Dark Phoenix and Sentinel *cough*) yet for the most part Capcom managed to do something quite extraordinary with this game, as you can pit any of these characters against each other and for the most part have a fair and balanced fight.

You might be worried that the essence of your favourite characters have been abused in order to fit them into a fighting game paradignm ("Jill Valentine throwing a fireball? Blasphemy!"). You can lay those fears to rest. The greatest thing about this roster is that each fighter still feels like the character we know and love. Every character has retained his or her own signature fighting moves and styles, drawn directly from their respective games and comics. Yes, Amaterasu’s moves are as artful as you would expect them to be, and yes, Dante has access to basically all the weapons featured in Devil May Cry 3. The same goes for each and everyone one of the Marvel characters, with move sets that seem to have been pulled right from the panels of a comic.

Add to the above the fact that, unlike in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 no two characters really fight alike, and you’ve got yourself one of the most exciting fighting game rosters in years. Still scoffing at the mere 36 characters? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Fighting Mechanics

If you’re not familiar with the fighting mechanics of the Marvel vs. Capcom series, here’s the skinny: you pick a team of three characters, each with their own health bar. The first player who has all three health bars drained by their opponent loses. During a fight you can tag-out with either of your two available partners at any time, or you can call either one in for a quick assist move which you can integrate into combos using timing and planning. All characters have special moves (projectiles, grabs, etc.) and super moves (the flashy screen tearing end-all moves which every fighting game seems to feature these days). These super moves and hyper combos can only be used when your 'super meter' is full. The more energy available in your super meter, the stronger the move you can pull off. As an added twist, Capcom has thrown in an 'X-Factor' which can be activated once during a fight to give all your remaining fighters a considerable boost in strength, vitality or speed; the strength of the boost is directly proportionate to the amount of characters on your team who are still alive - the lower the amount of characters, the stronger the X-Factor boost.

There are other complex details to the game's design to master, but I can tell you’re headed towards an information overload, so we’ll leave it at that. Suffice it to say, the fighting mechanics are very cool, very stylish, and very awesome. Three on three fights featuring wacky Capcom characters and comic book superheroes make for grand affairs. The thing is, these fights are not always so easy to get a hang of. Like in any decent fighting game, they take practice.

Since I’ve been pulling off fireballs and dragon punches since the early 90s, it’s easy for me to forget that not everyone is gifted with Hermes' nimble thumb. This can make playing a fighting game with unexperienced friends a boring affair. The gap between experienced and amateur players was especially apparent back in the days of Marvel vs. Capcom 2; you could never really show off what the fighting engine was capable of unless you got two experienced players involved. This was something I was worried about while waiting for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 to hit game shelves; I wanted the game to retain its signature air combo-filled craziness, but I didn’t want to have to offer a free training course for my friends.

Capcom addressed my worries in two very cool ways. First of all the normal controls for the game have been somewhat streamlined; no, this does not mean dumbed-down. It just means normal controls are more accessible to new players. Each character has a light, medium, and strong attack, all of which can be chained together to pull off basic combos. On top of those, each character has a launch attack; with the press of a button you can hurl your opponent into the air and supplement your combo with some airbourne hits. It's when a fight takes to the skies that stuff gets really flashy. Previous games in the franchise gave each character specific launch moves which you had to know in order to even hope to pull off an air combo. Adding a generic launch button has made the process much simpler to learn, while still keeping enough complexity to make it difficult to keep things challenging. Just because you can launch your opponent into the air doesn’t mean you’ll be able to pull off a 25-hit air combo just like that. Trust me, I know. I hate to fall back on the 'easy to learn, difficult to master' cliché, but there really is no better way to describe the fighting mechanics of Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

The second measure taken by Capcom to reconcile varying player skill levels is a bit more straightforward. Before starting each match the game will give you the option to choose between the 'normal' control scheme and its 'simple' counterpart. The latter transfers all of your normal hits into a single button, while a second button will automatically launch a special move (no DOWN + DOWN-FORWARD motion required) and a third button will launch a super move. Yup, it’s just as simple as it sounds. The downside to this is that under the simple scheme you don’t have access to all the characters moves, and, if you ask me, you don’t really stand a chance against a skilled player using the normal scheme. That said, the ability to choose between control settings is nothing but an extra option which allows any fighting noob to pull off some of the flashier moves in the game without moving to Japan and finding a Marvel vs. Capcom sensei. And that takes me straight to my next point.

Fun Factor

Simply put, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a fun game. Sure, it's complex enough to be in in the fighting game tournament scene, but at the same time it's more than accessible enough to pull it out and mash some buttons for a while with a few friends. Virtually anyone you can sit in front of the TV will recognise at least a few of the characters featured in the game, and will get a kick out of watching them face off. Throw in the 'simple' mode, and I can guarantee even the most amateur gamer will find myriad reasons to love pulling off a show-stopping hyper combo filled with flashy colors and snazzy visuals while using their favourite characters from gaming and comics.

Even though the core gaming experience is a blast, I have to admit Capcom kind of dropped the ball on the content side of things. The game disc is somewhat bare when compared with other fighting games. Although there is a story which frames the setting of the game, and each character has a unique (albeit short) ending sequence featuring some nice comic panels, there isn’t really a story mode (à la Mortal Kombat). There are a 'Training Mode' and 'Mission Mode', and Capcom is constantly updating an online feature called 'Event Mode', in which the game asks you to complete the game under certain conditions (using only a single character, or a team pulled from the X-Men universe, et cetera.), but while these modes can be fun for trophy and achievement hunters, I really would have liked some more meat on Marvel vs. Capcom 3's bones.

Nonetheless, there is no denying that watching Thor, Captain American and Iron Man pull off a team hyper combo against Wesker, Doctor Doom and Akuma is pure entertainment, particularly for a comic fan like me. Avengers Assemble baby!

Stylish Visuals

Boot up Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on an HD television and you shall be impressed. Unless, of course, you hate all things awesome. Hater.

The game features very appropriate 3D cell shaded graphics which match the tone of the game perfectly. Most matches look like they were pulled straight from a comic book, and that is a good thing. A very good thing. The character animations are fluid, which is necessary when you’re pulling off 50-hit combos, and each and every fighter looks great while in motion. Capcom made sure to have each character move exactly how you'd expect them to. The effort shows.

Building on the style developed in Street Fighter IV, Capcom places these 3D characters on a 2D plane; however, the stages in the game feature a lot of visual depth, so although your fight will occur only on the foreground, there will be a lot of stuff going on in the background behind you. The stages featured in the game are pulled from both Capcom’s iconic games and Marvel’s most celebrated stories, and all are filled to the brim with crisp, colourful details which are sure to make any fan smile.

In short, the game looks good, flashy and stylish.

I could go on and on about this game (...well, I kind of have already), so I’ll leave it here. Feel free to bash or praise the game in the comments section below.

Until next time, true believers. Excelsior!

Labels: 2011, Capcom, Joey Núñez, Marvel, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, RePlay

It's happened. After years of waiting, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is finally here, and it rocks. I know the masses of faithful fans are somewhat divided on the pros and cons of its new game mechanics, but I don’t think anyone can deny that the game is loads of fun (especially for a comic fan like yours truly). A big part of the fun factor in this classic series is the opportunity to see iconic and disparate characters clash in visually stunning over-the-top battles.

Simply put? It's fanboy heaven.

Yup, there is definitely a special appeal to any 'vs.' series, and contemplation on this subject got my brain gears grinding. Once the resultant massive headache subsided, I was left with one very distinct thought: "I want more". If Marvel and Capcom can somehow put all their characters into one single awesome fighting game, why can’t everyone?! Sure, the logical non-fanboy half of me immediately started blurting out some nonsense about character rights and copyright infringement, but in grindy-gear-brai-fantasy-land there's no room for naysayers. So, after I shut him up, I thought it’d be a good idea to share my little wishlist; nay! My list of demands.

Videogame industry? These are the 'vs.' fighting games I want. Get on it!

1: Marvel vs. DC

Go ahead, call me obvious. Scream to the top of your lungs about my lack of originality, and see if I care. Sure, any gamer who’s ever glanced sideways at a Spider-Man comic or a Superman novel has at one point or another dreamt of a videogame crossover. It’s a cliché, guilty as charged, but it’s one of the awesomest clichés in awesometown. I’ve been dreaming about this game since I was six years old, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t made in my lifetime.

Our chances of playing a Marvel vs. DC are not as low as you might think. The comic publishing giants have collaborated several times before upon comic book crossovers, and the commercial success of a product pitting the two sides against one another is practically guaranteed. Marvel’s characters are back in the fighting game spotlight thanks to Capcom, and the DC catalogue wet their toes in the arena with the lacklustre, yet still undeniably fun Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. There is no reason why both companies can’t have another go, only this time against one another. Superman vs. Thor... Batman vs. Captain America... Wonder Woman vs. Ms. Marvel...

Tell me you’re not excited.

I’d hand over development of the game to Capcom, as they are the undisputed masters of fighting games and have proven that they can recreate the out-of-this-world battles that go hand-in-hand with superhero comics. The tricky part will be to get DC’s parent company, Warner Brothers, to sign off on this. But, hey, we can all just share the money... right guys?

Make it happen!

2: Mortal Kombat Vs. Killer Instinct

I am hoping that most of you out there remember Killer Instinct. The original Killer Instinct was released on the Super Nintendo way back when, in 1995. With crazy characters, insane one-hundred-hit combos, and finishing moves pulled straight from the Mortal Kombat editing pile, this game managed to have a voice all of its own. A sequel was produced for arcades in 1996, but home consoles have been left wanting and waiting for a Killer Instinct title since the release of the original.

Granted, the franchise is pretty obscure. Though originally developed by Rare, various other studio heads have expressed interest in revisiting the franchise front time to time, perhaps via a release on the XBLA arcade. As of today, we fans haven’t heard anything but rumours. So why pair up this game with the MK franchise?

If you're the one asking that question, you probably haven’t played Killer Instinct.

Killer Instinct was a brutal game - the only fighting game I remember playing which evoked the same gore and brutality as Mortal Kombat. The two franchises are a perfect fit. The creators of Mortal Kombat at Midway actually published the original Killer Instinct, so the necessary relationship is there. All signs point to a return to form for the Mortal Kombat franchise later this year; if Rare can get Killer Instinct out onto XBLA sometime soon, I can see enough positive buzz being generated to give this prospective crossover a concrete chance of coming to fruition.

Make it happen!

3: Capcom vs. Sega

Oh, Sega, I truly do miss your glory days. Once a company leading the charge against Nintendo in the console race, you've now dropped out of console development and dedicated yourself to publishing games. Even though your golden age may be behind you, your catalogue of characters is more than suited to take on the Capcom bunch.

I remind you, first and foremost, that the guys and gals at Sega are the ones behind the Virtua Fighter series, and that alone gives them a slew of characters worthy of taking on Ryu or Chun Li. And let’s not forget that hasty blue hedgehog, Sonic, and his supporting cast. Just the thought of Sonic and Tails wailing on Megaman and Roll gives me goose bumps. For those of you that have played Valkyria Chronicles, can you imagine Welkin, Alicia and Selvaria taking on the S.T.A.R.S. team, of Resident Evil fame?

The main reason this game needs to happen is that some day, before I leave this mortal world, I need to see Dante take on Bayonetta. This fight needs to happen, and I need to be at the controls. 'Nuff said.

Make it happen!

4: Namco Bandai vs. Capcom

One of the first games I ever played on the original PlayStation all those years ago was Tekken. It was the first 3D fighting game I had ever played, and I was in awe. I vividly remember thinking to myself "Huh. So this is the new Street Fighter...". Tekken was the fighting game to beat for a few years in many respects, and Namco has made quite a reputation for itself in the fighting game arena, having also created the excellent Soul Calibur series.

Granted, Tekken x Street Fighter is going to happen (haven’t heard? Look it up, people!), but why stop at making a Street Fighter-esque game featuring the Tekken characters, when you can create a crazy, over-the-top 'vs.' series featuring all of Namco’s characters? The Soul Calibur roster is just itching to get out there, and seeing Kosmos from Xenosaga ripping on Zero (of Megaman fame) is one of my more awesome recurring dreams. Seriously.

The two companies have already come together twice in the past to create the quirky RPG Namco x Capcom, and the aforementioned Street Fighter x Tekken, so what's the hold up? Let's take it the whole nine yards!

Oh, and remember that Namco merged with Bandai a few years back? You know Bandai, the guys behind the Power Rangers... it's morphing time, amigos!

Make it happen!

5: Square Enix vs. Capcom

Have you played Dissidia Final Fantasy? You haven’t? Let me boil it down for you. Turns out Final Fantasy characters in a fighting game are downright unbelievably fun. This is really a no-brainer. Square has a great catalogue of characters, and can call on anyone from Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest fame, arguably the company’s best-known franchises.

Capcom has long-since established that it has the talent necessary to put a great 'vs.' game together, and Square has the roster it takes to make what could feasibly be the most epic game in the 'vs.' genre. Ryota Niitsuma, the Capcom developer behind Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, has already stated that he would love to work with the Square Enix characters.

This could actually happen.

Wait a second... Square Enix is publishing Tomb Raider now. Does this mean a Square vs. Capcom game could have me pitting Lara Croft against Jill Valentine?

...please excuse me whilst I go to the corner and nerdgasm.


So that’s it, guys: my wish list for 'vs.' games that need to happen. Any great ideas of your own? Sound off in the comments section below.

Labels: 2011, Capcom, DC, Joey Núñez, Marvel, Namco, RePlay, SEGA, Square Enix

One of the biggest criticisms thrown at Sony's portable system, the PSP, has always been its lack of quality games (or of games in general). Sony seems to have taken the criticism to heart, and in the coming months a bevy of grade-A titles are set to hit the PSP. There are quite a few games I'm looking forward to, and I've decided to share a portion of my most wanted list with you guys.


If you're a fighting game fan you likely are familiar, or at least aware of, the Soul Calibur franchise. A weapon based fighting game developed by Namco (the nice folks who brought you Tekken), the Soul Calibur games consistently provide a high quality fighting game experience to fans of the series.

Namco has decided to let PSP owners in on the fun with Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny. The title borrows heavily from Soul Calibur 4 (released last year on the PS3 on Xbox 360), with most characters and locales being directly imported from said game. However, new stages have been developed for the PSP game, and two new characters are featured in the games roster, including none other than Kratos, from God of War. As for the graphics, well, if videos and screens released so far are any indication, Namco is set on outdoing itself once again.

Soul Calibur Broken Destiny is set to be released on September 1st, 2009.



Ok, so not everyone was on board when Sqaure Enix (known as Squaresoft at the time) announced that it would be developing an action RPG game which fused together the worlds of Disney Animation and Final Fantasy... a kid that looks like Cloud riding on Dumbo...seriously? Years later we are all well aware that the Kingdom Hearts saga is simply awesome, delivering high action and intense gameplay, with a deep story and involving characters (not to mention a badass Mickey Mouse).

Set ten years prior to the main Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the main series and will tell the tale of Aqua, Ventus and Terra, three Keyblade weilders. Little else has been revealed about the story of the game, and details on the gameplay are also scarce, although it will follow in the vein of previous Kingdom Hearts games, so combat promises to be quick and eye catching.

No official release date yet, but make sure you keep your eyes open for this one.



Perhaps its because I love Marvel Comics to death... or perhaps its the fact that I'm very immature for my age...maybe it's a little bit of both. Well, regardless of the reason, I am very excited about Marvel Super Hero Squad, and hell, I think GGTLers such as yourself should be excited too.

A kid friendly game with graphics aimed towards a five year old audience, Marvel Super Hero Squad is a brawler which lets you take control of over 20 marvel characters, and set them loose in a mission mode (think lego games) taking on waves of bad guys, and in a battle mode, taking on three other heroes or villains in an all out brawl (think a watered down version of Smash Brothers).

With simple graphics, simple controls and game mechanics, Marvel Super Hero Squad promises to be a whole lot of fun for any marvel fan...well either that or a complete mess. The game is set for release in the fourth quarter of 2009.



If you've been paying attention to recent posts you'll know just how excited I am about Dissidia: Final Fantasy, the PSP game which puts you in control of your favorite Final Fantasy heroes and villains. Rather than bore you with details about the game, i'll just refer you to my impressions of the PSN demo, which you can check out here. Dissidia is set to hit stores on August 25th, 2009.

Well there you have it, Part 1 of GGTL's PSP wishlist. There are plenty of other high profile games coming out on the PSP soon, for now I've mostly concentrated on PSP exclusives (all of the above except for Marvel Super Hero Squad will appear only on your PSP). Stay tuned for Part 2 of the list, for info on PSP versions of the hottest games coming out this fall and winter.

Labels: Dissidia Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy, Joey Núñez, Kingdom Hearts, Marvel, PSP, Soul Calibur

Marvel fans of the world rejoice, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has finally been given an official release date. Activision has confirmed that the game will hit store shelves on September 15th, 2009.

As any true Marvel fan gamer would know, the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance was an action RPG game developed by Activision back in 2006, which followed in the vein of the X-Men Legends Games, allowing you to mix and match an inmense cast of Marvel characters and form any 4 member team your imagination could come up with.

The sequel offers more of the same Marvel goodness, with its epic story focusing on the Marvel Civil War, a massive crossover event which changed the face of the Marvel Universe back in 2007, as heroes faced off against heroes over a registration act which would legally require all supers to reveal their identities to the US Government.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 will bring back old favorites as well as new characters, including a cameo by the man himself, Stan Lee. Expect the game to arrive on the PS3, 360, PSP, DS, Wii and PS2 come September.

We'll keep you posted on new info on the game as it becomes available. Until then, Excelsior True Believers!

Joey

Labels: Joey Núñez, Marvel, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, News