I’ve been playing videogames for about 20 years now, and in that amount of time I like to think that I’ve become a pretty darn talented player..

I finish all my games, hunt down secrets and power-ups, and generally wipe the floor with would-be opponents. Admittedly, most of my opponents over the years haven’t been true gamers; for some unfathomable reason, most of my friends just haven’t been into videogames. So - as you can imagine - when one of the poor bastards picked up a controller and challenged me to a round or two, the results were pretty much invariable: Joey would reign supreme.

Although it’s arguable how fun these challenges truly were, one thing is certain: they led me to believe that I was some kind of gaming legend, unlike other gamers, unlike other men. Whispers were heard of my prowess the world over. I was great and I knew it.

Hell yeah, bitches.

Now, you should know I’ve never really been into online gaming. As a huge fighting game fan, most of my early online experiences were focussed on these types of games, which are utterly ruined by lag. With a bad internet connection at the time, I abandoned my online adventures. I have since upgraded my internet, but with the unpleasant taste that was left in my mouth by a laggy Soul Calibur IV, I was hesitant to try out the online arena again. Until recently that is.

It was a regular Tuesday night at home, nothing particularly out of the ordinary. I got home from work, made myself a ham sandwich and sat down to enjoy some quality gaming time. As I flicked through my collection, and deliberated what my game of choice for the evening would be, I found the whimsical sideway looks of Ryu and Ironman to have a particularly charming glow, and popped Marvel vs. Capcom 3 into my PS3.

My love for comics and fighters is well known here on GGTL, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I’m still playing the hell out of Marvel vs. Capcom 3. However, I hadn’t really jumped into the online experience of the game. I'd tried a fight or two, but normally signed out quickly, as soon as a hint of lag reared its ugly head. That Tuesday night, however, things were different. The internet and I were getting along brilliantly, and I was ready to take some noob kids to school. My first challenger - we’ll call him 'ScoobyNoob23' - did wonders to rouse my spirits. I stepped into the ring with She-Hulk, Trish and Captain America, and as I realised that 'Scooby' had chosen Sentinel, Iron-Man and Ryu, I simultaneously felt intense feelings of both relief and dread. Relief because the cheap Sentinel–Iron-Man combo is oh-so-popular amongst noobs, and dread because with his cheap characters, this noob might just beat my legendary skill down with some dumb luck.


'Scooby' never knew what hit him. I walked out of that fight with my three characters intact, and Scooby declined a rematch. 'Who’s next?' I thought, feeling like Daniel-san, post Mr Miyagi training. My next challenger popped up soon enough.

We’ll call him 'SoulCrushingRealityCheck85', or just 'EgoKiller' for short.

'EgoKiller' walked into the ring with Dante, Akuma and Zero, against my She-Hulk, Trish, and Captain America trio. She-Hulk is my heavy hitter; I start off most fights with her, and then leave her in reserve to deal out some heavy punishment if my other characters are taking too much heat. I blinked twice and she was down. As I felt the cold sweat travel down the back of my neck, I paired my Trish against his Dante, and after some grueling fighting, just as I was about to take that cocky, white-haired douchebag out, 'EgoKiller' switched him and came down on me with fury as Akuma. Poor Trish never stood a chance. Captain America was my last hope. A few charging stars and shield throws later, Cap’s lifeless body lay on the ground, looking up at me. I had failed my fighters, and I was pissed.

'I’ll get him on this rematch', I thought. Five rematches later, I had managed to take down one or two of his characters, but hadn't won a single match. At the end of my fifth utter defeat, a message pops on my screen: "Your utter incompetence is no longer amusing. You are no legend. Thou art nought but a noob".

Okay, what he actually said was "Good fights" as he signed out, but I knew what he really meant. I now had a personal vendetta. An arch-nemesis.

I watched YouTube videos of MvC3 during my lunch break at work. I stayed up until 2am, polishing my skills in the challenge and practice modes. And, three gruelling days later, I was ready. I had added 'EgoKiller' as a friend, waited for him to show up and challenged him to a game. As he accepted, my hands were shaking, but I walked into that fight feeling like Bruce Lee; this was a wild jungle but I was Stallone. Sure, this guy was my own personal terminator, but I was Sarah freaking Connor, and I was ready.


I cannot even begin to describe the utterly humiliating asskicking that followed. Nothing I tried worked. Those perfectly timed combos I had mastered? I couldn't even manage to set them up. As the fight ended, I pondered for a moment whether or not I should even attempt a rematch, but only for a moment. I was seeing red, and as our second fight started I attacked this guy with a fury. I used every cheap move I could think of, recalled every combo I ever learned, switched characters in and out quicker than I ever had. It came down to Zero and She-Hulk, and as that beautiful green lady delivered that final punch, the sheer elation of victory that filled my body was overwhelming. I jumped up and down like a two year old, and not even the soul-destroying pain I felt when I stubbed my little toe on my bedpost was enough to bring me down. I had won. I was legendary once more. This was what gaming was all about.

EgoKiller beat me to a bloody pulp in all of the next three fights.

I’ll keep fighting online, though. I’m craving that feeling of elation like a junkie. I’ve discovered online gaming and there’s no going back.

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

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

Last weekend I was spending some quality time with my Buffy and Angel DVDs^[1]. As usual, my lovely PS3, Polly, was in charge of the DVD playing duties. All was well, vamps were being dusted and Buffy was being as kickass as usual. But it seems Polly had had enough of those silly DVDs, and decided a strike was in order. She proceeded to shut down. Polly hasn’t turned back on since.

Yeah, my weekend pretty much sucked.

Polly’s fate is still unclear, but if you’re wondering how I’m holding up, the answer is surprisingly well. Complete and utter chaos has not erupted, and work has kept me busy enough, so I haven’t had much time to fret. Still... even though it has only been a few days, the absence of my PS3 is already painfully noticeable. Polly is, without a doubt, the pièce de résistance of my bedroom, and in her absence it took me all of about two hours to dust off my PS2 and start revisiting some of my old favourites. The whole ordeal has revealed to me that a couple of days without gaming is a couple days too many.

As I bemoaned the painful, hopefully not permanent, loss of Polly to some friends, I found myself once again having to defend my hobby. I can’t deny that as I have grown older I have taken a hard look at my hobby of choice. Not too long ago the consensus was that I was getting “too old for those kid games”; but as the next generation consoles (and also the Wii. See what I did there?) have made gaming much more mainstream, that opinion has died down considerably. But the naysayers aren’t all gone.

For what seemed like the fifth hundred and thirty second time I had to illustrate to non-gamers on the glories and values of the video game. The result was somewhere between a rave and a rant, but by the time the dust settled I once again felt validated, the intrinsic value of my past time proven, and walked away with the certainty that my hobby kicks every other hobby’s ass.

Since a) you guys will probably find yourself in a similar “Defense of Gaming” situation someday; and b) you crazy kids just love lists, I’ve summarized my ranting and raving on the awesomeness of gaming into the four points below.

So, without further ado, this is why I game:

1: Fun things are fun

First things first: video games are fun. Can most of you remember the first time you put your hands around a video game controller, or set your fingers down on a keyboard? Back when we were all gaming virgins, and had no idea the relationship we were getting ourselves into, or what that guy on the screen was supposed to be doing, there was only one thing we could do: wing it. You jumped and ran around with no other goal but to jump and run. There were no trophies or achievements to hunt down, no urgent need to complete a level, no “noobs” to be “owned”. You were gaming to enjoy yourself, and nothing more. The important thing about playing a video game was having fun.

Games have become more complex, and gamers seem to take their hobby more and more seriously each day, but we should never forget, in the end, gaming should always be about enjoyment. Today your average gamer is tech-savvy enough to ask about frame rates, textures and level design, but even they have to admit, there is one key requirement that any good game just has to meet: one way or another, it must be fun. Good games are fun to play, period. What better way to spend a couple of free hours in a day than having fun?

2: Gaming is a social experience. No, seriously.

Sometimes it’s planned, and sometimes it happens spontaneously, but more often than not when Sunday comes around my significant other, my friends and I find ourselves huddled around Polly, controllers in hand. We mess around in the user-created levels in Little Big Planet 2, bash each other’s heads in for a while in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, or take some guided tours of Renaissance Italy in Assassin's Creed 2. No money is spent, no gas is used, but fun with friends is had none the less.

Contrary to what some people would like to think, we gamers are perfectly capable of having normal social interactions, and video games can prove to be an extremely useful tool to that effect. When you’ve got yourself a nifty gaming console and some good games at home there’s no need to cook up some lame viewing party or movie night to have your friends come over - all you need to do is obtain enough controllers to let everyone hang out and play.

I’m pretty sure that if every world leader had a PS3 in their office, diplomacy would be a much simpler affair. Who needs war when you’ve got co-op and death matches?

3: An easy way to go through the looking glass.

Forrest Gump had it right: life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. We have all had less than stellar days, weeks, or months, when nothing seems to be going quite right. It is during times like those that you would give anything to be able to step out of your life, if only for just a second, and forget about everything that’s going wrong. It has been my experience that gaming is just the right way to do that.

It is true that movies and books also provide escapism to a certain degree, but I don’t think they come close to what video games have to offer. Sure, you could watch Frodo and the gang bring it to Sauron in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I’m sure that will provide some distraction; but better yet, why not jump into a world which is just as detailed as Middle Earth and be the characters on their epic quest for just a little while, making the tough decisions and guiding the heroes in their journey by your own hand? If that sounds good to you, then Final FantasY VI through X are highly recommended.

As a kid I used to be mesmerized by the Indiana Jones films. I always wondered what it would be like to go on one of those dangerous adventures and discover the mysteries of an ancient tomb. As a teenager the Lady Lara Croft gave me a taste of that anthropological brand of adventure. I led Ms. Croft through perilous traps and labyrinthine halls, and with her I discovered prehistoric treasures and forgotten civilizations I'd never dreamed of. When I was playing Tomb Raider I didn’t have to dwell on the fact that my parents were getting divorced - not when I had an ancient temple to explore.

With the technology available to game developers today, even complete historical cities can be recreated for us to explore (Assassins Creed anyone?). Essentially, through technology, the entire world becomes our playground, and when created properly video games are nice little vacations from our lives. Let’s face it, we can all use a vacation now and then.

4: Gold stars, blue ribbons and shiny trophies.

A few days ago Greg Mengel talked to you guys about the wonders of Mega Man X. I, like Greg, am also a huge Mega Man fan, and as I read his article the other day I started reminiscing and pinpointed just what was so great about the Mega Man games: the extraordinary sense of achievement that seems to overwhelm you when you churn through one of those levels and crush its boss. It’s no secret that Mega Man titles can sometimes seem impossible to conquer, which is exactly why you feel so empowered when you eventually see those end credits roll. The experience of starting up a game, mastering its intricacies, and eventually plowing through its challenges is something every gamer loves.

Before Polly decided it was time for a break I was able to, after hours of practice, complete every single combo challenge for Phoenix in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. I felt like a freaking god (and yes, a lame victory dance was involved). Does that make me a complete and total nerd? Well, yeah, I guess it does, but hell, I felt great doing my victory dance. I'd earned it.

So there you have it, a rock solid defense for gaming, feel free to pull out this list, or some variation of it, when you find yourself having to prove you’re not an antisocial hermit just because you like to play video games to your family or friends.

In any case, chances are if you’re reading this now you don’t need convincing, you know gaming is awesome. So tell us below, why do you game?

Footnotes

[1] That’s right, in addition to being a gamer I’m a card-carrying, browncoated Joss Whedon fan. I’m awesome, deal with it.

Labels: 2011, Assassin's Creed, Final Fantasy, Joey Núñez, LittleBigPlanet 2, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Megaman X, Polly, PS2, PS3, RePlay, The Gaming Experience

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