(LAST UPDATE: 11/18/2009)
.
.
.
.
Developer(s): Capcom, Backbone (for
PSN/XBLA versions)
Publisher(s): Capcom
Platform(s): Arcade,
Dreamcast, PS2, PS3 (PSN), Xbox, Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Release Date(s): 2000 (Arcade), March 30th 2000 (
Dreamcast), June 29th
2000 (
Dreamcast), September 19th 2002
( PS2), November 19th 2002 ( PS2), July
29th 2009 (XBLA), August 13th 2009 (PSN)
Characters:
Ryu,
Chun-Li,
Zangief,
Guile,
Charlie,
Felicia,
Dan,
B.B.
Hood, Akuma,
Cammy,
Servbot,
Sakura,
Anakaris,
Amingo,
Son
Son, Ruby Heart, Hayato,
Tron Bonne,
Jill,
Dhalsim,
Bison,
Ken,
Roll,
Morrigan,
Captain
Commando, Mega Man, Strider
Hiryu, Spider-man,
Jin Saotome,
Captain
America, Venom,
Hulk,
Gambit,
War
Machine, Wolverine,
Omega
Red, Rogue,
Dr.
Doom, Cable,
Marrow,
Cyclops,
Shuma
Gorath, Psylocke,
Iceman,
Storm,
Sentinel,
Iron
Man, Magneto,
Juggernaut,
Silver
Samurai, Thanos,
Sabretooth,
Blackheart,
Spiral,
Colossus,
Abyss
Related Games:
X-men:
Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-men
VS Street Fighter,
Marvel Super Heroes VS
Street Fighter, Marvel VS Capcom, Tatsunoko
VS Capcom
Review: MvC2 exploded into arcades in the year 2000, receiving an incredibly positive response from most fighting game fans; and is surely one of the best 2D fighting games of all time. It is the ultimate cross-over fighting game, mixing the awesome worlds of Marvel and Capcom together in an all out brawl... With the exception of boss characters, every Marvel character to ever grace a Capcom fighting game is selectable, and of course a few handfuls of old favorites from the Capcom world (including some brand new ones) join the roster, for a grand total of 56 characters in all.
.
.
.
The 3-on-3 tag team gameplay is unlike anything seen in any other game, and is a true gem. It could be summed up as "Street Fighter to the extreme," and in my opinion, has a lasting appeal that so few fighting games could ever hope for. MvC2 gives you the ultimate freedom of creativity, where you can form a team of 3 characters, opening up tons of potential combo possibilities and assets waiting to be learned. Each character even has 3 assist types, which can make or break your "unit's" defense, offense, combo possibilities... and maybe even "coolness factor." Yea, MvC2 is a game that just never seems goes out of style.
.
MvC2 is fast paced,
one of the fastest fighting game ever, and likely can't even be followed visually by non players.
There's just so much going on at once, and gameplay from skilled players might
even look like button mashing
to the "misinformed," but a real skilled player of this game can feel in control of
his entire team, at all times, and ultimately, his opponent's team as well. 
The gameplay is amazingly fun to watch when two skilled players go at it, and even more so to play. Why?
Partner assists during the fight (which can be punished), super move cancels, triple tag team supers,
huge combos, and even infinite combos; which both make and break this game
at the same time... The open-ended combo system is the best aspect about the
game, and
it's what truly makes MvC2 stand out from the crowd.
When MvC2
first came out, it was pretty much "god-like" among fighting games (and still is to
some)... But later down the road, there were indeed some "cheap"
infinite combos and corner traps that were discovered and abused by high level players.
Certain teams in MvC2 can easily be considered over-powered, and the top tier
characters of the game are quite difficult to beat with less powerful
characters... but it can still be done. 
Even though the roster of the game isn't balanced, since some characters are leagues better
than
others, it's
still fun... Why? Because even a team of low tier characters who have solid
chemistry, under the
control of expert hands, can beat a top tier team of of a upper-mid or even high
level player, where victory becomes the ultimate satisfaction... It's
a beautiful thing when the underdogs win. 
Other flaws besides balance?
Not many. I always wondered why the character walking animations appeared
"choppy" right before the fight begins... The animation in this game is
definitely above average, but why do characters have to look like they're
"skating" across the stage before the fight? It never made sense to me,
but it doesn't really matter. I've heard many complain about the "jazzy"
music of this game, but one can't deny that it isn't rather catchy. Although
when you've heard the character selection BGM over and over and over...
and over times infinity... It does become very old, and you
may begin to form a hatred for that female jazz singer. Thankfully the PS3/360
versions of the game allow you to play the game with your own soundtrack using
the mp3's
on your system. Awesome.
I was ecstatic to hear MvC2 was coming to the next gen consoles,
complete with graphic filters which nicely smooth out the 2D sprites, as well as
the long awaited online mode. MvC2 online is straight forward, though a bit short on features... The
battle room layout could have been designed a tad better and give you more
options, but at least the netcode is solid enough to allow players from across the
globe to enjoy online MvC2 without lag. Like in any online fighting game,
it's always a treat to play against other skilled players you never would
have gotten a chance to play in real life. As expected, there are indeed a lot
of noobs online, but once you make some friends in skilled players, it's like
playing at the arcade all over again... Just a bit less personal. 
MvC2 is one of those games where effectiveness and power of the characters/teams
really depends on the player's skill level, as you'll find out by playing
online. Low tier teams FTW!!!
Love it or hate it, Marvel VS Capcom 2 is a behemoth of a fighting
game featuring some of the most unique and enjoyable gameplay elements (still to this day); and is still one
of the most fun fighting games ever created (especially if you know how to play it on a
high level). There's no story mode, no adventure mode, no exciting extras
(besides unlocking characters and stages in the beginning), but this is
a "fighting game" made for fighting gamers, which means it doesn't really
need anything extra. This is a game that Street Fighter and fighting game fans will be playing
until the end of time. Hardcore Street Fighter players play Street Fighter for one reason and
one reason only: To experience the game with other "skilled" players, and to punish
any noobs if any cross their path... And we all know that MvC2 allows us skilled players
to punish noobs in ways they could never have dreamed of.
|
|
|
- Review is for Dreamcast version of Marvel VS Capcom 2 - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.5 / 10 |
Closing Comment: Nearly a decade later and MvC2 is still "The Shit". Very few fighters come close to MvC2 in terms of fun, gameplay, and flashiness. I think one of the things I love most about MvC2 is the speed... It's probably the fastest fighting game in existence, especially when compared to many fighting games nowadays. No doubt MVC2 was, and still is one of the most enjoyable 2D fighting games for casual players and skilled players alike. For high level players, the tournament scene is a little different, as "cheap" (as they say) tactics are used to dominate, and assists can be abused for chip damage, which lead to "inescapable" traps.
I'm sure a lot of people still complain about the traps and the balance issues of this
game, but the fact that skilled players can do those sorts of things makes the game
impressive in it's own right, especially to non-players or noobs. In what other
game can do you do crazy triangle jump rush down combos or 15 second long corner traps? Exactly...
Good times if you ask me.
True,
MVC2 is "un-balanced" but I think that's what Capcom intended to do in the
first place. The imbalance of the game makes it fun. And don't forget,
low-tier characters can be used effectively and are still very fun to use, especially when you can beat a top
tier team.
Marvel VS Capcom 2 hit PSN & XBLA
in Summer of 2009, complete with online play... We had to
wait nine years to get online play, but thankfully it was worth it. The netcode
is solid on both PSN & XBLA, and playing other skilled players across the globe is particularly fun
in this game. Overlooking the influx of noobs to the MvC2 scene, there are many
skilled players out there and clever new teams & tactics to test your skills against.
I love playing low tier teams online with other skilled low-tier users, but I'm
always up for mixing it up and going all out with those high-tier teams as well. See you on
PSN! 
~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG
|
|
|
|
