Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Ultimate All Stars
(LAST UPDATE: 2/15/10)

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Publisher(s): Capcom
Developer(s): Capcom
Platform(s): Nintendo Wii
Release: January 26th, 2010 (NA Wii)
Characters: Ryu, Chun-Li, Batsu, Alex, Morrigan, Megaman, Zero, Roll, Frank West, Soki, PTX-40A, Viewtiful Joe, Saki Omokane, Eagle Ken, Swan Jun, Condor Joe, Tekkaman, Tekkaman Blade, Casshan, Yatterman #1, Yatterman #2, Doronjo, Hurricane Polimar, Karas, Ippatsuman, Gold Lightan, Yami
Related Games: Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes, Tatsunoko Fight, X-men VS Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter, Marvel VS Capcom, Marvel VS Capcom 2

Review: Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Ultimate All Stars is an upgrade to Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes, and marks the official debut of the series in North America! While not a true sequel, this enhancement (exclusive to the Nintendo Wii) adds 5 brand new characters to the roster & 2 new stages. Also added were character & gameplay tweaks, a brand new soundtrack, re-worked voice acting for a few characters, and several fixed glitches & infinites! Ultimate All Stars also features a new intro (surprisingly, since the first one was great), but unfortunately, the new opening & the "R&B-ish" remixed intro song pales in comparison to the original's. Should've left it Japanese.

   Like the original version, this continuation of Capcom's VS series packs all of the high flying, fast paced action a fan of the VS series would come to expect. The streamlined movelists & stripped-down control scheme makes for a simpler, yet seemingly more balanced game. Instead of 6 specific punch & kick buttons, characters only have 3 attack buttons. Any button can be used to perform any special move, but the move will vary depending on the strength of the attack (Light, Medium, or Heavy). Alternate priority moves can be performed while holding the d-pad in different directions (though I wish certain characters had more of these alternate moves). The combo system is also considerably more friendly & lenient than the "old school" titles of the VS series... super combos seem to connect into combos more than not, which makes for a more beginner-friendly game. Some veteran/hardcore fighting game players will scoff at the simplicity, but Capcom included several complex gameplay elements like Baroque & Variable Aerial Rave, which allows for more complex & skillful combo possibilites. 



      Ultimate All Stars showcases a brand new character selection screen & menu screen. Gone are the charismatic "menu hosts" from the previous game (Doronjo & her goons), but the flashy new menu screen more than makes up for it! It's actually one of the best looking fighting game menu screens I've seen in a while, I might add. Though Ultimate All Stars packs a good amount of new content, there were some things taken out from the original version. Due to licensing issues, Hakushon Daimao was cut from this version. The character-exclusive mini-games (which used the Wii-mote motion controls) were also removed... not a huge loss if you ask me, but still. :/ The animated ending FMV's were also mysteriously taken out... but the good news is, all endings for Ultimate All Stars are completely new, which is a plus for those of us who played through the first game. The bad news is, the new endings are indeed classic 2D fighting game endings (a series of still pictures), but the artwork (done by Udon comics) & character cameos are quality stuff for the most part. 

   Another subtle, but welcomed addition are fourth colors for Capcom characters, and third & fourth colors for Tatsunoko characters! In the first game, Capcom characters only had 2 alternate colors, while Tatsunoko characters were stuck with 1... I'm glad they did something about that! :) The Gallery also made it's return, showcasing all of the stuff you've unlocked from the Shop, like character endings/artwork... unfortunately though, the BGM area of the gallery (as seen in Cross Generation of Heroes) is nowhere to be found!  On that note, the specific character BGMS were also removed... *sigh* I always thought it was badass for a character's theme music to kick in as they jump into action... ohh well. The good news is, the new techno/rock music (now stage specific) is decent, suits the fast-paced/flashy nature of the game much better, and also assists in making UAS feel like a new game. I'd even say the new soundtrack "as a whole" is slightly better than Cross Generation of Heroes... but at the same time, I really miss those character themes. 



    The online mode isn't as deep as it could/should be, but at least it's there. I actually haven't experimented with playing online very much as of yet, so check back on this part of the review in about a week or two. ;)

   Nitpicks? Besides the stuff I already mentioned, I really wish characters had more than 1 win pose. If a final KO occurs by an assist or team attack, I also would've liked to see the character that performs the assist (or tag team super) stay on screen & strike a win pose with the lead character (like in MVC2); but unfortunately they jump off screen after scoring the winning hit.  The "shaky/breaking ground effect" that's used during certain super moves also looks pretty lame (due to the poor texture quality), and takes away from the action. I suppose they used that screen effect to nullify "slow-down," which probably would have occurred during those epic super moves if they kept the same 3D backgrounds in place (due to the Wii's graphical limitations). Lastly, even after the addition of the 5 new characters, the roster still feels kinda lonely, especially on the Capcom side. Frank West? lol. C'mon Capcom...
 

Gameplay Engine	9 / 10
Story / Theme	9 / 10
Overall Graphics	9 / 10
Animation	9 / 10
Music / Sound Effects	8.5 / 10
Innovation	8.5 / 10
Customization	8.5 / 10
Options / Extras	8 / 10
Intro / Presentation	8.5 / 10
Replayability / Fun	9 / 10
"Ouch" Factor	9 / 10
Characters	8.5 / 10
BOTTOM LINE	9 / 10

Closing Comment: As someone who put a respectable amount of hours into Cross Generation of Heroes, I'm mostly happy with the way Ultimate All Stars came out. I still wish a few more characters could've made the cut though. Out of the new characters added, my least favorite is Frank West... that guy's such a goofball. If they wanted to do the fighting with zombies thing, Jill Valentine would have fit so much better into the game... and where the heck is Strider Hiryu?!? :( He & Casshern need to team up, for reals. I'm also pretty disappointed with the new intro, considering the previous one. The original intro gave me chills (the good kind) but the new opening song is just cheesy... and gives me chills (the bad kind).

   All in all, it's about the gameplay, and TVC: UAS is the definitive version of the game. If you didn't get a chance to play the first Tatsunoko VS Capcom, you're in for a treat. While it is a very fun game, the gameplay mechanics aren't as sharp/technical as they could be, which may turn many hardcore gamers off. On the flip side, TVC may get some beginner & intermediate fighting game players back into 2D fighting games.  ~F.Yagami, Webmaster of TFG
 
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