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Developer(s): Eighting
Publisher(s): Capcom
Platforms: Arcade, Nintendo
Wii
Release: December 2008 (JP
Arcade), December 11th 2008 (JP Wii), Winter 2009 (NA Wii - TvC:
Ultimate All Stars)
Characters:
Ryu,
Chun-Li,
Batsu,
Alex,
Morrigan,
Megaman,
Roll,
Soki,
PTX-40A,
Viewtiful
Joe (Wii exclusive)
Saki Omokane
(Wii exclusive),
Eagle Ken,
Swan Jun,
Tekkaman,
Casshern,
Yatterman,
Doronjo,
Hurricane
Polymar,
Karas,
Ippatsuman
(Wii exclusive),
Hakushon Daimao
(Wii exclusive, JP version only),
Gold
Lightan, Yami
Related Games: Tatsunoko
VS Capcom: Ultimate All Stars, Tatsunoko
Fight, X-men VS Street Fighter, Marvel
Super Heroes VS Street Fighter, Marvel VS Capcom,
Marvel
VS Capcom 2
Review: Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes is a cross-over 2D fighting game with 3D cell-shaded graphics, featuring fast paced 2 on 2 tag team gameplay! Tatsunoko VS Capcom is dubbed the "seventh" installment in the VS. series by Capcom, which includes the Marvel VS Capcom and Capcom VS SNK games. Capcom favorites from a variety of popular games like Street Fighter, Megaman, Viewtiful Joe, and Onimusha take on Tatsunoko's more prominent anime characters from the likes of Gatchaman, Casshern, and Yatterman... Shinkiro is the official artist for the game, and I must say some of his renditions of these iconic characters are simply awesome... All of them really. Nice work Shinkiro!
Eight years later, and
Capcom's successor to the fan-loved Marvel VS series has finally
arrived. It's been quite a long time since I've played a game with such
fast & solid gameplay, overly-flashy graphics, and dramatic
tag team action; besides Marvel VS Capcom 2 of
course (just played that yesterday). 
On that note, some of the characters of TvC seem to somewhat "take
the place" of several favorites from the Marvel VS series, for example:
Saki = Cable + Balance (
), and Doronjo can
use her two assist goons much like Captain Commando used his assist pals!
However, the new characters introduced in the game do of course have their
own unique and entertaining fighting styles; and are as cool as they are
diverse!
All characters seem very balanced and have a great variety of special
moves and super moves. Comparatively, the character movelists in TvC
are also far superior than many of the movelists from the characters
that we remember using in MvC2 (only 1 super??? Heh). 
So even though the character
roster is on the smaller side, the "quality" of characters we're
getting is simply superior in most cases. What do I mean exactly?
Well, on top of a good selection of specials, all characters have at
least 2 regular super moves, and then a "level 3" super that uses 3
bars, which is usually quite epic looking! Speaking of epic, pretty much
everything about this game is epic... From the superb and highly
entertaining voice acting, to the awesomely designed "fan-service" backgrounds,
to the character specific BGMs that initiate when a certain character tags
or is KO'ed; to the way you get an epic close-up view of characters
as they prepare for a hard hitting super move!!! Can you say ouch
factor? 
I guess I could
just say the overall look and design of this game is simply feng shui. 
The Tatsunoko and Capcom characters mesh incredibly well together, and
some of the fully animated ending sequences are simply epic and/or hilarious
as well (as short as they are). Yes, the endings look much like the games
intro; which looks to be right out of a next-gen anime... Awesome. Flashy
visuals aside, this game has style... And I'm talking about the
gameplay of course!
The gameplay is most similar to the earlier of the VS series, like the first Marvel VS Capom for instance, but now with a "4 button" layout... Light, medium, fierce, and 1 button for both assist & tag. It takes some getting used to at first, since "P" and "K" are out the window. A specific directional movement (like your classic fireball motion or dragon punch) plus either a light, medium, or fierce will usually do the same special move; but at a different range, direction, and/or height; and in some cases the move is actually completely different even though the command is the same. The only downside of the new button layout is that basic priority attacks are slightly more limited now, but thankfully several "alternate" priority attacks for each character are available, and can be initiated by holding forward or back with certain buttons! The alternate priority attacks will help you extend your ground combos and are usually imperative to playing a character properly!
Fear not 6-button
lovers... As odd as may sound, it actually ends up working out in the
end just fine and suits this style of game! Besides the lack of priorities
on a few characters, overall, I don't have any complaints
about the new layout because the game controls are simply rock solid...
when using the right controller of course. Wii-mote controls
on easy
FTW!!! ...You better believe I'm kidding.
I've played using a Special Edition TvC arcade stick, a Wii classic
controller, an off-brand Gamestop Gamecube controller, and a regular
Gamecube controller (that I dusted off in disbelief and laughter). I do
prefer the Wii classic controller and Gamecube controller due to the 4
button layout, even though using the arcade stick is a lot of fun and "cooler."
Thankfully though, there are options to playing TvC, and it shouldn't
be difficult to finding a pad or stick that you'll enjoy using for this
game.
This isn't some re-hashed
3D remake of an old gameplay system... TvC introduces a
handful
of new elements that were added to the fast paced tag team gameplay that
we remember from the Marvel VS series. Each player selects a team of two
characters with the ability to switch teammates at any time, however, larger
characters such as Gold Lightan and PTX-40A fight on their own without
a partner. Returning are the huge (and cancelable) super moves, as well
as double team supers, super jumps, and push blocks. Other tag team abilities
like variable assist, variable counterattack, and delayed hyper cancellation
(super move cancels) are also featured. As you might have expected, TvC
is
very
"combo friendly," featuring an open and flexible combo system; but also
requires skill & ultra precise timing to perform those
lengthier, flashier, and more damaging combos. There are indeed some crazy
combo possibilities waiting to be discovered, and some of the stuff I've
seen already is just
sick (in a good way).
159-hit combo FTW!!!
New gameplay elements
include the "Mega Crash," which is a move that can break a combo and/or
push your opponent back, but sacrifices a part of your characters life
and uses up two super bars. "Variable Aerial Raves" have been introduced
for the first time in a fighting game, and allows your current character
to switch with their partner during a mid-air combo. "Baroque" is
a mode where the character glows in rainbow color while sacrificing the
red portion of the character's life. Activating Baroque cancels the current
attack animation, allowing the player to extend combos and deal more damage
relative to the amount of red life that is sacrificed... Baroque ends when
the character doesn't do anything or when the character performs a Hyper
move. The "snapback" from Marvel VS Capcom 2 has
also returned, which is a single move that knocks your opponent off-screen,
forcing them to tag... Unfortunately, snapbacks are character specific
and it seems like only a few characters can perform snapbacks (Alex,
Hakushon, Gold Lightan, and PTX). Whew! 
That enough gameplay elements for ya?!? Rest assured, the 2D fighting
mechanics are as fun as they are deep once you learn the new system (which
might take some time & commitment of course). TvC is yet another awesome
game that proves 2D fighting games are far from dead.
It does seem like new
2D fighting games with "2D graphics" are far & few between these days,
but let me just say that the 3D look of this 2D fighter is no disappointment.
The majority of character models are well done and do plenty of justice
to each character, but aren't the
smoothest 3D models we've seen
since the Wii's graphics do have their limitations. There are some
jagged edges on the characters and the backgrounds when you look close,
but sit a few meters away from the TV and you actually won't notice them
anymore! If you're looking to get the best quality picture, try using Monster
(or other high quality) component cables with your Wii on an HD television...
The colors in particular are possibly the game's best visual feature, along
with the flashy seizure-inducing effects!
The in-game menu
is slick as well as hilarious... Doronjo and her two goons are the
"menu hosts," usually rambling about something (in Japanese) on each menu
selection that most U.S. players won't understand... Although it is
rather
easy to get "Arcade Mode" out of "Arrrcaadomodo yo!" 
The
Japanese menus are tricky to navigate at first, but by just memorizing
the first "kanji" of every selection will allow you to browse the
menu like a pro in no time. Several things are
thankfully in English
though, including Options and Practice mode! Controller configuration is
another story though... Players will have to memorize some really-hard-to-read
tiny-ass kanji (not too hard). As you'd expect from Capcom, all the essential
game modes are there: Arcade, VS, Survival, Time Attack, Options, and a
solid Practice mode.
There's also a cool
Theater mode where you can view 3D character models, artworks, videos,
and listen to BGM's; all of which you can purchase from the in-game Shop
using points you acquire during gameplay and mini-games! There are
a wide variety of Wii mini games that you can use the Wii-mote with, and
most of which are what you'd expect for "Wii mini games." There's a lot
of shaking, twirling, button mashing, pointing & shooting, and even
math challenges that you and your friends can have some fun with... For
a while. Most mini-games do get old kinda fast, but there is one mini-game
themed for every character in the game, which is good because you
probably won't want to stick with a single one for too long. The
variety is there, but the graphics in some (most) of the mini-games are
on the bland/boring side. Overall they do their job as mini-games, and
there are some rather fun & entertaining ones that you might
even find yourself coming back to to break that high score! 
Playing the mini-games is also how you unlock the 3-player character colors!
Nice.
Like in any fighting
game, there are a few imperfections worth mentioning, and if you didn't
know; these "nitpicks" come from a fan of the VS series since the beginning
when X-men VS Street Fighter hit the arcades.
First off, each character only has only one assist, similar to that
of Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter.
It's not a terrible thing since it'll probably prevent
some
infinites and "cheap" combos, but maybe some assist variations wouldn't
have hurt. I also wish the character that was performing the assist (or
tag team super) would stay on screen and strike a win pose with the lead
character, but unfortunately they bashfully jump off screen after scoring
the winning hit... 
Not a
huge deal, but it would have been
nice. Once again, the character
roster is just a bit smaller than I would have hoped for, but 22 characters
in the "first game" of a new series is nothing to complain about. Overall,
the characters who made the cut were good choices, and besides the two
big
lugs; I enjoy using nearly every character in the game.
To finish up the slight
nitpicking, I gotta say that the "shaky/breaking ground effect" that's
used during certain super moves is unnecessary, looks bad (due to the poor
texture quality), and also takes away from the action... I figure
they used that screen effect to nullify "slow-down," which probably would
have occurred during super moves if they just kept the 3D backgrounds in
place... I know what you're up to Capcom.
Finally, my last complaint, as silly as it may be, is that every character
only has one win pose... 
When
you plan on playing a fighting game as much as I do, variant win poses
and such are a nice change of scenery. However the good news
is, just like in the Marvel VS series, you can still hit start after you
win and beat up on your downed opponent, or just dash around and do as
you please for a few seconds... So I guess that makes up for it since you
can pretty much create your own "win sequence!"
The sound effects are
satisfying, and the character BGM's are very good for the most part, but
some of which are a bit too "cheery" and midi-sounding for my tastes...
Tekkaman's BGM has to be the worst, but actually most soundtracks
in the game are a joy to listen to; and will get stuck in your head for
days!!! Ever notice how the Tatsunoko "hero" themes all have the name of
the character in the chorus (which isn't heard in the game)...
*sings along* Daa da da Cassherrrrnnnn, la la la la Gatchaaaa maaaan,
hmmmmmm Yataaaaman. Okay okay, you get the point.
On the flipside, I thoroughly enjoy the remixed tunes on the Capcom side...
Morrigan's, Batsu's, and Viewtiful Joe's are among my top favs!!!
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Closing
Comment:
TVC is the best 2D fighter
I've played in years... It's addicting! The new control scheme takes
a little while to get used to, but once acquainted with the controls, any
fan of the Marvel VS series should fall in love with the way this game
plays! Of course I haven't mastered the gameplay
yet, but I can
pull off some flashy combos that start on the ground with baroque, and
end with an air combo & super move (pretty basic)... Some people might
think that Tatsunoko VS Capcom is too combo friendly, and it may
be true, but I'm certainly not complaining about it.
The frantic, fast-paced, and air combo/air dashing friendly gameplay is
one of the most fun fighting game styles I've ever experienced; and
Tatsunoko VS Capcom brings that gameplay style back after 8 years of
waiting, adding upon it with a visual 3D makeover and some innovative new
gameplay features.
Judging from the "open
looking" character selection screen alone; I'm almost positive there will
be a Tatsunoko VS Capcom 2 or maybe even a TvC 1.5? Even
though it hasn't been confirmed, there's just no way Capcom is done
with this series yet...
TvC is an epic cross-over, and for those of you who aren't as familiar
with Tatsunoko characters (me included), I think Tatsunoko may have just
increased their fan-base by teaming up with Capcom. As someone who wasn't
really knowledgeable about the Tatsunoko franchises before this game, I've
done some research and I gotta say I have found myself
several new
favorite characters! Graced by the hand of Capcom, the Tatsunoko icons
have never looked better in a video game; and are beyond awesomely portrayed
in the game.
And in case you we're
wondering... Yes, this game was absolutely worth importing!!! The US version
was confirmed almost a year after the initial release, under the new title
Tatsunoko
VS Capcom: Ultimate All Stars which is an enhancement to the original
version, adding online mode and 5 new characters! ~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG
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