Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Review

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes is a fighting game from Capcom that was released in arcades in 2000. It received a Sega Dreamcast port the same year. It was also ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2002 and 2003, respectively. The game was re-released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in 2009. It is considered to be one of the best fighting games of all time by many, and for good reason. The particular version that will be reviewed is the PlayStation 2 port.

The first thing you will notice is the roster of characters. Initially, you start off with twenty-four. The total amount of characters is fifty-six, 28 from Capcom and 28 from Marvel. Pretty big, isn’t it? There are plenty to choose from. On the Marvel side, you have guys like Wolverine, Storm, Magneto, The Hulk, Spider-Man, Venom, Iron Man, etc. Then on the Capcom side, you have Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Cammy, Mega Man, Morrigan, and many more. There are newcomers such as Jill Valentine from Resident Evil, Cable from X-Men, SonSon, and two original characters, Ruby Heart and Amingo. One bizarre thing is that there are two Wolverines, one with bone claws, and the other with adamantium claws. The boss character in the game is Abyss, who has three forms. First, he’s in a big suit of armor. Then, he becomes a slimy green man. His final form is a slimy red monster.

As you play the game, you gain points for use in the Secret Factor, which can allow you to buy characters, color palettes, stages, and artwork in the gallery. It will take you quite a bit of time to unlock everything in the shop. The prices go up and down each time you enter and exit the shop. As you buy more stuff, the prices can go up.

In Marvel vs. Capcom 2, you have Arcade Mode, Versus, Training, and Score Attack. Arcade mode is very straightforward; you fight through all of the stages to get to the end boss and win. It gets harder as you progress, culminating in fighting Abyss and his three forms. After the victory, you get an ending. No matter which characters you use, you will always get the same ending regardless. Score Attack is a mode in which you attempt to go for the high score. Training is where you practice with your characters. But, the biggest part of this game is playing with a friend(s). This is a game where anybody can pick up and play.

As far as gameplay goes, it’s pretty easy to grasp. You have four attack buttons, light and heavy punches and kicks, each mapped to the face buttons on the controller. You also have two assist buttons; each one represents your partners. The assists are classified and A, B, and Y. You pick which one you want after selecting a character. There are a variety of types for assists. You have projectile, anti-air, balance, heal, etc. Each of them can be used for a plethora of strategies during the heat of battle. Some assists will cater to one person, some for others. You can also adjust the speed of gameplay. It can be as slow as Normal, or as fast as Turbo 2. Each character has their own specials moves, and the inputs are not too complex, and they vary from character to character. Hyper Combos, for the most part, are easy to pull off. Given that your hyper gauge is filled with three bars or more, you can do a Team Hyper Combo, which can definitely do a ton of damage with the right combinations.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is very playable with a PS2 controller. Special moves aren’t very tricky to do. Most Hyper Combos have a quarter circle forward /backward motion plus two punch/two kick buttons. It’s not too difficult to do on a DualShock 2, whether you’re using the D-pad or Analog Stick. The game feels pretty good.

Graphically, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 uses 2D sprites with 3D stages. It is a very colorful game. The special moves and hyper combos are very flashy. The animation is very fluid. The artwork is also great. Visually, you are getting a treat. However, in the sound department, it is a different story. The sound effects and voice overs are pretty good (though I hate Mega Man’s voice). The soundtrack is an unorthodox fit for a fighting game. It’s a bunch of upbeat Jazz music that really seems out of place for a fast-paced fighting game like Marvel vs. Capcom 2. The worst offender is the character select theme. All you will hear is “I wanna take you for a ride!” It can be grating on the ears.

In conclusion, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is a great fighting for fans of either company, or both. Despite the odd soundtrack, you will have a blast with the excellent character roster, great graphics, and awesome gameplay. It is worth it.