"Let's go crazy!"

Capcom has made many Vs. fighting games over the years, and Marvel Vs. Capcom was one of the best in its series. It's old but it's still nice to play every once in a while. It all started out with X-men Vs. Street Fighter, and like Del the Funky Homosapien said, it did have potential to expand the market. So now with Marvel Vs. Capcom, we have 2 hero universes expanded, and a greater variety of characters. All the well-known Marvel characters are there, like Spidey, Wolverine and The Hulk. Same with Capcom's line-up. Chun-li, Captain Commando, Morrigan, and Ryu are there. And it wouldn't be the same without Ryu!

Graphics - 8/10

Yeah, character defining at its finest! Being Capcom, they got every single character looking sweet as ever in this fighter. Probably because most of the sprites are recycled from older games, but it's not much of a deal here. They are still animated wonderfully, and the stages that reflect each of the characters are also done well. All the backgrounds look complete and subtle details, like Dr. Wily jumping around, make you really feel like you're in their world. When Super Combo moves get pulled off, it goes insane. It makes the moves even more dramatic than in Marvel vs. Street Fighter.

Sound - 8/10

Punches sound like good punches, and you'll know when you really get hit. Each character's voice fits their look well, and that's really great too. Some major improvements over the last game I think were the music and the announcer. In MvS, he sounded like an annoying DJ on a megaphone. Although the new announcer sounds chirpy, it's much more tolerable. And the music seems better arranged and instruments are better chosen. The music sound richer than the MIDI-ish stuff in MvS. Each of the character's themes are more recognizable now!

Controls - 9/10

Movements can be pulled of with ease (provided the arcade manager takes good care of the games) in this sequel. Street Fighter veterans will be well acquainted with the familiar quarter-circle and dragon punch used to execute many of the moves. But you'll find yourself trying to master the juggles and air combos in no time flat.

Gameplay - 9/10

Now with even more variety to choose from in the characters, you shouldn't have a problem picking a team that fits your style. There are many pairs that you can choose from, whether you want a good challenge or a well-balanced match. Though some characters have their share of cheap, ultra-damaging moves (like Zangief's Atomic Buster), they all have their low points, which keeps them balanced. You can choose to be quick or slow, powerful and humongous or small and hard-to-hit. And switching your characters on the fly leads to some flexible and strategic planning.

Replay - 8/10

It's not the same fighting against the computer, is it? MvC is a dish best served among others. But even alone, you'd still wanna try experimenting with new characters, and who knows, you'll prefer them over your old favorites!

Overall - 8/10

Stacked up against today's fighters, MvC still has some juice in it left, and you can still spend hours playing with your friends (if only for the fact that there's nothing newer in that arcade). So if you think you had enough of those newer 50-character fighters for one day, go relive the nostalgia that is Marvel Vs. Capcom.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/09/03