"A review from an experienced MvC2 player."

I'm writing this review after having played Marvel vs. Capcom 2 since the game has been out, and I consider myself very knowledgeable to the ins and outs of it. The game, at first glance, seems to many people to be a ''masher.'' This is quite the contrary though, Marvel is one of the best 2-d fighting games available at your local arcades, and all around the world there is great competition wherever you go. Well...almost everywhere.

Gameplay: 10

Marvel is completely different from any other fighting game out there. The game is 3 on 3, with fifty-six characters you are allowed to pick from. You are allowed to call upon your other characters to help your point character out with assist attacks and defenses all throughout the match. You can also do team super combos, and all sorts of other nifty little tricks such as counter attacks, chained super combos, and many other things which give the game a lot of depth.

The game is definitely not balanced; there are about 10 characters that dominate most of the rest of the cast. But that is to be expected…there aren’t any fighting games out there (that I can think of) that have perfect balance between all the characters, and it’d be near impossible to do so with a game with this many characters. However, those ten characters are very fun to play and have a lot of depth and will take ages to master them, especially against real people, not just the computer AI.

The game does have its share of glitches and problems, but none that are easily done, they almost all require specific sequences of events to do anything at all to the game, so unless someone is trying to do something that would glitch or freeze the game, you probably wont see it randomly happening.

Graphics: 8

Very good looking 2d fighter. The character sprites look as good as could be expected, but some people complain that they are just re-used sprites from old games. I however, don’t mind that. The super moves and special moves in the game look very dazzling, and great combos and attacks combined together will be sure to make you and whoever is watching ooh and ahh at the very least the first time around.

The graphics aren’t godly, and they aren’t in any way bad, but it’s definitely a FAR cry better than games with graphics like SVC: Chaos (which, mind you, is four years NEWER than Marvel vs. Capcom 2), or the rest of the King of Fighters series.

Sound: 7

Some people don’t like the background music to the game, but it really isn’t noticeable when you’re thinking about the game, and playing, instead of listening to the background noise. All the character attacks, tricks, and super combos. Overall though, its not bad and I wouldn’t consider changing anything because I can’t picture the game being any better with a better character select background song.

Controls: N/A

The game isn’t the traditional three punches and three-kick button game; instead the two medium attacks have been replaced with assist buttons with which you can call a specified partner out to help with an offensive or defensive attack during the match. You can also use these buttons to perform counter attacks or team supers, as I mentioned above. These things all add to the game a kind of strategy and thought never before seen in the traditional fighting games.

Difficulty: 3 or 8

I say three or eight because the computer AI is very weak, and you will likely beat the game very easily once you get the basics of whatever characters you choose down. BUT, if you play against human opponents, the game becomes much harder. There are many options for people to attack and defend, and choosing which to attack, or which to use to defend give the game a great deal of difficulty. It’s definitely not the easiest game at the arcades, that’s for sure, but its not the hardest game to learn. There are a lot of ins and outs and little nuances that make marvel all the more difficult and entertaining.

The learning curve isn't too bad, you should be able to get all the basics down very fast. Some combos and techniques will most definitely take some time and effort to master and be able to do consistently, but if you are serious about playing the game they will be a big payoff in the end.

It -is- a very deep game, but that is of course a very good thing.

Replayability: 10

Plenty of replayability. Fifty-six characters each having three different assist types to incorporate into game play makes this game playable FOREVER. Even after the game has been out four years there are still a lot of people playing it compared to other major fighting game titles, including the most recent ones like SVC: Chaos, Street Fighter: Third Strike, and Capcom vs. SNK 2. Marvel is easily king in most arcades, and you can play this game for a LONG time with plenty of competition to go around.

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In conclusion, this game is an amazing one. There are plenty of characters and assists to keep you playing this for an insane amount of time, completely entertained and enjoying each minute of it.

But you might not think that until you really learn how to play. It is definitely worth the time and money to play and learn at the arcade, and at the very least is worth a try. There is also a great community of players wherever you might go on the globe that has marvel, and most of them are very enjoyable to be around and play a match or nine against.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/24/03