Marvel vs. Capcom 2

"Too Much Extras Spoil The Product."

Ever since Street Fighter II came out, I dedicated myself towards the great genre known as 2D fighters. Now I'm seeing it trying to kill itself. Hence my first bad review on an otherwise kick-butt game. This sequel of Marvel Versus Capcom has everything a gamer could ask for; but it's being done horribly wrong.

Gameplay: 4/10
Combo-heavy. MvC-style combo-heavy, only worse. You can have another fighter ''assist'' you. And all that's missing from this is the badges on your opponent's shirts. And the supers (having five max) have the ability to be linked three times per fighter. Which is cool to look at unless you're at the recieving end, and your lives get drained quickly...

Graphics: 4/10
Capcom tries to be cool at this one. They figured that their background needs to be in 3D so they can be ''with the times.'' Forget that it fits horribly with the 2D characters fighting herein.

Sounds/Music: 7/10
I can actually hear the characters' voices. And more of them are speaking good English. (And that's just from the Capcom side of the fighters.) The music's jazzy and the refreshing change from the songs used in earlier Vs. Games. That being said because the music used in SFA3 was as stale as a brick wall.

Characters: 5/10
Capcom seems to outdo the KOF '98 in this department. It's got a whole bunch of characters (and still more that could be unlocked somehow) in the ranks. Mainly the returning Marvel characters and some fresh new ones for either side. But it doesn't make a bowl of beans since people will choose the comboers (Wolverine, Strider, &c) and wipe the floor with you. The only things that saves this one are the new characters (Jill, Ruby, Tron, and Marrow) and the returning vets (Jin, Morrigan, Spiral, and Silver Samurai).

Overall: 5/10
This _ain't_ the King of Fighters. It's got too much stuff you have to remember in order to win against the better human opponents. And still you have this endboss who seemed to have watched ''The Toxin Avenger'' way too much. My advice to you is to pull Capcom's arm so they can bring it to the US Dreamcast or PS2. And also tell them to get rid of characters like Dan Hibiki and B.B. Hood.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/02/00, Updated 05/02/00