Marvel vs. Capcom

"As great as the sequel is, this is only above average"

OPENING STATEMENT
Marvel vs. Capcom is one of the better incarnations in Capcom’s versus series. It is an entertaining two dimensional fighter involving your favorite characters from Marvel and Capcom. Or at least some of them. The roster, especially on the Marvel side is rather weak. We cannot even be Cyclops!

GAMEPLAY--7
The gameplay is a new style that I had never seen before this game. The game uses the same Street Fighter button interface, which works out very well, especially since a large portion of the Capcom characters are from Street Fighter. There is also the tag team, which is executed very well, and is probably the most important gameplay feature in this game. By pressing a button, you can switch to the other character you are able to control, that you selected at the beginning of the match. You are also given a random character (the screen with the box) that will be your assistant that you can call in to assist you a certain number of times during the match. There are also a variety of moves and specials you can pull off, which damage your opponents in varying amounts. Marvel vs. Capcom has very deep gameplay, and you will not learn all of it until you play it for a while.

GRAPHICS--8
The graphics have some of the most fluid Capcom animation to date. There is never any slowdown, and the characters or attacks do not break apart midway through.Some of the attack animations are very colorful and they look very cool, especially when you or your opponent is struck by them, cause then you get the cool injury animations also. The characters all look exactly like their comic book or other video game series counterparts.

The backgrounds are tastefully done and they all have a not so obvious connection to a featured character, which makes you think a little. Once you find the connection, you will probably be more apt to use that character on that stage. At least I was.

MUSIC--7
SOUND--8
The music is basically a mix of songs rehashed from previous Street Fighter and Capcom versus titles. Not that this is bad, but we’ve all heard the songs one too many times before. They still fit in great with the two dimensional fighting since they sound like a retro Super Nintendo game in style, but not sound quality.

The sound effects are a little better. They get very repetitive though. Some characters say things with their attacks and special moves, but others do not. This I do not understand. I think either all should, or none should. Other than the voice acting, the sound effects are just mediocre. Grunts and really fake sounding explosions are about the extent of them.

CONTROL--9
If Marvel vs. Capcom shines anywhere, it is here. The control is great even with the cumbersome Dreamcast controller. The simple moves are easy to pull off, while the complex moves are difficult to pull off. Tagging your teammate is easier than you would think, as is calling your assistant. The only problem I found with the control was that sometimes when you are trying to call your assistant for assistance, you ended up doing some flying kick instead. This can be very frustrating, especially when you are expecting an eye laser blast from Cyclops or a tornado from Storm.

FUN--7
As dumb as it is to compare Marvel vs. Capcom to its sequel, Marvel vs. Capcom pales in comparison to it. I played Marvel vs. Capcom before playing it, and I gave it a seven. If I was rating the fun after playing it, it would get a four or a five. But, for those who have not played the sequel, it is still a pretty fun game. The combos are fun to pull off, and for a tournament fighting game, the Single Player Mode is surprisingly fun. The Versus Mode is the bread and butter of this game, and this butter was hand churned and the bread baked to perfection.

CHALLENGE--MEDIUM
Believe it or not, I find this game more difficult than Marvel vs. Capcom 2. The moves are more damaging, and the AI is tougher (and more cheap). The cheap AI is what gives the Challenge a high rating. Not all of the characters are cheap, mind you, but some (*cough*Ryu*cough*) make it nearly impossible to pull off any decent moves upon them. Mostly though, the opponents just have it easier pulling off super combos though.

REPLAY VALUE--MEDIUM
This game gets a High replay value for those who love Capcom tournament fighters, and have never played Marvel vs. Capcom 2. This game gets a medium for those who do not love Capcom tournament fighters and have never played Marvel vs. Capcom 2. This game gets a low rating for those who have played Marvel vs. Capcom 2. See what I’m getting at? Once you play Marvel vs. Capcom 2, you will never want to play this game again.

PROS
*These two-dimensional graphics are wonderful.
*Tag team battles innovative.
*Dreamcast controller seems made for Capcom tournament fighters.

CONS
*Only usable as a coaster after you get Marvel vs. Capcom 2.
*No storyline.
*Few playable characters.

CLOSING STATEMENT
In case you cannot tell from my numerous inferences, I think you should be getting Marvel vs. Capcom 2 instead. That has everything this game has and more. But in case for some reason you cannot, this game is still one of the better tournament fighters out there today.

OVERALL--7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/00, Updated 07/18/01