Marvel vs. Capcom 2

"Fighting games have never been so fun."

I consider my self a huge Marvel fan and buy most any game with the Marvel tag. But for some reason I could not push my self to fork over the money for this game when it first came out on Xbox. Every time I went to the mall I would look at it and contemplate buying it. Finally, last week I did and I was so sorry, sorry that I did not buy Marvel vs. Capcom 2 sooner!

Control 8/10- This title has solid control because after all it is a two dimensional game. The combos and switching out your fighters seems awkward at first, but after awhile it becomes second nature. The assist system is also complicated but after playing for a few hours you will know this aspect in and out too. The character types act like they should, for instance the Hulk is slow and a powerful hitter. While on the other hand a character like Iron Man or Wolverine is quick and does not have the powerful blows that the big heroes have. The fighting system works though, even though the deck may seemed stacked in your favor or against it there is never a clear cut winner. There were a few times when the controller just would not respond right and it cost me a fight but those instances were rare. While picking your character there should have been a way to go back one fighter instead of having to re select them all.

Sound 5/10- This is where Marvel vs. Capcom 2 suffers the most. The hero select screen has the worst song in the history of music! And to make it worse the same one line is repeated over and over again, ''Gonna take you for a ride'' stuck in my head for like three days. After awhile I learned to pick my fighters quickly because I wanted to avoid the horrid music. Once you actually get in the game the music doesn't get much better. The only sounds in this game that are any good is the sounds of the punches, kicks and specials. What's even better is that the fighters often say cool one liners during and after the fight.

Replay Value 10/10- This is the most massive fighter out there that I know of. There are around sixty fighters and most of them must be unlocked through points earned from fighting. Along with the fighters there are new costumes and art work available for each. Seven new stages are also available to keep the player glued to their TV. To collect everything is an enormous task indeed. After unlocking everything the replay value is still huge.

Graphics 8/10- I was never a real fan of Capcom or the way their fighting games looked. After playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 though, my opinion has changed.The graphics are tremendous and look beautiful. When many characters performed their specials I was in shock for how amazing the attack looked. The visuals in this game are top notch.

Overall 9/10- Fighting games normally only appeal to a select audience but this title crosses over borders so that gamers who may not necessarily be interested in a fighting game will fall in love with this game. I would enthusiastically recommend anyone to buy this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/03, Updated 06/26/03