Capcom have always known how to get the most out of their fighters. I can’t even count on my fingers the amount of times Street Fighter II has been released on different consoles in the last decade. Street Fighter 4 has even had three versions released since its original release two years ago. It was only a matter of time for Marvel vs Capcom 3 to get a re-vamp then, but is the new release worth the £30 asking price?
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The Marvel vs Capcom series is known for it’s over the top action, with the fighting game having you obliterate enemies with your selected mash-up of three heroes or villains from either company. You can pick any team from the impressive roster of 48 characters. One thing’s for sure the Marvel vs Capcom series has one of the best rosters of characters on the market. No other fighting game has so many licensed characters from so many different franchises. Wanna know if Spiderman could beat Resident Evil’s Nemesis in a fight? Well now you can settle that arguement.  Each character is treated with respect and looks like they have been ripped straight out of their comic book or game. There’s a massive set of variation here with characters such as Okami or Zero relying on quick moves stopping opponent attacking all the way to huge robot Sentinal that can use spacing to control a fight.

The new set of fighters are the biggest addition to Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3; Virgil, Strider, Nemesis, Frank West, Phoenix Wright, Firebrand, Dr Strange, Ghost Rider, Rocket Racoon, Hawkeye, Iron Fist and Nova have all been added to the roster. Each additional character is unique with special mention going to Phoenix Wright who handles completely differently to other characters. There are some real zany additions here and the new characters help breathe some fresh life into the game.

The best thing about Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is the sheer amount of variation and craziness going on in the game. Instead of building up one super bar like most games in the genre, you can build up five. Each super combo does less damage than other fighting games, but it means that each battle can quickly turn as players can easily build up their super bar. You can even unleash all three of your super combos at once, crippling your opponents health.  A special ‘X-Factor’ system puts players into a super-strength and fast healing mode. X-Factor mode can only be used once and in the right hands it can completely turn round fights. This is what makes Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 a brilliant game. Just when you think you’ve won a game your opponent unleashes a combo of 100+ hits and everything gets serious again.

The fighting itself is easy to pick up as well. Pretty much all moves are mapped out using Hadoken or Shroyuken movements on your control pads. To unleash all super combos at once you only need to push in both back triggers at the same time. It is one of the most accessable fighting games out there. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 has an added sense of depth though with the use of advanced guards, assists and a key emphasis on juggling. Get good enough and you can pull off 50+hit combos with ease. The mechanics aren’t quite as balanced or deep as say the King of Fighters or Street Fighter series but it’s nice to find a fighting game that almost anyone can pick up and play.

Capcom have always been the master of balancing fighters, unfortunately this is not the case here. Certain teams of fighters, if used properly, can completely control a game. The game’s use of 3 vs 3 fights means that players will often spam combos and moves to win fights. For example Magneto, Iron Man and Dr Doom all have moves that cover the length of the screen with a projectile, making them extremely hard to battle against if people want to play ‘cheap’.

While Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is susceptible to ‘cheap’ players spamming simple combos and moves, when playing with friends it is one of the most fun games out there. I found when playing online this can become a big problem as opponents look for only to improve their stats, constantly using the same combos repeatedly.

Speaking of online the game feels a lot smoother. There has been a big effort put into making the game more streamlined online and it shows. No longer do you have to continually search for five minutes before you find a game just to feel robbed by a loss because your opponent is hosting the game. Unfortunately though there are no new modes in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, which is a huge let down, but I’ll get back to this issue later.

My main gripe with Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is that it just does not have enough new content to warrant a day one purchase. The new characters fit in well with the current roster and they are some of the most unusual out there. Frank West and Phoenix Wright play nothing like the other characters in the game. The tweaks are all welcome and help to create a better game, but none of them are game changing. There are no new modes available either. A better training system or a more in-depth story mode would have been nice. Instead this is one expensive update that left me feeling slightly ripped off.

This feeling is made even worse by the fact that Shuma Gorath and Jill Valentine, who were DLC in Marvel vs Capcom 3, are still only available at an extra price 400 MS Points. So that’s an extra £7 ontop of the current £30 price tag if you want the full package then. There is a new Heroes and Herald mode coming soon as free DLC and there is a mode that lets you play the single player as Galactus, but this isn’t enough to warrant this games purchase if you already own Marvel vs Capcom 3.

The brawler retains its frantic pace and epileptic fit-enducing special moves. It also solves the several schoolyard fights over which superheros/villians would win in a match up against one another. That said if you don’t have Marvel vs Capcom 3, or are a die hard fan, then this release is one brawler you can’t miss.
  

 

 

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