How to Please a Fanbase

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If you've been a mallrat at one point during the last decade, you probably know that the Marvel vs. Capcom series of fighting games has enjoyed considerable success in arcades and on home consoles. Every time I go to a mall, I take a peek in the arcade to see just how crowded its Marvel vs. Capcom 2 machine is. Well, the next generation is here: Capcom is bringing the next chapter in lightning-fast cross-universe tag team arcade fighting.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds was a huge presence at the Los Angeles Convention Center's West Hall. A number of live demos were littered around the Capcom booth, which was located near the hall's entrance. This posed a minor problem: so many people were lining up to get their hands on this game that it occasionally became difficult to get into the hall itself.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 features all the multi-character fighting action fans have come to expect. However, it's more of a sequel than Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was. This franchise is going next-gen, and Capcom is pulling out all the stops to get it there. Fans who loved the anime/comic art style from the first two games may be somewhat disappointed to learn that it's been replaced by something different... at least until they learn what that "something different" is. Capcom wants to keep the look of each character and location faithful to their respective licenses, but they also want to push the franchise into the future. As a result, Capcom has decided to give Marvel vs. Capcom 3 the Street Fighter IV treatment. Pixels have been traded for polygons. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will feature 2D fighting on a 3D plane. For the most part, it's still going to play like the other MvC games, though several of the hardcore mechanics are going to be somewhat simplified.

My hands-on time with Marvel vs. Capcom 3 put me up against a Capcom rep. The demo didn't offer the full roster of fighters; since the game's not done yet, I would imagine that Capcom still needs to work on balancing. Still, there were ten characters to build a three-character team from: Ryu, Wolverine, Morrigan, Captain America, Deadpool, Hulk, Felicia, Iron Man, Dante, and Chris Redfield. I decided to populate my team with the three new characters: Dante, Chris Redfield, and Deadpool.

When the fight starts, the one thing I'm immediately struck by is how similar the game feels. Sure, the visual difference is night and day, but since I remember several of the franchise's core mechanics off the top of my head, I find it easy to call that stuff back and apply it to this new installment. You can still call in your teammates to help you out, either with single attacks or hyper combo assists. You can still leap to ridiculous heights and engage in aerial fisticuffs. And yes, button-mashing is still a viable strategy, provided you're not playing against a ridiculously skilled opponent.

For me, the best part of playing a Marvel vs. Capcom game is noticing all of the special ways in which Capcom personifies its fighters. Anyone who's played Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening will laugh as Dante pulls out his succubus-turned-guitar Nevan for a powerful attack. Of course, Deadpool never shuts up. And let's just say that Resident Evil 5 veterans are in for a treat. I can't wait to see what they've done with the rest of the roster.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds has a lot to live up to, but it looks like it's well on its way to being a worthy successor. It's slated for a 2011 release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

STAT BOX
Product
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Company
Capcom
Date
06/23/2010