I waited all week, second-guessing myself, changing my mind, trying to talk myself into saving my Gamestop GCs for something else. Last night I finally broke down and swung by my favorite video game mecca on the way to pick up Zoe from dance class. I am now the proud owner of one Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
My first reaction? It ain’t the Street Fighter I grew up on. No more 3 punch button/3 kick button pad anymore. That’s the hardest thing to overcome, having to remap your idea of combat. Once you start to learn the characters though, the fun really begins. I was initially disappointed to hear that the roster had been significantly reduced compared to the previous incarnations of this game. Playing it, I can see why. The characters are fairly well-balanced with each other with very few duplicate move, style, or character mapping. There are more than enough characters to choose from to fit your style of play.
I played for about 30-40 minutes yesterday and one match today. It only took about 20 minutes to get used to the game and get some combo flow going. Here are some of my early favorites so far:
Arthur from Ghouls & Ghosts: He’s not much in close combat, but he’s got ranged attacks coming out his boxer-shorts clad buttocks. With small variations to 2 or 3 different patterns, you can fling just about every weapon from Ghouls & Ghosts and take out most of your opponents with ease.
Deadpool: He’s extremely quick with a great balance of ranged attacks and close combat moves. He doesn’t pack as much of a punch as others, but he really doesn’t have to as he hits about 4 times faster than anyone else I used. He also taunts the player almost as much as the opponents, yelling out “Dude, you suck” at inopportune moments, or “this is my taunt” when you hit the select button to taunt your opponent. His scream of defeat as he slowly drops to the ground? “You hit the wrong button!”
She Hulk: She plays like a wrestler, but she doesn’t have all the throws Zangief had. Still, she’s fun to use, she’s green, and she’s clothed so I don’t feel like a loser using her while the kids are around(some of the female characters in this game may as well not be dressed at all considering how little they’re wearing). Whoever provided her voice fits her perfectly.
Zero: Hands-down my favorite character, and not just because Nick dressed like him for 1/3 of his childhood. He’s quick, by far the easiest character to use and get the hang of, and his moves have some decent range thanks to that energy sword of his. I’d read on another review that he was the worst character in the game. I disagree and strongly recommend adding him to your roster.
Here are some of the other characters I used briefly and would like to play with some more. Wolverine is just fun to slash around with, but I’d hoped his standard attack button moves were a bit …. slashier? I guess I just expected more from a guy who’s the best at what he does.
Amaterasu from Okami is a fun and quirky niche character. She’s a bit difficult to use, but has some decent special attacks.
Storm is great in a pinch, but her special attacks are very reliant on her opponent’s position on the screen. She’s hard to use but her attacks pack a punch.
The Hulk is by far the heaviest hitter in the game, but his range sucks. He’s got some ranged attacks, but they seem much easier for the computer opponents to avoid. Fighting against him, I seem to be too slow to evade, even when he telegraphs the move ahead of time. Maybe I’m just rusty.
I’d really like to play through with Captain America and Thor. Not sure if it’s just the movie hype or not, but I’ll write up a review later this month.
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