So what new innovative elements has Capcom put in this game to try and get you to buy yet another Capcom 2D fighter? They have added another person making it a 3 on 3 battle. I think that this means that finally there will not be another terrible translation for the Playstation. Maybe PS2. They have also taken away the middle punch and kick buttons and added tag team help in their place. Now with a push of a button you can summon your partners to deliver a quick attack without having to tag out.

What adding another tag partner on each side does is add a great deal of action and confusion on the screen. Though the play is quick and there is little if any slow-down, everybody is hitting everything and there are so many graphics melding together that it is hard to strategize an attack. Still fans of these kinds of games will probably cream when they see how much activity can take place at one time. Of course there are special moves and super combo attacks. And they are all delivered in colorful, exciting animation, but most of it is stuff that we have seen before, slightly enhanced.

Since Capcom has been making these games as well as many other for ages now, there are tons of characters in their repertoire and most all of them make an appearance in this game. You've got the Street Fighter classics, the Marvel Super Heroes, as well has characters from Darkstalkers, and even Resident Evil. One of my favorite moves is using Jill Valentine to call a flaming zombie to chew the necks of the opponents. Plus there are a good deal of new characters like Cable, a Marvel character that has his own comic series now. Since anyone who has ever played a Street Fighter game can do most all of the moves, this makes for a great party game that provides many options for variance. Plus there are so many secrets to unlock, just playing by yourself will offer many rewards.

The one thing that I was not impressed with was the look of the game. The characters seem to be smaller than in previous games and they are not as detailed as they could be. This will disappoint the true fans of the genre that like to see their characters in larger than life detail. Also the animations seem to have less frames than their predecessors, especially in the turbo mode. If there is anything that should blow people away on the Dreamcast it is the graphics, but with Marvel vs. Capcom 2 the graphics do not really surpass those on the other systems. I know that it is just 2D and the focus is on speed, not graphics, but the game could use a bit more detail.

Fans of this kind of game will not really be that disappointed with this new installment. The gameplay is fast and smooth, the character choice is immense, and there is a good deal of added strategy with the three on three fighting. Plus there are some VMU goodies and Internet capabilities. So as long as you are not completely tired of playing these games, you will most likely get a kick out of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. In my opinion, this genre has worn out its welcome and Capcom should focus on using its animation talents to create something fresh. How about a Marvel Vs. Capcom deathmatch game using the Resident Evil Engine? Anything to save us from the series that will never end.

Chris Shade

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