MvC2 Headed to XBLA/PSN

**ElCapichan** · 27 Apr 2009, 09:34 PM

By summer, I hope they mean asap and not some August release date. I want this now.

**B-Ri** · 27 Apr 2009, 09:35 PM

i will also be getting this on XBLA since amazon practically gave it to me (20 cents for $20 worth of points.)

Yay, excited, love this game.

**Yoshi** · 27 Apr 2009, 09:35 PM

Capcom better have more detail in 25 minutes... and preorders for my Strider/Spidey pad.

**cka** · 27 Apr 2009, 09:40 PM

consider the mustache curled

edit: still won't buy it

**B-Ri** · 27 Apr 2009, 09:48 PM

http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/69...erblog_thefeed

For those who missed the game when it hit arcades in 2000, the Dreamcast or PlayStation 2 in 2002, or the Xbox in 2003, this is a cartoon-looking 2D brawler with a line-up that features some of Marvel’s best loved characters and Capcom’s own favorite sons and daughters. Which means you can pit Wolverine against Chun-Li or Iron Man against Mega Man. Or, for that matter, Wolverine against Iron Man or Chun-Li against Mega Man, if you like.

But the game also has a couple of odd character choices, most notably Iron Man’s pal War Machine, The X-Men’s Cable, and Mega Man’s Servbot. In total, the game boasts more than 50 playable characters, all of whom will be unlocked from the get-go.

Needless to say, all of the characters move as you’d expect them to, complete with such signature moves as Spider-man’s web attacks and Cammy’s sex-with-legs-ish spin move. But Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, both then and now, has some changes from earlier versions of this fighting series. Battles are 3-on-3, as opposed to 2-on-2, the game uses fewer buttons, which makes the combos (relatively speaking, of course) easier than in past games, and this installment in the series was also the first not to feature character-specific endings.

Like other classic games brought back to life recently, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is virtually identical to the classic game (the Dreamcast version, for those of you keeping score). We say “virtually” because this adds online multiplayer, courtesy of the same systems that powered the same modes in Street Fighter HD Remix. You’ll even be able to play six-player round robin tourneys, with you and three of your friends watching as two other people beat each other senseless.

Fans of the earlier games might also need a few moments to get adjusted to the controls. While all the button combos are the same as they were before, they’ve been reworked to fit the PS3’s and 360’s controllers. Though anyone who’d rather kick it old school can actually just play with the Street Fighter IV arcade stick controller they bought a few months ago, since it will work for this game as well.

Otherwise, everything in this fighting game is how you remember it, from the taut controls and the ’80s-style Marvel character designs to the vintage music and sound effects. Sure, it may be the Dreamcast edition of the game, but playing it will bring you back to those days of yore, when you spent every afternoon in your local arcade. Just don’t make your living room all dark and smoky without asking your spouse first.

**B-Ri** · 27 Apr 2009, 09:55 PM

It's based on the Dreamcast code base - While the PS2 and Xbox versions of MvC2 were great, there are a few niggling issues in them that have caused the competitive community to continue using the Dreamcast version of the game. We wanted to bring you the very best version of the game, so we listened to the community and started with the Dreamcast.

2. There is online - With the game being developed by Backbone, we are using largely the same, critically acclaimed net code that we used in Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix and with that will come our player match quarter mode/lobby system that has proven so popular. Naturally leaderboards and some form of stats tracking (details to be provided at a later date) will also be in the mix. So on the net code side, you're pretty much assured the best fighting game net code ever created for consoles.

3. HD upscaling options - Given that most people play Xbox 360s and PS3s on HD TVs, it's important to help make the game look better. We've refined our real-time sprite filtering to use even more advanced techniques and we're providing two upscaling options for the sprites... one we've termed "Crisp" the other we've termed "Smooth". It's a matter of personal preference for which one you'll enjoy more. For purists, if you'd like you can use the "Classic" setting, which leaves the sprites completely unfiltered. Because the filtering is applied in real-time, you can change these settings on the fly, mid-match if you choose. Our producer will be showing you some comparison screenshots in the coming days to better clarify the differences. The backgrounds in MvC2 are all 3D, and when rendered at higher resolutions look fantastic. The original textures and assets from the Dreamcast were actually much higher quality than the Dreamcast could really display at the time and when shown in HD, the impact is really quite amazing.

4. Widescreen - Again, with most people playing on HD displays, we wanted to figure out how to implement widescreen support. To do so, the camera field of view was widened (which we're able to do because of the 3D backgrounds effectively running off the "edges" of the 4:3 scenario) and there are a few camera tricks that minimize any impact on the gameplay. Play area is unchanged, and this is not a zoom and crop like HD Remix was. To put it simply, the gameplay area will be in a 4:3 field, while the viewing area will be widescreen. At the same time, for purists and competitive play, a 4:3 option (with vertical bars on the left and right) still exists.

5. No unlocking - While we love giving people unlockables in games, for this outing, there's not a lot of surprises in terms of what characters are in the game. All 56 characters will be unlocked at the start for immediate play, again great for tournament play where players won't need to mess with save game data or hacked versions (/shame).

6. Music Options - We love MvC2 but the original "jazzy" music has long been criticized even by ardent fans. Independent music volume controls and support of custom soundtracks on PS3 and 360 we deemed an important feature. Purists will still have what they love and fans of customization are also served.

And as an added bonus, some of you will get to play it sooner than you think. The US PlayStation network will have the demo available for download this week (Europe's PSN should follow not far after). Surprise.

Trailer COMING HERE IN A FEW MINS... stay tuned.

Now that it's announced, if you'd like to see the trailer in HD or a few other nifty little things, head over to www.tu4ar.com after 6PM PST tonight. Lastly, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Forums, so please do come an participate. I hope you're all looking forward to it as much as we are.

F the Knicks...

-Sven

Kotaku also says $15 PSN, 1200 points XBLA.