..Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3..

REVIEW |

Most readers of this review won't be confused by the fact that Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is a port of a special edition of an already released title named Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. Those who may be eyeing this game are either Vita gamers who are voraciously seeking something new for the system or fans who are buying Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 for maybe the third time. Either way, if you're a 2D fighting fan, you'll be in Capcom heaven.

UMvC3 is identical to the console versions. If you've played those versions, you won't see much new here. But that is not altogether bad, because it is such a great fighter to begin with. For those who need to know, the major differences between MvC3: Fate of Two Worlds and this release of Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is the addition of more fighters. This includes Ghost Rider and more obscure characters / fan throw-ins such as Phoenix Wright. At the time, it may have been argued that a DLC could have been implemented instead of justifying a completely full shelf release of another MvC3 game. However, if you skipped MvC3 for the console altogether, there are plenty of new playable fighters, so this won't be an issue for you.

As far as gameplay, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is a stellar (yet typical) Capcom 2D fighting game. 2D fighting fans will have nothing to worry about as far as what to expect from UMvC3. However, the special moves / attacks and fighting tactics remain generally the same from the past MvC games. Overall, gameplay and fighting styles are the typical cut and dry 2D Capcom / MvC stuff we've seen year after year. That statement could go a few ways depending on how you feel: You either love this stuff, you never liked it (this game won't change your mind otherwise), or you're tired of it. UMvC3 is standard in nearly every way in this genre. A Replay / Training mode has been added to the port to help spice things up. This new mode allows you to view matches over and over again with pause and rewind features, so you can learn from your mistakes and study each fight carefully. This is an amazing mode for those hardcore Capcom fighter fans who can now study their gaming martial arts on their lunch breaks or between classes.

Control issues in Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 can be argued for better or for worse. On one hand, the controls aren't bad: the touch pad can be used to control the fighters, but using the analog stick to control the game is often an annoying task for those who usually play these type of games with an arcade joystick at home, though by now many of us are well practiced analog stick fighters. Still, there's an annoyance with the small stick here: the use of the D-Pad is much more fitting. Either way, the controls are very strong and tight and won't be an issue for practiced or casual gamers.

The most impressive part of UMvC3, however, are the graphics. The impressive animations and effects stream across fluid 60fps without a hitch. The game simply looks stunning. Even compared to other huge Vita launches, this port is not only excellently executed, but stunning in the graphics and hardware department, showing what the Vita can do for 2D / 3D mixed graphics. Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 actually has been one of the most impressive launch titles I've seen on the system yet. The aesthetics of the menu systems have been updated from the original MvC3: Fate of Two Worlds, now looking much more fitting for this type of comic book-style game; throw in awesome fighting effects and everything in UMvC3 pops off the screen and impresses the eye.

An online mode allows you to hook up to other gamers via a lobby platform. While there are plenty of gamers willing to go up against you, there's still a greater need for a busier lobby and more gamers who are low and mid-level players. Not being a fluent fighting gamer on portable systems, I often was fighting others who had plenty of practice on games such as 3DS' Super Street Fighter 4, and I was getting my butt kicked left and right. It was still fun though, and there was no slowdown or framerate issues while connecting online. 

As a fighting game, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is insanely top notch. However, this genre is also archaic for some gamers, and it hasn't changed much over the years. As far as a port, the game is stellar, not missing a beat between console and portable, both graphically, gameplay, and content-wise.

GameDynamo's Score for Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 (PS Vita)

Rando Evans   Followtinydinosaurs Three things describe Rando: Good beer, good food, and video games. On occasion, Rando flies a zeppelin through time seeking power crystals.

[View Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 images / screenshots +]
[Watch Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 videos / trailers +]
[View more Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 articles (news, previews, reviews) +]
[View Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 cheats / guides +]