Review: Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (360/PS3)

After a 10 year hiatus, finally, a new Marvel vs. Capcom entry has been made. It brings back a lot of the veteran characters from previous entries in the franchise, from both companies, as well as some interesting new arrivals. The gameplay is also similar, but with enough new additions to make MvC3 familiar to those who love the series, but fresh enough to still surprise them. It's still got the incredibly fast gameplay, your old 3 on 3 battles, assists, hyper-combos, etc, but there's also the new ability to switch characters during aerial combos, switching partners by holding the assist buttons rather than the punch and kick buttons (which is much easier), and so on. Basically, if you loved the other entries in this series, you will love the third one just as much, if not more.

Probably the biggest change, as far as gameplay goes, is the change-up of the button schematic. Instead of your old two punch and two kick buttons you now have a series of light, heavy and special attacks. Veterans will find themselves having to re-learn a lot of attacks and special moves with this new layout. However, the new button schematic seems to require a little more skill and timing than the previous system, which should discourage those pesky button mashers. As someone who really can't stand them, I can't help but think that anything that punishes button mashers is a good thing. You can still change the button layout around, however, which should allow veterans to make a set-up which allows them to feel right at home. In any case, the graphics are so good you might not even notice the gameplay. The 3 dimensional characters and the 2 dimensional backgrounds are highly detailed, flashy, and colorful, with each character having their own unique eye-catching combos and specials. It truly is a feast for the eyes.

Marvel vs Capcom 3, however, is unfortunately not immune to criticism. Some game alterations were genius, while others were, in my opinion, a bit lame. For example, MvC3 now has a roster of only 36 characters, as opposed to its predecessor MvC2's 56. MvC3 decided to leave out a lot of the favorite characters, too. Mega Man is absent but a lame character like MODOK was added, and Ken from Street Fighter was left out as well. A few other veterans were missed, but we did get compensated with the inclusion of some pretty awesome new characters, such as Dante from Devil May Cry. MvC3 is also sadly lacking in the diversity of its game modes. If you're looking for an expansive fighting game experience, that has tons of extras beyond arcade mode, this definitely isn't the title. Overall though, the changes that were made impressed me, and I can't say enough how thrilled I am that a skilled player can finally easily foil a button masher in MvC3. It's just as addicting and fun as its predecessor, and I'm sure it will be embraced by everyone who remembers MvC2 fondly, as well as pick up a new generation of fans in the process.

Submitted: Armando Ibarra (Employee)

Review: Mortal Kombat (PS3/360)

It's been a while since a solid Mortal Kombat game has been released, but with the fighting game revival in recent years it seems they decided to breathe new life into the series. Stepping away from the full 3D stages, NetherRealm studios decided to go with the more popular "2.5D", where the stage and characters are rendered in three dimensions, but the characters move on a 2D plane. This was really the right choice for this game, as it is a nice throwback to the original games; it gives you that old-school feeling without having to put up with Super Nintendo graphics.

To start off with, Mortal Kombat's story mode is, surprisingly, really in-depth and interesting. Considering fighting games aren't exactly known for their story, this is an impressive feat. That alone almost makes the game worth buying, just for that. It picks up right where Armageddon left off, with Shao Khan defeating the last of Earth Realm's heroes. Raiden manages to send a message to his past self, warning of a horrible future and hoping for a chosen one to come forward who can defeat Shao Khan. It then proceeds to re-tell the story of the first three games, combined into one complete narrative. The story is backed up by fantastic voice acting and sound effects, and that, as well as its overall quality, really makes it stand out among the current batch of fighting games.

The gameplay in Mortal Kombat is also fantastic, and delivers in the gore department, as its predecessors did. With built in combos and the addition of Kustom Kombos, the fighting is varied and fun, not to mention very balanced (except for a few bosses, which is to be expected). With over 27 characters, and more to come through DLK, there is enough stuff jam-packed into the game to keep you satisfied for weeks. Of course, characters aren't the only extras to enjoy. There are mini-games such as 'Test Your Might, Sight, and Luck', plus the Challenge Tower, as well as the Krypt with TONS of unlockables, including costumes and new fatalities! No expense was spared on this game, with its fully rendered cutscenes during story mode, full 1080p display, and tons of downloadable kontent. It really is the shining star of the series.

Overall this game is a must have for fans and newcomers alike! It's a nice medium between Street Fighter and Marvel vs Capcom 3, as it's faster and more combo-oriented than Street Fighter, but not as fast and crazy as MvC3. Also, as if the inherent value of the game isn't enough, there is going to be a Mortal Kombat Tournament at Level Up on June 18^th! Pick up your copy today, get some practice in, then come show us what you've got and TEST YOUR MIGHT!

Submitted By: Tom Ferko (Employee)