Marvel vs. Capcom: EX Edition
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Capcom's arcade and Dreamcast hit Marvel vs. Capcom finally battles its way to the PlayStation. But due to the limitations in the five year old PSX hardware, enough changes in gameplay were made to warrant a name change to Marvel vs. Capcom: EX Edition. Can the PSX make its owners less envious of the Dreamcast, or will this game just make it worse?
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Different, But Still The Same
When Capcom brought Marvel vs. Capcom to the Dreamcast, they delivered an arcade-perfect port of the hyper-brawler and had an instant hit on their hands. But when facing the task of making a PlayStation version, tough decisions had to be made to keep the speed and graphical integrity of the game without overloading the system. Happily, they did a very good job.
Marvel vs. Capcom: EX Edition looks and plays very much like its Dreamcast counterpart, only with a few minor gameplay changes. All of the characters are still there, but gone are the straight up tag team matches. This game lets you choose between Partner Heroes Mode, where you pick one of the fifteen main characters to pitch in during Hyper Combos and counter moves, or Special Heroes Mode, in which one of the twenty other characters comes in to help you a limited number of times (just like the arcade and DC versions). If you must have tag team battle, Cross Over Mode allows you to pick one character while your opponent chooses another - your character decides your opponent's tag partner, and vice-versa. They also added an art gallery, where you can view the game art, the goofy ending animations, and even the Special Heroes moves. This option really adds more motivation to beating the game.
Graphic Glows, Controller Woes
The graphics look and move surprisingly well considering the PlayStation's age. It seems the changes in gameplay allowed Capcom to make this game look so good. Great decision. The only weakness is the annoying zoom-in for dramatic effect during throw moves.
Sound is solid, maybe not as crystal clear as the Dreamcast version, but you're not buying the game for its soundtrack. All the taunts and familiar music are there, and that's all that matters.
Control is always a problem for the Capcom 2D-fighting games, unless of course you have an arcade stick. The PlayStation Dual Shock controller holds up well enough, and the eight buttons give you easy access to all moves (much better than having to use the triggers on the DC controller), but the D-pad is the real problem. Uncomfortable for fireball and uppercut motions, it may limit your time playing at one sitting. Overall, however, it's more than adequate.
Get A Version Any Version
If you're a big Capcom fan, you really should just get a Dreamcast. But if you're not familiar with the 2D-fighting genre and only own a PlayStation, this is a great start. With Marvel vs. Capcom, fighting fans may just forget about all this 3D nonsense.
