NAME: Marvel vs. Capcom 2
SYSTEM: Dreamcast
MAKER: Capcom
PRODUCER: don't ask me
GENRE: Fighting

GRAPHICS: 10. Better than the arcade, believe it or not (no jaggies on the characters)
MUSIC: 5. Jazzy and sometimes vocaled... can get annoying very quickly
FUN: 9. Scrubs rejoice!
REPLAY: 7. It's all about experience points, man
DIFFICULTY: 6. Averagely tough and a surprisingly easy last boss
ENDING: 5. Has some neat sketches, but there's only one...
STORYLINE: 3. "Armor of Erosion. That which should not be awaken forever." ...pointless
MULTIPLAYER: n/a (not yet, but probably a blast)
ORIGINALITY: 5. Funky characters and 3-on-3 fights, but it's still a Vs. game at heart
REALISM: 5. Over the top, but with 3-D backgrounds and some nice physics on Psylocke
CONTROL: 10. Nothing wrong here, even on a normal DC controller
MATURITY: 7. Well, you beat each other up, and Morrigan and Psylocke are in here...

I was instantly hooked on the arcade version of MvsC1, but when I heard reports of a less-
than-perfect DC conversion, I decided I should wait for something better. That "something" 
is MvsC2. It's sort of like MvsC1, but with three major (and let me repeat-- major) 
differences: 1. Instead of two fighters per team, there's three. 2. There's a grand total 
of 56 characters in here-- a number I doubt even the KOF series can boast. 3. Say goodbye 
to your Medium attacks-- the controls have been simplified to light, strong, and assist. 
In order to do a Medium attack, you press the Jab or Short button twice; the only problem 
is that they only come out during a combo. (I don't miss them anyway...) The Assist buttons 
(Punch calling in your first teammate and Kick calling in your second) are a useful but 
easily overused part of gameplay. When you tap one of them, your partner comes out and does 
and attack, and goes back to the sidelines. It can be a very cheap way (especially with 
beam characters) to get yourself a win.
The arcade's graphics were noted for both the trademark excellent character animation and 
fully 3-D backgrounds; however, the characters were still low-res, giving them that jagged 
look we all know and hate. Not so on the DC-- maybe it's just my tv, but the graphics seem 
to blend perfectly.
One of the only parts of MvsC2 I don't like is the music. Unlike other fighters, it ditches 
the tried-and-true rock/pop/techno for a more vocalized jazz style. While it did have 
some promise to it, the vocals are what turned me off-- usually they're just ringy and 
repetitive. Every time I hear that character select tune I want to bash my head against 
the wall...
On a more positive note, the new control scheme works very well with the standard DC pad. 
And although you can use the stick, I find it more natural to use the d-pad... However, 
both can lead to a very sore thumb after you've rubbed in Dragon Punch after Dragon 
Punch... If you feel so inclined, I'd imagine that an arcade stick could be a wise 
investment as well.
I must warn you right now: If you didn't like the over-the-top style of the other Vs. 
games, stay away. Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Street Fighter III are both other excellent 
choices, depending on your tastes. If you're a Hyper Combo Scrub like me though, this is 
the game for you. And don't try to put any quarters in it, please... that's how well it's 
translated to home. Very impressive, Capcom. (Now hurry up with Megaman X5...)

OVERALL: ********* 95%

Reviewed on 7.5.2000