Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Rating Guide: How I Review Games

When I heard that Capcom was coming out with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 just months after releasing Marvel vs. Capcom 3 I was a little suspicious.  What would make this new “ultimate” edition special enough to warrant another dive into the series?  Thanks to the boys and girls at Capcom, I was able to find out a few days before its release just how much more ass kickin’ this game is and how the latest ultimate, super, mega edition of another Capcom title is likely the best yet.

There are a few new tweaks to this current fighter but not much has changed from the winning formual of Marvel vs. Capcom.  Fans of the series won’t have to learn a completely new game.  The controls are pretty much the same as Marvel vs. Capcom 3 with the exception of new moves for the previous roster of characters.  For example Wolverine, who is the MVP on my team, has a new move that I noticed slices and dices faster than any cooking utensil.  And believe me it’s pretty impressive to watch especially when you’re dealing out a 45 combo hit!

The original 32+ character roster is back and they’ve brought with them 12 new characters including Strider Hiryu, Iron Fist, Phoenix Wright, Nova, Vergil, Doctor Strange, Frank West, Ghost Rider, Firebrand, Hawkeye, Nemesis T-Type, and Rocket Raccon.  I thought the huge lineup of characters was one thing that made this updated version special considering how some fighting games only offer additional characters as DLC.  I did notice that one of my DLC characters from MVC3 was actually playable in UMVC3 but I’m not sure if all DLC characters are fully transferable.  Here’s to wishful thinking!

With these new characters come new moves and finishers that are pretty nice.  Who would’ve thought Frank West from Dead Rising could be such a bad ass in a fighting game?!  But this requires practice and I highly recommend practicing if you want to compete online. 

The training mode is back which is very helpful in practicing combos and finishers.  Players can adjust the settings and options to their liking but a first timer can be spoiled by this mode since you start out with Level 5 finishers that are easy to pull off.  I have to note that I played with the Xbox 360 controller and not an arcade stick which are proven to be more helpful with moves.  Also back is the X-Factor move, which temporarily boosts your strength and mobility to inflict a lot of damage to your opponent.  This is now highlighted on your game screen unlike the previous installment where it was just one of the power moves. Offline modes like Arcade Mode is still the same along with other modes like Versus and Mission where you have to pull off certain combos and finishers specifically related to your character.

The new mode Heroes and Heralds mode is pretty damn cool.  You get a chance to earn new powers and compete as Heroes or amongst Galactus’ Heralds.  It’s a nice change up from the regular Arcade or Versus modes.  If you’re into playing “ability cards” and that style of gameplay, you’ll enjoy this. 

I haven’t even mentioned the must requested Spectator Mode which is almost worth the price of admission alone!  There’s nothing like sitting back and watching some intense action that looks like it has been ripped straight out of a Marvel comic book.  It’s one of the biggest improvements to the online multiplayer with its ability to watch online matches while you wait for your match in the Lobby mode.  In MVC3, you could only watch two gamer cards bounce around that represents the players while listening to elevator type music which was pretty boring.

In UMVC3, just hit the spectate option before the match starts and you can watch two players go head to head while you wait.  This improvement is a more satisfying experience.  Ranked match is back for those who want to boost their leaderboard standings online.  If you just want to play online and don’t want to worry about losses counting towards your ranking, then stick to Player match.

The graphics are presented very well and animated considering how much is going on at one time on the screen.  It remains one the best looking fighters on the Xbox 360.  The character drawings are given a more “comic book” feel and look noticeably crisper than in MVC3.  There are a few new backgrounds along with previous backgrounds from MVC3.  It definitely enhances the gameplay.  If you have an HDTV, you will fully enjoy the improvements.

Conclusion

With the addition of 12 new characters and improved online multiplayer, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3′s $40 price tag isn’t a bad deal.  Fans and new players to the series should definitely give it a try.

8.5
“Standout”