Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of 2 Worlds

It doesn't seem that long ago when we used to pump our 10p's into Street Fighter 2 in the arcades and enjoy sonic booms and hadoukens. Then came along the Super versions and the Tekken's and it all esclated to a new level. Sure enough a new twist was added with the popular characters of the Marvel comic books making an appearance and here we are in another rendition of the oh-so familiar 2-d fighter: Marvel versus Capcom 3: Fate of 2 Worlds.

So what makes this different to the others, especially if you forked out for the recent Super Street Fighter games for the Xbox 360 or PS3? Obviously these games didn't have the Marvel characters but also, the advanced mechanics in Marvel games are different to SF games and thats the key.

For Marvel virgins, the 6-button layout is slightly different than Street Fighter and the advanced mechanics allow for things like Crossover Counters, Advancing Guards and Snap Backs as well as team fighting (like Tekken-Tag). Now you can have Iron Man, Ryu and Wolverine take on Dante, Magneto and Arthur - the chap from the Ghouls and Goblins games! The variations in the teams and difference each carefully picked member can bring to the table will determine how you fight and how successful you will (or won't) be.

As with Street Fighter games, it is crucial that if you want to be good at Marvel v Capcom, you will have to put in a lot of practice. If you don't - you will lose. Stringing together a lucky combo with a fireball or two is all very well and good. Beating an opponent with a team that are well put together and well practised is not an easy thing. If you decide to take the fight to the masses online via XBL or PSN and you haven't put much practice in then we guarantee you will come away from most fights with a loss every time to the point you may want to give up.

That's where this game will divide audiences - some gamers love the challenge and want to perfect their team and moves to get the best combo with the best X-Factor finisher and can happily spend all day playing online against people from all over the world with the same characters. Others will hate it - they will want to pick random characters to try them out and so they should - thats part of the fun of any game. But playnig more experienced gamers will take the fun away after you've been beated 10 times on the trot (we know from experience).

As part of the Marvel series, this is one of the best we've played - the graphics are brilliant, the characters are chunky and feel like they look - with the larger ones (Hulk, Sentinal, Haggar, etc) feeling heavier and stronger than the smaller guys (Spiderman, Pheonix, Arthur, etc) and then the 'medium class' of Ryu, Dante and Iron Man do their job of being somewhere inbetween meaning each fighter style can be catered for.

The downside is that the game will divide audiences as it has done with past Street Fighter games and the devotion to the practice means picking up and playing a quick game online is not always the most attractive option. Not for everyone but for fans - its a must.