Tatsunoko Vs Capcom, Hands On Preview
Hands down one of the most impressive video game based booths at Comic Con was Capcom’s. Besides showing off some of their newest offerings, they just knew how to make their little corner of the San Diego convention center shine like a brand new nickle. So getting some game time on the show floor was a daunting task with almost everyone in the place lining up to check out Capcoms brand of fun. After fighting off con goers ( no seriously, I have the Hadouken burns to prove it ) I got a chance to test run Tatsunoko vs Capcom : Cross Generations of Heroes, and let the Agent assure you… this game was badass.
First off lets explain a few things. Yes this is considered a VS game by every fight fans definition : Capcom style action with killer company crossing goodness aplenty. Only problem is no ones ever heard of Tatsunoko. But of course, your boy will deliberate. Tatsunoko is the company responsible for many of Japan’s most popular animated series, including Speed racer, Gatchamen, Evangelion and Macross to name a few. In other words mostly old school properties that some of the younger generation might not recognize. But don’t expect to see heavy hitters from those shows in the game, since most of the characters included haven’t been considered to be hott in a long time. Even Capcom’s side of the roster isn’t as well known as you might have figured. Yes Ryu is in it. Of course you can get some Chun-li love. But for the most part, most of the characters added were either unknowns ( to stateside fans ) or are from games that lost their appeal long ago. When Vs fans first take a look at the character select screen, question marks will fill their head. But that quickly gets thrown out the window about two seconds after the announcer yells “FIGHT” and all hell breaks loose.
THIS GAME IS FUN !! The First thing you notice is how beautiful the game runs. It’s chaotic, splashy, over the top and doesn’t lose even a single frame in all it’s mayhem. Die hard fan boys will notice that the game has taken a very drastic turn when it comes both game play and control. The main draw to the Marvel VS Capcom series was it’s ease of play. Since all the characters played exactly the same, it was easy for both veterans and newbies to pick up there fave fighter and get sick wit the joystick. TvsC throws this concept out the window and goes back to the Street Fighter formula and gives every character a unique move set ( that’s right foo’s, back to memorizing your supers ). This is going to be hit or miss with most fans, but I personally welcome the diversity in button presses… call me old school. The controls are a completely different beast. Gone is the six button set up of most Capcom games since this one gets cut down to four. Three levels of attack buttons and one to launch Super Combos. But don’t fret. The set up works and I can assure you every fireball, spinning pile driver and kikoken is present as Capcom didn’t leave out a single move to accommodate the set up. Where I’m a little worried is the way the game plays using the Wii-mote. It’s pretty sucky. I’ll admit it probably could work, If I had a little more time with it, but I can’t honestly say yet, as I opted for a better way to play… using Capcom’s fight stick !! That’s right, the big C opted to create a worthy fight stick for the game and also showcased a prototype version at the con to try out. It played like a dream and made the whole experience a lot more fun than the “Smash Bros.” set up the Wii-mote option reminds me of. Don’t get scared though. The game could very well rock with Nintendo’s magic sticks, but I just didn’t get enough time with it. Backgrounds looked like crap, but are not even noticed with all the mayhem going on. Another awesome aspect of the game ( which i cant believe I noticed with the roar of the crowd behind me ) was the soundtrack. Every character had a crazy remix of their original stage music start playing just as they are tagged in, which added to the excitement of just barely switching out in time to save yourself from being knocked out. There was nothing like getting backed into a corner and right as my opponent launched their Super combo, you hear Viewtiful Joe’s yell followed by him crashing onscreen with the craziest techno remix.
NK is gonna keep an eye out for this Wii exclusive. I think even without the star power of most VS games, this can be considered a very worthy entry for fight fans …
Haudouken!