When Capcom first announced Tatsunoko vs.Capcom the other year, average gamers found themselves confused. Many of them hadn't heard of Tatsunoko, and those of us who had didn't quite know what to expect. After all, many of the series Tatsunoko had worked on over the years hardly seemed like they could work for a fighter. Then again, it was Capcom we were dealing with. If anyone could find a way to make it work, surely it was them.
After nearly a decade since their last Vs. title, Capcom seemed to have the monumental task of rekindling the magic they had with their previous titles in the series. With the successful re-release of Marvel vs. Capcom, and the recent success of Street Fighter 4, it seemed as though Capcom had little reason not to give it a try. Did they manage to score another hit? I'd like to think so.
Find out why after the jump.
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii)
Developer: Eighting Co. and Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: January 26, 2010
MSRP: $49.99
As I mentioned before, the recent success of Street Fighter 4 seems to have lifted Capcom's spirits, or at least has refuled their confidence in the North American market when it comes to fighting games. With practically every console recieving a port, the only one left hanging was Nintendo's Wii. Considering the market share that Nintendo has managed to hold on to for the last few years, it was no surprise that Capcom would want to capitalize on it. Unfortunately that meant having to create something different, and while that isn't exactly bad, it requires some amount of give and take.
While Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is a solid fighter in terms of what it offers, I would be wrong to overlook some of its short comings. On the other hand, there are some good reasons for each of them. The graphics aren't exactly on par with some of the next generation titles we see on the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360, however for the Wii, they're actually fantastic. The effects and animations are smooth, and while some of the character models may lack the fine details you may be used to, they do their job.
The gameplay, on the other hand, has some serious pros and cons. All of the characters maintain a nice fluid feel to them, but the actual fighting mechanics have been very streamlined for the Wii. I didn't really expect them to be incredibly detailed--after all, the game is clearly designed so that casual and hardcore gamers can both play it with relative ease. However, with three "attack buttons," which aren't exactly assigned to any specific type of attack aside from weak, medium and strong, the system can get some getting used to. I often found myself executing the wrong move, such as a kick when I wanted a punch. While I'm sure if you were to practice enough, you could eventually figure out exactly what might happen when you press a button, the whole scheme just strikes me as lacking in precision.
Additionally, I found that executing super moves had become far easier. Rather than relying on a punch or kick button, merely using directional pad then pressing a general attack button would launch you into one. I didn't really have a problem with that, but I can imagine that some people might. That said, I don't think that it would take any less skill. Of course, there is also an even more streamlined control scheme for players who want to use their wiimotes and nunchuck which allow for instant super moves simply by motioning their character in a direction. It seemed a bit clunky to me, and probably wouldn't be good for much more than spamming fireballs. I am fond of the old school two-on-two tag teams though.
Thankfully, the game allows for the use of the Gamecube, and classic controllers, as well as a tournament style arcade stick. In my opinion, all of those options are better than the wiimote, though would cost you more assuming you didn't already own them. Frankly, they're worth the investment if you enjoy fighting games as it is.
The game also provides a host of new characters for those of us who have grown up playing previous iterations of the Vs. series. Sure, it doesn't have Wolverine or Strider, but after sitting down with the Tatsunoko cast, you won't be missing either of them. Each of the characters are an absolute blast to play as. So far, my favorite is probably Karas, though the Gatchaman cast could easily come in second. As for new characters on the Capcom side, Soki from Onimusha is an absolute beast--at little slow, but very strong. My only gripe, and it is a minor one, is that a good portion of the cast needs to be unlocked at the start and the only way to do so is by beating the game over and over again.
In the end, I can honestly say the game is worth your time to sit down and play. Sure it's a fighting game, and as such, your time with it might not last as long as with your typical RPG, but as far as the Wii is concerned, this may be one of the few fighting games you'll get. On top of that, you'll probably come back to it every time you want to fill your Capcom cravings. If you ask me, it's a solid buy, short and simple.
Score: 8.5 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)
live comments!
Totally going to main as Casshern and Zero.