One of Capcom’s most popular fighting games of all time has arrived on the Xbox 360, Marvel vs Capcom 2. This game has already been ported to many different system since its initial release in 2000 including the Xbox and Playstation 2. So before you buy yet another port you’re probably thinking to yourself whether you need another copy of this game. If you’ve never gotten into Marvel vs Capcom 2, whether it’s worth your investment or if this game is best left untouched.

The graphics in this latest release of the game are left relatively unchanged. However the 2D art style holds up well throughout the years. This especially holds true because of some filters that Capcom is using to try and take advantage the capabilities of the Xbox 360. Going into this, you’re not going to get the same graphical overhaul that Capcom gave us with Street Fighter 2 HD Remix but this isn’t where the core the game is.

The music and sound effects from the original game are intact, with no real changes made. So what it comes down to whether you liked the original’s sound because you’re stuck with it for better or worse. Personally I enjoyed the music and most of the sound effects so i’m fine with this.

The core of any fighting game is of course the gameplay and Capcom has managed to bring it over faithfully in it’s Xbox 360 version. For those who aren’t familar with the game you put together three character teams and then duke it out with your opponent’s with the ability to summon assist attacks from characters on your team or switch team members on fly. This system lets you counteract your opponent’s picks by switching it for a good matchup for you. The trademark for the VS series is the ability to pull off insane combos and if you get the right conditions could become infinites. This is however where it becomes unfun for new players, experienced players will be able to pull off these combos and you’ll be left wondering what could have done about it. If this is starting to sound unappealing right now, then maybe you’d be better off to look at BlazBlue or Street Fighter IV instead. With that said, this isn’t so much problem if your playing with friends who are at the same skill level as you. Overall for better or worse its exactly the same game that came out 10 years ago and the same flaws and strengths that applied then are still here now.

The game comes with a single player mode however this is honestly a joke and you’ll spend little time with it especially since all the characters in this version come unlocked. When you’re not playing with friends locally then you’ll be spending your time in the online mode. I can happily say that this is well done, a far better than the one found in Street Fighter IV. Like in Street Fighter IV you’ve got Ranked Matches which are you gain or lose battle points, however the game includes the same six player lobby found in HD Remix which allows players to go at it arcade style with players taking turn facing the winner. When you’re not fighting you can watch the current matchup going on and its a great way to have fun taunting people in your Xbox Party. During my experience online I didn’t experience any noticeable lag and it was a fairly smooth experience.

Overall, Marvel vs Capcom 2 made a smooth transition to the Xbox 360. For better or worse its basically the same game that came out almost ten years ago with no noticeable problems from the transition. But with that said, this game was pretty rough and if you haven’t been playing it before you’ll find yourself getting your butt kicked by players with years of experience. While seasoned players will find alot to like here with online namely being a top feature. Newcomers are better off checking out another of the many fighting games that have come out recently.

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