Yep. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 came out today. You can stay tuned to Chainsaw Buffet for more of my thoughts on the game itself, but in the meantime, enjoy this Day 1 combo video.
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Revisionist History: Gunstar Heroes
Greetings, oft-neglected readers!
The Idle is back with a few new tricks up its sleeve, most notably, a brand-spankin’ new video capture device. While this video hardly shows the quality of video I’m capable of producing now, it is a preview of what the future holds for the Idle.
That’s right, from here on out, my old text-based articles will now mostly be a thing of the past in favor of video-centric posts such as this one. Enjoy!
First Impressions: Marvel vs Capcom 3
Okay, okay. I know the game’s been out for over two weeks now, and I’m just now getting around to making this post I promised you last week. But come on, I’m a busy guy, as you all know, and there’s no rest for a Vatican Assassin Warlock (Google that, if you don’t know what I’m talking about).
Anyway, let’s cut right to it, shall we?
So, how is it? Fun, deep, and engaging. So much so that I’ve been playing heavily since the game’s release, and I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of my three main characters (Zero, Dante, and Chun-Li, in case you were wondering). It seems like every day, a video gets posted on some fighting game website or another that highlights another strategy, combo, or glitch that changes how the landscape of the game is perceived. So, let’s just say the game itself has a lot going for it, even if there are still a lot of things that have yet to be discovered.
Speaking of the game’s unknowns, let’s talk for a moment about balance. Someday, someone somewhere is going to compile a list of match data between high-level MvC3 players using the various characters and create a tier-list. Those tiers will then be further dissected between the character’s usefulness as the on-screen or “point” character versus being an off-screen “assist” character. Then, team dynamics will come into play. And at the end of the day, that person will proclaim that Team X/Y/Z is a top-tier team. The one thing to realize about this game, however, is that (due largely to X-Factor) any character in the game can kill any other character in the game with a single combo.
As much controversy and teeth-gnashing that X-Factor seems to be causing in the fighting game community, I still feel it brings a very unconventional sense of balance to the game. Characters can die quickly, and some characters (such as Sentinel) seem to be too strong, but the game rewards practice, execution, and experimentation in training mode more than most other fighting games, meaning that if you know your team inside and out, any hit can lead to a big swing in momentum.
That isn’t to say that it’s easy to land these character-killing combos. Unless you’re taking out Phoenix (who has laughably low health to offset Dark Phoenix’s incredible power), killing a character in a single combo requires the use of one or more bars of your Hyper Gauge and/or use of X-Factor. Also, don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy to get in on a character with strong zoning capabilities, especially when assists are being called in every couple of seconds to keep you on your toes. The point is, there is no “hopeless” scenario between two characters. If you have the knowledge, the skill, and the resources, you can win.
So, with all that high-level mumbo-jumbo out of the way, what does this game have to offer, say, a Marvel fan with no real fighting game experience? Well, there’s “Simple Mode”, where the controls are condensed to a single button for regular attacks, another button for special attacks, and yet a third button for Hyper Combos (in addition to the two partner assist buttons and the ubiquitous “Special” button, which sends the opponent flying into the air). As someone who’s played fighting games for years, I don’t really feel like I’m in the best position to say whether or not Simple Mode achieves its intended goals. That’s why I got some of my friends over at Chainsaw Buffet to come and test the game out with me.
As you’ll see, Simple Mode isn’t really made to give a beginner the opportunity to compete with a seasoned veteran, but simply allows one to perform moves and combos with relative ease, though the access to a character’s full move set is restricted. Even so, beginners should find enjoyment in Simple Mode, as long as they have someone to play with at their own skill level.
One last thing worth mentioning is the presence of online play. There have been issues with the game’s servers, making it difficult to find opponents online. These issues haven’t been persistent, however, and what time I have put into playing online, the game seems decent, though precision needed for extended combos seems to be difficult to find due to the lag. Fortunately, however, the game’s Training Mode has an option to simulate online conditions, so you can practice your combos with simulated lag.
All in all, Marvel vs Capcom 3 may be a lot of things, but “disappointment” isn’t one of them. Even so, it may not be the beginner’s fighting game of choice.
Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion, Video Game Nonsense
Tagged Fighting Games, Marvel vs Capcom 3
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Marvel vs Capcom 3 Combo Experiments: The Zero Buster
So, after doing my “No Assist, No Meter, No X-Factor? No Problem!” video, I received a very poignant question from “DarkSonicSpear” on YouTube. The question? “Why not use a charge shot to extend the combo?” Why not indeed? The answer, because using it in that sort of combo is hard to do. But, not being one to leave things at that, I decided to head back to the lab and work on my execution skills, figuring out how to use button switching in order to do full combos with Zero while still charging his Zero Buster.
After I had the basic technique down, it was time to start playing around with the Buster’s potential. The most common use is to use a light Raikousen to teleport Zero down to the ground and extend the combo. However, as you’ll see here, that’s not always the best option, due to hit stun decay.
Please keep in mind that this is just a very small sampling of some of the utilities the Zero Buster has. In any case, I hope this will at the very least be informational for anyone who reads this.
In any case, don’t think I’m stopping here. There’s still lots more on the way!
Marvel vs Capcom 3 Day 1 Combo Experimentation
Well, as promised, here’s the first true bit of content for the Idle’s massive Mvc3 coverage (well, massive for this site, at least). In case you’re wondering, this isn’t the only place this info is found since, well, this site is so obscure. Even so, I think you’ll enjoy making the trip over here.
With all the controversy over how powerful Sentinel is (particularly in his X-Factor mode), my number one goal going into my experiments was finding a way to kill Sentinel in a single combo at the beginning of a match, so he never gets a chance to use his X-Factor. The result? Well, see for yourself:
While you don’t see it in the video, the combo builds enough meter to do the Rekkoha at the end, so you can spend that starting level of meter at the beginning of the round to bring in Sentinel and, if you manage to find a way in to start your offense, you can get rid of the thread of the dreaded X-Factor Sentinel at the beginning of the match.
While that combo can be devastating to start out a match with, it requires all three characters be in play and uses your X-Factor for the match. So, for my second experiment, I decided to play around with combo possibilities that Zero could use when he was at his worst – No assists, no X-Factor, and an empty Hyper Gauge:
Just how good this combo is at mid-screen is somewhat debatable. Against some characters, Zero is forced underneath the opponent, and Zero has no way to land a Rekkoha or other Hyper Combo without an assist (thus failing the experiment). I don’t know definitively which characters force Zero to go underneath and which don’t, but it’s safe to say that it probably won’t work against most smaller characters. Against medium or larger characters, though, you should definitely add that combo to your arsenal.
My final set of experiments came from playing around with Zero’s other Hyper Combo, Sougenmu. Unlike its TvC iteration, the shadow clone actually duplicates all of Zero’s attacks, making for some interesting possibilities. As you’ll see, though, it’s going to take a lot of work (likely from a better player than myself) to get the most out of this combo:
The main problem with Sougenmu comes from the hit stun decay created by prolonged combos, even after so many hits, the opponent will eventually be able to block, as your attacks will basically create so little hit-stun that you won’t be able to add in any more attacks. Even so, the combo has a lot of mix-up utility, so I look forward to seeing what folks come up with as the game continues to evolve.
Well, that’s all for Day 1, but stay tuned, because there’s plenty more on the way!
Here’s What I’ve Got
Looks like everything I need for some big-time Marvel vs Capcom 3 coverage, right? Early next week, you can expect an epic “First Impressions” post.
Why next week? Well, two major reasons. First, and most important, is that I’ve not had a chance to play the game prior to its release (thanks for nothing, Best Buy), and secondly, I’ve invited some friends of mine from Chainsaw Buffet over so they can help me put Simple Mode through it’s paces (and maybe a few surprises in addition to that, too).
Worry not, faithful Idlers. Although you may have to wait a while to hear my thoughts on the game, I’ll be posting plenty of MvC 3 related content in the meantime, so fire up Facebook, Twitter, and/or your RSS feed of choice, because there’s plenty more on the way.
(Oh, and for those of you who don’t know what Pringles and Haagen-Dazs have to do with anything …)
Chainsaw Buffet Interviews Jessica Straus
Well, in what was a big thrill for me personally (for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who regularly reads this blog), I and my friends over at Chainsaw Buffet had the opportunity to interview Jessica Straus (Super Street Fighter IV, Wolf’s Rain, Persona 4). You can check out the podcast here (the interview starts at 22:50).
To get you extra excited, I’ve included a little bonus clip:
More surprises are in store in the very near future, so stay tuned!!
Do You Hear That?
Hello Idlers. This isn’t the first time (nor will it likely be the last) I’ve had to make a post explaining the lack of posts on the blog. But just because there haven’t been posts, don’t assume I haven’t been hard at work. My new side project, Anime Roundup, is up and running with it’s first episode (with Episode 2 on the way and Episode 3 already in the works), and things over at Chainsaw Buffet are really heating up (I can’t say what, just yet, but I promise you, it’s huge).
Oh, and come to think of it, isn’t there some sort of fighting game or another coming out next week? I guess I might have to check it out sometime …
Leaked Footage of Galactus Boss Fight in Marvel vs Capcom 3
The game is called Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, right? And last time I checked, Galactus eats worlds. So what better way to end an epic fight for two worlds than fighting a guy who is trying to devour said worlds?
Not sure why or how, but someone got their hands on what seems to be the final version of the game, and has uploaded a video of this epic final battle to a game that has been riddled with pre-mature leaks of information. Check the video out for yourself below:
The Idle will, of course, still be on the look out for any official announcements on Galactus or any other information regarding DLC characters that comes down the road.
More Marvel vs Capcom 3 Characters: Hsein-Ko and Sentinel
Well, with less than three weeks to go, we finally have confirmation of the oft-rumored additions of Hsein-Ko from Darkstalkers and Sentinel from X-Men.
It’s been a while since Hsein-Ko’s made an appearance in an honest-to-goodness AAA title, so I wouldn’t blame a lot of you for not recognizing her at first glance. As such, here’s some video to job the ol’ memory banks:
As for Sentinel, his addition to the roster doesn’t come as much of a surprise, considering his place in Marvel vs Capcom 2 infamy, being one of the hand full of so-called “god-tier” characters from the 10-year-old prequel. Something tells me, though, that the rest of the cast has closed the gap in the intervening years. Regardless, you can judge for yourself in the video below:
While it seems unlikely we’ll get any new playable character announcements before launch (at least until more DLC characters are announced), rest easy knowing I’ve got you covered, and will be sending impression posts and videos your way as soon as the game drops.