9.1

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

With almost the same graphics as its big brother console counterparts and same sturdy gameplay, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has made the leap to portable gaming. More specifically the PS Vita as THQ successfully launches the franchise on this brand new console. At its core, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is still a faux 2D fighter that brings together two popular franchises, that of Marvel Comics and the colourful characters of the Capcom gaming universe. Best of all, this is not some dumbed down portable game but rather a fully fledged console experience that even supports online matches and upcoming DLC content.

Control... you must learn control!  The control system of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has been transferred well to the PS Vita, although it still can't compare to a PS3 or 360 controllers. It's close but is a little a crowded, especially when you're trying to pull off those elaborate manoeuvres. The game does allow you to use the touch screen to pull off some of the more difficult manurers but this option can be disabled for the hardcore players.

Needless to say, all the controls have been well mapped on the PS Vita, whether it's the thumbstick or the face buttons and does feel like a fighting game which is the most important part of this game. The only forced control system of the game is the inclusion of touch-screen support which requires you to swipe in different direction to perform your attacks. Note to developers... just because the console supports an innovative control system, doesn't mean that it will make the game anyway better. Fortunately as a fighter, it's definitely in the quite exceptable basket.

There are a total of 48 characters available to the player that include greats such as Spider-man, Frank (Capcom), Captain America or Captain Commando (Capcom. Even though I loathed Ghost Rider on the PS3 version, I actually enjoyed his long ranged attacks on the PS Vita version which allowed me to knock down my enemy’s health until I could get up close and personal. Apart from fighting in the traditional solo sense, the game does support a variety of gaming modes, including online plus 8 new stages and 12 new characters.Unfortunately we only had a few attempts at online due to the lack of available players. However when we did play online, the game was relatively smooth, although we did suffer from some lag.

The PS Vita version even supports spectator mode and replays. Replays can even be saved to your PS Vita for bragging rights. With that said, playing the game is easy, however mastering the various controls can prove a challenge to some, due to the amount of differences between the characters and fighting styles. The mission mode will assist in teaching you the basics of the game and of course, the menu system will display the PS Vita moves for your character in order to assist you mimic their attacks. This ensures that if you're a newbie or a veteran, you should have no problems in mastering the controls.

Another new feature of the PS Vita version is the Heroes and Heralds mode which replaced the Shadow Mode from the original console games. In essence Heroes and Heralds requires you to collect cards and assign them to your three-person team which adds additional unlockable content such as new abilities to your characters. With so many cards available, Heroes and Heralds will keep you busy for quite some time, due to its addictive nature.

Graphically, this looks like a mirror of the PS3 version of the game with its flash graphics, well designed characters some very cool special effects. The animation is smooth for the most part but every now and then, some frame-rate issues occur when the screen becomes a little too crowded or the hypercombos come into the picture. Sound effects and music work also enhance the overall gameplay.

Final Level

In the end, if you're looking for a fighting game for your brand new console, than Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is quite an engaging game that offers a considerable amount of replay value. With 48 different fighters and a very sturdy gaming engine, this fighting game is almost flawless on the PS Vita, except for the occasional odd graphical hiccup or lag via online play. If you already own this game on the PS3 or 360, there's probably no real reason to buy it again as it's almost a mirror image... unless of course you're a fan of the franchise. Personally I would recommend this title to those users who have never played the game before and like on the PS3 or 360, it's easily one of the best fighters available.