Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is Awesome

Finally I got another Nintendo Wii last week. Once again it wasn’t as easy as just walking in to the store and buying one. Well it was but only after a week of phone calls and searching online. I had the same problem the first time I got a Wii, except that time I found out Meijer had 50 of them in stock for Black Friday. So I stood in line from 8pm until 5am the next morning. I ended up having to leave because I got the flu and came down with a 103 degree fever while standing in line. My mom and wife got stuck waiting in line with my 6 month old son. Good times for them ;).

So after spending about $500 this time to get the system, 2 complete controller setups (one remote, one nun chuck, 2 motion pluses, and a classic controller), and a game; I am finally back on the wagon. What game is it you ask? Well let me tell you. It is Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, and boy have I enjoyed it every minute I can since I bought it. Hands down this is probably one of the best fighters that I have played in awhile.

I don’t even know how to convey the awesomeness of this game to you as a reader. So let’s begin with the presentation and looks of the game. Outstanding is a good way to describe it. It is comical and cartoony but not in a bad way. There is this 1970’s cartoon feel to it which is well suited for the overall game. Either way the colors are bright and fun and in some weird way it brings out the fun in the game instead of the seriousness that can come with fierce competition from other foes. Also you will find that you are not turned completely off by the music. Its soundtrack is tolerable in comparison to other Capcom soundtracks (SFIV) and at some points even enjoyable.

The button layout is simple but yet again well suited for this game like everything else. Like Brian T. said there are only 3 attack buttons. This is a great way to allow easier control of the characters making it possible to string together some devastating combos. The fighting style amongst the characters is unique to everyone allowing you to alter your gameplay dependent on who you are fighting with. There are endless hours of enjoyment with this game from mastering characters in arcade mode to cracking skulls online with the ultimate duo: Polimar and Casshan. Yeah that’s right that is my super head stomping team right there.

At first I was iffy about this game because it seemed slow and clownish, unlike other fighters that I was used to i.e. Marvel vs. Capcom and SFIV. But after a few rounds and some getting used to, the paced picked up and the graphics were more than appealing. This game is a definite one to own and I would highly recommend it to anyone. It definitely made the Wii worth owning again. Just in case you are all wondering the win loss record between Brian T. and I is 18-15, and I am the one with 18 wins.

-Brian R.

tatsunoko vs. capcom first impressions

I currently own 46 different fighting games. At one point or another, I've probably owned over 60, and I've played at least 100 different fighters. Today I picked up Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars for the Wii and can already say that it's a possible top 5 for me. Capcom fucking nailed it, plain and simple. Brian R. didn't think I'd be able to pull myself away from the game long enough to write anything about it, and he's kind of right. This game is way too much fun. While nothing can touch Capcom vs. SNK 2 for me (fact: best fighting game of all time), TvC is already blowing away even it's own competition.

First of all, this game looks great. If you have component cables, the first thing you'll probably notice when you start playing is that the graphics are all very bright, clean, and crisp. Capcom has a knack for taking advantage of the best aspects of the Wii (RE4, Okami, Zack & Wiki, etc.) and TvC is by far their best effort. If you don't have component cables, you can grab some from Amazon for 6 dollars shipped. The music has all been enjoyable and is definitely a step up from the weak Street Fighter 4 soundtrack. Animation is extremely fluid, as you would expect from a Capcom fighter. The presentation is superb, and shows yet again that developers can definitely get a lot out of the Wii if they actually try.

I've only played using the classic controller, but control is spot on with it. You'll quickly get used to the layout, which is stripped down and designed very simplistically. There are only 3 attack buttons, which may sound limited, but the simplified control scheme is definitely welcome considering you've got enough madness to worry about on screen without having to deal with the silly control options you have with the Wii (I know Brian R. and I aren't the only ones excited for these). Since this game was designed from the ground up for the Wii, this is one of the few Capcom fighters that doesn't make you feel like you're at a disadvantage if you aren't playing with an arcade stick, though they are available for purists. The remote/nunchuck option doesn't even look like it's worth trying, and I honestly feel that the Gamecube controller is the most poorly designed controller I've ever used, especially for fighters. Get a classic controller if you don't already have one.

Brian R. and I played at least 15 or 20 matches online tonight. As with every Wii game, the online is way more complicated then it should be, but it gets the job done. Matches were relatively lag-free and overall I'm really happy that the online isn't broken. I still cannot fathom how Nintendo could screw up the online for Super Smash Bros. Brawl so badly, but you finally wipe that memory clean because Capcom pulled through and has given us the best online experience we could hope for on the Wii. I hopped on for a few random ranked matches and was destroyed immediately by some dudes showing off their newly unlocked hidden characters. I guess I still have quite a bit of practicing to do. As a side note, there are some nice touches from SF4 like icons for online play.

Oh yeah, and I guess I should probably mention that this game is unbelievably FUN. I feel that in terms of gameplay, it blows Marvel vs. Capcom 2 out of the water. Trust me, it won't matter that you're probably not familiar with a huge portion of the cast; you won't be complaining about the lack of recognizable characters once you actually start playing as some of them. In fact, I honestly think that I prefer the overall selection of Tatsunoko fighters over the Capcom characters. Keep in mind that I have yet to unlock any of the hidden characters, but I'm really enjoying the interesting new cast. I played the original Japanese release last year, and this update is an improvement is every way, especially with the addition of 5 new characters and the subtraction of that fat fuck, Hakushon Daimao:


I also played through the arcade mode once and was very pleased. The post-match character dialogue is interesting, and if all the endings are anywhere near the quality that Ippatsuman's ending was, I'm literally excited to beat the game with every character. There is also a fun mini-game during the credits sequence which actually unlocks ANOTHER mini-game in the form of an old, arcade-style top down shooter.

But hey, guess what? Writing about this game is way less fun than actually playing it. And I'm assuming that reading about me playing it is even less fun. So go buy it and we can play together. My TvC friend code is: 2751-2516-5019.

-Brian T.

wii thoughts

While we cool down and head into the slow season for games, many of us are clamoring for all the big spring titles. And while everybody is bitching about Splinter Cell and Super Street Fighter 4 getting pushed back, chances are that you've overlooked at least a few solid gaming experiences in the past few months or are so focused on the big action titles coming out, that you're going to end up missing some of the smaller releases. Now is the time to catch up!

If you own a Wii, bust that shit out. I'm sure a lot of you look at the Wii like some sort of board game that you only take out when you've got friends or family over, while you rely on your PS3/360 for your "hardcore" games. If you're convinced that there aren't any single player experiences worth having on the Wii, you're not paying attention. No More Heroes 2 is out next week and if you like anime, hack-n-slash games, insane gore, or absurd humor, this game is for you. Chances are you didn't play the first one and missed out on one of the most unique titles of this generation. Then again, you probably also didn't play Madworld, Nights, Muramusa, Zack and Wiki or any other great Wii game that got lost under piles of 1st party Nintendo titles and 3rd party shovelware.

Unique gaming experiences clearly have nothing to do with technology so do yourself a favor and FINALLY play Okami if you haven't. Looking for an RPG? Get the new Phantom Brave. As I mentioned in my last blog, Nintendo are essentially the reason you've never heard of some of the best Wii titles. Even I forgot that Little King's Story came out last year and was apparently really, really good. Nintendo only cares about how well Mario, Zelda, and Metroid sell. They tend to treat the Wii as nothing more than a vessel for updates to their tried-and-true classics. That's why the Gamecube went under, and that's why the Wii is going under. Until it does though, there are plenty of overlooked gems on the console.

Also keep in mind that Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is out here in the U.S. next week and after spending a couple of days with the Japanese release I can definitely say this is a must-own for any fighting fan. I'm not familiar with 90% of the Tatsunoko characters, but this only made the game feel fresher. Plus the Tatsunoko side ended up being awesome (I'm looking at you, Yatterman). If you enjoy Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for more than just it's roster, you MUST own TvC. MvC2 is fun, and despite the high level of play potential, it is unbalanced and essentially feels less like a fighter than Capcom's previous vs. efforts. While TvC definitely has plenty of moments of insanity, the action is slightly slower then MvC2 and fans of traditional 1 on 1 fighters will find a perfect balance.While I'm still on the topic of upcoming Wii games, a reader mentioned Monster Hunter Tri. Both Brian R. and I have been looking into the Monster Hunter series after a co-worker started playing it nonstop on his PSP. I've been keeping an eye on Monster Hunter Tri since Capcom announced in 2007 that it was being moved from the PS3 to the Wii. Monster Hunter is a craze of Pokemon proportions sweeping Japan on the PSP, and while the original U.S. PS2 release of the first title was marred by poor online PS2 support, Capcom may very well strike gold and create a legitimate console MMORPG for the Wii.

The Wii has obviously been the biggest disappointment for a lot of hardcore gamers expecting a revolution in the way we play games. Hell, the fact that Nintendo changed the name from Revolution to "Wii" should have been our first warning that things weren't going to go smoothly. Still, like so many others, I stood in line on launch day, bought a Wii, played it a lot, and then...stopped. Luckily, because of Cheap Ass Gamer, I've been able to start catching up on some great titles for super cheap. Madworld for $13 shipped is a steal. Start there.

-Brian T.