Review: Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 (Vita)
Capcom are back with their latest edition of Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3, a title that hit home consoles last year and now for the first time on a handheld. How does Marvel Vs Capcom 3 shape up on the Vita? Is the title worth another purchase or has the it lost its ‘touch’, find out in this review.
Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 has returned but this time on the Vita. Capcom have decided to give handheld gamers a chance to fight in the stunning beat-em-up title that puts the Playstation Vita’s processing power to the test. The game looks and plays just like the original on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, including all the characters from the original roster ready for gaming on the go.
As expected, the gameplay feels identical to the consoles. All the previous added characters in the original UMVC3 are present, giving players the opportunity to take the battle of the two different universes with your favourite characters on the go. UMVC3 allows fans of either Marvel or Capcom to take the fight to another step with the Vita. The Vita focuses and manages to provide an amazing gameplay experience just like the console did, with new added touch control functionality. You can still use the d-pad, face buttons and triggers, pulling off both amazing Air and Hyper Combos at ease thanks to the tight controls and responsiveness. The touch controls are optional and allow new comers to experience very easy combos at just the touch of a finger. The touch controls can be used in the arcade mode, though under its own menu. You have the ability to use these online, but Capcom have made online searches specify if you either want to fight touch players or button players. The touch option is interesting, but feels quite cheap and is definitely aimed at beginners. The touch controls do however allow players to also see characters combos and understand what the character can do. It’s not the best option as you don’t get much control, but it’s a nice added feature and in a way provides a beneficial learning curve for players. You probably won’t see any hardcore/tournament fighters using the option for online though.
When looking at the game’s design on the Vita’s five-inch OLED screen, you have to wonder if this really is on a handheld. While they can’t quite match the 60fps gameplay on the home consoles, they’ve still managed to maintain a constant 30fps for the Vita, along with including all the features from the aforementioned versions. The detailed levels look outstanding on the Vita’s screen, and the characters also jump out from the background, proving that fighting games have a strong future on Sony’s handheld.
Along with the previously mentioned touch control functionality, Capcom have also included something exclusive to the Playstation Vita version of UMVC3. You can now watch replays, a great feature to show your friends your amazing combos, or for you to learn where you went wrong in a fight. This feature is likely to cater primarily to the hardcore audience.
Mission Mode returns, though in a slightly different style, feeling more akin to a tutorial, and unfortunately the bonus characters Jill Valentine and Shuma-Gorath are unavailable currently due to the game having no DLC option.
The Multiplayer options are the best you’re going to find on the Vita, as you can take on opponents locally or online, to battle against PSN friends or new foes. The online works really well, with very rare occasions of lag, however there were a few times in which I wasn’t able to find players to compete against, and a couple of connection issues. After experiencing the issue a few times I decided to restore my Wi-Fi settings on the Vita and ever since it has connected to online matches, but sometimes still occasionally causes a little fuss.
Overall 8.5/10
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a must have for Marvel or Capcom fans. The title is still as solid as the console versions and packs a punch with the design and the full featured online functionality. The touch controls may concern some hardcore fans, but they are optional. The title is a must have and is probably one of the best looking Vita launch titles.