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 Tatsunoko
vs. Capcom (Wii)
Playing to the strengths of its long-running versus series, Capcom has
teamed up with legendary anime studio Tatsunoko for an appealing
anime-infused fighting game that should please casual and hardcore gamers
alike. Featuring an impressive and varied roster of fighters, the game's
accessible controls make it easy to play. Go deeper and you'll find an
extensive array of moves and strategic aspects that gives the gameplay
plenty of depth and strategy. The challenging opponents, tons of secrets
and excellent design create solid gameplay mechanics. Its outstanding
aesthetics makes for an instantly appealing fighting game that delivers a
solid experience that should appeal to casual and serious players alike. |
The first game in the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom series, Cross Generation of
Heroes, was released for the Wii almost a year ago in Japan.
Unfortunately, gamers on the other side of the ocean had to wait for the
second revision until Capcom released it here. The release has finally
happened and the good news is that it was worth the wait. Tatsunoko vs.
Capcom is a solid fighting game that should have broad appeal. It's
brightly colored visuals are sharp and crisp, with the characters rendered
in impressive 2.5D plane that mixes traditional 2D fighting with 3D
backgrounds and cinematics. This gives things a modern, yet retro look
that's quite appealing, through the j-pop soundtrack can be annoying. They
look vibrant and animate smoothly, moving around the screen at a frenetic
pace. The game's cool combo attack animations give thigns an additional
punch that makes for a vibrant and impressive experience. Aesthetics are
nice, but going beneath the surface shows a title that also delivers solid
gameplay. The most important element in any fighting game are the fighters
themselves. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom's cool character roster is varied and
offers plenty of characters that should appeal to gamers and anime fans
alike. The game includes 20 characters in all to start with additional
ones available later on. There are many familiar names from the Capcom
part including Ryu, Chun-Li from Street Fighter, Mega Man, Morrigan from
Darkstalkers, Viewtiful Joe and many others. The Capcom characters
maintain their traditional moves sets and attacks for the most part and
they play beautifully in this installment. They offer the same balance and
feel as in previous titles since most have been redone in the new 2.5D
style, they have a refreshing appearance.
Many of the Tatsunoko characters are
probably going to be less familiar to those who aren't hardcore fans of
anime, but some well-known Tatsunoko characters such as Ken the Eagle and
Jun the Swan from Battle of the Planets are present along with more
obscure characters like Cashan, Yatterman, Doronjo and Polimar round out
an appealing lineup. It a well-rounded cast that gives you plenty to
choose from, and the number of characters and abilities gives the game
plenty of depth and replay value. Players will also find several
unlockable characters are also present and you can play them easily by
defeating arcade mode with three or so different characters. Since you
have to select a two-member team before each match, there are endless
combinations and abilities that you can try out. You can choose to play as
a stronger character with devastating combo attacks and balance them off
with a more strategic character that's less obvious. You'll also need to
think about their combo team attacks as well, since some characters bring
more damage in assist mode than others, but also have stronger presence
when they're the main character. This makes each character selection a
strategic move that plays a significant role in how each round plays out.
For the most part, there are traditional 2 on 2 battles where you face off
in teams against each other, but there are also a few rounds that throw in
an interesting twist. In several sequences, you'll battle a robotic boss
that has a much larger energy bar than you do. These battles are quite
challenging and require you to use both characters' skills to their
maximum. This is doubly true for the final boss battle, where you face off
against a massive spherical foe who transforms several times and has
multiple energy bars you'll need to deplete before it is defeated. These
boss encounters add to the game's unpredictability and gives an added
challenge to the arcade mode, but fortunately isn't nearly as frustrating
as the end level boss in SFIV.
 Tatsunoko
vs. Capcom follows the pattern of the earlier Marvel and SNK versus games
in that its control system has been streamlined and simplified, while the
emphasis on over-the-top combos makes for a faster, more frenetic fighting
experience. The biggest change from standard Capcom fighters is the
devolved two button interface on the Wiimote controller, which should make
the game less intimidating for new players. Instead of the usual 6-button
configuration, there's a single button for punch, kick and dodge moves.
Performing special attack combos is relatively simple as well. Once your
combo meter fills up, you can unleash these moves. Playing with the
standard Wiimote is easiest, requiring only the pressing of two buttons
and a single direction to unleash the combo attack. However, players who
use either the classic controller or an arcade stick will probably enjoy
the game much more, since it's got a more traditional gaming
configuration. Surprisingly, it doesn't use the Wii's motion sensing
abilities at all, which is surprising. It would have been cool to shake
the controller and unleash a move or some combo, but this is a lost
opportunity. The basic moves that are available are pretty much standard
fighting game mechanics, and most casual players should be able to get by
with these moves and the occasional combo attack. However, this only
grazes the surface and there are more moves available if you want to go
deeper. Baroque moves are fairly interesting, since they use up the red
portion of your energy bar but allow you to gain more damage. Players can
also call on their reserve character for assist attacks and switch between
characters if the primary one is running low on energy. There's also a
number of cross-over combo moves where you can call in the reserve
characters to assist you in blocking or with standard attacks. In
addition, the game lets you unleash many different types of special moves
and combos in team or solo mode, which gives Tatsunoko plenty of depth.
This extensive moves list is available onscreen and should help you gain
more moves once your done with the flashier combat moves.
As you play through the game, you'll
discover that there are several types of special attacks that you can
perform with standard specials that only use a single life bar on your
power-gauge. However, more strategically, you can build up your
power-gauge which lets you perform more elaborate team combos that use
several power levels but inflict massive damage on your opponent. Some of
the more impressive combos take some effort to perform, such as the Team
Hyper and Mega combos that are quite impressive, and take a lot of energy
from your opponent. Players can also use their assist characters and
perform a hyper combo at the same time, which can either cause much more
damage, or very little depending on your position. The effectiveness of
these combos depends on your timing, distance from the opposing character
and whether or not they'll be able to block your moves in time. While
they're flashy and impressive, they don't always decide the match, and
you'll need to focus on your standard attack moves and timing if you
really want to play each match decisively. These multi-tiered combos allow
the matches to move quickly, which is a plus. However, it does make the
game feel more like a button masher than a technical fighter, but the
trade-off there is that players who 'turtle', (crouch in a corner in
blocking mode) will find that strategy almost nonexistent. The focus is
definitely on the combo moves and this makes the game a fast exhilarating
exercise. It's more accessible control schematic makes it somewhat less
intimidating for novice players, but the experts familiar with Capcom
fighters will also find plenty of depth, too.
While playing in single-player arcade
mode is probably going to be the default for most players, there are other
modes of play available. There's an extensive training mode that allows
you to practice your moves against dummy opponents or pre-programmed
opponents. You can browse through the store and buy additional items and
colors for your characters with credits you earn after each match. The
game also includes a cool Gallery mode where you can view character art or
ending cinematic movies. For multiplayer modes, TvC gives you the ability
to compete with friends using the Wii's wifi mode, which is a nice
addition for those who want to match up with others nationwide. With all
of these features and extras taken into account, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom
offers plenty of variety. This is a solidly entertaining title that fits
in nicely in the long-running versus series. The brilliant, colorful
visuals make it a joy to look at with smooth character animation and some
fairly spectacular combo move animations. Its accessible and simplified
game mechanics mean that the game isn't the deepest or most technical
fighter on the market, but it doesn't pretend to be. Like the earlier
installments, this is aimed at the casual player. It's an accessible,
arcade-style brawler with many appealing and obscure characters that makes
for some exciting matches. This is a remarkably streamlined and accessible
title that delivers a solid gameplay experience effortlessly. With its
appealing roster of characters, excellent play mechanics, unlockable
content, multiple play modes and deep moves lists, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is
a challenging and highly entertaining fighting game that delivers the
cross-over goods players have come to expect.
- Michael Palisano
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