Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Not unlike Capcom's previous brawls with SNK or Marvel, Capcom's seventh entry, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, pays homage to the obscure characters, intense fighting, over-the-top moves and sheer insanity of past games in the versus series. Bringing the series' frantic two-on-two action on the Wii has to have been Capcom's best move yet, whether or not you know even half of the characters on the roster.
While Tatsunoko Production's characters had been staples in anime culture for over 40 years, these characters were alien to the majority of gamers in North America. Ken the Eagle, Yatterman, Polymar and others were not prevalent in mainstream culture, you'd have to dig deep even as an otaku to learn about these pinnacle figures in anime. However, North American gamers have seemed to enjoy them without prior knowledge. They may not become educational references for everyone, and they surely will not interest everyone, but Tatsunoko vs. Capcom has made them just as appealing as any of Capcom's more notable characters.
Whether you're playing arcade mode, time trial mode or survival mode, all are a good starting points for any kind of gamer. Even if you've never played a fighting game it's easy to pick up and play. Controls are far easier and less complex than past Capcom fighting games with some of the more powerful combos consisting of a stick jerk and two button mashes to be executed. This doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing however. With the Wii already being advertised as a console for everyone, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom manages to be challenging as well as adaptable.
Having played Tatsunoko vs. Capcom on the Gamecube controller, Classic Controller and the Wii remote, it's clear from the beginning that the former is your best choice (even the game's manual states that this controller is preferred). However the Classic Controller truly holds its own as well, while the Wii remote (and nunchuk) make the controls far too easy for any player. With little to no difficulty this beat-em-up becomes button-mashing haven.
By far, the most important aspect of any fighting game has to be its roster. It's apparent that Capcom was aiming for quality over quantity when assembling the list as each character proves to be useful in their own way. And while several of these characters look similar to one another, particularly the Tatsunoko characters, each has their own diverse set of moves. With 26 characters available, you'll be spending hours perfecting each.
The game holds up to Capcom's long tradition of amazing visuals and cel-shaded character models are a bit varied. Characters like Karas or Zero look amazing, others look dull and blocky in comparison. But keep in mind, once these characters are in action, it's impossible to tell who looks worse for wear.
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom features online play, something the original Japanese release lacked. For the duration I've played, online play is definitely worth checking out and had little to no issues. Players have access to ranked, unranked and friend/rival battles through the Nintendo Wi Fi Connection. Random battles are quick to load and frame lag is minimal if that. In fact, most of this game has little to no issues with frame rate.
Also included within Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is an unlockable sidegame, "Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Shooters." As the name implies, this is a 4-player cooperative shmup set in the Lost Planet universe. This game is just as addicting and fun as the main game regardless of whether you're playing alone or multiplayer. Bosses, multiple paths and special moves round out this already great sidegame and makes for an immersive experience.
All in all, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is a bold title worthy of being on any gamer's shelf. Its likable cast of characters, adaptive controls, fluid frame rates, side games and online play are what make this game shine. As though Street Fighter IV wasn't already good enough, Capcom manages to release yet another amazing fighting title and definitely one of the most interesting games to hit the market in years.
Likes
- An amazing roster of characters from both Tatsunoko and Capcom.
- Controls may be easier, but perfecting each character is still challenging.
- The game screams originality
Dislikes
- Game lost several additions from Japanese release.
- Some cel-shaded character models can be dull
Review Score
/
The review scale at LevelFortyTwo is between 1 and 5. A score of 5 is considered an amazing game, 4 is a well-done game with only minor issues, 3 is in the middle; not great, but not bad, 2 is a very problematic game, and 1 is absolutely terrible.
