Hands On with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Exciting and Frustrating

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The mere mention of this game can split a room in half and have a bunch of rabid geeks at each other's throats. First off, as you must all know by now, Mega Man does not make an appearance in any form, leading many to speculate that the Mega Man franchise is officially dead. But that is a different discussion for a different time. I just wanted to throw that in there because no discussion of this game can take place without a Mega Man mention. Anyway, let me tell you how some of the new characters play!

The build at SDCC featured Strider, Firebrand, Ghost Rider, and Hawkeye. Of the bunch, I enjoyed Firebrand for his balanced move set and unorthodox style and Hawkeye for his quiver of tricks and the zoning he's capable of. Firebrand was a good balance between quick and powerful, and had many things to keep his enemy off-kilter. Multi-directional fireballs, the ability to fly, a strong beam super, and a super which increases his strength and speed. Firebrand has the makes of a natural born killer.

Hawkeye is just my type of character, full of tricks and unexpected surprises. His arrow shots garner different effects; a shot of three bolts, a binding shot of chains, a freeze shot, a poison shot, you name it. In addition, he also has a move which springs him in a different direction, ending in a particular type of shot. Hawkeye's moves are all ranged, but he has enough variation to keep his opponents guessing. Also, Ant Man. No brainer! 

Strider is more of the same if you're familiar with him from Marvel vs. Capcom 2. I'm sure his inclusion has silenced many a fanboy, however he was never my favorite character so I'm indifferent. Ghost Rider is a nice addition, slashing away at opponents from range with assortment of chain whip moves. And of course, it's nice that he works the bike into his super move.

I had a grand old time playing Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but then reality set in. I hated this announcement when it was a rumor, I hated it when it was revealed, and I still kind of hate it after playing the damn game. Will the additional characters be worth an extra $40? Probably, but that doesn't change the fact that my Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds disc becomes utterly useless.

NYCC10: Hands On with Mega Man Universe

Since the announcement of  Mega Man Universe, I've been struggling with how to feel about the 'open source' platformer. I had a chance to give the game a shot on the New York Comic Con show floor, and to be honest, I'm still not sure what I think.

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Rockman Online Blows Minds, Cities

South Korean exclusive Rockman Online has released an animated teaser trailer that is chock-full of amazing. I was overcome with feelings of nostalgia, euphoria, and childish glee that I had not experienced since the first time I loaded up Rockman 8.

As with any good Rockman/Megaman title, there's a lot to process in this clip. Characters from the original series are present and looking good; the first game's robot masters, Protoman in traditional anti-hero fashion, my personal favorite Bass, and of course Megaman himself. Then we're thrown a curve when we see some of Mega Man X's supporting cast urgently working the consoles in a command center. Whaaaat ?! Can we expect to see Sigma? Zero? VILE?!

Gamers with roots in classic gaming will always love Megaman, so logically this trailer has gotten the lot of us piqued. At least until we remember that it's Rockman Online is a South Korean exclusive that currently has no plans to be released elsewhere. Though once Capcom notices the amount of buzz the side-scroller with RPG elements is receiving, they'll be hard pressed to not port it over and give us Mega Man Online.