Probably having learned from the debacle of Street Fighter V, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite is an easier game to pick up on for a lot of newcomers than many Capcom fighting games often can be. It is a far more complete package, too, with more recognizable characters and properties.

The flip side? It’s still a Capcom video game, so there’s still a lot going on that you need to know if you want to do well. That’s where we come in- this guide has the most basic, absolutely essential information you need to know if you don’t want to end up making a total and complete fool of yourself. Let’s get started.

Controls:

Before we go anywhere else, let’s first get the controls out of the way:

• Light Punch (LP): Square/X
• Heavy Punch (HP): Triangle/Y
• Light Kick (LK): Cross/A
• Heavy Kick (HK): Circle/B
• Character Switch (Switch): R1/RB
• Infinity Surge (Surge): L1/LB

Okay, now for some of the most basic information necessary to play the game:

• Player 1 is always on the left side of the screen. Player 2 is on the right side. These positions can change over the course of a match. That said, player 1’s information will always be displayed on the left (and player 2’s on the right)
• Unless configured to be matches with no time limits, all games have a time limit, usually of 99 seconds
• Once you start losing health, you will notice that there is a portion of your health bar that is red- this is health you can regenerate, as long as your fighter doesn’t receive more damage before you have
• The four bar gauge at the bottom is your Super Gauge- you can use this to pull of Super Moves (which cost a bar each), a Hyper Combo (3 bars each), and for other effects and techniques.
• The Infinity Meter is displayed in the corner of your side of the screen- this builds up over time, and can be used to unleash an Infinity Storm

There are also some advanced techniques you should try and keep a track of:

• You can dash (move quickly) by flicking the analog stick in the desired side twice quickly
• You can super jump by pressing down, and then quickly pressing (and holding) up- this lets you soar into the sky
  • Super jumps can be controlled by pressing down quickly again
• Heavy Punch and Heavy Kick together launch a simplified Super Move for your character- if you are new to the game and unfamiliar with combos, or just in a pinch, this can help you launch some quick, effective super moves
• Pressing down and Heavy Punch launches your opponent in the air- keep them there after that to keep control of the match
• Heavy Punch plus a direction at your opponent lets you throw them- this, again, can be important in a game, since it decapitates your opponent momentarily, while also dishing out a lot of damage

Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite has very string tie ins to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe- so obviously, things like the Infinity Stones are played up more than they ever have been this time around. There are six Infinity Stones, and each gives you a different power during its surge/storm phase.

Knowing which power each stone has, and then picking the right stone, and then using it at the right time, can mean the difference between victory and defeat- thank goodness, then, that we are here to tell you all of that!

• Time Stone: Basically, you control time. You can move through opponents, obstacles, travel distances in a jiffy, and land quick blows with this stone
• Mind Stone: During its Storm phase, it refills your Hyper Combo and keeps it filled, no matter what. During the surge phase, it can throw your opponent to the ground, and keep them immobilized there
• Reality Stone: Launches a slow homing missile; Storm will launch a unique elemental attack, based on what button you pressed to activate it
• Power Stone: As you might have guessed, a Power Stone gives you Power. Surge lets you throw your enemies against the wall, while Storm powers your individual blows up
• Space Stone: In the Surge phase, you can pull opponents towards you; in the Storm phase, enemies get locked up in a cage, and you can attack them from any side you want
• Soul Stone: Leeches life from your opponent to heal you; in the Storm Phase, it lets you call out an ally and extends the effect to them, while also healing them even if they were knocked out, and letting you all launch Supers simultaneously… this one is kind of OP.

UNLOCKS

Character Colors

Every single character in the game already has two colors available to them to begin with. Beating the Arcade Mode with a character once unlocks a third color option; beating the Arcade Mode with them again unlocks the fourth and final color option for that character.

To unlock the following stages, you need to beat the game’s story mode:

• Dark Kingdom – Wastelands
• Knowmoon – Gravitron Core
• A.I.M.Brella – Laboratory Pathway
• Abel City – Sigma’s Lab
• Avengers Tower – Lab
• Xgard – Bifrost Bridge
• Xgard – Underground Prison
• Knowmoon – Walkway