THE GENERAL (KAISER KNUCKLE)

The end of Kaiser Knuckle’s campaign sees players coming up against The General, in what proves to be one of the cheapest and most frustratingly tough bosses you’ll ever face in a fighting game. Thanks to ridiculously unfair teleportation moves, slide kicks that he just won’t stop spamming, and various attacks that can do devastating damage, the General is an absolute nightmare.

MIKE TYSON (PUNCH-OUT!!)

One of the greatest athletes of all time is just as formidable in 8-bit form as he used to be in real life at his prime. Starring as the final hurdle in Punch-Out!!, Mike “Iron Mike” Tyson pulled no punches. Right off the bat, he hurled a barrage of attacks at the player that required a series of precise dodges, while what followed was a series of fast, hard-hitting attacks that could make even the most season players sweat.

As Microsoft puts more and more emphasis on Xbox Game Pass, the library and catalog of games available for subscribers continues to grow. And there are some great new games available on the service now, too, with another fantastic one having been added today.

That new game is Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, still considered by fans and the fighting game community to be the apex of Capcom and Marvel’s crossover fighting game series (especially after the disappointment of Marvel vs Capcom Infinite). The game is accompanied by Just Cause 3, which also joins the roster of games available on the service, and continues the fantastic streak Game Pass has displayed in January (earlier this month, Life is Strange 2 got added to the service).

Whether or not this appearance on Game Pass gives the game a new lease of life remains to be seen, but I really hope so. Marvel vs Capcom 4 may or may not happen any time soon, but while we wait, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 more than fits the bill.

https://twitter.com/xboxgamepass/status/1083142783077036032?s=21

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 will be launching on Xbox One and PC in March (after it launched on PS4 earlier). But if you are wondering whether or not your own PC will be able to play the PC port (at last!) of the beloved fighting game, then Capcom have released the recommended and minimum specs for the game.

On the whole, even with a low end PC, or one that is years old, you should be able to run the game without any issues whatsoever. This makes sense, given that the game was originally an Xbox 360/PS3 game, and that it seems to be a pretty straight port, judging by the PS4 version.

You can check out the recommended and minimum specs below. Will you be getting Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 on PC? Or will you be waiting, instead, for the launch of Marvel vs Capcom Infinite? Let us know in the comments section below.

MINIMUM:

• OS: Windows® 7 SP1 / Windows® 8.1
• Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 2.4 GHz, or better
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX260, or better
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 16 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectSound compatible (must support DirectX 9.0c or higher)
• Additional Notes: Genuine Xbox 360 PC compatible controller recommended.

RECOMMENDED:

• OS: Windows® 7 SP1 / Windows® 8.1
• Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Quad 2.7 GHz, or better
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560, or better
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 16 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectSound compatible (must support DirectX 9.0c or higher)
• Additional Notes: Genuine Xbox 360 PC compatible controller recommended.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is already available on PS4, but it will soon be made available to Xbox One and PC players, too. Capcom had already promised that other platforms would be getting a port of the beloved crossover fighter this year, and it looks like they will make good on that promise. Today, the publisher announced that Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 will be launching on PC and Xbox One on March 7.

That’s not all, either- the game will also get a limited physical release for PS4 and Xbox One on March 7. The physical release will cost $30 (as opposed to the digital version, which is only $25), and will come with some goodies, too. You can check out the list below.

You can also check out our review of the Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 re-release on PS4 here. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more Marvel vs Capcom footage.

• A copy of the game
• Updated cover art
• An exclusive comic featuring original art from Marvel’s Sean Chen and Gerardo Sandoval

Instead of treading old ground on what this game is about or how the mechanics work, as I feel its pretty well known by now, and our original review is still around if you’re unfamiliar. This is still very much faithful to the game it was last generation, including all the vibrant backgrounds, amazing characters and huge action that can seem daunting to new players. That said, fighting games have changed a bit in 5 years, and there are now some obvious holes where Capcom might have stepped in to make it more palatable.

"The spectacle of the 3 on 3 clashes is as impressive as ever as huge combos chain seamlessly and particle effects bounce around from specials."

The basic fighting mechanics of Capcom’s Street Fighter series are turned up to 11, and mixed into an all star cast split between the huge names and obscure favourites of Capcom’s various video game properties and Marvel Comics huge universe. Out of the 50 fighters, there are some obscure inclusions that reward the core fans of either side who somehow knew about Firebrand or Shuma-Gorath without a Wikipedia trip, but knowing the story of each fighter isn’t really a roadblock. Capcom struck a fairly strong balance point at most levels of play with the original Ultimate rerelease, and it hasn’t been toppled here.

Having the benefit of far more powerful hardware has allowed Capcom to push the visuals just a little further by upping the resolution, maintaining the crucial frame rate without breaking a sweat. The spectacle of the 3 on 3 clashes is as impressive as ever as huge combos chain seamlessly and particle effects bounce around from specials. Movement becomes clearer with the resolution bump and the action is more easily readable. The various stages look nicer too, popping with colour and movement from the various background elements, all hiding even more fan service.

Though the simple control method is maintained that can allow new users to pull off huge moves with basic button presses still exists to help bring players into the game. Given the utter chaos a match can devolve into though, it’s really a shame that Marvel VS Capcom 3 doesn’t have any of the training options that are now ubiquitous throughout the genre, still only having the free training that it always had.

"A proper tutorial… to get players on the path to high level play can be found within content bare games like Pokken Tournament, so even if it’s a port, it’s sorely missed."

A proper tutorial that introduces basic to advanced concepts and a character specific mission mode to show off moves to get players on the path to high level play can be found within content bare games like Pokken Tournament, so even if it’s a port, it’s sorely missed. Considering the net code with this version is stronger than ever (at least with the matches I found, seems the community might be a problem,) it’s a shame the game doesn’t help more players prepare for that arena.

Of course, arcade mode still offers a single player diversion to unlock little ending cutscene segments to see your favourite characters interact in fun ways, and the Heroes and Heralds mode is a great addition to lose hours in. A little bit like the Abyss modes in Arc System Works fighters meeting the Conquest feature of Smash 4, players can divide into teams of Heroes fighting for the peace of earth, or Heralds battling for Galactus’s subjection of it. The result of this comes to a territory control back and forth where players pick where to battle, with winning and losing affecting the level of control of an area their side has.

As Heroes and Heralds continues, players earn different cards with special effects to enhance their chances against the increasingly brutal fights. Cards feature even more fan favourite content and allow players to build a deck for all kinds of effects, from simple things like a defence boost to fancy tactics like teleporting around. Like similar modes other games have since run with, it’s a fun distraction from the core of the game at best, but great to mess around with.

"As Heroes and Heralds continues, players earn different cards with special effects to enhance their chances against the increasingly brutal fights."

Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3 comes to the PS4 bringing with it a new coat of paint, but not much else of note. It is dated a little bit by the lack of training tools we’ve come to expect in fighting games since, but that doesn’t invalidate the fantastic, frantic fighter than players have been enjoying for years is now easily accessible again. Genre newcomers aren’t going to find a super welcoming game, but if you’ve got a handle on your hadouken and some buddies, it’s gonna take you for a great ride.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 4.

Capcom finally announced a sequel for Marvel vs. Capcom but it’s not Marvel vs. Capcom 4 – instead, it’s Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite releasing exclusively for PlayStation 4 in 2017. The crossover fighting game saw its first cinematic trailer with the likes of Marvel, Iron Man, Ryu and Mega Man.

It was also confirmed that the first gameplay trailer would be coming after the Capcom Cup this weekend. But that’s not all – MvC3 fans will be able to download Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 today as it’s now available for PlayStation 4. Yes, exclusively for PS4. Sorry Xbox fans.

It wouldn’t be all that odd to see Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite releasing for PC along with PS4 in 2017. What are your thoughts on the cinematic trailer? Will you be picking up Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on PS4? Excited for Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more from PSX.

EVO 2015 is almost here- the world’s premier fighting game tournament, and also one of the showcases for eSports, has record participation this year, across a full range of games, covering everything from anime based fighters like Guilty Gear and Persona, western fighters like Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct, technical and exacting ones like Street Fighter and Marvel vs Capcom, and Nintendo’s Smash Bros., of course.

If you were planning on following this event at all, in any capacity, then you are in luck- EVO has gone ahead and released the full schedule for the tournament for this year, which you can see above by clicking on the image. The last two days appear to be especially exciting, with Smash 4, Melee, Street Figter, and Guilty Gear finals all being held in that period.

Which games are you planning on following at EVO this year? Personally, I’m excited for Persona and the two Smash games. What about you? Let us know in the comments.

Let’s be very clear, just because they are unfairly stacked against you- and they would be, don’t forget that these games come from the arcade era, designed to keep sucking away your quarters- doesn’t mean they aren’t fun. On the contrary, the sheer demanding nature of this game should have you returning to at least the single player portion again and again, as you make it a matter of pride and ego, unable to accept that an ancient game from the 90s could have defeated you.

Of course, the character balance isn’t perfect, and Wolverine is still as overpowered now as he was back then. No, they didn’t address the balance issues. They didn’t even touch up the graphics at all, outside of adding some filters (which you can optionally select), and the games are pretty much here in their original forms, unaltered, exactly as they were in arcades back in the day.

So yes, the same hand drawn graphics from before are back. The beautiful pixel art holds up wonderfully well, and you’d be hard pressed to tell the age of these games visually at all. Mechanically, of course, the game demands precision and technique, as it pits you against one of the harder single player modes in a fighting game in recent memory. All the old cries and taunts, grunts, flashy attacks, the game breaking elements like Red Venom and regenerating health, the Infinity Gems and the secret characters, everything is back here, exactly as you remembered it. It’s all untouched, outside of a few visual options to make sure that the game looks how you remember it looking, not how it actually looked.

That isn’t to say that there are no changes, of course. No, a fighting game released in today’s day and age without an online mode would be crippled and useless, so, as with many re-releases, this one has been altered to include an online versus mode. Of course, as with the rest of the game, and possibly out of reverence for the source material, the changes are minimal: it’s a basic online matchmaking mode, allowing for 1v1 fights only, and battling online disables the option to choose between Turbo and Normal, relegating fight speed instead to the internet connection. The netcode seems to work fine, and there was rarely much lag.

So outside of some cautious additions to visual options and the multiplayer side of the game, nothing has changed much. Everything is exactly as you remember it, of course.

But what if you don’t remember it? That’s the killer question, see. What if you never had a chance to play these games when they first released?

Well, then it all depends on one factor: did you ever get a chance to play the other 90s era fighters, and just happened to miss out on these two by some unlucky circumstance? Because if that’s the case, then go for it. You’re in for an incredible treat, a blast from the past, the kind of game that you so lovingly remember from your childhood, even as you realize that they just don’t make them like that anymore. However, if you never played any 90s era fighters- and Super Smash Bros. does not count- then stay away from this game. Run away in the opposite direction. This game will reduce you to a heap of sobbing flesh. It’s insane, unbalanced, broken, unfair, hard, stacked against you, too demanding and technical. And you will never be able to appreciate that that is exactly what makes it so wonderful in the first place.

Over time, fighting games got easy. Easier even than these two, which were among the easiest fighting games at the time of their release. But veterans of a bygone era who fondly look back upon a time when games didn’t coddle you, and threw you into the deep end to fend for yourself, those people will find something incredible worth having here. People who remember the golden age of fighters, those people will go starry eyed for Marvel vs Capcom: Origins. People who don’t, because the fighters of that era turned them off, or because they were just too young for games back then, should stay the heck away. The games included in this package are incredible; they are also brutal, and they will hurt if you’ve been too softened by modern games.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a great showcase of the PS Vita’s capabilities. The content is basically same like its PS3 brethren, but there are a lot of new control mechanics, and the general novelty of playing this on a portable device with colours popping out, is one of the greatest experiences of this gen.

The game was released alongside the PS Vita in December when the hardware launched in Japan, and this version which was reviewed is the EU one. Of course, the main question here is obviously regarding the Vita’s controls. Is it too fragile for this game, or quite adequate? I’ll go with the latter. The addition of a fantastic d-pad really enhances the gameplay, and the lack of L2 and R2 buttons aren’t missed here.

I reviewed the PS3 version last year as well, and its basically the exactly same game – minus a few graphical downgrades. Oh, no need to be alarmed here. The game looks gorgeous, and the downgrades I was talking about were the applied to the backgrounds mostly, and the omission of some minor graphical effects aren’t really that significant. The game looks absolutely fantastic on the portable device.

You will be pleased to know that the game runs at 60 fps. This makes the combat extremely enjoyable, and for fighting games I wouldn’t settle for anything less. It was a great decision to stick to that framerate, considering it’s a launch title, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that second gen Vita titles will look even better due to enhanced optimizations.

The roster is solid just like its PS3 counterpart, and the three vs three tag team gameplay maintains to retain its charm. My choicest team was – Firebrand, Ryu and Frank West. There are a lot of Marvel characters available too. Iron Man and the rest of the Marvel gang look as solid as ever. You can also play online, but as usual I managed to get my ass kicked. The netcode is smooth and you really don’t have to worry about lag here.

When you look at the console versions, netcode is one area where Capcom has done the majority of improvements. Marvel vs Capcom 3 had a lot of lag issues online, which was reduced a bit in the Ultimate version, and the Vita version is the best one yet.

The PS Vita has a lot of online functions that the PS3 doesn’t, namely party chat, and considering the fact that microphone is in-built in every Vita – the online mode is a lot more fun on the Vita than the PS3. Although, it’s a lot less competitive due to obvious reasons.

You can use Vita’s touch functions to execute combos, and I really don’t know why anyone would bother with that. It’s a temporary novelty at best. I massively prefer the traditional control inputs, as they’re quite good on the Vita. If you want a great fighting game on the Vita, then you can’t go wrong with Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. Capcom has done a good job with this version, and hopefully they’ll provide a lot of content support in the future to bolster the game.

This game was reviewed on the PS Vita.