Kotaku: marvel vs capcom 2

Digital Re-Releases Deal Damage to Collections' Value

Owen Good — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:40:00 MST

Who doesn't love it when golden oldies get a re-release over the PlayStation Network or Virtual Console? Game collector, that's who. MTV Multiplayer examined collectible game values and saw many nosediving after getting a reboot on the current generation.

Some highlights or lowlights - really, you should go see the whole thing - Marvel vs. Capcom 2 bottomed out after releasing to Xbox Live Arcade and PSN this year. After reaching highs of $109.99 (PlayStation 2) and $91.99 (Xbox), they slumped to $43 and $30 respectively after the title went out online. Ouch.

The games get a dead-cat bounce but prospects for a recovery beyond that aren't good, if Castlevania is any indication. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in its PSOne form hit $50.75 in December 2006. The next year, the game was released on XBLA and PSN, dropping the hard copy value to $19.99. It's recovered slightly to $27.12, but that's just a little over half its pre-re-release (say that three times fast) high.

MTV Multiplayer did its analysis according to VideoGamePriceCharts.com. Really, though, take a look for yourself. They covered much more than those two titles above, and offer tips for the safest investments unlikely to be undercut by re-releases.

Video Game Collectors Feeling the Pain of Re-Releases [MTV Multiplayer]

The PlayStation 3 Buyer's Guide

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:00 MST

With at least one potential game of the year exclusively nesting on the Playstation 3 and a price drop under its belt, the PS3 has had a pretty darn good year.

My favorite among the games listed is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which probably isn't surprising. What is yours? Anything we didn't review that you would suggest?

Remember, the games listed aren't all recommendations. Instead we're providing this as a quick reference guide to help you decide if a game is a good gift or not.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person hip-hop shooter
Subject Matter: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand tells the unintentionally(?) amusing tale of rapper 50 Cent as he struggles to reclaim his diamond encrusted skull from a Middle Eastern bad guy. He's assisted by his G Unit hangers on and some laughably outlandish moments.
Value: An adequately long adventure, made seemingly longer by endlessly looping 50 Cent songs. There are much better games to give this holiday season.
Buy it for: someone as a gag. Or a die hard 50 Cent fan fresh from a six month coma.
Read the Full Review

Assassin's Creed II

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Free-running platforming adventure game
Subject Matter: Assassinations and conspiracy spent mostly in 15th century Renaissance Italy.
Value: Lots more content than the first game had, probably lasting gamers at least double the time they spent with the first Assassin's Creed.
Buy it for: People who were let down by the first game, people who like history, beautiful scenery, dynamic platforming, solving mysteries and games that might be the Game of the Year.
Read the Full Review

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Price:$59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Action/Adventure
Subject Matter: Join one of comic books' most iconic heroes on an adventure in Gotham City's insane asylum, where The Joker is on the loose.
Value: With character ability customization, bonus challenge maps and tons of riddles courtesy of The Riddler, Arkham Asylum offers at least three playthroughs' worth of fun.
Buy it for: Batman fans and anybody jonesing for a Mark Hamill voice over fix.
Read the full review

The Beatles: Rock Band
Price: The stand-alone game sells for $59.99, the Limited Edition Premium Bundle sell for $249.99, the Rickenbacker 325 Standalone Guitar and the Gretsch Duo Jet Standalone Guitar sells for $99.99.
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm music game
Subject Matter: The Beatles: Rock Band is a musical journey through the history of one of the world's most popular bands.
Value: For those new to the Rock Band phenomenon and fans of The Beatles, this 45-track game is well worth a purchase because this is the only way you'll play The Beatles music in a Rock Band game. If you're not into the band, give this a pass.
Buy it for: huge Beatles fans.
Read the Full Review

Borderlands

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter RPG
Subject Matter: Borderlands targets the loot-hungry region of the brain, offering four classes with which to stalk the planet Pandora, shoot things and level up, acquiring cool guns, sweet armor and totally rad superpowers. As role-playing games go, it's shallow, but offers a constant stream of junk food gaming.
Value: Seeing all that Borderlands has to offer could take hundreds of hours. But the real value comes in the form of being able to play with friends on PlayStation Network or via splitscreen.
Buy it for: the loot glutton with an itchy trigger finger and a history of playing Diablo.
Read the Full Review

Brutal Legend

Price: $59.99 Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Brutal Legend is a heavy metal-themed action game that combines racing, shooting, real-time strategy, and hack and slash into one slightly disjointed mix.
Value: Brutal Legend is a game from Tim Schafer, one of gaming's greatest comedy minds, and the absurd humor carries the game a long way. It's the story of a roadie who gets transported to a heavy metal world where he must raise an army to free the oppressed inhabitants. There's plenty to do, though the odd mix of genres might be too much for some players.
Buy it for: Anyone with a strong affection for heavy metal music or sa twisted sense of humor.
Read the Full Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Price: $59.99 to $149.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person military shooter
Subject Matter: Lead a team of elite commandoes in Modern Warfare 2 as they try to prevent a Russian invasion and global thermonuclear war. Then take the action online, going head to head against other well-armed gamers. It's loud, violent and a hell of a lot of fun to play.
Value: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's single-player storyline may be short, but the package more than makes up for it with ample cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Near endless replayability will be stoked with future downloadable content.
Buy it for: the Michael Bay action movie fan who likes his shooters bombastic and nearly devoid of a comprehensible story, one who doesn't shy away from ultra-violent fare.
Read the Full Review

Critter Crunch

Price: $6.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Puzzle
Subject Matter: A puzzle game with bug eating, cute critters and sorta cut, sorta gross tecnicolor yarn.
Value: The good puzzle game mechanic is strong and addictive — add to that beautiful graphics, a lengthy adventure mode and super fun multiplayer and you have a good time. With barf.
Buy it for: Gamers with a strong like of puzzle titles and no fear of cute puke.
Read the Full Review

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a Civil War era first-person shooter.
Value: With an engaging story, wide open maps and plenty of mulitplayer options, this game will take up quite a bit of your time.
Buy it for: First-person shooter enthusiasts, fans of the Wild West and Civil War buffs.
Read the Full Review

DJ Hero
Price: $119.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm
Subject Matter: DJ Hero is a rhythm game featuring a replica DJ turntable so players can mix and scratch to the beat of original music mash-ups.
Value: DJ Hero features upwards fo 100 different DJ-driven mash-ups featuring songs from the 70's on up to present-day hits. Unlike the latest Guitar Hero or Rock Band games, however, it's only good for one or two players, so the party element just isn't there. The innovative turntable-based gameplay makes it a breath of fresh air in the currently band-centric music genre, but it certainly isn't as social.
Buy it for: Fans of eclectic music mixes and lonely Guitar Hero fans.
Read the Full Review

Dragon Age: Origins
Price: $49.99
Rating:Mature
Genre: Roleplaying
Subject Matter: An epic action roleplaying game set in a world besieged by evil inside and out.
Value: Dragon Age: Origins packs more than 100 hours of gameplay into this action RPG, with branching story paths that encourage multiple play throughs in order to experience it all. BioWare designed the game so it can be played by RPG gamers of any skill level, but mature content and strong sexual situations mean you might want to keep it in the high teens.
Buy it for: Anyone who has ever conversationally mentioned hit points.
Read the Full Review

EyePet

Price: £20 game only, £35 with PlayStation Eye (game currently only available in PAL territories)
Rating: E
Genre: Virtual Pet Management
Subject Matter: Using the PlayStation Eye, "directly" interact with a digital pet on your TV screen.
Value: Smaller kids won't mind the game lacks any real direction, they'll be happy to play it every few days just to check on their pet.
Buy it for: Kids who think Tamagotchi is so 20th century.
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Broken Steel

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 expansion involving missions with a high-powered fighting force.
Value: High because it extends the level cap to Fallout 3, changes the game's ending and allows the adventure to be played infinitely once the story has "ended"
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans who want to play more; essential for anyone getting any Fallout 3 downloadable content
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta

Price: $10.00 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Still a post-apocalyptic RPG
Subject Matter: It's Fallout 3 in space!
Value: Mothership Zeta gives the Fallout 3 player an entire spaceship to explore and make their own, some futuristic new weapons, and tacks a good five hours onto the regular campaign, making it a relatively fair value for your money.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Point Lookout

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 in microcosm, set on a spooky island.
Value: Tons of content, and widely seen as the Fallout 3 downloadable content that best shares the strengths of the base game.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
Read the Full Review

Fat Princess

Price: $14.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: Capture the flag? No, capture the princess. And feed her cake, so she's fat and hard for enemies to cart her off.
Value: Single player weakness aside, the main draw here is multiplayer. That, and cake. Cake's always a draw. Always.
Buy it for: Gamers with a sweet tooth for multiplayer.
Read the Full Review

FIFA Soccer 2010

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Round-Ball Football
Subject Matter: The best football game on the market.
Value: Almost endless. There are so many leagues and cups, and such a deep singleplayer experience, that it can be played to death until FIFA 11 is released. And that's before we even get to the 10v10 multiplayer…
Buy it for: Anyone who has even a passing interest in the world game.
Read the Full Review

Fight Night Round 4

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Boxing
Subject Matter: Boxing
Value: Tons of fighters, good online options and no real competition.
Buy it for: Boxing fans or people looking for a fighting-based game that has longer-lasting fights.
Read the Full Review

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Price: $49.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A arcade-style shooter loosely based on the live-action G.I. Joe movie.
Value: G.I. Joe is a movie tie-in strangely reminiscent of Konami's Contra series. One or two players take control of their favorite Joes from the movie and take on Cobra across multiple levels of run-and-gun action. There are a few unlockables catering to fans of the old cartoon series, but other than that this is strictly a movie-lover's affair.
Buy it for: Really, really big fans of the G.I. Joe live-action movie.
Read the Full Review

Guitar Hero 5

Price: $59.99 for the game, $99.99 with a guitar controller included
Rating: Teen
Genre: Music/Rythym
Subject Matter: It's Guitar Hero. You play a quintet of color-coordinated "notes" as they scroll downscreen to a new selection of music.
Value: Guitar Hero 5 offers a great suite of single and multiplayer modes, the most robust options yet for the series. What it doesn't offer is the series' most attractive soundtrack, despite an 85 song strong line up. Good for the new Guitar Hero gamer, but that money may be better spent on downloadable songs.
Buy it for: for Guitar Hero noobs who have extremely eclectic taste in music.
Read the Full Review

inFamous

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Open-world action game
Subject Matter:Gritty adventures of an electricity-based super-hero from the makers of the Sly Cooper series.
Value:Designed to be played through twice to explore two distinct moral paths.
Buy it for: Super-hero fans and folks who like Grand-Theft-Auto style open-world games.
Read the Full Review

Katamari Forever

Price: $49.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Planet-building action
Subject Matter: Katamari Forever offers a greatest hits style package of the Katamari Damacy series' more memorable levels. Players will roll the titular sticky katamari over objects, building bigger and bigger piles of stuff to replace the universe's missing stars and planets and ultimately please the King of All Cosmos.
Value: At $49.99, Katamari Forever is the most expensive entry yet, a high price for a game that's largely rehashed content. But the content is vast and offers plenty to play. Sadly, there's no online component to help extend the experience.
Buy it for: the fan of quirky games who somehow missed every other Katamari Damacy game or the kid that longs to make snowballs in the summer time.
Read the Full Review

Killzone 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Single-person shooter
Subject Matter: Killzone 2 takes the fight to the Helghast, with an invading force landing on Helghan.
Value: Even though this game landed back in February, you would be remiss if you forgot to check it out. Next to Uncharted 2, this is one of the top games for the Playstation 3. The chunky single-player experience backed by 32-player multiplayer matches makes this a very good deal as well.
Buy it for: Anyone with a Playstation 3 who some how missed this title when it first hit.
Read the Full Review

The King of Fighters XII

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: SNK Playmore's latest entry in its King of Fighter series is a return to its roots with 2D fighting and hand-drawn graphics.
Value: The game feels largely unfinished — though, the parts which are done should please the hardcore fans.
Buy it for: Die-hard SNK fighting game fans.
Read the Full Review

Madden NFL 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The only video game licensed by the NFL, covering the current season.
Value: For the first time on the current console generation, Madden earns its must-own status among sports gamers. The fine-tuned action is slightly slower, creating greater big play potential on both sides of the ball.
Buy it for: Any sports gamer who doesn't yet have it. Madden is a no-brainer gift that any sports fan will enjoy.
Read the Full Review

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action RPG
Subject Matter: Tons of Marvel heroes take on tons of Marvel villains
Value: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 may not quite live up to the thrill of the original, but it is a more cohesive package overall, with a storyline ripped from Marvel's Civil War storyline and a good dozen hours of heroic fun for 1-4 players.
Read the Full Review

Marvel VS. Capcom 2

Price: $15.00
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: Marvel characters. Capcom characters. Fighting.
Value: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 contains one of the largest roster in fighting game history, with 56 Marvel and Capcom characters to choose from. The sheer amount of variety plus online multiplayer makes this one downloadable title well worth the price.
Read the Full Review

Mini Ninjas

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Juvenile Bush Disguise/Phantom Removal
Subject Matter: Play as one of a band of adorable child ninjas on a quest to kill a bad guy and free the adorable little forest animals.
Value: A somewhat short singleplayer game, but the ability to play as one of several ninjas means there's plenty of replay value.
Buy it for: Anyone. Everyone. Kids will love the straight-forward combat, adults will find there's a great stealth and combat system lurking under the hood.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wireless controller features programmable buttons, better triggers and a Modern Warfare 2 theme.
Value: It's a bit pricey, but if you're a big fan of the game and like the idea of programmable buttons, it's probably worth the $50.
Buy it for: Fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo Faceplate

Price: $14.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This faceplate snaps onto your Playstation 3 controller.
Value: For $15 it's not bad, but not a great deal. Consider it a cheaper alternative to buying a new controller.
Buy it for: HUGE fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Wireless Headset

Price: $39.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wireless headset gives weak lip-service to Modern Warfare 2.
Value: The painful design and static-filled connection makes this a bad deal.
Buy it for: Someone you hate.
Read the Full Review

NCAA Football 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The tradition and pageantry of college football's 115 teams, plus any schools you might choose to create.
Value: NCAA Football 10 is the deepest simulation of a sport, on and off the field, of any currently available sports title.
Buy it for: Any sports nut with a serious helping of school pride or leftover nostalgia for college days gone by.
Read the Full Review

NBA 2K10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA 2K10 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 2K Sports' best-in-class basketball simulation.
Value: NBA 2K10 offers a much more varied set of gameplay modes, both single- and multiplayer, than its challenger NBA Live 10. Its season simulation lacks the aspect of playing in this year's league but is deeper in all other regards. My Player, in which you create and control one player on his journey from prospect to all-star, is tough but a rewarding experience.
Buy it for: Serious basketball fans with some exposure to the sport in real life, either as a player or a devoted fan.
Read the Full Review

NBA Live 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA Live 10 is EA Sports' current title covering pro basketball's upcoming season.
Value: EA Sports has poured a ton of effort into resurrecting the franchise. New controls enabling you to move players off the ball on offense and defense are easy to learn and a real plus. Dynamic DNA allows you to run your season simulation as if it were taking place among current league events in real life.
Buy it for: Basketball fans who prefer singleplayer sports gaming, want a very accurate league simulation, and an easy-to-comprehend control set.
Read the Full Review

NHL 2K10

Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NHL 2K10 is 2K Sports' current title covering professional hockey's latest season.
Value: NHL 2K10 is still a runner-up to EA's NHL 10, but it is not without merit. It features the same robust multiplayer package as its NBA cousin. The action's a little arcadey, but it also is the only NHL title with the league's popular outdoor classic venues.
Buy it for: A casual-to-moderate hockey fan who enjoys lots of scoring action.

Read the Full Review

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Realistic military first-person shooter
Subject Matter: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a relatively open-world tactical shooter that has players trying to take the fictional island of Skira from China.
Value: Plagued with problems this shooter doesn't deliver much for the premium price you pay.
Buy it for: hardcore fans of realistic shooters that offer no chance for mistakes or do-overs.
Read the Full Review

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

Price: $59.99
Rating: E
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: Football title encompassing international and club tournaments, manager modes and online play.
Value: Pro Evo's "Master League", a time-devouring game mode incorporating RPG and strategy elements, is the one area fans remain devoted to this series ahead of its rival, EA Sports' FIFA.
Buy it for: Football fans who like to not only play a good game, but also roll up their sleeves and get lost in a sea of statistics and growth charts.
Read the Full Review

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time
Price: $59.99
Rating: E10+
Genre: Third-person shooter (Ratchet sections); Third-person time-manipulation puzzle-platformer (Clank sections).
Subject Matter: The third PS3 Ratchet is still an action game, but has a stronger than normal narrative, as Ratchet discovers he's not the last of his species, while Clank discovers his origins.
Value: A bombastic single-player campaign full of spectacular cartoon visuals is designed to be replayed, with new content and missions available only after the first play-through is complete.
Buy it for: Jaded Ratchet fans who were waiting for the series to feel special again; fans of cartoon visuals who don't mind their entertainment feeling like a fun all-ages sci-fi adventure.
Read the Full Review

Resident Evil 5

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Survival Horror meets third-person shooter
Subject Matter: The latest iteration in the famed survival horror game ditches a bit of the slow pacing and fear for a bit more of an action feel.
Value: A worthy addition to anyone's library, but perhaps not the sort of game you'll keep around after it's completed.
Buy it for: fans of Resident Evil and those interested in the premise of the franchise but not in the steady pacing of the gameplay.
Read the Full Review

Street Fighter IV

Price: $29.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: The next iteration in the storied and fabulous fighter brings with it a dynamic new look and a death grip on classic mechanics.
Value: Packed with playable characters both old and new and a mechanic that is timeless, the online play and in-room versus mode make this a great deal..
Buy it for: fighting fans, Street Fighter fans.
Read the Full Review

Tekken 6
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: Once you've mastered the moves of your favorite character, Tekken 6's 3D fights are all about timing and tactics.
Value: With 40 playable characters and a seemingly endless single-player campaign, Tekken 6 is a good deal for fans of the franchise willing to put up with some online issues.
Buy it for: fighting fans, Tekken fans, and maybe as a taste of something different for Street Fighter IV fans.
Read the Full Review

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action adventure third-person shooter.
Subject Matter: A well-crafted story and pithy dialogue is backed by solid third-person shooter action, stunning Himalayan backdrops and a smattering of puzzles to solve and things to climb.
Value: The story-driven campaign will only take up about eight hours of your time, but the plentiful and creative mulitplayer modes are sure to be a lasting time drain.
Buy it for: anyone with a Playstation 3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is destined to be one of the best games of the year.
Read the Full Review

WET
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person acrobatic shooter.
Subject Matter: Rubi Malone is a leather-pants wearing, wall-running, pole-spinning death machine. She can shoot two shotguns while flipping through the air, slide under tables to hamstring and gut with her sword, and regains health by swigging liquor.
Value: The single-player only game has a sizable campaign, fantastic music and troubled controls and camera work. It's sort of a mixed bag.
Buy it for: fans of Kill Bill and fast-paced action noire games.
Read the Full Review

Wolfenstein

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Subject Matter: World War II First-Person Shooter with Occult Tendencies
Value: While Wolfenstein is an excellent first-person shooter from a technical standpoint, the story is a bit far-fetched and the multiplayer is disappointing, especially in the face of games like Modern Warfare 2.
Buy it for: First-person shooter fans looking for a little something different.
Read the Full Review

WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010
Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Pro wrestling
Subject Matter: WWE wrestling, with deep customization options allowing players to create and share their own characters, moves and — the big new addition — storylines.
Value: High value for those who will take advantage of the online play and content creation/sharing.
Buy it for: WWE fans, even those who don't like current WWE programming, since those disgruntled fans can create the WWE of their own liking using the game's deep editors.
Read the Full Review

The Xbox 360 Buyer's Guide

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:00:00 MST

New Halo, new downloadables for Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and Grand Theft Auto, new Forza. It was a pretty good year for Xbox 360 owners.

Pick through the list to decide which games to give and get and leave a comment to point out any you would add that we didn't review.

And don't forget, this is more reference material than it is suggestion. Just because it's on the list doesn't mean we're saying you should get it.

Axel & Pixel
Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Adventure
Subject Matter: A point and click adventure game about a man and his dog escaping a dream world with small doses of action.
Value: Axel & Pixel is a good couple of hours worth of relaxing adventure gaming, with a few action / racing segments tossed in to keep things interesting. It's very simply, extremely easy, and once you are done there isn't much reason to go back through it.
Buy it for: Adventure game fans and older parents, to show them that consoles have something for them too.
Read the Full Review

Borderlands

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter RPG
Subject Matter: Borderlands targets the loot-hungry region of the brain, offering four classes with which to stalk the planet Pandora, shoot things and level up, acquiring cool guns, sweet armor and totally rad superpowers. As role-playing games go, it's shallow, but offers a constant stream of junk food gaming.
Value: Seeing all that Borderlands has to offer could take hundreds of hours. But the real value comes in the form of being able to play with friends on Xbox Live or via splitscreen.
Buy it for: the loot glutton with an itchy trigger finger and a history of playing Diablo.
Read the Full Review

Brutal Legend
Price: $59.99 Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Brutal Legend is a heavy metal-themed action game that combines racing, shooting, real-time strategy, and hack and slash into one slightly disjointed mix.
Value: Brutal Legend is a game from Tim Schafer, one of gaming's greatest comedy minds, and the absurd humor carries the game a long way. It's the story of a roadie who gets transported to a heavy metal world where he must raise an army to free the oppressed inhabitants. There's plenty to do, though the odd mix of genres might be too much for some players.
Buy it for: Anyone with a strong affection for heavy metal music or sa twisted sense of humor.
Read the Full Review

Fairytale Fights

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A quartet of cutesy fairytale characters set out to regain their fame by beating the beejesus out of other cutesy things.
Value: With two-player cooperative play and a four player battle royal mode, you can really let out you violent side in buckets of cartoony blood.
Buy it for: People who need a healthy way to blow off steam after a bad day at work. Just don't be standing next to them if the game happens to crash and they need an immediate alternative.
Read the Full Review

Forza Motorsport 3

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Driving simulation
Subject Matter: Forza Motorsport 3 takes the driving simulation in a new direction, making it easier than ever to get into a car, upgrade it, tune it and take if for a spin. For more advance driving game fans, there's plenty of hardcore driving simulation to enjoy as well.
Value: Hundreds of cars, dozens of tracks, thousands of upgrade possibilities and an increasing amount of user-generated content available via the game's storefront, all purchased with in-game credits, not real money, make Forza Motorsport 3 a great driving value.
Buy it for: the Xbox 360 owner who likes to go fast.
Read the Full Review

Gears of War 2: Dark Corners

Price: 1200 Microsoft Points (about $15)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person tactical shooter
Subject Matter: This downloadable add-on for Gears of War 2 lets players run through The Road to Ruin, a campaign level original cut from the game.
Value: With a new single-player level, seven new multiplayer maps and director's commentary, you can't go wrong for $15.
Buy it for: Owners and fans of the original Gears of War 2.
Read the Full Review

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Price: $20 if downloaded through Xbox Live Arcade (requires a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV) or $39.95 if purchased as one half of the Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes From Liberty City disc (GTA IV not required; Episodes disc also includes the similarly-sized first GTA IV expansion, Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned.)
Rating: M
Genre: Open world, third-person shooter.
Subject Matter: Over-the-top modern crime drama set in a fictional New York City.
Value: Offers more content per dollar than just about anything else downloadable on the Xbox 360, a 13-hour-plus campaign, numerous side activities and returning multiplayer challenges similar to what was offered with GTA IV.
Buy it for: People who thought GTA IV was too tame and wished their lead character would be asked to parachute off skyscrapers, steal subway cars (with a helicopter), dance in a nightclub and cross paths with the last two protagonists in the GTA IV saga.
Read the Full Review

Halo 3: ODST

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Daytime sci-fi military action interspersed with noir-inspired nighttime sleuthing.
Value: Varies depending on one's Halo experience. A seven-hour campaign and the offline Firefight mode can be played with up to four players and is all-new, but only three of the game's 24 multiplayer maps haven't been sold — and possibly purchased by the prospective ODST consumer — before.
Buy it for: Halo fans who either never bought Halo 3's bonus maps or wouldn't spend $60 of their own for ODST because they did.
Read the Full Review

Left 4 Dead 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person horror shooter
Subject Matter: Four Survivors fight their way through a gory zombie apocalypse in the Southeastern United States, decapitating, dismembering and generally destroying every walking dead human in their path. Cooperative multiplayer is at the core of the Left 4 Dead 2 experience.
Value: Left 4 Dead 2 is a multiplayer game with a massive amount of replayability, but requires cooperative gameplay and reliable friends to fully enjoy. There's very little here for the lone, single-player gamer, so make sure that Live subscription is all paid up.
Buy it for: the grown-up Xbox Live Gold subscriber who believes there's no "I" in team and may be disappointed with the body count in Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3 ODST.
Read the Full Review

Lucidity

Price: 800 Points
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Platform/Puzzle
Subject Matter: Little girl Sofi wanders through her dreams, looking for her lost Nana.
Value: While the puzzle gameplay element is average, the art style is superb.
Buy it for: Tim Burton fans.
Read the Full Review

Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator

Price: $29.99
Rating: NA
Genre: NA
Subject Matter: This throat communicator is meant to replace the need for a standard Xbox 360 microphone.
Value: The throat communicator does a great job of cutting down on room noise for your friends and feels pretty comfortable. If those things are important to you, you should pick this up.
Buy it for: Modern Warfare 2 enthusiasts, online gamers and friends who play in noisy settings.
Read the Full Review

Madden NFL 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The only video game licensed by the NFL, covering the current season.
Value: For the first time on the current console generation, Madden earns its must-own status among sports gamers. The fine-tuned action is slightly slower, creating greater big play potential on both sides of the ball.
Buy it for: Any sports gamer who doesn't yet have it. Madden is a no-brainer gift that any sports fan will enjoy.
Read the Full Review

Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station

Price: $5 (requires a copy of Mass Effect)
Rating: M
Genre: Bonus missions for third-person shooter/role-playing game
Subject Matter: Mass Effect gets a battle simulator to allow goal-based shooting challenges.
Value: High for those looking for something new in the original Mass Effect while awaiting the January sequel; low for people looking for what made the first game popular.
Buy it for: Mass Effect completists, though you'll only be able to buy them download points for this game or give them a small check.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wired controller features programmable buttons, better triggers and a Modern Warfare 2 theme.
Value: It's a bit pricey, but if you're a big fan of the game and like the idea of programmable buttons, it's probably worth the $50.
Buy it for: Fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

NBA 2K10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA 2K10 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 2K Sports' best-in-class basketball simulation.
Value: NBA 2K10 offers a much more varied set of gameplay modes, both single- and multiplayer, than its challenger NBA Live 10. Its season simulation lacks the aspect of playing in this year's league but is deeper in all other regards. My Player, in which you create and control one player on his journey from prospect to all-star, is tough but a rewarding experience.
Buy it for: Serious basketball fans with some exposure to the sport in real life, either as a player or a devoted fan.
Read the Full Review

NBA Live 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA Live 10 is EA Sports' current title covering pro basketball's upcoming season.
Value: EA Sports has poured a ton of effort into resurrecting the franchise. New controls enabling you to move players off the ball on offense and defense are easy to learn and a real plus. Dynamic DNA allows you to run your season simulation as if it were taking place among current league events in real life.
Buy it for: Basketball fans who prefer singleplayer sports gaming, want a very accurate league simulation, and an easy-to-comprehend control set.
Read the Full Review

NCAA Football 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The tradition and pageantry of college football's 115 teams, plus any schools you might choose to create.
Value: NCAA Football 10 is the deepest simulation of a sport, on and off the field, of any currently available sports title.
Buy it for: Any sports nut with a serious helping of school pride or leftover nostalgia for college days gone by.
Read the Full Review

NHL 2K10
Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NHL 2K10 is 2K Sports' current title covering professional hockey's latest season.
Value: NHL 2K10 is still a runner-up to EA's NHL 10, but it is not without merit. It features the same robust multiplayer package as its NBA cousin. The action's a little arcadey, but it also is the only NHL title with the league's popular outdoor classic venues.
Buy it for: A casual-to-moderate hockey fan who enjoys lots of scoring action.
Read the Full Review

South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!

Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Rating: Mature
Genre: Tower Defense
Subject Matter: South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! has the South Park kids big towers to fend off enemies that range from gnomes to old people in an 11 mission campaign.
Buy it for: Fans of South Park, fans of tower defense games, and fans of both.
Value: The game features unlockable characters and challenging maps (especially the later levels), co-op and online. There are also unlockable clips from the show.
Read the Full Review

Trials HD

Price: 1200 Points
Rating: Teen
Genre: Racing/Puzzle
Subject Matter: Trials HD is a twist on motorbike racing: Players must navigate trick courses and tricky in-game physics as fast as they can.
Value: The game features over 50 tracks and seemingly simple, yet deep game play — offering replay value as your skills continue to get better and better. A level editor lets players make their own courses. It's the Excite Bike of the 21st Century.
Buy it for: Those who want more from their racing games than speed.
Read the Full Review

Watch Capcom's New York Fight Club From A Safe Distance

Mike Fahey — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 MDT

Now's your chance to join more than 160 people watching a currently empty room that will soon play host to today's Capcom Fight Club in New York.

Soon that empty space will be filled with people playing Tatsunoko VS. Capcom, Marvel VS. Capcom 2, and Super Street Fighter IV, and while you won't be able to join them, you'll at least be able to watch them via Capcom's Ustream channel, which will be broadcasting until the end of the event. Witness the joy on fans' faces as they revel in competition! Envy the amazingly good time they are having. Or, you know, enjoy this relatively empty room. Your choice!

You can watch the stream via the little doohickey below, or hit up the channel page to break the first rule of Fight Club.

Video streaming by Ustream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pac

Marvel VS. Capcom 2 Gets A Tournament Edition FightStick

Mike Fahey — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:40:00 MDT

The Marvel VS Capcom® 2 Arcade Fightstick: Tournament Edition will make you forget all about those silly limited-edition PAX and Comic-Con Street Fighter IV sticks you missed out on.

Sure, the Comic-Con stick was stylish and the PAX Femme Fatale controller was pretty, but neither were quite as sexy as the Marvel VS. Capcom 2 model Mad Catz is rolling out for Capcom later this fall. It's the same Tournament Edition stick that fighter fans have been fighting over and on since they were released with Street Fighter IV, festooned with never-before-seen Marvel VS. Capcom 2 artwork, making it the perfect accessory for both comic book fans as well.

"Capcom has demonstrated that by working in close collaboration with Mad Catz, we are able to produce fighting controllers which deliver the level of performance and authenticity that our fans demand," said Christian Svensson, vice president business development & strategic planning at Capcom Entertainment, Inc. "We're delighted to further our relationship and continue the evolution of this range to encapsulate the Marvel VS Capcom franchise and look forward to the fans reaction upon release."

I've been holding out on picking up a stick despite being present at both shows and watching people constantly walking away from the Capcom booth with giant bags filled with plastic fighting goodness. Perhaps I foresaw this. Perhaps I am simply a fortunate procrastinator. Either way, look for the Marvel VS. Capcom 2 sticks to hit GameStop stores and both Capcom and Mad Catz's online stores later this fall.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Micro-Review: It's Gonna Take You For A...Yeah

Mike Fahey — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:20:00 MDT

Another classic 2D Capcom fighter is reborn, with the release of Marvel VS. Capcom 2 for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.

Rather than give Marvel VS. Capcom 2 the full high definition makeover they did Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Capcom took a much simpler route in bringing the classic clash of cross-company titans to the latest gaming platforms - they made it widescreen. Of course they added in online functionality as well, but for the most part the game remains unchanged from the original, with a few filters thrown in for those that prefer their pixels a little more blurry.

So essentially this is the same game many of us have played before, only wider with online play. Is that enough to justify purchasing Marvel VS. Capcom 2? Damn straight it is.

Loved
It's Marvel VS. Capcom 2: Aside from the widescreen aspect ratio, some next-to-useless graphics filters, and different menus, this is the same game that thrilled us in its previously released incarnations. It's a gigantic brawl between the forces of Marvel and the forces of Capcom, with 56 characters to pit against each other in 3-on-3 battles. The four-button control scheme is simple enough that beginners can flail against the computer competently enough, with enough strategy for the advanced player to show us amateurs just how advanced they are. I may get my ass kicked on a regular basis, but I'm getting my ass kicked by Mega Man while I'm rocking Iron Man, and there's something wonderful about that.

It's Marvel VS. Capcom 2 with Online Play: The Japanese Dreamcast version of Marvel VS. Capcom had online play, but here in North America we missed out completely. Capcom has done a fine job of implementing online play in the game, with no noticeable lag in any of the online matches in which I got my ass handed to me. If you're as skilled as I am, just get yourself killed off earlier and then sit back and watch in spectator mode, where you can pick up tips from your betters or simply enjoy the thrill of folks better than you are fighting for your amusement.

Hated
It's Marvel VS. Capcom 2 With Everything Unlocked: My only real disappoint with the game lies solely on the fact that I play fighters in single player more than I do in multiplayer, so really this is less of a hate and more of a pet peeve, but I felt it bears mentioning. Unlocking different costumes and colors is one of my greatest joys in fighting games, and Capcom's decision to have all the secret stuff unlocked from the beginning deprived me of that joy. I understand it makes more sense from a multiplayer standpoint just to have everything out in the open, but as an unlockable junkie, I miss the sense of accomplishment that came with whipping out a special costume or alternate color your opponent hadn't seen yet.

The only other downside to Marvel VS. Capcom 2 is that the sheer number of characters and options available could be overwhelming to a new player. With everything unlocked from the start, the character select screen is just massive. I've had to sit through more than a few 30-60 second character select screens during multiplayer, and I could clearly picture the dumbfounded look on my opponent's face as they tried to pick and choose a winning team, not knowing that when going up against a player of my caliber, closing your eyes and just hitting the button six times works just fine. A roster this size doesn't come without a few balance issues as well, but even the most "useless" character can become a deadly weapon in the right player's hands.

It may look a little dated, but with a giant roster of fan-favorite fighters and the addition of relatively flawless online play, Marvel VS. Capcom 2 remains one of the most accessible, entertaining, and full-bodied 2D fighters ever crafted.

Marvel VS. Capcom 2 was developed and published by Capcom for the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Released on July 29th for the 360, August 13th for the PS3. Retails for 1200 Microsoft points or $15. Played Xbox Live Arcade version. Completed Arcade Mode with various groups of fighters, played (and mainly lost) many multiplayer matches online.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Image courtesy of MEGAMAZ at Capcom Unity.

Capcom Giving Away Autographed Snack Foods

Owen Good — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:40:00 MDT

If you know what "Pringles" means among Marvel vs. Capcom 2 players - and it's no compliment - you can win a can of the real thing autographed by the guy who coined the term.

It comes from Michael "IFC Yipes" Mendoza and was dropped in the stream-of-conscious lingo play-by-play of this MvC2 fight years back. Capcom's Seth Killian saw Yipes at Evo 2009 last week and got him to sign some cans of ~~chips~~ crisps for the big giveaway that Capcom-Unity is running.

Of course, the actual answer is easy to peg and quite prosaic; someone who is pringles is likely an easy opponent. Has a fever for the flavor of getting his ass beaten, if you will. But Seth's opening this up to more creative takes on the definition of the term.

Just remember, if you win, you'll end up getting a can of Pringles that's probably three weeks old. Then again these things are jampacked with enough preservatives I'm sure they'll still be good in August. 2012.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: "It's So Pringles" Contest! [Capcom-Unity]

Buy The Summer Of Arcade, Get $10 Back

Mike Fahey — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:40:00 MDT

Microsoft wants to pay you $10 for purchasing all five of the games showcased in this year's Summer of Arcade promotion.

U.S. Xbox 360 owners who shell out the 5600 Microsoft Points necessary to net them Splosion Man, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, Turtles in Time Re-shelled, Trials HD, and Shadow Complex between now and August 31st will get an extra 800 Microsoft points added to their account, basically cancelling out the price of Splosion Man. From a monetary standpoint, it amounts to getting $80 worth of Microsoft points for $70, which is a pretty good deal no matter how you look at it. Of course, if you don't buy all five games you get nothing, but that's the price you pay for not paying the price for everything.

How Much Would You Pay For Capcom's Marvel VS Capcom 2 Mixtape?

Mike Fahey — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:30:00 MDT

Capcom's extremely limited-edition vinyl version of the hip-hop soundtrack to Marvel VS Capcom 2 can be yours at Comic-Con 2009, as long as you're willing to shell out big bucks.

While a few lucky members of the gaming public made it out of yesterday's Capcom Fighting Game panel with a copy of the hip-hop mixtape, the majority of the 200 vinyl records the company commissioned have slightly more stringent requirements for purchase. You can only get your hands on one if you spend big at the Capcom booth's merchandise area. How big?

Yes, the album is free, but only if you purchase $500 worth of merchandise. While it seems like a great deal of cash, two $179.99 Mad Catz arcade sticks and you're just $140 away! That's only seven t-shirts! Surely you know seven people with torsos, right?

Yeah, probably best just to wait for the downloadable version.

Capcom Has Its Marvel VS Capcom 2 Mixtape Covered

Mike Fahey — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:20:00 MDT

Capcom shows off the cover to its Marvel VS Capcom 2 hip-hop mixtape today, with a limited-edition vinyl version of the soundtrack up for grabs at the San Diego Comic-Con this week.

As we mentioned back in June, Capcom has teamed up with some of hip-hop's greatest talents to produce a downloadable mixtape, replacing the game's original jazzy soundtrack with something a little easier to fight to. Today they've revealed the cover art for the disc, available in printer-friendly downloadable form over at the Capcom Blog, in case any of you are still hooked on reading your music off of archaic silver discs.

And for those of you even more archaic, Capcom will be offering an extremely limited-edition vinyl copy of the mixtape at its fighting games panel at Comic-Con on Friday from 2:30-3:30 in Room 5AB, noting that it could also be used as a bonus for those buying items at the Capcom booth. Man, my Comic-Con swag battle plan gets more and more complicated every minute.

Marvel VS Capcom 2 PS3 Coming In August

Mike Fahey — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:20:00 MDT

PlayStation 3 owners are going to have to wait a couple of weeks longer than Xbox 360 owners to get their hands on Marvel VS Capcom 2.

At the time the July 29th release date was announced for the Xbox Live Arcade version of Marvel VS Capcom, the Capcom Europe website contained an image showing a similar release date for the PlayStation 3. As it turns out, that image was a bit misleading. Capcom has now passed along the official word on the PlayStation Network version, delivering an August 13th release date and a $15 price tag for the Capcom/Marvel Comics crossover.

It's funny. I figured when Capcom announced the exclusive PlayStation Network demo for the game that the PSN version would drop first. Must be those dog days of Summer of Arcade.

2009 Summer Of Arcade: What's Out When

Mike Fahey — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:40:00 MDT

Five major Xbox Live Arcade titles make up Microsoft's Summer of Arcade lineup, and now we know exactly when each is coming out, from Turtles in Time to Shadow Complex.

We're getting one big release per week starting July 22nd and running through August 19th, when the Summer of Arcade promotion delivers its last quality title and we revert back to plain old, unexciting Xbox Live Arcade releases.

Festivities kick off on July 22nd, with the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-shelled, the remake of what many consider to be the best TMNT title. (1200 Microsoft Points)

On July 29th we get another remake, though I'm not sure if Marvel VS Capcom 2 counts as a remake. The HD health bars are certainly nice, but I suppose re-release is more appropriate in this case. (1200 Microsoft Points)

August comes in with a bang with the release of Twisted Pixel Games' Splosion Man, revisiting old-school platforming goodness with an exploding hero for a new age. (800 Microsoft Points)

Trials HD races onto Live Arcade on August 12h, a physics-based motorcycle racer that lets players create and share tracks via the magic of Xbox Live. (1200 Microsoft Points)

Last, but not least, Chair Entertainment returns to Xbox Live Arcade with Shadow Complex, a 2D shooter created using the Unreal Engine 3, set in the world of Orson Scott Card's novel. Empire. (1200 Microsoft Points)

Definitely an impressive lineup this summer. I might end up collecting the whole set.

Marvel VS Capcom 2: Hulk Smash Puny Wrestler

Mike Fahey — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:20:00 MDT

First it was Ryu versus Wolverine, and now the green goliath takes on the Russian bear in the second installment of Capcom's Marvel VS Capcom 2 strategy series.

It's the same drill as last week. Capcom takes two of the most iconic fighters on either side of the Marvel VS Capcom 2 conflict and pits them against each other, releasing videos showcasing the strategies used to defeat the two heaviest hitters the game has to offer.

First we have Zangief teaming up with the Sentinel to take on a double dose of the Hulk, with a little Storm thrown in for good measure.

And then we see the Hulk, Cable, and some Cyclops backup tearing Zangief a new one, with Storm once again buttin in at the end.

Much better than my Zangief strategy, which consists solely of jumping and kicking.

Marvel VS Capcom 2: Claws Versus Fireballs

Mike Fahey — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:20:00 MDT

So Marvel VS Capcom 2 isn't coming until the end of July. That just means more time for Capcom to release promotional strategy videos!

While I'm not sure what the above clip is supposed to be, I do know the ones below are demonstrating how to handle the game's two most iconic characters in head-to-head combat. Learn how to pit Ryu against Wolverine, who to team up with, and when to attack with what in the two following clips, so when the game finally comes out you too can get completely destroyed by button-mashers.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 not Releasing June 29

Owen Good — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:00:00 MDT

Marvel's financial report back in May said Marvel vs. Capcom 2 would release for download on June 29. The Capcom-Unity Twitter account has officially nixed that date, setting it back about a month.

Says Capcom-Unity:

MvC2 is not actually coming out on June 29, sorry guys. Not sure where that rumor came from, but it's going to be closer to the end of July.

Well, Marvel did say "scheduled release dates are subject to change." But dammit, they just seemed so certain by giving the date.

Guess the moral of the story is, release dates not actually announced by a dev or a publisher are worth about squat.

Capcom-Unity on Twitter [via Joystiq]

Capcom's Marvel Vs Capcom 2 Hip-Hop Mixtape Revealed

Stephen Totilo — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:40:59 MDT

The summer re-release of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 features the same wacky jazz as the original game, but Capcom revealed to Kotaku today plans for a star-studded free bonus soundtrack players can fight to instead.

Given that not everyone thinks that a battle between Wolverine and M.Bison should be set to jazz, Capcom will offer a downloadable hip-hop mixtape themed to Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. The mixtape will be offered digitally close to the pending summer re-release of the game on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network, according to Capcom.

Forget the jazz. Might you like to beat up Marvel's roster to some hip-hop instead?

Artists features on the game's "mixtape" include the following rap greats, who, we're told, are providing original songs inspired by MvsC2 and other fighting games and fighting game themes:

- Raekwon
- Talib Kweli
- E40
- DJ Qbert
- Hieroglyphics
- The Grouch and Eligh of Living Legends
- Planet Asia
- MC Supernatural
- Havoc of Mobb Deep
- DJ Toure
- And more...

The soundtrack will be issued for free on Marvel.com, Capcom-Unity.com, and the game's promo site tu4ar.com. Capcom is also exploring options for issuing the music downloadable directly to consoles, but has no plans to announce yet.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is a faithful port of the 2000 original, though the new version will support a stretched-background widescreen mode, some optional graphical smoothing and custom soundtracks. All the content that shipped with the original will be in the new release.

Kotaku reader bonus, courtesy of Capcom... here are Raekwon and MC Supernatural making sure the game is pixel-perfect at this year's E3:

Marvel: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Slated For June Release

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:00:00 MDT

In its financial report, comic book giant Marvel dated the re-release of classic fighter Marvel vs. Capcom 2. That date is June 29.

And that date is, if you check your calendars, a Monday. Marvel does note "scheduled release dates are subject to change" in its report, so that means just that: this release date is subject to change. With Comic-Con following in July, it would make sense for the game to hit XBLA before then.

The original, and this latest version, features brawlers from the Capcom and Marvel universes. It also features 3 on 3 tag-team matches and four button controls. All 56 characters are accessible from the get go.

The re-release boasts an optional visual filter that smooths out the game's graphics and new online modes, including Ranked Matches and the Quarter matches found in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, which allows up to four people to watch and chat while two others fight. It also features widescreen support with the gameplay in a 4:3 field, but the viewing area expanded.

Capcom previously announced that the game will be out this summer on the PSN for US $15 and on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1,200 Microsoft Points. The game was developed by Foundation 9 and is based on the Dreamcast code.

Marvel Releases Q1 Numbers - Flat, But Beats the Street [Newsarama Thanks, Colin L!]

Why There's No Marvel vs Capcom 2 On Wii

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 MDT

While both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will be seeing a re-release of Capcom's classic 2D fighter Marvel vs Capcom 2, Wii owners won't be seeing anything of the sort.

While this may have been obvious from the fact the game's release announcement failed to mention Nintendo's console, for anyone who hadn't quite caught on, Capcom's Christian Svensson has spelled it out, explaining that, because the company "don't actually have any retail rights on this project", it can only be offered as a downloadable title.

While this is no problem for the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live Arcade, "there's no way to get anywhere near the Wiiware filesize limit here". Despite the Wii hardware itself being more than capable of handling an old Dreamcast port. So it's not happening, and it doesn't look like it'll ever happen.

Sorry.

[Capcom Unity]

Marvel vs Capcom 2, Old Graphics vs New Graphics

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:00:00 MDT

While Marvel vs Capcom may not be as comprehensive a re-release as the recent SSFIIHD - it's more of a straight-up port - it's still getting a few graphical improvements.

You'll be given the option of playing the game in three graphics modes: Classic, Smooth & Crisp. Classic is as you'd expect, the original Dreamcast pixels. Smooth throws in 2x bilinear filtering, while crisp goes one better and goes for 3x bilinear filtering.

You can see a quick comparison up above, or for some full-size screens, hit the gallery below.

So now I can talk about the game....IT'S MAHVEL BABY! [Capcom]

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 In Play

Brian Crecente — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:00:00 MDT

Ignore the fact that the techno doesn't quite last the length of the game play, and sit back to watch a bit of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 brought up to next-gen speed.

I've never been a big fan of Marvel VS. Capcom 2—I know... blasphemy—but I have to admit, it was fun to play last week.

Stay tuned for my quick hands-on impressions of the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade game tomorrow.