Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
Developer: Eighting
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Rating: T for Teen
Release: 1/26/2010
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars is a 2.5-D fighter where 2 teams, each team consisting of 2 characters from either the Capcom universe of the Tatsunoko universe, engage in 1-on-1 combat. This is the 7th installment in Capcom's Vs' series. Originally released in 2008 as a Japan exclusive "Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes", it was brought to North American shores by fan reception which convinced Capcom to localize it with help from Japanese animation studio Tatsunoko Production on international licensing issues.
Gameplay and Features:
You could best compare this game to Capcom's more insane Vs. titles, mainly the Marvel vs. Capcom series. But unlike MvC2 and 3 with it's 3-on-3 tag system but instead goes a little old school with a 2-on-2 tag system. With this limitation, you have to choose your partner carefully as each character has a different assist move. Combat is also similar to the MvC series, though the pace isn't as fast as it's 2-D counter parts, it's by no means less frantic.
Yes, it says "Billion"
Strategy, timing, and psyche come into play very well as you'll be stringing insane combos, constantly pressuring your opponent, or confusing mix-ups forcing them to make careless mistakes. Each character bringing their own flair, especially with the very different and, for most of you, unfamiliar Tatsunoko characters. Multi hit combos, special moves, and hyper variable combinations are still present and are very flashy which is a good thing with it's cell shaded and colorful style. We also have 2 giants to mess around with and this
Controls:
With the Wii able to support multiple control styles, you'll be happy to know that TvC: UAS has a setup for all of them (yes, even Wiimote sideways). Using the Wiimote / Wiimote + Nunchuk dumbs down the controls scheme a great deal but can be good shallow fun for people unfamiliar with the genre or series. The real charm comes from using either a Classic controller, a GameCube controller, or a Wii arcade stick as you have full control of every action your character can do.
Baroque:
The Baroque system is a form of cancel. By sacrificing whatever red life your character is recovering, you can extend your combo and string together a longer chain of hits and deal more damage. The length of the red life bar determines the amount of increased power your character receives. Using a Baroque involves a certain amount of risk and definitely adds a bit of depth to the combat.
Mega Crash:
A Mega Crash can get you out of a jam if you think you're getting beaten up a bit too much. It gives your character a burst of energy which interrupts your opponent's combo string and knocks them to the other side of the screen. Performing a Mega Crash uses 2 super bars and drains a bit of life so spamming isn't an option.
This game isn't just a complete translation of the Japanese version as it also brings some new meat. With a loss of 1 character exclusive to the Japanese version, Ultimate All-Stars brings 5 new character to the fray along with more minigames and online play. There were balance tweaks done in Ultimate All-Stars that fixed some of the more exploitable moves like spammable infinites.
Online:
You can participate in ranked matches, have the system match you up against random opponents or exchange friend codes with people you know. It works well enough but you can experience some input lag depending on your connection speed and your distance with the other player. Online may not be the best way to experience this game, at least it's an option that should have been there from the beginning.
Nuff said
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars a very solid fighter and is a great addition to the Vs. series. Don't let you lack of knowledge of obscure anime scare you away from this game as it is, in my opinion, one of the best fighters out there on the Wii.
Score: 86/100
On a side note:
Zero. Need I say more? :D
Thanks to DToid for some of the screenshots.
