|/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////| | | | THE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2 FAQ FOR DREAMCAST | | | | By John Malone AKA Chalupa Donny | | | | http://users2.ev1.net/~swidly/ | | | \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\| FIRST, if you have any questions, refer to the Table of Contents. I answer many miscellaneous questions in the "Frequently Asked Questions" Section (which is Part IX). - IMPORTANT INFORMATION - "The Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 FAQ For Dreamcast" is Copyrighted, as of November 2000 by the author, John Malone, under International Copyright Law. If you wish to reproduce, distribute, or display this FAQ or use any part of it for any reason, permission given by the author (me), is required by law. All you have to do is e-mail me for permission. All violations will be immediately reported. - DISCLAIMER - ALL of the information in this FAQ was thoroughly and painstakingly researched and written by myself, John Malone, and no part was copied from anyone else's work without permission. Capcom's official move names were acquired through the use of game instruction manuals (from this and previous games). The rest of the move names were created by me using artistic license. That's right! 100% John! As part of the disclaimer, you should only be able to find this FAQ in 2 places that I know of: the always wonderful and insightful Gamfaqs website (http://www.gamefaqs.com) and the also excellent Fresh Baked Games (http://www.fbgames.com). That's it. If you do see it anywhere else, it would mean a lot to me if you would tell me about it. I would have to punish those naughty people. - ONE MORE NOTE - All the Credits for contributors and other do-gooders are listed at the very end of the FAQ, in section IX. Don't think I didn't give props where it's due! - VERSION HISTORY - ********* IMPORTANT !!! PLEASE READ ********** 3/01/02 - FINAL vers. Yes indeed, the true final version. After hearing the great news about Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 (see the Frequently Asked Questions) I decided to look through the ol' girl and reminisce. I tweaked a few things here and there and, lo and behold, one more version of my infinitely long FAQ is done. So, enjoy this definitively final version of my FAQ and, until Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 comes, see you later. 6/29/01 - Version 6.0 Hey. Just thought I'd sneak one more final FINAL FINAL VERSION update into my FAQ. As I was reading over it, I noticed a lot of mistakes and some stuff I wanted to change, so I did. There's also more complete info on the new characters and various rewrites throughout. And one more contribution. This will be all, though. Goodbye again and enjoy! -- John 6/27/01 - Version 5.0 Hi all. It's been awhile, so I thought I should FINAL VERSION bring closure to my FAQ. Yes, I e-mailed Capcom and no, they didn't respond. Drats. I know they have a policy against taking submissions, but I figured there was no harm in trying. Oh well. "Se la vie," as the saying goes. Getting back to the FAQ, let me reiterate: PLEASE no more e-mails about the FAQ! At least no e-mails that you expect to be published, because they WON'T be, seeing as how this is the final version. But if you feel like mailing me to shoot the s*** or for any other reason, feel free. I added the last couple of contributions I got, plus a little info in the "Basic Techniques and Ideas" and a new section that answers common questions that I get from readers that you can't find in the rest of my FAQ. Well then, I guess this is goodbye. It's been a great ride and I hope to do it again sometime. Good luck to everyone out there and thanks a lot for reading! -- John 5/13/01 - rsion 4.1 Okay, apparently people weren't listening and (Next to still e-mailed me to contribute stuff. That's final okay, though. It's flattering. But this is version) the "next-to-the-final version" here. Sorry, but I have to end this thing somewhere. I will be e-mailing the list of contributions to Capcom; see the Contributions section for more on that. There should be just ONE MORE update... if Capcom sends a response to me, and any other e-mails that people send between that time. Until then.... thanks. 4/16/01 - Version 4.0 I changed a lot of little things here and there and even clarified some moves. I've corrected just about all the mistakes in my FAQ, so this will probably be the last update, so unless you have something utterly shocking and earth-shattering for me to include in here, there will be no more updates. 4/15/01 - Version 3.5 Dan's Otoko Michi super clarified, thanks to DkFFIV. Just a quick little update. 3/20/01 - Version 3.4 Check the Credits section near the end. Many thanks go to Richard H. for his help. 3/03/01 - Version 3.3 A few more contributions added, plus some updated info on Jill and Magneto. Thanks again to Phil M. Also, more info on Rogue & some more rewriting. 3/01/01 - Version 3.2 Some minor cosmetic changes. 2/28/01 - Version 3.1 Yet more corrections thanks to loyal readers, as well as extensive rewrites in the first 4 Parts of the FAQ. 2/19/01 - Version 3.0 More corrections, plus some contributions added. Check out the new "Contributions" section below! 1/7/01 - Version 2.0 "Side Notes" added to many of the character descriptions, to provide even more complete info. 1/3/01 - Version 1.1 Small mistakes already found! Special thanks to Phillip M. for pointing them out. 1/2/01 - Version 1.0 The original version goes up. Sure was a lot of work! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - TABLE OF CONTENTS - I: Introduction II: Key III: Game Basics 1: Movement 2: Basic Techniques & Ideas 3: Your Partners And You (Or "Surviving a Menage a Trois") IV: The Game In Depth 1: Types Of Characters 2: Styles Of Playing The Game And Tactics V: The Characters VI: The Boss Section VII: Top 10 Lists 1: The Top 10 Best Characters in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 2: The Top 10 Characters Capcom Should Put In The Marvel Vs. Capcom Series 3: Contributions VIII: Game Secrets IX: Frequently Asked Questions X: Credits & Miscellaneous ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I: - INTRODUCTION ... OR "WHY SHOULD I READ THIS FAQ?" - Hello and welcome to my Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 FAQ. First of all, this FAQ has a large portion devoted to strategies and the ins and outs of the game which is geared mostly towards beginners. If you find yourself constantly being beaten by others at Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, my FAQ should be able to help. That section is intended to be read from beginning to end. If you already know how to play, you can review it to get a better handle on things or just skip it. Whatever makes you happy. But why did I create this FAQ and why should you read it? For the first question, I'm a huge fan of Capcom's games and this one is undoubtedly their best one to date. Throughout all the time I've spent playing this game and watching other people play this game, I've collected a huge amount of information in my head and have felt the burning need to put it down on paper (figuratively speaking). To answer the second question, I've got a couple tiny things that I haven't seen on other FAQs but the main reason is because I wanted to write a FAQ that had a personal touch to it. I've tried to create my FAQ with the reader in mind, including information that I thought was either important or interesting. In the Character section (Part V), I arranged the listings in alphabetical order for convenience and have included a short "Overview" to give my personal views on each character. Also, my FAQ has a part with some Top 10 Lists, which I encourage you to read. I hope you enjoy my FAQ, I've tried to make it as helpful and easy to read as possible. *John* < swidly@hotmail.com > \(^o^)/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - SO WHAT'S UP WITH MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2? - In case this is the first FAQ you are reading and have not previously played Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, let me give you the low down on what is new with MVC2 compared to the original Marvel Vs. Capcom (Part III, Game Basics, includes the details of each of these points): 1. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 features many new characters, including 8 never before seen in a Capcom fighting game (Sonson, Ruby Heart, Amingo, Cable, Tron Bonne, Servbot, Jill Valentine, and Marrow). Also, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 contains every other character ever to appear in the "Marvel series" of Capcom fighting games, plus all of the characters from the previous "Vs." games. 2. The graphics are much improved from any other Capcom fighting game, and the fighting is even more chaotic and furious than in the original Marvel Vs. Capcom. 3. Onslaught is MIA. There is a new final boss, Abyss (See Section VI for more). 4. Instead of 2-on-2 team battles, in MVC2 there are 3-on-3 battles. Each team has 3 characters with 3 life bars. All 3 on a team must be KO'd before the match is over. 5. Your Hyper Combo Gauge can now be filled up to 5 levels maximum instead of 3. You still start off with 1 full level at the beginning of the match. 6. You can call either of your resting partners to "Assist" you in the middle of a match with an attack at any time, as many times as you want. Each character has three different Assist "Types" to choose from, labeled Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, each one a different attack, which you choose at the Character Select screen (See Section III.2 for more). 7. In order to keep the new system from being too confusing, Capcom has eliminated the Medium Punch and Kick buttons. The buttons that were previously assigned to Medium Punch and Kick are now the Heavy Punch and Kick buttons. The buttons that were previously assigned to Heavy Punch and Kick are now the Assist 1 and Assist 2 buttons (See Section III.2 for more). 8. There are now "Delayed Hyper Combos." You can interrupt your own character's ongoing Hyper Combo with one from your second, then third partner (See Section III.3 for more). 9. You can perform "Variable Combinations" (summoning your partners on screen to perform their Hyper Combos at the same time) with 2, or 3 characters (depending on the level of your Hyper Combo Gauge) by just pressing the Assist 1 and Assist 2 buttons at the same time. If you only have 1 level on your Hyper Combo gauge, the on-screen character will perform a Hyper Combo by him or herself (See Section III.3 for more). 10. There is a new technique called the "Snapback," which will knock your opponent off screen and force one of their partners to join the melee (See Section III.3 for more). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II: - KEY - Here is an explanation of the abbreviations and notations you will see in this FAQ: - B - Back (on your control stick) - F - Forward - D - Down - U - Up - DF - Down and Forward at the same time - DB - Down and Back at the same time - UF - Up and Forward at the same time - UB - Up and Back at the same time - + - Press these two buttons at the same time; for example, "F + P" means press Forward on the joystick and the Punch button at the same time. - , - Press the following buttons in order, directly after each other; for example, "D, F, DF" means press Down on the joystick, then press Forward, then press Down and Forward together. - or - Whenever an explanation contains an "or" it means there are two variations or two ways, if you will, of doing the same thing. - 360 - Rotate the joystick in a full circle counterclockwise or clockwise (it doesn't matter which way). - hold/release - Hold then release the indicated button; for example, "hold/release P" means hold Punch down (as long as you want), then release that Punch button. - charge - Hold the control stick in the indicated direction for about 2-3 seconds. - Press Any Direction - Any direction on the directional pad (D-Pad) can be pressed. - do nothing - Self explanatory. Don't touch ANYTHING. - (rapidly) - Repeatedly tap the following button very quickly. - (air) - This move can be performed while standing on the ground or while jumping. Often times the move will have a slightly different effect in the air. - (air only) - This move can ONLY be performed while jumping. - (near) - Your character must be positioned directly next to your opponent's character for the following move to work successfully. These are often unblockable moves, but not always. - (unblockable) - This move cannot be blocked by the opponent. - (Alpha or Beta or Gamma Assist Mode only) - Some characters have moves that can only be performed if you have chosen a certain Assist Mode for that character (either Alpha, Beta, or Gamma Assist Mode... see the individual character descriptions for which one). - (level 3) - The indicated move requires at least 3 levels of your hyper combo gauge before it can be performed. - P - A Punch button; by itself it means ANY Punch button. A "P" behind the letters L, M, or H indicates either a "Light Punch", "Medium Punch", or "Heavy Punch," respectively. - K - A Kick button; by itself it means ANY Kick button. A "K" behind the letters L, M, or H indicates either a "Light Kick", "Medium Kick", or "Heavy Kick," respectively. - Taunt - Press the correct buttons to perform a Taunt (the "1P or 2P" button if you're playing the arcade game, or "Start + LK" if you're playing the home console version on your Dreamcast). - 2_ - Press the following two buttons at the same time; for example, "2P" means press the two Punch buttons at the same time. - H_ - Heavy (Punch or Kick)... a strong but slow attack. - M_ - Medium (Punch or Kick)... a mediocre attack; neither strong nor weak, fast nor slow. You can only access the Medium Punches and Kicks by tapping your LP or LK button twice (respectively). You can only perform Medium attacks in series, after performing a Light attack first... you can't perform a Medium attack all by it's lonesome. - L_ - Light (Punch or Kick)... a fast but weak attack. - A1 - Your Assist 1 button. - A2 - Your Assist 2 button. - OTG - An "On The Ground" attack. It means the move I'm talking about can hit the opposing characters while they are lying flat on the ground. - MVC - An abbreviation for the original game, "Marvel Vs. Capcom." - MVC2 - An abbreviation for this game, "Marvel Vs. Capcom 2." - X-Men: COTA - An abbreviation for the Capcom game "X-Men: Children of the Atom," which I make references to in some of the individual character sections. This is the game that started the "Vs." craze, what with its crazy and colorful attack animations and chaotic screen action. - MSH vs. SF - I may mention this once or twice. This is Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the second game in the "Vs." series. - super - I probably say this all the time. It's my abbreviation for "super move" (or "Hyper Combo," as Capcom calls it). - HC or HC Gauge - A Hyper Combo (super move) or the Hyper Combo Gauge, a bar at the bottom of the screen which tells you if your character is able to perform a Hyper Combo or not. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III: - GAME BASICS ... BEGINNERS PLEASE START HERE! - 1 - MOVEMENT - Before we begin, lets go over the basics of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. You will need to master each of these essentials if you want to beat the ass of the guy/girl sitting/standing next to you. If you are a more experienced player, than you already know this stuff... so why are you reading this? The most basic of all basics is knowing your how your joystick affects movement. If you didn't know this stuff, then you've obviously never played a Capcom fighting game! Here's an amazing picture rendering of the D (Direction) Pad on your Dreamcast Controller. If you're character is facing right: Vertical Jump Diagonal Backward Jump __ Diagonal Forward Jump | | ___| |___ Walk Backward/Upper Block | | Walk Forward |___ ___| | | Crouch/Lower Block |__| Crouch Crouch Here's another break down: U- Vertical Jump UB- Diagonal Backward Jump B- Move Backward/Upper Block DB- Crouch/Lower Block D- Crouch DF- Crouch F- Move Forward UF- Diagonal Forward Jump That covers the D-Pad, now for the buttons. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is different, button-wise, from every other game in the Street Fighter/Marvel/Vs. series. As you know, the Dreamcast controller has four buttons: X, Y, A, B and two trigger buttons on the back, L and R. The default controls for Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 on the controller is as follows (imagine this is a controller... I know, it's hard): L Trigger ___ ___ R Trigger | | __|___________|__ | | | X Y | | D-Pad A B | | __ __ | | | | VMU | | | |__| |_____| |__| Remember, these are the default buttons: To perform a Light Punch: Press X To perform a Light Kick: Press A To perform a Medium Punch: Press X twice To perform a Medium Kick: Press A twice To perform a Heavy Punch: Press Y To perform a Heavy Kick: Press B The A1 Assist button is the L Trigger The A2 Assist button is the R Trigger If you are using a different kind of controller or if you switch all this crap around, of course it's going to be a little different. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - BASIC TECHNIQUES & IDEAS - Now that we got through Movement, lets move into a little more complex stuff. These are things that every character has in common (generally speaking). Just about all of the characters can do these moves. It's essential that you master these basic techniques if you want to play and not make a total jack-ass out of your self. Practice these moves and learn how and when to use them. This only requires experience. The Life Bar... Yellow and Red Energy- Each character has their own Life Bar. They are located at the top left or right corner of the screen (depending on if you're the first or second player). Once all of the Yellow Bar is depleted, that character is knocked out of the game for the rest of the match. You will notice that behind the Yellow Bar of energy there is a Red Bar, which is always longer than the Yellow Bar. It appears after you get hit. This is your potential "re-gainable" energy. Your character's Red Life bar will slowly transform into useful Yellow Energy when that character is "resting" off screen. You can also regain Yellow Energy from the Red Life bar from Heal Type Assists (See Section III.3 for more). Remember, if you have only one character on screen, the Red Energy Bar doesn't mean diddly-squat. In conclusion, always know when to let your characters rest. This could mean the difference between defeat and victory! The Hyper Combo Gauge (HC Gauge)- This is a bar at the bottom left or right-hand corner of the screen (depending if you're player one or two). It starts at level 1 at the beginning of the match. The bar will slowly increase every time you press your buttons or if you are hit by the opponent. Once the the ever-increasing energy fills up the whole bar, your Hyper Combo Gauge gains an additional level. The Gauge can hold a maximum of 5 levels. Performing Hyper Combos and certain other techniques (like a Snapback; See Below), will drain one level of your Hyper Combo gauge. Some characters have attacks that can drain your Hyper Combo Gauge (such as Omega Red's "Death Factor" attack or Ruby Heart's "Fantome" attack). Always keep an eye on your bar and try to just "press buttons" if the opponent is not doing anything and/or you're a safe distance away from you foe, in order to raise your Hyper Combo Gauge for later. Dash- F, F or B, B or 2P + F or 2P + B Your character will move forward or backward very quickly. This is good just for moving around the screen quickly. Learn how to dash backwards in order to avoid oncoming attacks and to keep distance between you and your opponents. Also, rushing forward is good way to start combos and can surprise an unsuspecting opponent. (The Almighty) Super Jump- D, U Your character jumps really, really high. While airborne, your character can move left and right and you can perform as many attacks as you possibly can before hitting the ground. This means that while performing a super jump, you can perform very long and damaging combos. Also, the super jump is terrific for leaping over wacky, screen-filling super moves that your opponent throws at you. An experienced player will learn to use this opportunity to quickly super jump over opponents and then attack them from their defenseless backside. The screen follows the person who is super jumping, so you can't see what the person on the ground is doing. Block- B or F, Away From Opponent (air) The block is the essential building block of your defense. Know when to block by learning how your opponent plays and what each character can do (as far as moves and cheap tricks go). Don't be caught by surprise! Only scrubby beginners (or overconfident veterans) play without blocking. If you find someone who doesn't know how to block (and there's a fair share of people out there) exploit their weakness. Remember in MVC2 you can block in the air as well on the ground. Throw or Grab- B or F + HP or HK (near) (air) You'll probably do this mostly on accident. When your character is standing right next to an opponent and you press a Heavy Punch or Kick button, your character will throw (or grab) your foe and do something painful to them. What's the difference between a throw and a grab? A throw is where you toss the opponent in a direction of your choice (controlled by holding Back or Forward on your Direction Pad right before the throw actually occurs), inflicting damage. With a grab, your character will grapple with the opponent and wail on them with an appendage of some sort (the ever-creative Dhalsim uses his stomach). Every character has a different throw or grab, each with different effects. Many characters can also throw opponents in mid-air. There are also special, usually more damaging, throws that many characters also possess. These are performed by a different button command than the one above (See individual character descriptions below). Safe Fall/Break Away- Press Any Direction (except U) + HP or HK If you are thrown or grabbed by the opponent, you'll have a brief nano-second or two in which you can perform the Break Away to escape the aforementioned throw or grab. If you're being pummeled into submission and you're in the air, the Safe Fall will knock you back to your senses and bring your character back under your control as he or she lands on their feet (as opposed to the usual falling butt-first back on the ground). These will also most likely be performed by accident. Rolling Escape- D, DB, B + P or K, Just Before Landing If you've just been pounded senseless by your opponent and you're about to crash head-first on the pavement, use the Rolling Escape to avoid further punishment. Your character will roll out of the way and escape any further damage the opponent has waiting for you. Usually your character will roll to the opposite side of the screen (often this will be behind the opponent, which can be very confusing for both of you unless you stay on guard). Experts know how to knock the other guy down and then hit them while they're helpless. Sounds cheap, but its true. The ONLY way to avoid this fate is to perform a Rolling Escape. Use it if you've been tripped from a sweep attack or if the opponent has dealt massive damage to you (such as by a combo) and you're about to fall to the ground. Often people will get confused when an opponent uses this technique, so keep practicing the Rolling Escape until you do it by reflex every time. Advancing Guard- 2P (air) Sometimes people will come on to you so fast and furiously, all you can do is keep blocking their attacks and hope for the best. They probably will catch you eventually, so instead of just blocking, use the Advancing Guard to get them out of your face. Your character will push forward while blocking, shoving the opponent some distance away from you. The Advancing Guard is essential if you're stuck in the corner. An added bonus of this technique is that it will also reduce the damage you normally take while blocking your opponents special or super moves. So if Ryu whips out his Shinkuu Hadouken beam super, using your Advancing Guard technique while blocking will noticably reduce the block damage. Launcher- DF + HP or DF + HK (See character descriptions for which one) This attack, if successful, will knock the opponent straight up into the air, allowing you to "Pursue" them for the chance to perform an "Aerial Rave." Every character has at least one launcher. The launcher listed can only be performed as a stand-alone attack, ie. you cannot link a Launcher from another move. Pursuit- U, After Launcher If the Launcher connects, all you need to do is press Up on the Directional Pad and your character will leap high up into the air to follow the air-borne opponent. What you do next is up to you. Linked Attacks: The Chain Combo- LP (or LK), MP (or MK), HP (or HK) (air) (Note: Not every character can follow this progression) THE SECRET TO WINNING AT MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2 IS: Learn how to do combos! They are highly damaging and when they are started, the opponent is powerless to stop them! Besides, there is NOTHING more crowd-pleasing than a crazy, off-the-wall, 20 hit combo! It is not hard to perform a combo. Every character in the game has moves that can be linked together. And most follow the progression that you see above. Just press those buttons in quick succession, and you have a nifty combo! But be sure to heed the above note; some characters (usually the larger, slower ones, such as Zangief) cannot perform the progression listed above. Then again, faster characters (such as Strider) can perform even more extended Chain Combo progressions, like this: LP, LK, LP, LK, HP (or HK). So every character has certain moves that can be "linked", which you will need to figure out. More complex combos can be performed. For example, the last button you press in a combo is the "combo ender." It should be a powerful move; one that will knock the opponent down and keep them from immediately pummeling your character in revenge. The simplest combo ender is a Heavy attack (Punch or Kick). A more complex combo ender is a special move. Many characters have special moves that can be linked as part of a combo. And a select few characters even have Hyper Combos (supers) that can be linked to the end of a combo. Learn what your favorite character can and can not link, then try to piece together some cool combos and impress all of your friends (while also taunting your opponent in a gratuitous fashion). Aerial Rave- Perform a Chain Combo (air only) An Aerial Rave is a chain combo when it is performed in the air. REMEMBER, the best way to start an Aerial Rave is with a Launcher and then having your character Pursue. Aerial Raves tend to be longer than ordinary ground Chain Combos. It is even easier for characters to perform longer Chain Combo progressions while in mid-air, such as the LP, LK, LP, LK, HP (or HK) pattern listed above. Don't be afraid to try new things! Another great thing about Aerial Raves is that they can be extended by performing Double or Triple Jumps or an Air Dash. Using any of these moves in the middle of a combo "starts you over," meaning that if you've almost reached the end of your combo progression, a Double Jump or an Air Dash will start you fresh, allowing you to re-start your whole combo progression, and therefore adding even more hits to the combo! All the rules that applied above also apply for Aerial Raves. Pay special attention to combo enders. If you don't have a powerful combo ender, the opponent will still be able to exact retribution on your character before you can recover or react. Taunt- Start + LK Although essentially a pointless move, there's no better way to lower your opponent's self-esteem (or piss him/her off) than by Taunting them in the heat of battle. A Taunt usually deals no damage (except for Jin's and Chun Li's, see their individual descriptions) but they do raise the energy on your Hyper Combo gauge. Each character has a different taunt... it's interesting to see them all. Tech Hits- See Below A Tech Hit results when hitting the opponent just before they are about to perform an attack. In other words, every character has an animation that they perform before they actually do an attack. If you hit your opponent during this animation preceding their attack, you will have performed a "Tech Hit" and you will get a yummy bonus (in the form of extra points). The First Attack- See Below Whomever shall get the first clear hit at the beginning of each match shall get the legendary "First Attack" bonus. Extra points shalt be thy fate! Mwahahahahaha!!!... okay I'll stop. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 - YOUR PARTNERS AND YOU - The most innovative concept in MVC2 is the new Partner System! You now can choose from 3 partners each match and can switch between them at any time. They can also jump on-screen to help you as often as you like during the battle, which is called an "Assist". The order in which you pick your characters determines your partner positions. The first character you pick is the character that you will start the match off with. The second character will be your first partner. Anything in this FAQ that mentions the A1 button deals with the first partner. The first partner's life bar appears right below the main player's. The third character you pick is your second partner. Anything that mentions the A2 button deals with the second partner. His/her life bar appears last, below the third partner. Whenever the on-screen character is knocked out, the next partner in line will automatically jump in. Partner order can be switched within a match if you switch your main, on-screen character with a resting partner and then switch to the third partner after that (as opposed to switching back to the first, main character). Partner order is also important regarding Delayed Hyper Combos and Variable Combinations (see below). The Assist Types govern how your partner will help you. More specifically, the Assist Type you choose will determine what move your partner will perform during a Variable Assist and which Hyper Combo they will perform during a Variable Combination (see below). Every character's Assists are grouped under a specific category to help you choose which will suit your purpose. Every character has 3 different categories to choose from for their Assist. The first choice out of the three is always called "Alpha Mode," (regardless of the category) the second choice is called "Beta Mode," and the third choice is called "Gamma Mode." For example, when you select Cable as a character, the game will ask you to choose his Assist Type. Three boxes will appear (every character has 3 different choices). In Cable's case, the boxes will say (in this order): Projectile Type (Alpha Mode), Anti-Air Type (Beta Mode), and Variety Type (Gamma Mode). Next to Projectile Type, a little bubble will say "Recommended." This is the Assist that Capcom has decided is the best choice. If you don't know what to choose, pick the Recommended one. The Categories (or Types) of Assists and what they mean appear below: Air Throw Type: The only instance I know of this Assist is Zangief's Aerial Russian Slam. It's obviously an air-borne throw attempt. Anti-Air Type: The character will perform some attack that is especially suited for repelling air-borne opponents. These are an excellent way to risk your partner for your defense while you stay safe. Examples include Ken's Dragon Punch (Shouryuken) and Guile's Somersault Kick. Balance Type: Yowza. I've recently learned from "nyu_bomber" the true purpose of the Balance Type Assists. To paraphrase Mr. bomber, if you pick the Balance Assist, your character will have a combination of their other two Assist Types. Usually those other two Assists will be one for ground defense (say Projectile Type) and one for aerial defense (Anti Air Type). So depending on if the opponent is on the ground or in the air when you call your partner for an Assist, the Balance Type character will do something different. So it is actually pretty useful! Capture Type: With this your partner will attempt to "trap" the opponent so you can get a good whack at them. These are very helpful Assists. Examples include Spiderman's Web Ball and Magneto's Hyper Grav. Dash Type: These are always moves that has the partner moving very quickly forward to attack the opponent. These are usually very powerful moves and make good Assists. Your partner also makes a good human shield for you. Examples are Captain America's Charging Star and Hulk's Gamma Charge. Enhancement Type: With this Assist, your partner will hold out some object for you to touch which will temporarily increase one of your abilities (such as Strength or Defense). The only characters with this Assist are Ruby Heart and Amingo. Expansion Type: This is usually a move that involves the partner using their body to attack (as opposed to a fireball) and that covers a relatively large area of the screen (at least I think so... see Ground Type). Examples are Ryu's Hurricane Kick and Venom's Venom Fang. Ground Type: These are attacks that occur entirely on the ground (and are often low-hitting) and that do not fall easily into the other categories. At least, that's my best guess. The difference between Expansion Type and Ground Type is a fine line, indeed. Examples include Juggernaut's Earthquake or Zangief's Double Lariat. Heal Type: With this Assist, your partner will hold out some object which you must touch in order to be healed. This will only heal RED, recoverable life. Pretty helpful. Characters with this Assist include Sonson, J. Valentine, and Amingo. Launcher Type: Your partner will perform their Launcher move, which will hopefully launch the opponent into the air, allowing you to perform an Aerial Rave on them. Except it usually doesn't work, so these are pretty worthless. Players with this Assist Type include Venom, Blackheart, and Iron Man. Projectile Type: The character will perform a ranged "fireball," or "beam" attack. These are good as diversionary tactics; they will keep the opponent away from you or give you time to think. Also try to time this Assist with a projectile attack from your main character; this will usually make the projectiles harder to dodge, plus you will do extra damage. Examples include Cable's Viper Beam and Ryu's Fireball (Hadouken). Throw Type: Obviously, this is an Assist where your partner will attempt to throw the opponent. Examples are Zangief's Flying Power Bomb and Anakaris' Mummy Drop. Variety Type: This is like a miscellaneous category (or "potpourri", if you're into Jeopardy). The attacks here will always be unusual and unconventional. Examples are Doctor Doom's Photon Shot or Iceman's Ice Avalanche. Here are the various special moves that are essential to your characters' well beings; all of which involve you and your partners in some way: Variable Assist- A1 or A2 By pressing either of your Assist buttons, your first or second partner will jump on the screen and assist you in some way. The service performed depends on the Assist Type (see above about Assist Types and see also individual character descriptions). After your partner performs their assist, they will do a little pose and then jump back off screen. While your partner is on screen, they can be damaged and KILLED if you're not careful. Once they are back off-screen, resting, they will slowly regain any energy they lost (the red energy, if any, slowly turns into yellow energy). However, if you switch to the resting character before they are completely healed, the unhealed red energy is lost and you are only left with whatever yellow energy you had before switching. The kind of Assist you pick for your characters can easily determine whether you win or lose, so learn what your favorite character's assists are and how to use them. And for fun, try summoning your partner for a Variable Assist, then jumping over your opponent just as your partner is coming out. Your forces will now be on both sides of the opponent! The confusion and chaos that ensues when your hapless victim tries to decide how to block attacks coming from two opposing directions at once is priceless. Variable Attack: LP + LK (Switch to First Partner) or HP + HK (Switch to Second Partner) This will switch your characters. They will jump on the screen from the upper corner of the screen from behind your main character with an air attack. If this attack misses, your character will stop for a moment and pose, leaving you briefly open to retaliatory attack. If you hit the opponent with this air attack, they will be stunned and fly straight up into the air while spinning. From there they are vulnerable to any quick attacks you can think of. So, know when to smartly switch your characters. Remember, the character who is now off-screen will slowly regain any red energy they are while resting. Variable Counter: While Blocking, Press D, DB, D + A1 or A2 Depending on the A button used, one of your partners will jump on screen and perform a counterattack (hopefully knocking the opponent away). The counterattack performed depends on the Assist Type chosen for the character; in fact, it is the exact same move performed during that character's Variable Assist (unless it is a non-violent one, such as Heal or Assist). This also switches your on-screen character to the partner you called on. Obviously, this is the best and safest way to switch characters. The downside is that it sucks up 1 level on your Hyper Combo Gauge. Variable Combination: A1 + A2 A Variable Combination will summon as many partners as you have Hyper Combo energy for, and they will all perform a Hyper Combo at the same time. The Hyper Combo performed depends on the Assist Type (see above on Assist Type and see also individual character descriptions). If you have at least 3 levels on your Hyper Combo gauge, both of your partners will jump on screen and all 3 of your characters will each perform their Hyper Combo (Which one will it be? I tell you in that character's description, so go and see). If you have only 2 levels on your gauge, then only your first partner and the main character will perform Hyper Combos. If you have only 1 level on your gauge, then only the on-screen character will perform a Hyper Combo. When using this technique, it is important to see what Hyper Combos will compliment the others. If they don't compliment each other, you may end up doing little damage and just wasting your Hyper Combo levels. Beam supers usually compliment themselves very well to any other supers. Delayed Hyper Combo: See Below When your on-screen character is performing a Hyper Combo, you can have your second partner jump on-screen and perform theirs before the first one ends. While the first Hyper Combo does its damage, input the command for any Hyper Combo for your second partner. They will jump in and do it. You can also interrupt this one in a similar fashion with a Hyper Combo from your third partner. Whichever character you end with will remain on-screen as the main character. Not only does a Delayed Hyper Combo do mucho damage, but you can also use this to save yourself if you're first Hyper Combo whiffs and that character is in danger from retaliation. Simply whip out a second Hyper Combo from your partner and hopefully surprise your aggressor. Snapback: D, DF, F + A1 or A2 This is a new special technique for MVC2. By inputting this command, your character will flash and perform a Heavy attack which, if it connects, will knock the opponent off the screen and send one of their partners on screen. The partner you force into play depends on if you press the A1 or A2 button. The Snapback drains 1 level from your Hyper Combo gauge and is blockable. If it connects, however, the opponent cannot change to that character for a brief amount of time, plus it does a small amount of damage. If you can pull it off and you really feel the need to kill that character that just got took off-screen by your opponent, by all means, use a Snapback to force them back on-screen and finish the job! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IV: - THE GAME IN DEPTH - In this section I will discuss more specific aspects of the game, such as the different types of characters in the game, the different styles of playing the game, and the various techniques that players use to win the game. When gaming aficionados talk about a Capcom fighting game (especially in the Vs. series of games), there are certain terms they may use to describe the types of characters in the game and the other various features and quirks that occur in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. 1 - TYPES OF CHARACTERS - The 56 characters in MVC2 can usually be grouped into different types, which you may hear mentioned on other FAQs, websites, or among people. Notice many characters cross categories. Here are some general groups: (DISCLAIMER: This list is by no means definitive and others will surely disagree with my subjective classifications) "Shotokan" or "Shoto" characters: Ryu and Ken, the original fighting game heroes and their famous trio of moves (Fireball, Dragon Punch, Hurricane Kick), are such successful characters (so basic... yet so complex!) that their model, the "Shotokan character," has been copied from game to game ever since Street Fighter II (and not always by Capcom). There are many characters in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 who are modeled after the original Ryu and Ken. Some examples of Shoto characters are: Ryu, Ken, Akuma, Dan, Morrigan, Sakura, and to a smaller extent, Cyclops, Megaman, and Cable. "Pixies": No, I'm not talking about the indie rock band, but rather small (usually female) characters who are very fast and combo-friendly, but very weak in defense. It takes practice and quick reflexes to kick ass with a Pixie character, but once you're whipping out those 12-hit Aerial Raves left and right, your effort will have paid off. The Pixies are: Marrow, Sonson, Roll, Megaman, Servbot, Cammy, B.B. Hood, and to a smaller extent, Chun Li, Wolverine, J. Valentine, Psylocke, and Storm. "Beam" or "Beamer" characters: Some characters are so beam-y, their beamy-ness can only be described by calling them a "Beamer." What do I mean by "beamy?" Any characters with a strong beam attack or an attack with a beam-like affect, which they must often rely on to win, qualifies as a Beamer. Beam attacks are greatly loved and feared because they will cancel and go through fireballs and beams are usually very fast and damaging. Some Beam characters are: Ryu, Akuma (both are included because of their Shinku Hadouken HCs), Cyclops, War Machine, Iron Man, Cable, Morrigan, Iceman, and to a smaller extent, Megaman, Sentinel, Doctor Doom, and Magneto. The "Big Guys": There is a certain group of characters in MVC2 who are noticeably bigger than the average character. These characters, as a rule, are relatively slow, do not lend themselves to long, complex combos, and have few and/or weak ranged attacks. However, Big Guys are very strong and can usually take damage very well. Big Guys can easily overwhelm people who don't play defensively with their strong close-ranged attacks. On the other hand, Big Guys can be made useless if they are up against very fast characters who go hyper-offensive (like Wolverine, etc.). The Big Guys are: Zangief, Hulk, Juggernaut, Sentinel, Blackheart, and to a smaller extent, Anakaris, Venom, and Thanos. "Joke" Characters: Capcom is notorious for creating "Joke" characters and putting them in games. These characters are usually very weak in offense as well as defense, have fairly humorous attacks, and they are also hard to play with and win. Accordingly, losing against a Joke character is a humiliating situation. The Joke characters are: Dan, Servbot, Roll, and to a smaller extent, Megaman (borderline) and Wolverine (Bone Claw). Okay, the last one's not humorous, but he IS a joke of a character. Other humorous "Jokey" characters, who do not follow the "very weak... hard to play with and win" rule like the characters above do, include: T. Bonne, Sonson, Amingo, Jin, and Felicia. The "Wierd" Characters: These are just characters who look and/or play wierd. They are not the most popular characters; it's not often people will select them and they are challenging to win with. Some Wierd characters include: Anakaris, Blackheart, Shuma Gorath, Omega Red, Colossus, M. Bison, Sabretooth, Spiral, Roll, and to a smaller extent, Storm, Amingo, Sentinel, and Thanos. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - STYLES OF PLAYING THE GAME AND TACTICS - There are many different ways that people will play MVC2 and many tactics people will use to win. Let's take a moment to look at some of the technical aspects of successful gameplay: - Crossing Up - A great technique to learn is called "Crossing Up." This takes advantage of the fact that the player and the game can get a little confused when the characters are really close to each other, and one jumps over the one. If one character is just barely jumping over the other one, the problem that comes up is: at what point do these characters have to turn around and face each other? In order to demonstrate what all of this actually means, here is an example of someone exploiting the confusion of "when characters turn around" to their advantage, which is called "Crossing Up:" Suppose Ryu is standing still on the ground. Magneto is on the other side of the screen and suddenly does a super jump and is heading straight for Ryu; in fact, Magneto is now straight over Ryu and is already landing from his super jump. Ryu is blocking (by holding Back on the control stick) to avoid whatever form of attack Magneto has planned. However, as Magneto is falling down, he is no longer directly above Ryu, but he has actually maneuvered slightly behind where Ryu is standing and Magneto performs a Heavy Punch attack on Ryu just before landing. The attack hits Ryu, even though he was blocking, because of the confusion that sets in when characters are forced to turn around. Since Magneto started on one side but actually ended on the other side of Ryu, Ryu was forced to turn around to face Magneto, but Magneto was so fast that Ryu was not able to block in the correct direction in order to defend himself from Magneto's Heavy Punch attack. Clear now? Well, you may say, is this actually useful? It is, especially against "Turtlers" (see separate entry in this section), beginners, and other defensive players. Although it may not work every time, Crossing Up is a great way to get in virtually unblockable hits against the opponent. One character who naturally takes advantage of this principal is Chun Li, whose Flip Attack move (DB + HK) will automatically Cross Up the opponent if the two are close together. Learning to Cross Up is a valuable technique, as it is difficult to defend against. - Playing Keep Away - A character with strong and/or confusing ranged attacks can breed players who like to "play keep away." These players rely on ranged attacks to win. Instead of any close-up fighting, these players just pour out projectile after projectile with the occasional air projectile attack. The idea is that the opponent will not be able to close in and hit you with close-ranged attacks or combos, etc.; but instead are held at the other end of the screen and forced to only block whatever comes their way. Not only is this an easy way to beat beginning players, but it can serve several other purposes. Here are the basic goals of playing keep away: 1)Keep your opponent away, obviously (preferably at the other end of the screen); 2)Catch the opponent with a hit occasionally when they're not blocking; 3)Wearing down or killing (if you're lucky) your opponent with chipping or block damage. Characters who have the potential to be really good at keeping away include Cable, Doctor Doom, Akuma, Blackheart, B.B. Hood, Cyclops, Captain Commando, Magneto, Iceman, Storm, Sentinel, Megaman, Dhalsim, Morrigan, Iron Man, War Machine, and Jill Valentine. How do you beat someone playing keep away with you? You have many options. Super jump over projectiles and try to get close; hit the aggressor before they can knock you back away from them. If you can, try a Beam Super to cancel their fireballs and hit them while their character is pausing briefly from the animation of their own projectile. An alternative way to beat known keep away players is to learn to play as Iceman (his Ice Beam special cancels fireballs and is very damaging, plus Iceman takes no chipping damage from projectile attacks) and get really, really good with him. Of course, there's nothing to stop the person next to you from giving you a black eye for being such a cheap-@$$ bastard. - Pursuit Attacks and On-The-Ground (OTG) Attacks - Both of these terms are related; "On The Ground" attacks are a form of Pursuit Attacks. A Pursuit Attack is hitting the character after they've just been knocked out or knocked down by a powerful attack, launcher, or combo. These extra hits are unblockable, but often they can be avoided by using a Rolling Escape (see Section III.2, Game Techniques, for more on the Rolling Escape). For example, Ruby Heart's "Sublimation" special move summons a column of blue fire that knocks the opponent partway into the air as they are hit multiple times. If you're quick enough, Ruby Heart can jump up as the victim is being hit with the fire and follow up with several more punches and kicks while the victim is still in mid-air. This example of a Pursuit Attack is actually unblockable and unavoidable (though it will only work if the opponent is fairly close to you when the Sublimation initially hits). If a character is knocked flat on the ground, usually by a sweep attack of some kind, they are vulnerable to further attack if the opponent uses certain moves; these moves can "OTG." There are many moves and many characters who can take advantage of this. For example, Cyclops' Mega Optic Blast super is a screen-filling beam of ruby colored energy. As Cyclops, if you sweep the opponent and then, as they are lying flat on the ground, perform the Mega Optic Blast, the victim will automatically be hit by the super with no chance of blocking (as long as they don't perform a Rolling Escape). Some examples of moves that can OTG include Gambit's Royal Flush super, Wolverine's Berserker Claw X super, Jill Valentine's Close Fighting A special move, Jin's Blodia Punch super, and many, many more. Learn to take advantage of the pursuit and OTG attacks because they are mostly unavoidable and deal extra damage that can add up. Remember: the only way to avoid an opponent's Pursuit or OTG attack is to perform the Rolling Escape technique(mentioned in Section III.2). - Super Armor - Several of the larger characters in MVC2 have a special condition called "Super Armor." This means that it takes two hits to stun or "faze" the character with Super Armor (as opposed to one hit with any other character). A character who is stunned or fazed is temporarily stopped; they can be hit again with another quick move (as in a combo) and any move that the stunned character was about to perform is interrupted. Therefore, characters with Super Armor need to be hit twice before they are stopped or before their moves can be interrupted. The exception is that an extremely powerful hit (such as from a super move) may disregard Super Armor, and sweep attacks (usually D + HK) also can ignore Super Armor. Players on both sides need to always remember what Super Armor can really do. When playing against a character with Super Armor, you must either be very defensive or very offensive. Playing very defensive will let you block the opponents attacks and then strike safely when they are vulnerable (usually from laggy or slow attacks). Or you can play the extreme offense (only recommended for very fast characters like Pixies). These characters can hit Super Armor-ed characters twice (so as to bypass the Super Armor) fast enough that the Super Armor-ed character has no time to retaliate. And if you are playing as someone with Super Armor, DO NOT forget that you have it! You can usually just plow through smaller, weaker characters with a few well timed moves. Characters with permanent Super Armor include Juggernaut, Hulk, and Sentinel. Colossus has a super move that grants a special, temporary Super Armor. Zangief gains temporary Super Armor while performing his Flying Power Bomb or Final Atomic Buster moves and permanent Super Armor while in Iron Body Mode. Jin gains permanent Super Armor if he is the last surviving character in his team and his energy is reduced by 3/4 of the total. - Turtling - Playing like a "Turtle" means excessively playing the defensive. This includes constantly blocking and/or jumping away from the opponent and only striking when the foe is vulnerable. There is a lot to be said for this tactic; if the other guy is just ramming on buttons, turtling until your foe slips up and makes a mistake can be a good idea. On the other hand, too much Turtling can get very annoying for the other players. If someone is turtling, you can bypass their defenses by 1)Throwing them; 2)Continue attacking, mixing low and high attacks until you catch them; 3)By crossing them up (see separate entry in this section). A few characters lend themselves to the Turtle playing style more than others, such as Captain Commando (especially with his Captain Corridor move, to keep people away) and Guile (since most of his moves require a charge, Guile is often found on the defensive, blocking). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- V: - THE CHARACTERS - Now, on to the characters! Here is the format that you will see for each and every character entry: # : The listing number of the character out of 56. The list is alphabetical. - CHARACTER NAME - Full Name: If the character name is short for a known, full name, I list it here. Real Name: For the Marvel characters, if their real name is known, I list it here. AKA: Other names you may hear this character called; either in arcades or only in Japan. Occupation: Just for fun; the official "job" of the character, if any. Origin: What game this character first appeared in. Taunt: A description of the unique Taunt of that character. Launcher: How to perform that character's Launcher. Sometimes there are two way to perform that launcher, which I will mention in parenthesis. Alpha: Assist Type Variable Assist/Variable Combination * Beta: Assist Type Variable Assist/Variable Combination Gamma: Assist Type Variable Assist/Variable Combination If a star or asterisk (*) is printed next to one of the Assist Types, it indicates that that particular Assist is the one Capcom has chosen as being the best one (Recommended) for that character. This is also the Assist that your computer opponents will always be using when playing Arcade mode. The info above is the Type of Assist for each, along with the name of the Variable Assist and the name of the attack the character performs during a Variable Combination. I also write which Assist Type Capcom recommends. -Notable Normal Moves- Here are attacks that are weaker than special moves; usually these are just extended normal moves or normal moves that can only be performed with a special command. This section also includes Air Dashing, Double or Triple Jumps, and Wall Jumps. -Special Moves- These moves are usually unique to this character (there are a few exceptions) and they require a special command to perform. These moves are more damaging than your average Normal Moves. -Super Moves- Hyper Combos. Anything listed here requires at least one bar on your Hyper Combo Gauge to perform. These are very damaging. Overview: A physical description of the character along with what's new with them in MVC2 and other personal comments about them. Side Notes: These are non-essential, though potentially thought-provoking tidbits of pointless information that I've included for anyone who cares about that kind of $#!^. Additionally, any move entries with a little dash listed below them like so: Wall Walk: -Kick Off: <-- Indicates that you can follow up the main move with additional moves or commands, or that there are several variations of the move that can be listed under the main move heading. The characters are listed in alphabetical order so that they are easier to find (as opposed to the totally random numbering given to the characters by Capcom). Here is a complete list of the characters by number: #1- Akuma #20- Hayato #39- Sabretooth #2- Amingo #21- Hulk #40- Sakura #3- Anakaris #22- Iceman #41- Sentinel #4- B.B. Hood #23- Iron Man #42- Servbot #5- Blackheart #24- Jill Valentine #43- Shuma Gorath #6- Cable #25- Jin #44- Silver Samurai #7- Cammy #26- Juggernaut #45- Sonson #8- Captain America #27- Ken #46- Spiderman #9- Captain Commando #28- Magneto #47- Spiral #10- Charlie #29- Marrow #48- Storm #11- Chun Li #30- M. Bison #49- Strider Hiryu #12- Colossus #31- Mega Man #50- T. Bonne #13- Cyclops #32- Morrigan #51- Thanos #14- Dan #33- Omega Red #52- War Machine #15- Dhalsim #34- Psylocke #53- Wolverine #16- Doctor Doom #35- Rogue #54- Wolverine (Bone Claw) #17- Felicia #36- Roll #55- Venom #18- Gambit #37- Ruby Heart #56- Zangief #19- Guile #38- Ryu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 1 - AKUMA - AKA- Gouki (in Japan) Origin- Super Street Fighter II Turbo (arcade) Taunt- Akuma grunts as he assumes the "horse stance," body trembling Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Fireball/Messatsu Gou-Shouryouu Beta- Anti-Air Type Dragon Punch/Messatsu Gou-Shouryouu Gamma- Expansion Type Hurricane Kick/Messatsu Gou-Rasen * -Notable Normal Moves- Mighty Chop: F + HP Hop Kick: F + HK -Special Moves- Fireball: D, DF, F + P (air) Dragon Punch: F, D, DF + P Hurricane Kick: D, DB, B + K (air) Dive Kick: D, DF, F + K (air only) Ashura Warp: -Forward Short: F, D, DF + 2K -Forward Long: F, D, DF + 2P -Backward Short: B, D, DB + 2K -Backward Long: B, D, DB + 2P -Super Moves- Messatsu Gou-Shouryuu: D, DF, F + 2P Messatsu Gou-Hadoken: D, DB, B + 2P Tenma Gou-Zenkuu: D, DF, F + 2P (air only) Messatsu Gou-Rasen: D, DB, B + 2K Shin Goku Satsu: LP, LP, F, LK, HP (level 3) (unblockable) Overview: One of the perennial favorites of Capcom fighting games, Akuma is Ryu and Ken's evil counterpart, who has the combined powers of both. The only way to balance his power was to make Akuma's defense terrible. So if you can avoid getting hit, you should have little to worry about there, since his combos and power are unbelievably strong. Akuma has a new super move, Messatsu Gou-Rasen, a Hurricane Kick that flies straight up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 2 - AMINGO - Origin- Unknown (some sort of puzzle game, according to j-ryu; JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, according to BaddPigg) Taunt- Tips his sombrero while he waves the opponent forward Launcher- DF + HP or HK Alpha- Heal Type Green Fruit (Life Up)/Boon of the Sun * Beta- Enhancement Type White Fruit (Defense Up)/Boon of the Sun Gamma- Balance Type Shout of the Wind/Boon of the Sun -Special Moves- Shout of the Wind: D, DF, F + P (air) Joy of Green: D, DB, B + P Child of the Ground: -Ram: D, DF, F + K -Grab: D, DB, B + K -Super Moves- Rule of the Plants: D, DB, B + 2P Boon of the Sun: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Amingo is a strange living cactus who wears only slacks and a huge sombrero. Many of his attacks are odd and take some getting used to. What makes Amingo worthwhile, however, is his air HK "drill" attack and his quick, yet effective Shout of the Wind special... with Amingo it's easy to rack up 14 hit aerial raves. Once you learn how to use him, you'll be rockin'. His Rule of the Plants super shoots out a little flower that scoots along the ground. If the opponent is caught, they fly into Amingo (by way of a hole in his head) and get shaken up and tossed back out as Amingo does a little ditty with a pair of maracas. The flower is blockable and easy to dodge. Also, Amingo is uncontrollable while the flower is moving around, leaving you very vulnerable. Boon of the Sun turns Amingo into a spiny vine that grows straight up very quickly. If the opponent is caught, they are taken up with the vine for a lot of tics and respectable damage. Similar in nature to Ken's Shinryuu Ken super. Side Notes: With his Child of the Ground attack, only up to two of either kind of the little cactuses can be on the screen at one time, and they can be eliminated by being hit by any kind of attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 3 - ANAKARIS - Origin- Darkstalkers (arcade) Taunt- Faces the screen with his arms raised while he says something Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Ground Type Cobra Blow/Pharoah Cobra Throw * Beta- Throw Type Mummy Drop/Pharoah Illusion Gamma- Variety Type Coffin Drop/Dance of the Coffins -Notable Normal Moves- Air Dash: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Axe Kick: B + HK Pyramid Drop: D or DB or DF + K (air only) -Special Moves- Coffin Drop: D, D + P (air) Cobra Blow: B, F + P (air) Mummy Drop: D, DF, F + P (air) (unblockable) Pharoah Judgment: D, DF, F + K (air only) -Super Moves- Pharoah Cobra Throw: B, F + 2P (air) -Cobra Strike (Very High): LP -Cobra Strike (Medium High): HP -Cobra Strike (Medium Low): LK -Cobra Strike (Very Low): HK Dance of the Coffins: D, D + 2P (air) Pharoah Magic: HK, LP, D, LK, HP (air) Pharoah Illusion: LP, LP, F, LK, HP -Left Hand Move Up & Down: LP -Right Hand Move Up & Down: HP -Left Hand Move Side to Side: LK -Right Hand Move Side to Side: HK Overview: Without a doubt the most awkward, hard to use, and wierdest character in the game. Anakaris is a hulking, B-movie style Egyptian mummy. His super moves are hard to pull off and not always reliable. Plus he takes damage like Glass Joe (of Punch-Out fame). Anakaris' one advantage is that he can often take people by surprise with his unorthodox fighting style. Side Notes: During Anakaris' Pharoah Illusion super, Anakaris can be knocked out of "giant form" by being hit with any attack. The Pharoah Judgment special attack turns the opponent into a small cartoonish figure for a brief amount of time. During this time, the person affected cannot block, only move. If the person affected is hit during this time, the metamorphosis ends. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 4 - B. B. HOOD - Full Name- Baby Bonnie Hood AKA- Bulleta (Japan) Origin- Darkstalkers 3 (arcade) Taunt- B. B. Hood says something while she kneels and beckons to her dog, who barks in return Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Smile & Missile/Cool Hunting Beta- Anti-Air Type Cheer & Fire (Anti-Air)/Cool Hunting * Gamma- Variety Type Shyness Strike/Cool Hunting -Notable Normal Moves- Basket Smash: F or B + HP Forward Knee: F + HK Blade Lunge: F, F or B, B + HP Land Mine: DB + HK -Special Moves- Smile & Missile: Charge B, F + P Low Smile & Missile: Charge B, F + K Hop & Missile: Charge D, U + P Shyness Strike: D, DB, B + P Cheer & Fire (Anti-Air): F, D, DF + P Cheer & Fire (Straight): F, D, DF + K (air) -Super Moves- Cool Hunting: D, DF, F + 2P Beautiful Memory: B, DB, D, DF, F + 2K Hyper Apple For You: F, DF, D, DB, B + 2K Overview: B. B. Hood is a short, "Little Red Riding Hood"-esque character who wields a small arsenal of guns. Despite her small stature, B. B. Hood can dish out a lot of damage. She has a variety of projectiles to use but she's pretty slow and has little close-ranged combat talent. Her supers are funny and ridiculously devastating, though. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 5 - BLACKHEART - Origin- Marvel Super Heroes (arcade) Taunt- Crosses his arms and laughs Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Ground Type Dark Thunder/Judgment Day * Beta- Anti-Air Type Inferno/Heart of Darkness Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Armageddon -Notable Normal Moves- Forward Air Dash: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Backward Air Dash: B, B or B + 2P (air only) Melt Into Ground: F, hold F or B, hold B -Special Moves- Dark Thunder: B, DB, D, DF, F + P Inferno: F, DF, D, DB, B + P -Super Moves- Armageddon: D, DF, F + 2P Judgment Day: D, DB, B + 2P (air) Heart of Darkness: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: So what's the deal with Blackheart? This lovable character is the son of Mephisto (the Satan character in the Marvel Comics universe) and as you can tell from his appearance and his raspy voice, Blackheart's one bad mofo. He's also very weird to play. Despite his large stature, his normal attacks aren't particularly strong. Blackheart is an indirect guy... most of his moves consist of throwing something at the opponent; whether it be hellfire or a horde of demons. This makes him fairly ineffective and slow when it comes to close-ranged combat. But he can play a great game of keep away, especially with his Inferno special and his Judgment Day super. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 6 - CABLE - Real Name- Nathan Summers Origin- New Character Taunt- Steps back and twirls his pistol near his hip Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Viper Beam/Hyper Viper * Beta- Anti-Air Type Scimitar/Hyper Viper Gamma- Variety Type Electrap/Hyper Viper -Notable Normal Moves- Pistol Blast: HP (rapidly) Shin Kick: F + HK -Special Moves- Viper Beam: D, DF, F + P (air) -Control Beam: hold U or D Scimitar: F, D, DF + P Electrap: -Far and Low: D, DB, B + LK -Near and High: D, DB, B + HK -Near: D, DB, B + LK (air only) -Far: D, DB, B + HK (air only) Plasma Rush: D, DF, F + K Shock Therapy: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (near) -Super Moves- Hyper Viper: D, DF, F + 2P (air) -Control Beam: hold U or D Time Flip: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Despite first impressions, Cable is not just Ryu with a pistol. He has a lot of unconventional, weirder moves thrown in. Cable, the gun-toting time traveler of Marvel Comics fame, is a master of ranged attack with his Pistol Blast (HP) and Viper Beam moves, both of which easily cancel into other attacks. Cable also has the potential for more strategic, indirect attacks with his Electrap move and Time Flip. Hyper Viper is basically just a longer, more damaging version of his Viper Beam special. You can get opponents nailed every time if you link the Pistol Blast move into this. Time Flip creates a clone of Cable which dashes forward and tries to catch the opponent before disappearing after a short distance. If the opponent is hit, the clone performs a combo. What's neato-burrito is that Cable (the real Cable, that is) can move around and do whatever during this time (except perform another HC). Side Notes: After doing certain moves, Cable will remain standing in a neat-looking pose if you don't move or press any buttons. He poses after doing his Pistol Blast move and his Shock Therapy move. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 7 - CAMMY - Occupation: M. Bison's former hench-woman Origin- Super Street Fighter 2 (arcade) Taunt- Cammy shouts "Lock On!" as she makes a cutting motion with her hand across her neck Launcher- DF + HK or HP Alpha- Anti-Air Type Cannon Spike/Spin Drive Smasher * Beta- Dash Type Cannon Drill/Spin Drive Smasher Gamma- Expansion Type Axle Spin Knuckle/Killer Bee Assault -Notable Normal Moves- Double Jump: U, U (air only) Low Strike: B + HK -Special Moves- Cannon Drill: D, DF, F + K (air) Cannon Spike: F, D, DF + K Axle Spin Knuckle: D, DF, F + P Cannon Strike: D, DB, B + K (air only) Cannon Revenge: -Launcher: F, DF, D, DB, B + LP -Cannon Spike: F, DF, D, DB, B + HP Hooligan Combo: D, DB, B + K -Cancel: P -Cannon Strike: K -Leg Throw: P (near) (unblockable) -Sweep: do nothing -Super Moves- Killer Bee Assault: D, DB, B + 2P (air) Spin Drive Smasher: D, DF, F + 2K Reverse Shaft Breaker: D, DB, B + 2K Overview: Cammy is one of the fastest (and anorexic-looking) characters in the game. Formerly (or still?) M. Bison's hench-person, Cammy is unbeatable when it comes to annoying combos and flying around the screen with wacky kick attacks. If not for her terrible defense, she would be a much better character. As far as changes go, I'm pretty sure the Reverse Shaft Breaker super is a new move. Side Notes: Cammy's Cannon Revenge special is a counter move. She will flash white and stand still briefly. If she is hit with a normal attack during that time, she counters with the listed attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 8 - CAPTAIN AMERICA - Real Name- Steve Rogers Origin- Marvel Super Heroes (arcade) Taunt- Faces the screen and gives a salute with his shield-arm Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Shield Slash/Hyper Charging Star Beta- Anti-Air Type Stars & Stripes/Hyper Stars & Stripes Gamma- Dash Type Charging Star/Hyper Charging Star * -Notable Normal Moves- Double Jump: U, U (air only) -Special Moves- Shield Slash: -Forward: D, DF, F + LP (air) -Angled Up: D, DF, F + HP -Angled Down: D, DF, F + HP (air only) Stars & Stripes: F, D, DF + P Charging Star: B, DB, D, DF, F + K Cartwheel: F, DF, D, DB, B + P -Super Moves- Final Justice: D, DF, F + 2P Hyper Stars & Stripes: F, D, DF + 2P Hyper Charging Star: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Back in days of yore, Captain America and War Machine used to be my favorite characters (in MVC). I'm afraid that's no longer true now that Capcom has weakened both of them. It's the little changes that add up to make him bad. Firstly, the Charging Star special no longer OTG's. Also, his Shield Slash can no longer be thrown along the ground (therefore barring many combos) or diagonally upwards while in mid-air. With this lost combo-bility (a word I invented), Captain America becomes just your average character. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 9 - CAPTAIN COMMANDO - AKA- CapCom (get it?) Origin- Captain Commando (arcade) Taunt- The Captain strums a guitar and tips his cowboy hat to you (???!!!) Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Ground Type Captain Fire/Captain Sword Beta- Anti-Air Type Captain Corridor/Captain Sword * Gamma- Expansion Type Captain Kick/Captain Sword -Special Moves- Captain Fire: D, DF, F + P (air) Captain Corridor (Collider): D, DB, B + P Captain Kick: D, DB, B + K Commando Strike: -Call Sho: D, DF, F + LK -Call Genity: D, DF, F + HK -Call Hoover: D, DF, F + LK + HP -Super Moves- Captain Sword: D, DF, F + 2P Captain Storm: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: If you played the original Marvel Vs. Capcom, then you know Captain Commando as "that one really cheap guy." CapCom starred in his own side-scrolling "Final Fight"-style arcade game with his three boys to back him up: Sho the Ninja, Genity the knife-wielding zombie, and Hoover, an infant piloting a giant green robot. I don't think the game did too well. Anywho, Captain Commando seems a little toned down in this game... it's a little harder to pull off those old combos with him and he seems to be a little slower. He's still just as powerful, though. Note that his Commando Strike moves have different button commands than from CapCom's first appearance. Side Note: You might wonder along with me: what the hell is a "Captain Corridor?" What do hallways have to do with anything? My theory was that the voice actor for this character, who was probably Japanese, simply pronounced it wrong (as some of you may know, Japanese have a tendency, due to the nature of their language, to pronounce the "L" sound as "R"... or is it the other way around?!!). But every FAQ in the world lists it as "Captain Corridor," so what the hell? UPDATE: Some new insight from Richard Hoelscher sheds light on the subject (and I quote word for word): "About 'Captain Corridor?' Well, 'Collider' mutated into the official japanese word 'kuraida.' But, because Captain speaks english, the Japanese would write 'Captain Collider' in Katakana and hand it to a voice actor, who would translate it as 'Ka-Pu-Ta-N Ko-Ru-Ri-Do-Ru.' This is because transcribing L sounds, which don't exist in the language, usually means turning them into rolling R's. The 'Captain' would be easy to recoginze, but 'KoRuRiDoRu' could be pronunced in a number of ways, including 'Corridor' or 'Collider,' and only would be translated accurately by looking at the context where it was used or if the game developers were there during recording." That sounds about right to me. Thanks again to Richard Hoelscher. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 10 - CHARLIE - AKA- Nash (in Japan) Origin- Street Fighter Alpha Taunt- Grabs the front of his vest and says something in Japanese Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Sonic Boom/Sonic Break Beta- Anti-Air Type Somersault Kick/Somersault Justice Gamma- Balance Type Sonic Boom & Somersault Kick/Sonic Break * -Notable Normal Moves- Backhand Punch: F + HP Thrust Kick: F + HK Reverse Jump Kick: B + HK -Special Moves- Sonic Boom: Charge B, F + P Somersault Kick: Charge D, U + K Moon-sault Slash: U, UF, F + K (air only) -Super Moves- Sonic Break: D, DF, F + 2P Somersault Justice: D, DB, B + 2K Crossfire Blitz: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Charlie is Guile's long-lost Army buddy who made his first appearance in Street Fighter Alpha. Oddly, he fights just like Guile, except not as fast and with a few move differences... for one thing, Charlie's LP Sonic Boom goes reeeeaaally slow. Charlie is unchanged since his last appearance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 11 - CHUN LI - Occupation- Hong Kong detective Origin- Street Fighter II (arcade) Taunt- Waves her hand in a cute pose and says something in Chinese, and I quote from Richard Hoelscher: "Chun Li's taunt is 'Gomen Ne.' This is the equivalent of 'pardon me,' and is essentially Chun Li shoving aside a loser so that she can pass." Well said, man. Oddly enough, Chun Li's taunt can hit nearby opponents and will slightly damage them. Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Kikouken/Kikoushou * Beta- Anti-Air Type Tenshou Kyaku/Hazan Tenshou Kyaku Gamma- Expansion Type Senensyu/Senretsu Kyaku -Notable Normal Moves- Air Dash: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Wall Jump: When touching the edge of the screen, press F (air only) Triple Jump: U, U, U (air only) Heel Kick: D + HK (air only) Fierce Jump Kick: F + HK (air only) Flip Attack: DB + HK Mini-Kikoushou: F + HP -Special Moves- Kikouken: B, DB, D, DF, F + P Tenshou Kyaku: F, D, DF + K Hyakuretsu Kyaku: K (rapidly) (air) Senensyu: F, DF, D, DB, B + K -Super Moves- Kikoushou: D, DF, F + 2P Senretsu Kyaku: D, DF, F + 2K Hazan Tenshou Kyaku: F, D, DF + 2K Overview: Chun Li is the original female Street Fighter. She's also the most changed since her first appearance. Once you think about it, the only move she has now that she also had in her first appearance is her "Lightning Legs" attack (Hyakuretsu Kyaku). But I digress. In MVC2, Chun Li is no beginner's character. She has few powerful, direct attacks but she's strong for a female (not trying to be Politically Incorrect, but in MVC2, most of the girls are weak in the strength department) and has lots of killer combos. Her Flip Attack is great for crossing up and her supers are pretty powerful. Unfortunately, she no longer has her awesome air super (D, DF, F + 2K... I forget the name of it) from the previous Vs. game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 12 - COLOSSUS - Real Name- Peter Rasputin Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- Colossus rubs his nose and grunts Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Dash Type Power Tackle (Straight)/Super Dive * Beta- Anti-Air Type Power Tackle (Diagonal)/Super Dive Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Super Dive -Notable Normal Moves- Two-Armed Slam: UF or F or DF + HP (air only) -Special Moves- Power Tackle (Straight): D, DF, F + LK (air) Power Tackle (Diagonal): D, DF, F + HK (air) Giant Swing: D, DF, F + P (air) -Super Moves- Super Dive: D, DF, F + 2P Super Armor: D, DB, B + 2P Overview: Colossus, the big Russian galoot made out of metal, is still a sub-par character despite Capcom's best efforts. Despite his lack of speed, the worst thing about him is his lack of good super moves. His Super Armor move is decent, but enough to make him a worthwhile character. The only thing that's good about him at all is his Power Tackle move. It's fast, it hits hard, it can go in various directions, and doesn't leave Colossus too vulnerable afterwards. Overall, though, this guy needs more work. Side Notes: As the name suggests, the "Super Armor" super gives Colossus TOTAL Super Armor for a limited amount of time. This special version of Super Armor makes Colossus unstoppable... meaning he cannot be stunned or fazed, no matter how many times he is hit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 13 - CYCLOPS - Real Name- Scott Summers Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- Gives you a two-fingered salute while his protective visor twinkles Launcher- DF + HP or HK Alpha- Projectile Type Optic Blast/Mega Optic Blast * Beta- Anti-Air Type Gene Splice/Mega Optic Blast Gamma- Expansion Type Cyclone Kick/Mega Optic Blast -Notable Normal Moves- Whirlwind Combo: HK, HK Double Jump: U, U (air only) Straight Knuckle: D or DB or DF + MP (air only) Bomb Fist: D or DB or DF + HP (air only) Arrow Leg: D or DB or DF + LK (air only) Bow Kick: D or DB or DF + MK (air only) 2-Footed Kick: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Optic Blast: -Crouching: D, DF, F + LP -Diagonally Up: D, DF, F + HP -Straight Forward: D, DF, F + P (air only) Gene Splice: F, D, DF + P Cyclone Kick: D, DB, B + K Optic Sweep: F, DF, D + P Bum Rush: Charge B, F + K (unblockable) Optic Combo: Charge B, F + P -Combo Finisher: P (rapidly) Optic Crush: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (near) (unblockable) -Blast Left/Up/Right: Hold UB or U or UF -Super Moves- Mega Optic Blast: D, DF, F + 2P (air) Super Optic Blast: D, DF, F + 2K (air) -Control Beam: Press Any Direction Overview: Cyclops is the preppy, red-visored leader of the X-Men. A few changes have been made to Cyclops; his Mega Optic Blast super can now be done in the air (bonus), but he can no longer fire his Optic Blast straight forward while standing, only while ducking. Strangely, Cyclops is not the beam-freak that you would think he would be. Since his Optic Blast can only go really low or really high, Cyclops must often rely on his other moves (which he has a very wide variety of). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 14 - DAN - Full Name- Dan Hibiki Origin- Street Fighter Alpha Taunt- Dan puts his arm facing the screen up as if flexing his biceps and yells something in Japanese Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Gadouken/Shinku Gadouken Beta- Anti-Air Type Kouryuuken/Kouryuu Rekka Gamma- Variety Type Premium Sign/Hisshou Buraiken * -Notable Normal Moves- Jumping Taunt: Taunt (air only) Rolling Taunt: D, DF, F or D, DB, B + Taunt -Special Moves- Gadouken: D, DF, F + P Kouryuuken: F, D, DF + P Dankyu Kyaku: D, DB, B + K (air) Premium Sign: D, DF, F + K -Super Moves- Shinku Gadouken: D, DF, F + 2P Kouryuu Rekka: D, DF, F + 2K Hisshou Buraiken: D, DB, B + 2K Super Taunt: D, DF, F, D, DF, F + Taunt Otoko Michi: FP, LK, B, LP, LP (level 3) (unblockable) Overview: Who is Dan Hibiki? Why he's the ultimate joke character... Capcom created this pink-suited Ryu clone after rival fighter-maker SNK released "Art Of Fighting," which featured two characters who had fighting styles that resembled Capcom's patented "shotokan" trio of moves (fireball, dragon punch, and hurricane kick). As a result, Dan is a rip-off of SNK's rip-off of Capcom. His moves are weaker, sillier versions of Ryu's and Ken's moves. Dan is fun to play as, and if you're lucky (or really, really good) you may win a few matches with him. The ultimate humiliation... winning with the Otoko Michi super. Side Notes: The Otoko Michi super will reduce Dan to virtually zero energy (one more hit and he's finished) if Dan successfully nails the opponent with this move. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 15 - DHALSIM - Origin- Street Fighter 2 Taunt- Dhalsim puts his hands together in prayer and mumbles in his trademark yoga-like fashion Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Yoga Fire/Yoga Inferno Beta- Ground Type Yoga Flame/Yoga Inferno * Gamma- Anti-Air Type Yoga Blast/Yoga Inferno -Notable Normal Moves- Yoga Hover: Press Any Direction + 2P (air only) Yoga Barrel Roll: D or DB or DF + HP (air only) Yoga Drill: -Steep Angle: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Near Horizontal: D or DB or DF + LK (air only) Yoga Headbutt: HP (near) Yoga Knee: HK (near) -Special Moves- Yoga Fire: D, DF, F + P (air) Yoga Flame: F, DF, D, DB, B + P Yoga Blast: F, DF, D, DB, B + K Yoga Teleport: -Left Side of Screen, Next to Opponent: B, D, DB + 2P (air) -Right Side of Screen, Next to Opponent: F, D, DF + 2P (air) -Far Left Side of Screen: B, D, DB + 2K (air) -Far Right Side of Screen: F, D, DF + 2K (air) Yoga Noogie: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (near) (unblockable) Yoga Flight: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Cancel: D, DB, B + 2K -Super Moves- Yoga Inferno: D, DF, F + 2P (air) -Control Flame: U or D Yoga Strike: D, DF, F + 2K (unblockable) Overview: There's nothing really new for Dhalsim. Of course he's still great at keeping opponents away with his stretchy anatomy, but he really lacks when it comes to combos or effective close ranged attacks. The sheer variety of his moves and his flexibility makes him really hard to use without lots and lots of practice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 16 - DOCTOR DOOM - Real Name- Victor Doom Occupation- Lord and Master of all that is Evil Origin- Marvel Super Heroes (boss character) Taunt- Doctor Doom crosses his arms and then laughs Launcher- DF + HK or HP Alpha- Variety Type Photon Shot/Photon Array Beta- Anti-Air Type Molecular Shield/Sphere Flame Gamma- Projectile Type Plasma Beam/Electric Cage * -Notable Normal Moves- Forward Air Dash: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Backward Air Dash: B, B or B + 2P (air only) Laser Gun: HP (air only) Floating Stomp: HK (air only) Short Floating Stomp: D + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Plasma Beam: D, DF, F + P (air) Photon Shot: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (air) Molecular Shield: F, DF, D, DB, B + K Flight: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Cancel: D, DB, B + 2K -Super Moves- Electric Cage: D, DF, F + 2P Photon Array: F, DF, D, DB, B + 2P (air) Sphere Flame: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Doctor Doom, the infamous metal-clad foe of the Fantastic Four, is the master of projectiles. In a game of keep away, Doctor Doom is nearly unmatchable. Unfortunately, he's also rather slow and hard to use. And you would think with all that armor he would have better defense. His wierd heavy air attacks (HP and HK) prevent him from having effective jump-in combos. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 17 - FELICIA - Origin- Darkstalkers (arcade) Taunt- Gets on all fours low to the ground and licks her paw Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Expansion Type Delta Kick/Hyper Sand Splash Beta- Ground Type Sand Splash/Hyper Sand Splash * Gamma- Variety Type Neko Spike/Hyper Sand Splash -Notable Normal Moves- Tail Kick: B + HK Wall Grab: When touching the edge of the screen, press B or UB -Slide Down: D or DB -Let Go: do nothing -Special Moves- Rolling Buckler: D, DF, F + P -Neko Punch: LP -Rising Slash: HP -Slide: K Neko Spike: F, D, DF + P Delta Kick: F, D, DF + K (air) Sand Splash: D, DF, F + K Hell Cat: F, DF, D, DB, B + K (near) -Super Moves- Dancing Flash: D, DF, F + 2P Hyper Sand Splash: D, DF, F + 2K Please Help Me!: D, DB, B + 2K Overview: Felicia is a nearly nude (try switching her costume color to an orange "skin tone" to get a rise out of people) catwoman from the Darkstalkers series. Felicia is an underrated character; all of her moves are easy to combo and she can OTG with many moves too. Her biggest downfall is her terrible defense... a few unlucky hits and she's toast. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 18 - GAMBIT - Real Name- Remy LeBeau Origin- X-Men Vs. Street Fighter (arcade) Taunt- Gambit lays his staff on his back and beckons with his hand, saying "C'mon!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Kinetic Card/Royal Flush Beta- Expansion Type Cajun Strike (1 Hit)/Royal Flush * Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Royal Flush -Special Moves- Kinetic Card: D, DF, F + P (air) Trick Card: D, DB, B + P Cajun Slash: -1 Hit: F, D, DF + LP -Leaping 3 Hit: F, D, DF + HP -Rushing 3 Hit: F, D, DF + LK + HP Cajun Strike: -Kick: Charge D, U + K -Jump to Higher Wall: Hold U + the direction of the opposite wall -Stick Attack Launcher: Charge D, U + P -Jump to Higher Wall: Hold U + the direction of the opposite wall -Attack: P -Super Moves- Royal Flush: D, DF, F + 2P Cajun Explosion: -Attack Facing the Opponent: D, DB, B + 2K -Attack From Behind the Opponent: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: That suave, stick-wielding Cajun known as Gambit returns to MVC2 fairly unchanged in substance. In fact, the only real difference is his Cajun Slash special now requires different button commands to get the various effects. I've always seen Gambit as an annoying character. He's got great defense and when he retaliates, Gambit can be really nasty (especially his aggravating Royal Flush super, which can OTG). He's a versatile guy and a bitch to play against. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 19 - GUILE - Origin- Street Fighter 2 (arcade) Taunt- Rotates his arm and says "Too easy!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Anti-Air Type Somersault Kick/Somersault Strike Beta- Projectile Type Sonic Boom/Sonic Hurricane Gamma- Balance Type Sonic Boom & Somersault Kick/Sonic Hurricane * -Notable Normal Moves- Straight Knuckle: B + HP Backhand Punch: F + HP Reverse Jump Kick: B + HK Upside Down Kick: F + HK -Special Moves- Sonic Boom: Charge B, F + P Somersault Kick: Charge D, U + K Air Somersault Kick: D, U + K (air only) -Super Moves- Sonic Hurricane: D, DF, F + 2P Somersault Strike: D, DB, B + 2K Crossfire Assault: D, DF, F + 2K (air only) Overview: Guile is the MAN. I'm so glad Capcom put him in here. Being a newbie to the series, Guile's old familiar moves have been "super-sized" and you now have a variety of wacky new hyper combos to play with, including the Sonic Hurricane; a spinning donut of energy which vacuums nearby opponents in for lots o' damage and the Crossfire Blitz, a really neat air auto-combo. Guile's ability to combo all of his moves and supers makes him one of the best characters in the game and a joy to play with. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 20 - HAYATO - Origin- Star Gladiators (PSX) Taunt- Rears back and lowers his sword while yelling something in Japanese Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Expansion Type Shiden/Rasetsuzan * Beta- Anti-Air Type Guren/Engetsu Gamma- Balance Type Shiden & Guren/Engetsu -Notable Normal Moves- Jumping Slice: F + HP Sliding Cut: F, F + HP, HP Dropping Stab: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Shiden: D, DF, F + P Guren: F, D, DF + P (air) Shoulder Strike: B, F + 2P (near) (unblockable) Plasma Combo: B + P (to begin) -Beginning with B + LP: B + LP, LP, LP, LP #1 | |_ HK, LP, LP #2 |_ HP, HK, LP, LP #3 -Beginning with B + HP: B + HP, LP, HP, HP, HP #4 |_ LK, HP #5 -Super Moves- Rasetsuzan: D, DF, F + 2P Engetsu: D, DF, F + 2K Plasma Field: D, DB, B + 2K (air) Black Hayato: LP, HP, B, LK, HK (level 3) Overview: Hayato is one of my favorite new characters. Okay, he's actually not that great; but he DOES have a glowing katana blade, which is more than I can say for those other characters. Hayato is a futuristic guy from the not-very-popular sub-3-D fighting game Star Gladiators. None of his moves or super moves are that impressive looking, but damn, he's got style. He's a super easy guy to combo with but unfortunately for him, he lacks any decent ranged attacks. Rasetsuzan sets Hayato dashing forward with a flurry of sword attacks. Has a brief pause at the beginning, but it's still possible to combo it. Engetsu is just like Magneto's Magnetic Shockwave super; Hayato drops his sword to the ground, causing geysers of blue energy to rush forward and carry unwary opponents along for mucho damage. Take a lesson from Magneto and try to OTG with this one. Plasma Field simply creates a sphere of blue energy around Hayato for a brief moment. If the opponent is hit by this field (which does little damage) Hayato begins to glow and can now perform unlimited super moves for a brief time. Black Hayato causes Hayato to dash forward quickly. If the opponent is hit, the screen goes blank and all you can see is a multitude of slashes. As vision returns to normal, we are left with the victim on the ground and Hayato standing triumphant in all black. Really bad-@$$ looking. Side Notes: For the Plasma Combo moves, just follow the branch to get a complete combo. For example, to do combo # 3, you have to press B + LP, LP, HP, HK, LP, LP. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 21 - HULK - AKA- The Jolly Green Giant (Okay, I guess I'm the only one who calls him that.) Full Name- Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk Occupation- Scientist Origin- Marvel Super Heroes (arcade) Taunt- Holds out his meaty arm with a clenched fist and says "Let's rock." Launcher- DF + HK or HP Alpha- Ground Type Gamma Slam/Gamma Wave Beta- Dash Type Gamma Charge/Gamma Crush * Gamma- Anti-Air Type Gamma Charge(Diagonally Upwards)/Gamma Quake -Special Moves- Gamma Slam: D, DF, F + P Gamma Charge: Charge B, F + K -Redirect: Press Any Direction, except DB or D or DF + K Gamma Charge (Anti-Air): Charge D, U + K -Redirect: Press Any Direction, except DB or D or DF + K Gamma Tornado: F, DF, D, DB B + P (near) -Super Moves- Gamma Wave: D, DF, F + 2P Gamma Crush: D, DB, B + 2P -Control Landing: B or F Gamma Quake: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: The big green lunk known as Hulk has been changed somewhat. While he still retains all the strength from his previous appearances, two of Hulk's supers, the Gamma Crush and Gamma Quake, now do MUCH more damage. Hulk is a great character; despite his huge size and unbelievable strength, he can be very fast at times. While his normal moves have plenty of lag, some of his specials and supers (Gamma Charge and Gamma Crush, for example) are extremely fast and very damaging. Plus he's got that great Super Armor thing going. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 22 - ICEMAN - Real Name- Bobby Drake Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- Reverts to his human form and says "Yeah!" Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Ice Beam/Arctic Attack Beta- Variety Type Ice Avalanche/Arctic Attack Gamma- Balance Type Ice Beam & Ice Avalanche/Arctic Attack * -Notable Normal Moves- Snowball Toss: D or DB or DF + HP (air only) Glacial Kick: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Ice Beam: -Straight: D, DF, F + LP (air) -Angled Up: D, DF, F + HP -Angled Down: D, DF, F + HP (air only) Ice Avalanche: D, DF, F + K (air) Ice Fist: D, DB, B + P -Super Moves- Arctic Attack: D, DF, F + P (air) Overview: Iceman is known far and wide as one of the cheapest characters in MVC2. Although he is basically the same as from his first appearance in X-Men:COTA, Iceman is extremely versatile. Firstly, his Arctic Attack super is fairly damaging and can also be done in the air and is easy to combo with. Secondly, Iceman takes NO block damage from projectile attacks. Thirdly, his Ice Beam special can cover virtually any angle and it hurts like a bastard. He's easy to learn and easy to abuse. Side Notes: Iceman receives NO damage from blocking projectile attacks, regardless of whether the projectiles come from a Hyper combo or a special move. The Ice Fist special creates a globe of ice around Iceman's fist that temporarily increases the damage of a punch attack for 1 or 2 hits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 23 - IRON MAN - Real Name- Tony Stark Occupation- Snobby multi-billionaire and inventor Origin- Marvel Super Heroes (arcade) Taunt- Holds up his gauntlet and grabs it with his other hand, producing a bright flash Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Uni-Beam/Photon Cannon Beta- Anti-Air Type Repulsor Blast/Photon Cannon * Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Photon Cannon -Notable Normal Moves- Rocket Knee: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) Rocket Launcher: D or DB or DF + HP -Special Moves- Uni-Beam: B, DB, D, DF, F + P (air) Repulsor Blast: F, DF, D, DB, B + P Smart Bombs: LK + HP (air) -Short-Ranged Bombs: B + LK + HP (air) -Long-Ranged Bombs: F + LK + HP (air) Flight: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Cancel: D, DB, B + 2K -Super Moves- Photon Cannon: D, DF, F + 2P Overview: The red and yellow tin-can known as Iron Man returns to the fighting game circuit and is all but unchanged from his last appearance. In order to differentiate Iron Man from his silvery doppleganger, War Machine, Capcom has made Iron Man totally laser-related (as opposed to War Machine's missiles). Like War Machine, Iron Man's Rocket Knee move can no longer be linked to any other move. Iron Man also has only one dinky super (a POWERFUL dinky super). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 24 - JILL VALENTINE - Full Name- Jill Valentine Occupation- Veteran S.T.A.R.S. team member Origin- Resident Evil (PSX) Taunt- Jill grabs her walkie talkie and yells "Yes!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Heal Type Green or Red Herb (Life Up)/Rocket Launcher * Beta- Dash Type Close Fighting A/Close Fighting A+ Gamma- Projectile Type Grenade Launcher/Rocket Launcher -Special Moves- Close Fighting A: D, DF, F + P (air) Close Fighting A (Charged): D, DF, F + hold/release P (air) Grenade Launcher: -Far Grenade: F, D, DF + LP -Near and High Grenade: F, D, DF + HP Return Fire: F, DF, D, DB, B + P -Auto Fire: P (rapidly) Emergency Dodge A: -Plain Zombie: D, DB, B + LK -Flaming Zombie: D, DB, B + HK Emergency Dodge B (Dog): D, DF, F + LK Emergency Dodge C (Crow): D, DF, F + HK -Super Moves- Close Fighting A+: D, DF, F + 2P (air) Rocket Launcher: D, DF, F + 2K CODE: T-002: D, DB, B + 2K -Shoot Tyrant: Just before Tyrant dissapears near the end, D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Jill Valentine is one of the most interesting and capable new characters in MVC2. Her Close Fighting move is very easy to combo and very damaging, thus making Jill probably the cheapest and most abused new character. She can also summon her foes from the RE games to attack her opponent. Close Fighting A+ is just a more powerful version of Close Fighting A, with just about all the same properties (easy to combo, OTGs). The Rocket Launcher super summons for Jill a big, multi-chambered bazooka that fires several shots across the screen, exploding at the end. The rounds move pretty slow and it's hard to hit people with this one. The process of Jill actually taking out the Missile Launcher can hit nearby opponents, knocking them into the air and causing them to be hit by the ammo. Pretty lame. CODE: T-002 produces a glowing column of light several body lengths in front of Jill. If the opponent is standing DIRECTLY in the column and is not blocking, Tyrant pops out and slashes the unlucky fellow into ribbons before roaring and jumping away. This super, though damaging and cool looking, leaves Jill very vulnerable for a long time and is nigh impossible to hit anybody with except for the dullest moron (or if you're really lucky). So don't waste your time unless it's a sure thing. And the extra "Shoot Tyrant" thing makes Jill pull out her Rocket Launcher and blast Tyrant with it, destroying him. It drains a level of your HC gauge and does little damage to the opponent, so I would advise against this unless you just want to show off. Side Notes: Close Fighting A (Charged) can be charged for a max of about 22-25 (?) hits. The Return Fire special is a counter move. Jill flashes white and stands still for a moment. If she is hit by any normal attacks during this time, she pushes the opponent back and shoots them with her gun. Tap the Punch button for more hits (the max is 10). Jill's Emergency Dodge A - Zombie special summons a Zombie that slowly walks forward and grabs the opponent, holding them briefly. If Jill hits the Zombie with any attack, it falls forward and lies on the ground for a while. If the opponent touches the grounded Zombie, it grabs the opponent and holds onto their leg, holding the opponent in place briefly. There can only be one each from these categories on screen at one time: Zombie, Crow, or Dog. There can be a total of one dog, one crow, and one Zombie together on screen at the same time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 25 - JIN - Full Name- Jin Saotome Origin- Cyberbots (Japan arcade) Taunt- Jin appears naked except a thong and a towel with which he rubs his back. By quickly alternately pressing the LP and HP buttons during the animation, Jin will begin to rub the towel faster and faster until he glows red and his back catches on fire. Jin's taunt can actually damage anything that's too close. Barrels of fun! Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Expansion Type Saotome Typhoon/Great Cyclone * Beta- Anti-Air Type Saotome Dynamite/Blodia Punch Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Blodia Punch -Notable Normal Moves- Drill Kick: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Saotome Typhoon: Charge B, F + P Saotome Dynamite: Charge D, U + P Saotome Crash: F, DF, D, DB, B + K (near) -Super Moves- Blodia Punch: D, DF, F + 2P Blodia Vulcan: D, DB, B + 2P Great Cyclone: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Jin and his trusty giant robot of death, Blodia, hail from the obscure fighting game Cyberbots. Jin has been vastly improved, and is now one of the better characters in the game. Although Jin has no new moves, he is noticeably faster, his already useful Drill Kick move now hits multiple times, and most of his attacks do more damage (especially the Blodia Vulcan). Side Notes: Jin can gain permanent Super Armor which activates when Jin's vitality is reduced to about 1/4 of the total (he begins to flash). Jin's normal attacks are also more powerful during this time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 26 - JUGGERNAUT - AKA- The Unstoppable Juggernaut, Jugs, Nuggerjaut Real Name- Cain Marko Origin- X-Men: COTA (boss character) Taunt- Jugs crosses his arms while his eye flashes, saying "I am Juggernaut!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Ground Type Earthquake/Headcrush Beta- Dash Type Juggernaut Punch/Headcrush * Gamma- Variety Type Body Splash/Headcrush -Notable Normal Moves- Two-Fisted Slam: F + HP -Special Moves- Earthquake: D, DB, B + P Juggernaut Punch: D, DF, F + P Body Splash: D, DF, F + K (air) Cyttorak Power Up: F, D, DF + 2P -Super Moves- Headcrush: D, DF, F + 2P Overview: Juggernaut is a large but not-so-bright bundle of muscles encased in an even bigger suit of indestructible red metal armor. All of his moves have lots of lag, but his defense is incredible and the damage he can dish out is even better. Since he has the "Super Armor" effect, he can pretty much plow through any attacks the opponent puts up and smash them with a Juggernaut Punch or Headcrush (the latter of which is now absurdly damaging). Of course, beware of those quick, combo-happy characters who can faze him before he have to time to act. Side Notes: The Cyttorak Power Up move causes Juggernaut to pose and flash red. Juggernaut's next one hit will do more damage than usual. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 27 - KEN - Full Name- Ken Masters Origin- Street Fighter I (arcade) Taunt- Ken brushes his hand through his hair, then gives you a thumbs up Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Anti-Air Type Dragon Punch/Shinryuu Ken * Beta- Projectile Type Fireball/Shouryuu Reppa Gamma- Expansion Type Hurricane Kick/Shouryuu Reppa -Notable Normal Moves- Axe Kick: F + HK Straight Kick: U or UB or UF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Fireball: D, DF, F + P (air) Dragon Punch: F, D, DF + P (air) Hurricane Kick: D, DB, B + K (air) Forward Roll: D, DB, B + P -Super Moves- Shouryuu Reppa: D, DF, F + 2P Shinryuu Ken: D, DF, F + 2K Shipuu Jenrai-Kyaku: D, DB, B + 2K Overview: Good 'ol Ken is no longer trapped in Ryu's body (see the original MVC) and has been given his previous powerful-osity, since Ken's Shouryuu Reppa super is now much more damaging. As most players know, in the Vs. series Ken is not exactly a Ryu clone... his fireballs have limited range and his Hurricane Kicks fly in a diagonally upward manner (rather than horizontal). Ken is more of a "close fighting" guy, who doesn't rely on ranged attacks, but is great with combos and must get close to do real damage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 28 - MAGNETO - Real Name- Eric Magnus Lenshearr Origin- X-Men: COTA (boss character) Taunt- Magneto laughs as he crosses his arms and says "Begone!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type E-M Disruptor/Magnetic Shockwave Beta- Capture Type Hyper Grav/Magnetic Tempest * Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Magnetic Tempest -Notable Normal Moves- Forward Air Dash: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Backward Air Dash: B, B or B + 2P (air only) -Special Moves- E-M Disruptor: B, DB, D, DF, F + P (air) Hyper Grav: F, DF, D, DB, B + K (air) Magnetic Blast: U, UF, F + P (air only) Magnetic Forcefield: -Repel: B, DB, D, DF, F + LK -Mini-Shockwave: B, DB, D, DF, F + HK Flight: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Cancel: D, DB, B + 2K -Super Moves- Magnetic Shockwave: D, DF, F + 2P Magnetic Tempest: D, DF, F + 2K (air) Overview: Magneto is the original, old-school comic book villian; he's been using his magnet-o-powers to annoy the X-Men from the very beginning. Magneto has been given a new special move for this game, the Magnetic Forcefield, plus his Magnetic Tempest super is much more damaging (though still slow to start up). His Hyper Grav special is not only fun to use, but also makes a great set-up for dozens of combos and supers. Side Notes: Magneto's Magnetic Forcefield special is a counter move. A forcefield of energy will appear around Magneto for a brief amount of time. If Magneto is hit with any normal attack during this period, he will counter with the listed attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 29 - MARROW - Real Name- Sarah Origin- New Character Taunt- Twirls her bone knife as she says "Show me your guts!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Bonerang/Bone Burst Beta- Anti-Air Type Towering Spine/Bone Burst Gamma- Expansion Type Ricochet Slash/Stinger Bones * -Notable Normal Moves- Double Jump: U, U (air only) Wall Jump: When touching the edge of the screen, press F (air only) -Special Moves- Bonerang: -Straight: D, DF, F + LP (air) -Angled Up: D, DF, F + HP -Angled Down: D, DF, F + HP (air only) Towering Spine: F, D, DF + P Ricochet Slash: D, DB, B + K Ride & Slash: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (air) -Super Moves- Stinger Bones: D, DF, F + 2P Bone Burst: D, DB, B + 2P (air) Overview: One of the new members of X-Men, Marrow is a short but fast female character who's pretty hard to use. She can hardly take damage at all and her attacks are fairly weak. Many people don't know what to expect (because nobody plays her); use that to your advantage with her Towering Spine move to catch jump-ins, mix up your game with the Ricochet Slash, and try throwing out Bonerangs and then knocking opponents into it with a ground combo. Stinger Bones causes huge bones to sprout from Marrow's back and shoot forward, stabbing opponents with their pointy ends. It ends with one large "stinger" popping out of the top and shooting forward for one last, big hit. With Bone Burst, Marrow pauses ever-so-briefly then launches a swarm of heat-seeking bone daggers at whatever poor soul is on the screen at the time. Does pretty good damage (blocking or otherwise) and is also fast. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 30 - M. BISON - Full Name- Master Bison AKA- Vega (in Japan) Origin- Street Fighter 2 (boss character) Taunt- M. Bison crosses his arms and mutters something Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Projectile Type Psycho Shot/Psycho Crusher Beta- Variety Type Psycho Field/Psycho Crusher * Gamma- Expansion Type Double Knee Press/Knee Press Nightmare -Special Moves- Psycho Shot: B, DB, D, DF, F + P Psycho Field: F, DF, D, DB, B + P Double Knee Press: B, DB, D, DF, F + K (air) Head Press: Charge D, U + K -Control Direction: Press Any Direction -Somersault Skull Dive: P Somersault Skull Dive: Charge D, U + P -Control Direction: Press Any Direction -Attack: P Bison Teleport: -Upper Left Corner: F, D, DF + LP (air) -Upper Right Corner: F, D, DF + HP (air) -Lower Left Corner: F, D, DF + LK (air) -Lower Right Corner: F, D, DF + HK (air) Flight: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Cancel: D, DB, B + 2K -Super Moves- Psycho Crusher: D, DF, F + 2P (air) Knee Press Nightmare: D, DF, F + 2K Psycho Explosion: F, DF, D, DB, B + 2P Overview: M. Bison is that caped, red-suited fellow who is always pestering Ryu and crew from the Street Fighter series. Mr. Bison now has a new super move, the Psycho Explosion, which is a black ball that zooms forward and expands whenever it hits something (basically a clone of Dr. Doom's Electric Cage super). M. Bison has a variety of confusing moves, but he doesn't have speed, brute power, or even good defense on his side (poor guy). Truly an expert's choice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 31 - MEGAMAN - AKA- Rockman (in Japan) Origin- Megaman (NES) Taunt- Puts his thumbs on the sides of his head, wiggles his hands and sticks out his tongue Launcher- DF + HK Alpha Type- Projectile Type Mega Buster/Hyper Megaman Beta Type- Anti-Air Type Mega Uppercut/Hyper Megaman Gamma Type- Balance Type Mega Buster & Mega Uppercut/Hyper Megaman * -Notable Normal Moves- Wall Jump: When touching the edge of the screen, press F (air only) -Special Moves- Mega Buster: HP (air) Charged Mega Buster: hold/release HP (air) Mega Uppercut: F, D, DF + P Item Attack: D, DF, F + P (default: Tornado Hold) Item Change: -Summon Megaball: D, DF, F + K -Summon Tornado Hold: F, D, DF + K -Summon Leaf Shield: D, DB, B + K -Super Moves- Hyper Megaman: D, DF, F + 2P (air) Rush Drill: D, DF, F + 2K -Move: B or F -Speed Boost: P or K Beat Plane: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Fly: Press Any Direction -Bullets: P -Bombs: K Overview: Megaman is the diminutive star of Capcom's popular, long running game series of the same name. The only change in this game is that his Item Change special now requires new button commands. Despite his weak outward appearance, Megaman is a deceptively effective character. His Mega Buster is one of the best projectiles you could ask for; it comes out fast and only requires one button to use. His small size lends himself to getting in close and combo-ing the hell out of overconfident/unsuspecting players. Side Notes: Megaman's Charged Mega Buster move can be charged for a maximum of 20 hits. Also, while in Rush Drill form, Megaman is invincible to all attacks, but in Beat Plane form you are not invincible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 32 - MORRIGAN - Full Name- Morrigan Aensland Origin- Darkstalkers (arcade) Taunt- Morrigan sits in mid-air with a dominatrix outfit (thigh-high boots and all) while her sister, Lilith, pops out of the ground next to Morrigan, poses, then flies away Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Anti-Air Type Shadow Blade/Silhouette Blade Beta- Projectile Type Soul Fist/Soul Eraser Gamma- Balance Type Soul Fist & Shadow Blade/Silhouette Blade * -Notable Normal Moves- Air Dash: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Cape Sweep: DB + HP Shell Pierce: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) Shell Kick: D, DB, B + HK (air only) Turning Kick: F + HK -Special Moves- Soul Fist: D, DF, F + P (air) Shadow Blade: F, D, DF + P Vector Drain: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (near) -Super Moves- Soul Eraser: D, DF, F + 2P Silhouette Blade: F, D, DF + 2P Darkness Illusion: D, DF, F + 2K (air) Overview: The sensuous succubus, Morrigan, returns to the Vs. series virtually unchanged; sort of a mix of Ryu and Ken. Of the few minor changes: Morrigan's Silhouette Blade super does noticably more damage, but she loses her level 3 super from the previous game ("Luminous Love" or something like that). She still plays mostly the same; which is to say, pretty damn good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 33 - OMEGA RED - Real Name- Arkady Rossovich Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- He tilts his head back ever-so-slightly, with his arms splayed just so, and yells in a most fearsome manner Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Throw Type Carbonadium Coil/Omega Destroyer * Beta- Anti-Air Type Omega Strike/Omega Destroyer Gamma- Ground Type Burrowing Coil/Omega Destroyer -Notable Normal Moves- Air Dash: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Burrowing Coil: -Medium Range: D + HK -Short: DB + HK -Far: DF + HK -Special Moves- Carbonadium Coil: -Horizontal: D, DF, F + LP (air) -Diagonal Up: D, DF, F + HP (air) -Vertical Up: D, DF, F + 2P (air) -Air Horizontal (alternate): D, DF, F + LK (air only) -Air Diagonal Down: D, DF, F + HK (air only) -Air Vertical Down: D, DF, F + 2K (air only) -Coil Retract: P (only before coil makes contact)(air) After Carbonadium Coil Hits: -Death Factor (Life Up): P (rapidly) -Death Factor (HC Gauge Up): K (rapidly) -Throw: Press Any Direction + P -Double Throw: D or DB or DF + P, Press Any Direction + P (hard to do) Omega Strike: -Horizontal: D, DF, F + LK -Diagonal Up: D, DF, F + HK -Vertical Up: D, DF, F + 2K -Return: B + K -Cancel: D + K -Super Moves- Omega Destroyer: D, DB, B + 2P Carbonadium Smasher: D, DB, B + 2P (air only) Overview: Omega Red is a Russian mutant, leftover from the Cold War, who has the power to drain the life out of anything near him, especially decadent imperialist yankee dogs. He's a pretty cool villian in the comic books, which doesn't really translate to the game. Despite the fact that he only has two moves, one of the good things about Omega Red is that he really has a lot of options. His tentacles offer full screen coverage, and once you catch someone, there's a veritable cornucopia of things you can do. The bad thing is that so many different moves, all of which have completely different effects depending on which button you press, make him a rather sensitive and confusing character to use in the heat of battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 34 - PSYLOCKE - Real Name- Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- Beckons the opponent with her hand and says "C 'mon!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Anti-Air Type Psy-Blade/Psy-Maelstrom Beta- Projectile Type Psy-Blast/Butterfly Hide * Gamma- Balance Type Psy-Blast & Psy-Blade/Psy-Thrust -Notable Normal Moves- Triple Jump: U, U, U (air only) Flip Kick: F + HK Retreating Kick: B + HK Air Somersault Kick: U or UB or UF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Psy-Blast: -Diagonally Down: D, DF, F + LP (air) -Horizontal: D, DF, F + HP (air) Psy-Blade: -Horizontal: D, DF, F + LK (air) -Vertical: D, DF, F + HK (air) Ninjutsu: -Upper Left Corner: F, DF, D, DB, B + LP (air) -Upper Right Corner: F, DF, D, DB, B + HP (air) -Lower Left Corner: F, DF, D, DB, B + LK (air) -Lower Right Corner: F, DF, D, DB, B + HK (air) -Mini Psy-Thrust: After Reappearing, Press Any Direction + P -Super Moves- Psy-Thrust: D, DF, F + 2P (air) -Redirect: Press Any Direction + P Psy-Maelstrom: D, DF, F + 2K Butterfly Hide: D, DB, B + 2K (air) Overview: Psylocke is a scantily-clad, psychic ninja (yeah, baby) and a member of the X-Men. Wouldn't it be nice if she was in the movie? We could knock out that Toad character to make room for her. Anywho, Psylocke has not gained anything new in MVC2. She's a fast, combo-machine kinda character, but she can't take much damage before keeling over. Side Note: Her Psy-Blast projectile move actually passes through most other on-coming projectiles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 35 - ROGUE - Real Name- Marie (source: the "X-Men" movie... I'm not sure if the comics ever mention Rogue's real name) Origin- X-Men Vs. Street Fighter Taunt- Kisses her two fingers then blows a little heart in your direction Launcher- DF + HK or HP Alpha- Anti-Air Type Rising Repeating Punch/Hyper Repeating Punch Beta- Dash Type Repeating Punch/Hyper Repeating Punch * Gamma- Throw Type Power Drain/Hyper Repeating Punch -Notable Normal Moves- Air Dash: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Diving Kick: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Repeating Punch: D, DF, F + P (air) Rising Repeating Punch: F, D, DF + P Power Dive Punch: F, D, DF + K Power Drain: D, DB, B + K (air) (unblockable) -Super Moves- Goodnight Sugar: D, DF, F + 2P Hyper Repeating Punch: A1 + A2 Overview: Rogue is a gutsy, take-no-crap, southern belle who drains the power and memory of anyone she touches. And unlike her portrayal in the X-Men movie, she is a full-blown HOTTY (if one could consider a computer image to be hot... *ahem*! I couldn't...) All of Rogue's moves are the same, except her Power Drain attack now works differently. Instead of gaining a special move from the person she Power Drained, one of Rogue's physical characteristics temporarily increases. Depending on the character she drains, one of the following abilities may be increased or gained: Power, Speed, Defense, Super Armor, or Life Up. Here's the breakdown of what abilities Rogue temporarily acquires when Power Draining specific characters (listed in alphabetical order): Defense Up - Any hits you take deal less damage to you: Colossus, Doctor Doom, Guile, Iceman, Iron Man, Jin, Magneto, Omega Red, Roll, Ruby Heart, Sakura, Silver Samurai, Spiral, T. Bonne, War Machine, Zangief Life Up - Your "red" life bar fills up: Anakaris, B.B. Hood, Dan, Dhalsim, Jill Valentine, Servbot, Shuma Gorath Power Up - Your attacks deal more damage: Akuma, Amingo, Blackheart, Cable, Captain America, Captain Commando, Charlie, Cyclops, Ken, M. Bison, Megaman, Ryu, Sabretooth, Thanos, Venom Speed Up - You move and attack faster: Cammy, Chun Li, Felicia, Gambit, Hayato, Marrow, Morrigan, Psylocke, Sonson, Spider-Man, Storm, Strider Hiryu, Wolverine, Wolverine (Bone Claw) Super Armor - It takes two hits to "stun" you: Hulk, Juggernaut, Sentinel ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 36 - ROLL - Origin- Megaman (NES) Taunt- Reaches back and tightens her hair ribbon Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Roll Buster/Hyper Roll Beta- Variety Type Bouquet Toss/Hyper Roll Gamma- Balance Type Roll Buster & Bouquet Toss/Hyper Roll * -Special Moves- Roll Buster: D, DF, F + P (air) Bouquet Toss: F, D, DF + P (air) Item Attack: D, DB, B + P (default: Megaball) Item Change: -Summon Megaball: D, DF, F + K -Summon Tornado Hold: F, D, DF + K -Summon Leaf Shield: D, DB, B + K -Super Moves- Hyper Roll: D, DF, F + 2P (air) Rush Drill: D, DF, F + 2K -Move: B or F -Speed Boost: P or K Beat Plane: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Fly: Press Any Direction -Bullets: P -Bombs: K Overview: Something in between Megaman and Servbot, Roll is Megaman's short-statured sister (thanks again to "X" for clarifying that... I had previously written "girlfriend"... kind of disgusting in retrospect). Not only is she weak in both strength and defense, but Capcom has given her moves new commands, making her even harder to use. Side Notes: Like Megaman, Roll is invincible while in Rush Drill mode, but not invincible in Beat Plane mode. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 37 - RUBY HEART - Origin- New Character Taunt- Peeks at the opponent through a spyglass and then giggles to herself Launcher- DF + HP or HK Alpha- Anti-Air Type Sublimation/Partnaile Beta- Capture Type Spinning Chain (Chain Trap)/Mil Fantome * Gamma- Enhancement Type Mystic Orb (Strength Up)/Hyper Schwarzaile -Special Moves- Schwarzaile: D, DF, F + P (air) -Redirect: Press Any Direction, up to 2 additional times Fantome: D, DB, B + K Sublimation: D, DF, F + K Spinning Chain: -Cannon Blast: F, DF, D, DB, B + LP (near) -Chain Trap: F, DF, D, DB, B + HP -Super Moves- Hyper Schwarzaile: D, DF, F + 2P -Redirect: Press Any Direction, up to 4 additional times Partnaile: D, DF, F + 2K Mil Fantome: D, DB, B + 2K Tule Do Mazi: HK, LP, D, LK, HP Overview: Created especially for MVC2, Ruby Heart is a female pirate captain who pummels people with ghosts and a giant galleon with a knife attached to the front. Her Schwarzaile move is similar to Jon Talbain's (from Darkstalkers) Luna Comet special, which allows Ruby to propel herself around the screen like a living fireball. That move, along with her great Partnaile super, makes Ruby Heart a worthy character and quite unpredictable. Hyper Schwarzaile, obviously, is a souped-up version of her regular Schwarzaile special. It does a little more damage and can be redirected more times. Partnaile is the pirate ship with a knife on the bow that I've been talking about. The ship rushes forward from behind Ruby. If the opponent gets skewered on the knife, the ship hangs around and blasts them repeatedly with cannons, causing plenty more damage. If the ship misses or is blocked, Ruby stands still briefly and is vulnerable. Mil Fantome causes a large treasure chest to appear and out spills an array of floating ghosts, which spread out and fly forward. They do damage, but they are too slow and easily avoided, making this move pretty worthless. Tule Do Mazi is very wierd. A barrel falls from the sky directly where the opponent is standing. If they're not blocking, they are trapped in the barrel. But you can't go over there to attack them; Ruby stands still and must throw knives into the various holes in the barrel. How do you do that? By tapping the P and K buttons in the correct order, but since the order is random, you're SOL. If you miss one or wait to long, the super ends. If the barrel misses at the first part, Ruby pauses and is briefly vulnerable. Bottom line: don't do this. Side Notes: Ruby Heart's Fantome special is a ghost that attaches to the opponent and drains their Hyper Combo gauge. However, the ghosts in the Mil Fantome super damage the opponent, but do not drain the HC Gauge. I'm no Charles Berlitz, but here's some translational notes that I've painstakingly researched regarding Ruby Heart's move names. Overall, some seem to be French, German, or English. Anyway you slice it, it's muddled. Schwarzaile, in German, means "black _". "Black" something (brilliant, yes?). Mil Fantome sounds like French, meaning "Thousand Phantoms." Sublimation is English, meaning the scientific physical process of changing a solid directly to gas (thereby skipping the "liquid" phase). Tule Do Mazi seems to be a bad Japanese translation... perhaps meaning "Rule of Magi" or something similar. Partnaile, I'm guessing, is the name of a type of ship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 38 - RYU - Origin- Street Fighter I (arcade) Taunt- Ryu tightens his headband Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Anti-Air Type Dragon Punch/Shinku Hadoken Beta- Projectile Type Fireball/Shinku Hadoken * Gamma- Expansion Type Hurricane Kick/Shinku Tatsumaki Senpukyaku -Notable Normal Moves- Lunging Punch: F + HP Hop Kick: F + HK -Special Moves- Fireball: D, DF, F + P (air) Dragon Punch: F, D, DF + P Hurricane Kick: D, DB, B + K (air) -Super Moves- Shinku Hadoken: D, DF, F + 2P (air) Shinku Tatsumaki Senpukyaku: D, DB, B + 2K Shin Shouryuu-Ken: F, D, DF + 2P (level 3) Overview: It's time to kick it old-school with Ryu, the original Street Fighter (would Capcom ever make a game without him?). There are a few changes in MVC2. Of course, Ryu no longer has to morph into Akuma or Ken. Ryu's Shin Shouryuu-Ken move is now a level 3 super. Ryu's all-around versatility makes him an excellent addition to any team, that is, if you're not getting tired of him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 39 - SABRETOOTH - Real Name- Victor Creed Origin- X-Men Vs. Street Fighter (arcade) Taunt- Tilts his body back and roars Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Expansion Type Berserker Claw/Hyper Berserker Claw * Beta- Projectile Type Birdie Call/Hyper Birdie Call Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Hyper Birdie Call -Notable Normal Moves- Wall Jump: When touching the edge of the screen, press F (air only) -Special Moves- Berserker Claw: D, DF, F + P Wild Fang: F, DF, D, DB, B + P Birdie Call: F, DF, D, DB, B + K -Super Moves- Hyper Berserker Claw: D, DF, F + 2P Berserker Claw X: F, D, DF + 2P Hyper Birdie Call: F, DF, D, DB, B + 2K Overview: Sabretooth is Wolverine's furry, gruff-voiced nemesis. Those not familiar with Sabretooth might guess that he and Wolverine might be similar. Not a chance. Although some of their moves may resemble each other, Wolverine relies on fast-hitting combos while Sabretooth mostly has strength. Sabretooth has some extremely damaging moves and combos, but he's slower overall and somewhat awkward to use. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 40 - SAKURA - Origin- Street Fighter Alpha Taunt- Points at the opponent and then giggles to herself Launcher- DF + HK or HP Alpha- Dash Type Shouoken/Haru Ichiban * Beta- Projectile Type Hadoken/Shinku Hadoken Gamma- Expansion Type Shunpukyaku/Midari Zakura -Notable Normal Moves- Pinwheel Kick: F + HK -Special Moves- Shouoken: D, DF, F + P (air) Hadoken: D, DB, B + P (air) Shunpukyaku: D, DB, B + K (air) Hadoken (Dark Sakura version): D, DF, F + P (air) Shouoken (Dark Sakura version): F, D, DF + P (air) Ashura Warp (Dark Sakura Mode Only): -Forward Short: F, D, DF + 2K -Forward Long: F, D, DF + 2P -Backward Short: B, D, DB + 2K -Backward Long: B, D, DB + 2P -Super Moves- Midari Zakura: D, DF, F + 2P Shinku Hadoken: D, DB, B + 2P Haru Ichiban: D, DB, B + 2K Dark Sakura Mode: B, D, DB + LK Midari Zakura (Dark Sakura Mode Only): D, DF, F + 2K Shinku Hadoken (Dark Sakura Mode Only): D, DF, F + 2P Shin Goku Satsu (Dark Sakura Mode Only): LP, LP, F, LK, HP (level 3) (unblockable) Sakura Revert (Dark Sakura Mode Only): B, D, DB + LK Overview: Sakura is a young Japanese girl who's also a Ryu wanna-be. She remains essentially the same as from her previous appearance in MSH vs. SF. She seems akward at first, what with her upward-shooting fireballs and her high-arcing "Hurricane Kick"; but once you get used to her you'll find she's a combo machine. Don't waste time with her Dark Sakura mode unless you really like playing a female clone of Ryu. Side Notes: Dark Sakura Mode changes Sakura's skin to a darker color and changes the commands of many of her moves (see above). She no longer has vertical fireballs (they are horizontal instead) and her Shouoken special is no longer shrouded in energy. Her Shinku Hadoken super is also horizontal rather than vertical. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 41 - SENTINEL - Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- Sentinel faces the screen as electricity flows between his outstretched hands Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Rocket Punch (Diagonal Down)/Hyper Sentinel Force * Beta- Launcher Type Launcher/Hyper Sentinel Force Gamma- Ground Type Sentinel Force (Bomber Squad)/Hyper Sentinel Force -Special Moves- Rocket Punch: -Diagonal Down: D, DF, F + LP (air) -Horizontal: D, DF, F + HP (air) -Diagonal Up: F, D, DF + P (air) -Retract Arm: (before R.P. goes full range or hits) D, DB, B + P (air) Sentinel Force: -Swarm Raid: D, DF, F + LK -Bomber Squad: D, DF, F + HK Flight: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Cancel: D, DB, B + 2K -Super Moves- Plasma Storm: D, DF, F + 2P Hard Drive: D, DF, F + 2P (air only) Hyper Sentinel Force: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Sentinel, one of the legion mechanized mutant hunters of X-Men comics fame, is not only the largest character in the game but also has the best defense. He also has Super Armor. Capcom has given Sentinel two new super moves: Hard Drive and Hyper Sentinel Force. Sentinel is very strong and has a good ranged game; you can overwhelm some opponents with him. However, Sentinel also makes a large target and he's quite slow. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 42 - SERVBOT - AKA- Kobun (in Japan) Origin- Mega Man Legends (PSX) Taunt- Yawns and stretches (awww, how cute) Launcher- DF + HP or HK Alpha- Projectile Type Call Servbot (Attack!)/Servbot Attack (Lunch Call) Beta- Anti-Air Type Fire Breath (High)/Hyper King Servbot Gamma- Balance Type Fire Breath (Low)/Servbot Attack (Servbot Swarm) * -Special Moves- Fire Breath: -High: D, DF, F + HP (air) -Low: D, DF, F + LP (air) Call Servbot: -Attack!: D, DB, B + LP -Seize!: D, DB, B + HP Mech Attack: D, DF, F + K Call Helibot: D, DB, B + K Paper Airplane: D, DF, F + Taunt -Keep It Flying: hold Taunt -Super Moves- Servbot Attack: -Lunch Call: D, DF, F + 2P (Alpha Assist only) -Helibot Dive: D, DF, F + 2P (Beta Assist only) -Servbot Swarm: D, DF, F + 2P (Gamma Assist only) King Servbot: D, DF, F + 2K -Walk: B or F -Hammer Smash: P or K Hyper King Servbot: A1 + A2 (Beta Assist only) Overview: Servbot, a tiny robot creation of Tron Bonne's, is the smallest and weakest character in the game. All of his attacks do hardly any damage, the exception being his supers. Servbot is a joke character like Dan; play him for laughs or to cast scorn at an unworthy opponent. His Servbot Attack super does different things depending on if you choose Alpha, Beta, or Gamma Assist with him. Lunch Call is identical to T. Bonne's super (see separate entry below). Helibot Dive simply calls a bunch of Helibots to land on the ground, one after the other. They start at one end of the screen and go from there, so if the opponent is hit by one, they'll be knocked into the next landing Helibot. This one does semi-okay damage if it ever actually hits. The last one is Servbot Swarm. This causes a huge wave of flying, jumping, and rolling Servbots to shoot out from one end of the screen to the other. It can be super-jumped over, but if the opponent is caught, it does pretty good damage (even good blocking damage!). As a bonus, once the move starts, nothing can stop it, even if Servbot gets hit by the enemy. King Servbot simply turns the little guy into one big BIG guy who can walk around and pound his hammer at your command for a brief amount of time. The individual hammer smashes do hardly any damage; you must hit the enemy repeatedly and quickly to do any reasonable damage. The Hyper version is the same thing as King Servbot, except it is automatic (as in you don't have any control, the CPU attacks for you). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 43 - SHUMA GORATH - AKA- The Tentacle Guy, The Octopus Origin- Marvel Super Heroes (arcade) Taunt- "Crosses his arms" and looks at the screen while saying something Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Mystic Stare/Chaos Split Beta- Expansion Type Mystic Smash/Chaos Split Gamma- Balance Type Mystic Stare & Mystic Smash/Chaos Split * -Notable Normal Moves- Stone Drop: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Mystic Stare: Charge B, F + P Mystic Smash: Charge B, F + K (air) Devitalization: F, DF, D, DB, B + K (near) -Super Moves- Chaos Split: D, DF, F + 2K Chaos Dimension: (level 3) -Activate: D, DF, F + 2P -Attack: P (near) (air) (unblockable) Overview: Shuma Gorath is a strange octopus being from another dimension. SG now has a "new" super move, Chaos Split (which is actually the same as his Mystic Bash move from MSH vs SF). He's pretty much the same as in previous games. Chaos Dimension still requires 3 levels and he's a wuss when it comes to defense. To win with Shuma, you're going to need to grab. Side Notes: For the Chaos Dimension super, the Activate command must be performed first. If you have 3 or more levels on your HC Gauge, Shuma will pose and then glow for a brief amount of time. His punch attacks are now "tentacle grabs." If you can grab the opponent within this time, the rest of the attack is activated. If the opponent cannot be grabbed within this time, the move is wasted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 44 - SILVER SAMURAI - Real Name- Kenuichio Harada Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- He growls and impatiently taps his katana on his shoulder Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Ground Type Hyaku Sakuchi/Hyper Hyaku Sakuchi * Beta- Projectile Type Shuriken/Chou Shuriken Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Rei Men Ken -Notable Normal Moves- Two Stroke Slash: HP, HP -Special Moves- Shuriken: D, DF, F + P (air) -Control Shuriken: U or D Hyaku Sakuchi: F, D, DF + P (rapidly) -Dashing Hyaku Sakuchi: F, F -Super Moves- Chou Shuriken: D, DF, F + 2P -Control Shuriken: U or D Rai Men Ken: D, DF, F + 2K Hyper Hyaku Sakuchi: A1 + A2 (Alpha Assist only) Touki - Ikazuchi (Lightning Sword Mode): D, DB, B + P Air Chou Shuriken: D, DF, F + 2P (air only) (Lightning Sword Mode only) -Control Shuriken: U or D Touki - Mizu (Ice Sword Mode): D, DB, B + LK Ice Quake: D, DF, F + 2K (Ice Sword Mode only) Touki - Honoo (Fire Sword Mode): D, DB, B + HK Flame Cyclone: D, DF, F + 2K (Fire Sword Mode only) Overview: Silver Samurai is an old, relatively unknown X-Men villian who uses his katana to create Tachyon Fields (it's a physics thing; don't ask). Silver Samurai now has two new HCs, which he can perform during Ice Sword or Fire Sword mode. Despite his flashy armor, Silver Samurai dies pretty quick. Seeing how SS only has two special moves, you must rely on his Sword Modes to become unpredictable. He's hard to use, but once you figure the guy out, he can be fun (for example, try OTGing with the Rei Men Ken...ouch!). Side Notes: The various Touki super moves briefly change the physical characteristics of Silver Samurai, as well as let him perform various new attacks. He will glow for a brief amount of time and his katana blade will be enshrouded in either fire, ice, or electricity. While he is glowing the following changes occur: For Touki - Honoo (Fire Sword Mode), S.S.'s sword bursts into flames, which makes his Attack power go up. He can also now perform the Flame Cyclone super instead of Rei Men Ken. Armor decreases. Touki - Mizu (Ice Sword Mode) causes S.S.'s Defense to increase, and you can now perform the Ice Quake super move instead of Rei Men Ken. Speed decreases. Touki - Ikazuchi (Lightning Sword Mode) causes his Speed to go up. Silver Samurai still has the Rei Men Ken super, but he can also now perform the Air Chou Shuriken super. Attack power decreases. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 45 - SONSON - Origin- SonSon (Famicom) Taunt- Does a little go-go dance, pumping her arms up and down while shouting "Go! Go!" Launcher- DF + HP or HK Alpha- Heal Type Fruit Gift (Life Up)/Monkey King * Beta- Projectile Type Shienbu/Monkey King Gamma- Anti-Air Type Seiten Rengeki/Tenchi Tsukan -Notable Normal Moves- Big Staff Smash: F + HP Cloud Surf Forward: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Cloud Surf Backward: B, B or B + 2P (air only) -Special Moves- Fusetsuzan: P (rapidly) (air) Shienbu: D, DF, F + P (air) Seiten Rengeki: F, D, DF + P (air) Wall Walk: D, DB, B + K -Kick Off: K -Cancel: P Pressure Cooker: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (near) Power Crawl: B, DB, D, DF, F + K -Super Moves- Tenchi Tsukan: D, DF, F + 2P (air) POW: D, DF, F + 2K Monkey King: D, DB, B + 2P -Walk: B or F -Fire Breath: K -Fire Stream: Hold K, control with U or D -Overhead Smash: LP -Uppercut: HP Overview: Sonson is a short monkey-girl hybrid who can morph into a giant, ill-tempered ape. Sonson is really fast and has some fairly damaging moves and combos. With Tenchi Tsukan, Sonson throws her staff upwards (which can hit the opponent and knock them into the rest of the move). When the staff comes back down, it's really huge and the butt end of it smashes the ground a few body lengths in front of her. A decent move if you can catch the enemy with the first part of it or if you can get the range right. POW makes Sonson shout the words "POW", causing the giant letters "POW" to fly slowly at about ground level across the screen. If the opponent is dumb enough to get hit by it, they morph into a giant fruit (usually a strawberry) and get eaten by Sonson in a comical manner. After she's done, she spits a seed out which blows up after hitting the ground, revealing the opponent. Funny but worthless. Monkey King is neat; Sonson turns into a giant, wicked-looking ape that you can control for a short amount of time. You can punch and breathe fire. Use it right and you can do some real damage! Careful, though, since you are still vulnerable to attack while in this form. Side Note: While in Monkey King mode, Sonson can still be damaged from attacks (in fact, I think the damage increases). Sonson or Saiyan? Richard Hoelscher explains her origin: "Son Son is actually Capcom's incarnation of a character from the Chinese legend "Journey to the West" or "Legend of the Monkey King. It is the same character Son Goku of Dragon Ball Z is based on." You learn something new everyday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 46 - SPIDER-MAN - Real Name- Peter Parker Origin- Marvel Super Heroes (arcade) Taunt- Points to the opponent and then spouts off one of the following phrases: "C'mon Pal", "Hey!", or "Do Your Job!" You tell 'em, Spidey. Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Capture Type Web Ball/Crawler Assault * Beta- Expansion Type Web Swing/Crawler Assault Gamma- Anti-Air Type Spider Sting/Crawler Assault -Notable Normal Moves- Web Slinging: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Wall Jump: When touching the edge of the screen, press F (air only) -Special Moves- Web Ball: D, DF, F + P (air) Spider Sting: F, D, DF + P -Knock Down: (after first hit) P Web Swing: D, DB, B + K (air) Web Throw: F, DF, D, DB, B + P -Super Moves- Maximum Spider: D, DF, F + 2P (air) -Control Path: DF, F, or UF Crawler Assault: D, DF, F + 2K Ultimate Web Throw: D, DB, B + 2P Overview: The wacky, wise-cracking web-slinger Spider-Man returns, but he's weaker than ever. Spidey's Web Swing special can no longer OTG. Plus, compared to the other characters, Spidey seems to die really, really fast. He's just not as fun to play anymore. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 47 - SPIRAL - Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- Spiral spins in place then stretches out her arms Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Dancing Swords (Circle Throw )/Stampede Sword Beta- Variety Type Dancing Swords (Circle Throw /Stampede Sword Gamma- Ground Type Six-Armed Pummel (standing HP)/Hyper Metamorphosis * -Special Moves- Dancings Swords: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (air) -Single Sword Toss: P (air) -Circle Throw (Horizontal): D, DF, F + LP (air) -Circle Throw (Vertical): D, DF, F + HP (air) -Expanding Circle: D, DF, F + LK (air) -Six-Way Throw: D, DF, F + HK (air) Spiral Catch: F, D, DF + P (near) (air) (unblockable) Teleport: D, DB, B + LK (air) Fast Drop: D, DB, B + HK (air only) -Super Moves- Stampede Sword: D, DF, F + 2P Speed Dance: D, DB, B + 2K (air) Power Dance: D, DF, F + 2K (air) Metamorphosis: (level 3) -Activate: D, DB, B + 2P (air) -Attack: P (near) (air) (unblockable) Hyper Metamorphosis: A1 + A2 (Gamma Assist only) Overview: Spiral is Mojo's six-armed servant girl. She has been given a new (yet very ineffective) super move, the Stampede Sword. Spiral is one of the hardest characters to use. All of her moves are either very slow with lots of lag (Stampede Sword) or are indirect methods of attack (Dancing Swords). Side Notes: For the Metamorphosis super, the Activate command must be performed first. If you have 3 or more levels on your HC Gauge, Spiral will pose and then glow for a brief amount of time. Her punch attacks are now "grabs." If you can grab the opponent within this time, the rest of the attack is activated. If the opponent cannot be grabbed within this time, the move is wasted. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 48 - STORM - Real Name- Ororo Munroe Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- Spins around, then raises her hand as lightning shoots from it while she shouts Launcher- DF + HK or HP Alpha- Projectile Type Typhoon/Lightning Storm * Beta- Expansion Type Lightning Attack/Lightning Storm Gamma- Variety Type Double Typhoon/Ice Storm -Notable Normal Moves- Air Dash Forward: F, F or F + 2P (air only) Air Dash Backward: B, B or B + 2P (air only) Ball Lightning: D, DB, B + P (air only) Slow Descent: hold U or UB or UF (air only) -Special Moves- Typhoon: B, DB, D, DF, F + P (air) Double Typhoon: F, DF, D, DB, B + P (air) Lightning Attack: Press Any Direction + LK + HP (air) -Redirect: Press Any Direction + LK + HP, up to 2 additional times Flight: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Cancel: D, DB, B + 2K -Super Moves- Lightning Storm: F, DF, D, DB, B + 2P (air) Ice Storm: D, DB, B + 2K Overview: As comic fans know (or anyone who's seen the movie) Storm is that bronzed beauty from Africa with the crazy white hair-do. Storm is unchanged from her last appearance. She has a good ranged game and has a nice choice of projectiles, but lots of her moves have lag and she's pretty weak in strength and defense. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 49 - STRIDER HIRYU - Occupation- Mysterious ninja who must tread the line between life and death Origin- Strider (NES & arcade) Taunt- Turns away from the opponent with his scarf blowing and mumbles something in Japanese Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Ground Type Ame No Murakumo/Legion * Beta- Variety Type Vagula/Legion Gamma- Projectile Type Formation A (Hawk)/Legion -Notable Normal Moves- Strider Slider: DF + HK -Special Moves- Ame No Murakumo: D, DF, F + P Excaliber: (air only) -Rising Slash: D, DF, F + P -Falling Slash: D, DF, F + K Gram: -Upper Strike: F, D, DF + P (air) -Lower Strike: F, D, DF + K Vagula: D, DB, B + K Wall Climb: D, DB, B + P -Slash: P -Leaping Kick: K -Slide Kick: D + K -Fall Off: D, DB, B -Jump To Opposite Wall: B, F Formation A: -Leopard: D, DF, F + LK -Hawk: D, DF, F + HK Formation B: charge B, F + P -Satellite Attack: charge B, F + HP Formation C: charge B, F + K Teleport: -High Left Side of Screen: B, D, DB + LP -Bottom Left Side of Screen: B, D, DB + HP -High Right Side of Screen: B, D, DB + LK -Bottom Right Side of Screen: B, D, DB + HK -Super Moves- Ouroboros: D, DF, F + 2P -Energy Rings: P Ragnarok: F, D, DF + 2P Legion: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Oh, how the mighty have fallen. First, I should mention that Strider gains a new move: Formation A (Hawk). Unfortunately, the good news stops there. Strider can no longer link his standing HP or HK slashes, Ouroboros lasts for a much shorter time and supers cannot be performed while Ouroboros is activated, and to top it off, Strider is noticeably more vulnerable to damage. Strider has been reduced to an average character. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 50 - T. BONNE - Full Name- Tron Bonne AKA- Tron (Japan) Origin- Mega Man Legends (PSX) Taunt- Tronne stands on her robot with one hand on her hip, her other covering her face as she laughs, while her little Servbot buddy is cheering Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Throw Type Throw (standing HP )/Lunch Rush * Beta- Anti-Air Type Flamethrower (standing MK)/King Servbot Gamma- Projectile Type Satellite Beam (standing MP)/King Servbot -Notable Normal Moves- Delayed Rock Toss: hold/release HK -Special Moves- Beacon Bomb: D, DF, F + P Servbot Launcher: F, D, DF + P Bonne Strike: D, DF, F + K (air) -Super Moves- Lunch Rush: D, DF, F + 2P King Servbot: D, DB, B + 2P Overview: Tronne is a short, cartoony gal piloting a bulky green robot. She's freakishly strong and has a wide variety of confusing attacks. Her super moves also do immense damage, though it can be hard to catch people with them. Her Bonne Strike move is easy to combo with, making it your best bet for a quick victory. Lunch Rush starts off with Bonne shooting her gun forward. If the opponent is close enough and they're not blocking, they get knocked over. Meanwhile, a huge line of countless Servbots rush forward across the screen along the ground to grab lunch (from Tronne's Servbot buddy, who dons a chef's hat), trampling the victim in the process. This move does GREAT damage but it's hard to nail people with it. Stun 'em with the Beacon Bomb first or try to combo into it if you trap your opponent in the corner (it's possible to do!). King Servbot turns Bonne's pet Servbot into a giant one with a hammer, who walks forward until it meets the opponent and then proceeds to smash the life out of them. Also does good damage and easier to nail people with than the Lunch Rush. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 51 - THANOS - Origin- Marvel Super Heroes (boss character) Taunt- Thanos turns his back to the screen and raises his fist, saying "Thanos reigns!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Capture Type Bubble Trap/Gauntlet Power * Beta- Dash Type Titan Crush/Gauntlet Reality Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Gauntlet Space -Notable Normal Moves- Arch Kick: B + HK Titan Knee Drop: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Titan Crush: D, DF, F + P (air) Bubble Trap: D, DF, F + K -Super Moves- Gauntlet Power: D, DF, F + 2P Gauntlet Reality: D, DB, B + 2P Gauntlet Space: D, DF, F + 2K Gauntlet Soul: D, DB, B + 2K Overview: Thanos is the all-powerful, uber-cheap, world conquering Titan boss character from Marvel Super Heroes. Thanos has been significantly weakened as a playable character (thank your lucky stars); he loses two super moves (the overly powerful Gauntlet Mind and Gauntlet Time) and is weaker overall. The super moves he has, though, remain very powerful; though some of them now have a very long pause at the end to even things out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 52 - WAR MACHINE - Real Name- James Rhodes Origin- Marvel Vs. Capcom Taunt- Holds up his gauntlet and grabs it with his other hand, producing a bright flash Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Projectile Type Shoulder Cannon/Proton Cannon * Beta- Anti-Air Type Repulsor Blast/War Destroyer Gamma- Variety Type Smart Bombs/War Destroyer -Notable Normal Moves- Rocket Knee: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) Shoulder Beam: D or DB or DF + HP -Special Moves- Shoulder Cannon: D, DF, F + P (air) Low Shoulder Cannon: D, DF, D + K Repulsor Blast: F, DF, D, DB, B + P Smart Bombs: LK + HP (air) -Short-Ranged Bombs: B + LK + HP (air) -Long-Ranged Bombs: F + LK + HP (air) Flight: D, DB, B + 2K (air) -Cancel: D, DB, B + 2K -Super Moves- Proton Cannon: D, DF, F + 2P War Destroyer: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: The original Iron Man rip-off, War Machine, returns. No longer is War Machine just a silver version of Iron Man; WM's Shoulder Cannon specials and Proton Cannon now fire missiles instead of lasers. What's the difference? Not much. In addition, like Iron Man, WM's Rocket Knee move can no longer be linked to any other normal move. That means no more of those super-long jump-in combos that I use to love so much. WM's Shoulder Beam move is a two-hit, low-hitting, laser beam attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # 53 - WOLVERINE - Real Name- Logan Origin- X-Men: COTA (arcade) Taunt- Bangs his claws against each other, resulting in a clanging sound Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Expansion Type Berserker Barrage/Berserker Barrage X * Beta- Anti-Air Type Tornado Claw/Fatal Claw Gamma- Dash Type Drill Claw/Fatal Claw -Notable Normal Moves- Wall Jump: When touching the edge of the screen, press F (air only) Claw Slide: DF + HP Foot Stomp: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Berserker Barrage: D, DF, F + P Tornado Claw: F, D, DF + P Berserker Slash: D, DB, B + P Drill Claw: Press Any Direction + HP + LK (air) -Redirect: Press Any Direction + HP + LK -Super Moves- Berserker Barrage X: D, DF, F + 2P Weapon X: F, D, DF + 2P Fatal Claw: F, D, DF + 2K (air) Berserker Mode: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Everyone's favorite berserker dwarf, Wolverine, has been greatly weakened in MVC2. Wolvie's Foot Stomp move, a favorite of combo-philes in previous Vs. games, can no longer be linked to any attack. No more super-cheap combos. The game designers have also made it harder to link moves to each other in combos (no more Launcher to Fatal Claw combos, for example). On top of that, it's as easy as hell to knock Wolverine out of commission. Side Notes: The Berserker Mode super causes Wolverine to pose, after which his speed is greatly increased for a short span of time. However his strength is also decreased. During this time, after-images of Wolverine will appear behind him and duplicate his every action (although I don't think this has any real effects). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 54 - WOLVERINE (BONE CLAW) - Real Name- Logan Origin- New Character Taunt- He bangs his claws against each other, resulting in a clanging sound Launcher- DF + HK Alpha- Ground Type 2-Claw Slash (Standing HP)/Berserker Barrage X Beta- Launcher Type Launcher/Berserker Barrage X Gamma- Variety Type Claw Slide (DF + HP)/Berserker Barrage X * -Notable Normal Moves- Wall Jump: When touching the edge of the screen, press F (air only) Claw Slide: DF + HP Foot Stomp: D or DB or DF + HK (air only) -Special Moves- Berserker Barrage: D, DF, F + P Tornado Claw: F, D, DF + P Drill Claw: Press Any Direction + HP + LK (air) -Redirect: Press Any Direction + HP + LK -Super Moves- Berserker Barrage X: D, DF, F + 2P Weapon X: F, D, DF + 2P Overview: This is merely a weakened version of regular Wolverine. He's exactly the same as the original, except: Bone Claw Wolverine is missing the Berserker Slash special move, plus the Fatal Claw and Berserker Mode super moves; his Foot Stomp move flies diagonally down and forward instead of straight down. In summary, a pointless addition to MVC2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 55 - VENOM - Real Name- Eddie Brock Origin- Marvel Vs. Capcom Taunt- Venom crosses his arms while his black costume exposes his human face, where he then says either: "Villian!" or "Come 'n Get Us!" Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Expansion Type Venom Fang/Death Bite * Beta- Variety Type Venom Rush/Death Bite Gamma- Launcher Type Launcher/Death Bite -Notable Normal Moves- Web Slinging: F, F or F + 2P (air only) -Special Moves- Venom Fang: D, DF, F + P (air) Venom Rush: D, DF, F + K Web Throw: F, DF, D, DB, B + P -Super Moves- Venom Web: D, DF, F + 2P Death Bite: D, DF, F + 2K Overview: Spiderman's oft-times arch-enemy/friend, Venom, remains pretty much the same in MVC2. As one of the faster big characters, Venom can often overpower or cross-up defensive players and pixie characters, but he can't stand up to combo-crazy people such as Guile or Jill. In those cases Venom should play it defensive, which he can also be good at. Beware the terrible might of his Venom Fang move, which is infinitely versatile, confusing, and combo-ready. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- # 56 - ZANGIEF - AKA- Gief Origin- Street Fighter II (arcade) Taunt- Zangief furiously flexes his muscles as he grunts Launcher- DF + HP Alpha- Ground Type Double Lariat/Super Lariat Beta- Throw Type Flying Power Bomb/Super Lariat * Gamma- Air Throw Type Aerial Russian Slam/Super Lariat -Notable Normal Moves- Grab Dash: F, F (unblockable) -Reverse Suplex: P -Bite Attack: K Body Splash: D or DB + HP (air only) Fierce Air Punch: F or UF + HP (air only) Knee Drop: D or DB or DF + LK (air only) Air Elbow Drop: B or DB or DF + LP (air only) Ground Elbow Drop: B + LP Launching Throw: D, DB, B + LP (near) (unblockable) -Special Moves- Screw Pile Driver: 360 + P (near) (air) (unblockable) Double Lariat: 2P or 2K (air) Flying Power Bomb: B, DB, D, DF, F + K (unblockable) Banishing Flat: F, D, DF + P Aerial Russian Slam: F, D, DF + K (unblockable) Siberian Flame: B, DB, D, DF, F + P (Iron Body Mode only) -Super Moves- Final Atomic Buster: 360 + 2P (unblockable) Ultra Final Atomic Buster: 360 + 2K (level 3) (near) (unblockable) Super Lariat: A1 + A2 Iron Body Mode: B, D, DB + LK Siberian Blizzard: 360 + 2K (Iron Body Mode only) Revert to Zangief: B, D, DB + LK (Iron Body Mode only) Overview: Zangief, the buff, hirsute Russian wrestler, is at his best in MVC2. His Double Lariat can now juggle characters and is easily linked to his FAB super. This alone makes Zangief a lot better. But forget about his Ultimate Final Atomic Buster. Even though you pay 3 levels of your HC gauge, all you get is a different looking throw that does barely any more damage than his regular FAB. Plus, you have to be standing RIGHT next to your opponent for it to even work. Side Notes: In Iron Body Mode, Zangief now retains all of his special moves and gains an extra one, but now in MVC2 his Siberian Flame attack barely does damage. Also Zangief becomes much slower and stronger. He also gains permanent Super Armor and cannot be stunned or fazed, no matter how many times he is hit. The Flying Power Bomb, if it connects when Zangief is standing right next to his opponent, is a damaging double-throw attack. If Zangief is not standing right next to an opponent, he will run forward with arms outstretched. If he catches in an opponent then, Zangief will perform a less-damaging throw. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VI: - THE BOSS SECTION - - THE FINAL BOSS : ABYSS - Yes, Onslaught is gone. Reflecting MVC2's new 3 on 3 gameplay, a new boss, Abyss, who has 3 different forms, replaces Onslaught (who had 2 forms). So what's up with Abyss? As far as I know, Abyss is a completely new character made up by Capcom for MVC2 (actually, see the note at the end of this section to get more info). Essentially, Abyss is a large, floating black and green sphere that can assume different forms. Abyss can perform super moves, which is pretty darn meaningless since he doesn't even have a Hyper Combo gauge. You will fight him on the 8th Round. Sorry, I don't know any codes to play as Abyss :( - FIRST FORM : IRON GIANT - Large pieces of steel armor coelesce around the giant black sphere to form a huge metal-clad giant. He has glowing green horns and green energy emanates from his every pore. Whether walking or attacking, he's slow, can't block, and telegraphs his moves before he does them. Afterwards, his armor falls into pieces which then melt into the now green, fluid ground. -Special Moves- Big Swipe: Abyss lashes out at you with one of his arms in a downward, arcing motion. Not terribly damaging, but fast. Electro-Balls: Abyss raises his arm and out shoots 3 glowing balls that heat-seek on to your position. They're not too damaging, kinda slow, and if you're really close to Abyss they may miss completely. Horn Throw: Abyss takes a horn from his head and throws it like a javelin, creating a wave of forward-moving green energy along the ground. Fairly fast and semi-damaging. Plasma Rush: Abyss rears back and then suddenly slides forward, his whole body covered in a wreath of blue energy. This attack is very damaging and tics for a whole bunch of hits, but it can be easily avoided by super jumping. His most annoying move. -Super Moves- Belly Laser: Abyss rears back as energy gathers around his protruding navel, then fires a huge blue laser (a la Cyclops). This attack is highly damaging, yet also highly avoidable. When you see energy gathering around him, super jump over him and then commence to kick some back as he shoots at nothing. Acid Rain: This super is a little worse. Abyss raises his hand and then a storm of green "acid rain" droplets fall diagonally from the sky. The actual attack is very, very fast, and if you're caught it's very damaging. This will hit you from anywhere on the screen, so make sure you're blocking. - Strategy - Block whatever he throws at you and then attack in between moves and during pauses. Super jump his bigger moves and then destroy him from behind. Very easy. Heavy hits also make him pause for a second. - SECOND FORM : JELLY MAN - For his second performance, Abyss melts into the ground and then arises as a relatively small, bland-looking humanoid made out of green Jell-o, who likes to laugh at you. He occasionally moves to get closer to you and can melt completely into the ground. He cannot block but also he cannot be stunned hardly at all. Upon defeat, Abyss melts into goo and merges again with the ground. Notice the pile of glop looks like a creepy, evil face getting the last laugh before it completely disappears. -Special Moves- Flamethrower: Abyss' arm becomes a gun which fires a medium-ranged blue flame, accompanied by an annoying laugh. Easily avoidable and his most common attack. Laser: Abyss pauses briefly as energy glows at the tip of his "gun-arm," and he then fires a thin laser. It's pretty quick and damaging. Block it. Fat Laser: Abyss gathers more energy and fires a thicker, longer-lasting, and more damaging laser. Just block. Bouncy Bubbles: Abyss melts into the ground and three huge bubbles rise out of the muck. They bounce around the screen and are unblockable. However, any attack that hits them will destroy them. Abyss re-emerges after the bubbles appear and begins to attack like normal. This is his most annoying move. If you can, stay in the air and shoot a beam or fireballs to pop the bubbles. If you're caught, wiggle out of it immediately; UNLESS he melts into the ground again as soon as you're caught. If you're caught in a bubble and another bubble touches you, the offending bubble will pop, leaving you no worse for the wear. Use that little tip to save you some trouble. -Super Moves- Laser Whirlwind: Abyss spins around like a tornado and shoots little blue lasers in every direction. If you're far away or are blocking, you're safe. If you're too close and you're caught, though, it hurts like a bastard. - Strategy - Switch to a character with fireballs. Pummel him with them until he's dead. Better yet, if you saved your Hyper Combo gauge, use beam supers to kill him very quickly. If your fireballs are being canceled by his Flamethrower, try launching projectiles from the air, or time your attacks so you both shoot at different times. Block if Abyss pauses, that means Abyss will launch a laser attack of some kind. When he's almost dead he starts to use the Bouncy Bubbles attack. Try to destroy them as quickly as you can, or just ignore them and keep fighting. If you have no characters with decent projectiles, you have to risk getting close and you will lose lots of energy. Try to use any ranged supers you have in that case. - THIRD FORM : LAVA DOG BEAST CREATURE - For the finale, Abyss will rise from the red, molten ground to form a dripping Lava Dog Beast Creature (Or LDBC, for short). This thing's got fangs and slobber along with glowing green eyes. He habitually melts into the ground and then reappears somewhere else, attacking as he emerges. The true form of Abyss, however, is the green-tinged obsidian ball that floats around. Whenever Abyss (the LDBC form) melts into the ground, the ball is revealed. If you succeed in beating Abyss by either attacking the LDBC or the black sphere, the floating ball will explode in a cascade of white light, leaving you victorious. Also, damaging the black sphere deals more damage to Abyss (I think). -Special Moves- Abyss Fang: Like Venom's Venom Fang move, Abyss' entire body melds into a tear-drop shaped mouth with large fangs and leaps at you through the air in an arcing, rainbow motion. Abyss will do this all the time and you can't really see it coming. Block whenever Abyss is finished with a larger attack... he will probably end with an Abyss Fang move. Flame Column: Abyss will slap at the floor in front of him, causing a column of fire to erupt out of the ground. He doesn't do it often, but you must always anticipate it. Adequately damaging. He often follows this up with his super move. Dragon Blast: Abyss will lower his head, allowing two or three long streams of fire that look like dragons to burst out of his body. These float horizontally across the screen like fireballs. This is a quick attack that is very damaging. Dragon Columns: Abyss will melt into the ground, leaving only the black sphere floating around. From the ground, streams of fire "dragons" will shoot out vertically in outward moving columns. Anyone caught by it will be juggled along, taking tons of damage. Be sure you're either very far away or blocking! -Super Moves- Onslaught: Abyss will launch a lot of fire and a lot of dragons your way, covering the entire screen. Does some blocking damage, but nothing compared to if you're caught. Prepare to be hurt. A lot. - Strategy - The key to the final form is blocking and moving around a lot. Block and let Abyss attack. Make sure you're always as close to him as you can be (preferably right near the middle of his body, almost to where if you go any further, your character will turn around and be on the other side of Abyss). After Abyss attacks and pauses, it's your turn to attack. Quick attacks and fast air combos do well. Avoid any moves with too much lag time. The BEST time to attack is during the Dragon Columns move, when only the ball is around. As soon as Abyss melts into the ground, block. If he does the Column move and the columns of dragons pass right by you, use that time to unleash the worst attacks you have on the floating ball. If the dragons don't pass by you, keep blocking and wait for a better time. I must stress, you have to block but you also have to be agressive with Abyss. When he melts into the ground, don't let him leave sight too long. He usually reappears at a spot close to where you last saw him. If he reappears off-screen, just block and move towards the center of the stage. THE END: Every character has the same ending. Some peaceful music plays as a voice says "Congratulations" and "Thank You For Playing" or some stuff like that, and that's it. As the credits roll, in the background there are new (somewhat amusing) drawings of the various characters in the game interacting with each other on Ruby Heart's floating ship. *** Additional Info: On the Origin of Abyss (courtesy of MaX Bryant ... thanks bud!) " ... being the picky comic book fan I am, I felt obligated (not really) to tell you Abyss is not a completely new character made for this game, he is a Marvel Trademarked Character who was 1 of the 4 Horsemen (The other 3 were Mikhail , Mr Sinister, and Holocaust ), all in the alternate reality called "The Age of Apocalypse" in which Xavier never formed the X-Men. Abyss in MvC2 is changed appearance wise (Well the jelly man resembles him) but Abyss was more of a neon skeleton type with a blue mohawk, he could change into a variety of shapes using his powers. Albeit I'm betting this isn't the same Guy that's in MvC2... Or it may be, Abyss in the comics is from an alternate time line so knowing Marvel, the boss character in MvC2 could be just another counterpart...." **** And... Another Explanation Of the Origin of Abyss (courtesy of Mako0286@aol.com ; thanks goes out to you, too) "Abyss is one of Apocalpyse's Four Horseman. It sucks in hope, or something corny like that, and it really doesn't have a body (unless you count the ball thingie). It can create one from things around it, or can posses things (like his armor). I'm not sure on this, but I think he can also possess people." ***** Yet another explanation of the Great and Terrible Origin of Abyss the Almighty from j-ryu@writeme.com (and the most likely to be correct, imho): "Ruby Heart was the greatest pirate on a world of oceans and high adventures. In her travels, she came across a strange orb that spoke to her, telling her of an ultimate treasure - an indestructable suit of armor. Following the instructions from the orb, Ruby Heart led her crew to this treasure - only to have everything go to hell. Once they found the massive suit of armor, the orb shot from her hands and entered it - and Abyss awoke! It thanked Ruby Heart for reuniting it with its body... and as a reward, spared her when it destroyed her world. Now Ruby Heart and her crew sail the void between worlds, to find a way to destroy Abyss before it annihilates yet another world... Of course, this was just a rumor overheard at an arcade, so take it as you will..." Since this sounds like some bad Japanese to English translation, the likes of which one often finds in Capcom instruction manuals, I take it that this one is for real. I've seen the comic, and the Abyss from there doesn't look anything like the guy in the game, so... yeah. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VII: - TOP 10 LISTS - 1 - THE TOP 10 BEST CHARACTERS IN MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2 - Here is a list of what are, hands-down, the best characters in the game. These are my opinions, so no argument is permitted. Not that you can really argue with my perfect selections. And maybe I should note that these are not picked from just the new characters, but from the entire roster (since many of the older characters have been sort of "re-tooled"). Here they are in very rough order: 1- Hayato He has a sword. And unlike Silver Samurai, he's not wearing gay armor. 2- Guile Like I said before. The MAN. 3- Venom He kicks butt... VENOM STYLE! He's got it going on! *Oww* Stop hitting me! 4- Morrigan Maybe it's the beer talking, but Morrigan is one HOT momma. 5- Jin He can blow his clothes off. And he's got a giant robot for a friend, which is nice. 6- Juggernaut I like to pummel things with him. Sometimes, you just really need to pummel something. 7- SonSon Anything having to do with monkeys always meets my approval. 8- Magneto Old-fashioned villain goodness. 9- Silver Samurai Alright, I know I took a jab at his armor. To make up for it, I put him ahead of Cable. 10- Cable Another cheap character, but... who cares. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - THE TOP 10 CHARACTERS CAPCOM SHOULD PUT IN THE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM SERIES - I was reading a video game magazine a while back (I think it was Gamefan) and I saw a section where they picked characters they thought should appear in Mavel Vs. Capcom 2. That got me to thinking. If Capcom were to make a new Marvel Vs. Capcom game (which they ARE), I could think of quite a few that I would like to see myself. Here's a list, in no particular order (some of my picks are inspired from that mag I had read): 1- Fei Long Bruce Lee's clone from Super Street Fighter 2. Probably one of the coolest video game characters of all time. Of ALL TIME! I'm surprised Capcom hasn't included him already. 2- Jedah and Dimitri You know, the guys from Darkstalkers. Instead of Anakaris or Felicia, I think either of these two would have made better choices. Lets take a moment and look at Jedah. "The Vampire Savior." That should seal the deal right there. But let's look a little further... his name is Jedah. He has a "Grim Reaper" choppy-thing. I rest my case. Then there's the "Ladies Man" of video games: Dimitri, the vampire pimp. So what if he's just like Ryu, Ken, Akuma, Morrigan, etc. I don't care, do you? 3- Archangel or Bishop As all the X-Men fans know, there are still several core team members missing from the game. Although you'll probably never see Professor X duking it out on-screen, I can't BELIEVE Capcom has overlooked these other three guys. Archangel has metal wings and a blue face. Are you wetting your pants yet? And I know there's already a gun-toting, time traveling, soldier from the future in the game, but I think Bishop deserves a shot. I'm really gunning for Bishop. After all, it's hard to find men of that high calibre. Sorry, I couldn't resist. 4- Arthur or Firebrand You should remember these two from those old-school games Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Ghosts 'N Goblins and all the others for the NES, Genesis, and SNES. Arthur was also a partner character in MVC, so the next logical step would be to make him playable. Alternately, consider Firebrand, that wicked little devil who starred in his own SNES game, Demon Crest. The MVC series could use some more innovative characters. 5- Thor He appeared in Marvel Vs. Capcom as a partner. Why not a playable character? 6- Punisher or Deadpool Do we need more guys with an arsenal of guns?? Why not, I say! When it comes to video games, I'm sure you'll agree that there's no such thing as "too many guns." 7- Blade Admit it, the movie was a guilty pleasure. And if Capcom could just harness that on-screen energy into a video game character, we might have something there. 8-Another Resident Evil character But not as silly as Jill Valentine. Maybe Tyrant? Barry? Chris Redfield? Nemesis? Lots of stuff to explore there. 9- Apocalypse Okay, he's not really a new character if you want to get technical. But, Capcom should make him a regular, playable guy. After all, he's only the bigest bad-ass of all time (among comic book villains, that is). 10- Blanka and E. Honda Since all the other original Street Fighter 2 characters have made it to MVC2, for the sake of completeness, Capcom should include the last two original World Warriors, Blanka and Edmund Honda. I don't know about Mr. Honda, but Blanka would easily translate to a "Vs." game (in fact, just look at Capcom Vs. SNK). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 - CONTRIBUTIONS - All contributions are printed word for word, except where I have corrected minor grammar and spelling mistakes (if any), but I have not changed the content or meaning of any of the contributions. The submissions are in quotes; anything out of quotes is my own comments and not theirs. So here they are, starting with: - From David Santos de Alejandro (samuraidav@hotmail.com) : "Joke Characters: Arthur from Ghouls~n~Ghosts....basically a different dimension of Jill if you think about it. The hidden Chinese guy from Marvel vs. Street Fighter...his super moves made me crack up the first time I saw them! Classic: Bionic Commando, if you combine him with Spider man on the same team, you have two screen swinging characters. Guy...He was great in the SF Alpha Series, why not here? The Punisher....teaming up with Captain Commando and Captain America, it'd be like some kind of odd good guy dreamteam! Not related to Capcom / Marvel: Alucard...yeah, I know he's a Konami character, but why not some vampire characters? Just like you said about Jedah. One of the Forgotten World characters....more "flyers" like Storm and Magneto. Shinobi....we need more ninjas!! Include the dog from Shadow Dancer! Blaze from Streets of Rage 2 - (Genesis). They could use a couple more sexy female characters! That's about it. I know there's a lot. But note I'm leaving out the major Nintendo characters...the only that would be good is Samus from Metroid. And of course, no Neo Geo characters (saving those for SNK vs Capcom 2)" Comments: Excellent, all excellent stuff, David (I wish I had your cool name, btw). I completely concur with you on the "need more sexy females" thing. I think you can add that phrase in when talking about any subject, IMHO. The "hidden Chinese guy from Marvel vs. Street Fighter" that David refers to I think, is Norimaro, a character only accessible in the Japanese version of MSH vs SF or by using the Game Shark on the U.S. version. Apparently, this joke character is some sort of tourist and is rumored to be modeled after a famous Japanese comedian. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - From zera flyer (zera_flyer@yahoo.com) : "I don't know about you, but Vega has to be my absolute favorite fighter character ever... and he so should be in a new game. I can just imagine him as some kind of Strider-like wall jumping hyper throwing character... which is basically what he's always been :)" Comments: Like I was telling zera_flyer, Vega was really one of my favorite characters in SNK vs. Capcom and I am shocked with myself that I didn't mention him earlier. If you don't believe me, try SNK vs. Capcom out. It's just about as fun as this game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - From Tony Evans (Jumparound2@aol.com) : "You should write a letter to Capcom about this and try to get them to come out with a Marvel VS. Capcom 3 that has some characters like [Fei Long] and Zero (Megaman favorite). It would also be cool to have Dr. Wily or Dr. Light from Megaman also." Comments: Yeah, I always thought Capcom should put more characters from the Megaman series. I grew up on that stuff, and look at the fine person I've become! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - From dab2185@aol.com : " Marvel: Electra (for obvious reasons), Black Panther (super speed, super strength, super agility, black costume, one hit kill attacks, perfect fighting game character), Mutant X (super version of Cyclops' brother Havoc), Dare Devil (come on), Captain Marvel (he's definitely the shiznit), and Goliath (can grow really tall or really small, strength depends on size). Capcom: Onimusha (bad-@$$ sword using samurai), Spawn (the devil's spawn, 'nuff said), Chris Newburn (Jill's partner from the original RE game), Regina (the Dino Crisis Chick), Ayame (really fast Power Stone 2 girl), Jack (crawling Power Stone 2 guy), 12 (Dahlsim clone from Street Fighter 3), and Elena (dancin Street Fighter 3 girl). " Comments: Really excellent, prevocative choices here. Onimusha would, indeed, be sweet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - From VulturesWaiting@aol.com : " Pulse Man origin: Pulse Man (Sega Genesis)(Japan) The man was a side-scrolling king. He could teleport, turn himself into a bouncing ball of energy, shoot electricity balls from his fist (like mini-sphere flames), had some little blonde girl talking him through things (not a plus, but...), he could travel into a world that was completely digital, had electrical pulses that came out of his hands, and could get little lightning balls that upped his power. How could Capcom possibly mess up a character like that? p.s.>> Any members of the Fantastic Four would be good, too (as some competition for Doctor Doom). " Comments: I'm not familiar with this character, but sounds good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - From Blazer6105 (blazer6105@netzero.net): " Marvel: Carnage, Nightcrawler, Conan the Barbarian, Silver Surfer, Thing Capcom: Zero, Bass, Sagat, J. Talbain " Comments: I totally agree with you. Especially Conan the Barbarian. That would rock some major nuts. Also for the other readers who "no comprende", Zero and Bass are from the Megaman series. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - From BadPigg (BadPigg@email.msn.com) - Thanks a mil for the contribution : " Side Note- Some of the characters cut from the game that were going to be new: Ghost Rider: 'Penance Stare' was the exact same as Akuma's 'Raging Demon' Carnage: A faster Venom, whose super was like Guile's Sonic Boom-type one, except that it was vertical and took up the whole screen; he was going to be a Boss. Punisher: They changed his name to 'Cable.' Deadpool: Far too difficult to play against; teleported, had 8 Supers, nearly every move had an infinite range. Just a broken character. Far too good. Black-Costume Spider Man: Looked like Spider Man in Venom's suit, had one extra move, he could do a 'Web-Swing' Super move. Silver Surfer: Although Thanos (Surfer's enemy) was in the game, he was done in the same way Venom was in the original Marvel Super Heroes, just too forceful to play with, SHOULD appear in the next Marvel game (Vs. Capcom or otherwise...) Forbush Man: MARVEL suggested it as a joke character, could do basic attacks, and hit you with the pot on top of his head. Had one taunt that made him scream 'FORBUSH FOREVER!!!' " Comments: I'm not sure what that Forbush guy is supposed to be, but everything sounds really good. ***** Again, I'd like to thank all of the contributors for their efforts and for sharing their ideas. And please, no more suggestions. Thanks. ***** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII: - GAME SECRETS - Sadly, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for the Dreamcast doesn't have many secrets, but here they are anyway. -New Characters, Colors, & Stages This is rather obvious. In order to gain the new characters, colors, and exclusive Dreamcast stages, you have to gain points by playing the game. Once you have a certain amount of points, you can buy these various things, one by one, on the "Secret Factor" mode, in the Shop. You gain points by the number of stages completed on Arcade Mode and Score Attack mode. You gain points by the amount of time you spend in Vs. Mode and Training Mode. -Additional Colors Once you buy the extra colors for a character in the shop, the character's portrait in the Select Character screen will have a gold border around it. In the arcade, new colors are time released. You can pick the 2 new colors by pressing either the A1 or A2 button on your controller. -Same Characters on a Team If you unlock every secret in the Shop in Secret Factor mode (including all of the colors), forever afterwards you can select the same character more than once on your team in every game mode. For example, you could have 3 Cables on your team at once if you wanted. -Easy (Dumb) Way to Gain Points Go to Training Mode and select characters. After the match begins, just leave the room. Come back later in the day, hit start and go to "Quit." It will say how many points you've gained. You have to be real lazy and desperate for points to do it this way though (I am both, by the way); it's MUCH faster to gain points by just beating the game in Arcade Mode. -Attack After Victory Yes, MVC2 still has this old favorite. After you win a match and your character is posing, press the start button. Now you can move your character around and hit the opponent when they're down. You can still perform Hyper Combos, but you can't call any of your resting partners. You can't always do the "start trick"; certain character's victory poses don't allow it (such as Captain America, when he poses with a bird landing on his arm). Also, you can't do this trick if you win with more than one character on the screen at the same time (like from a Variable Assist). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IX: - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - Q: How do I get L-Points or F-Points or V-Points (or whatever the heck they're called)? A: Congratulations! You own a Japanese version of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Unlike other versions, the Japanese MVC2 requires you to get these points to unlock the secrets by doing various things. You can get them by popping down to the local arcade, plugging your VMU into the little doohickey, and then beating the snot out of all who dare challenge you. What's that you say? You don't live in Japan? Normally, then, you would be SOL, but I'm guessing there are some Game Shark codes or hacked files out there that could also unlock those forbidden secrets for you. Q: How come you have Vega listed as M. Bison (and Tron listed as T. Bonne, and...)? A: Well, in case you are new to the Street Fighter series and you live in Japan, you might not know that in America M. Bison is known as Balrog, Balrog is named Vega, and Vega is named M. Bison (among other similar character name changes). Confused yet? There are some long explanations as to the reasons for this, but you're probably not interested. Q: Your FAQ's great, but how come you don't mention Gambit's unblockable, 240 hit super combo of Death and Despair (and other advanced combos, traps, and stuff like that)? A: Because I don't feel like it. No seriously, this FAQ was initially intended as a general walkthrough that just explained the basic in-and-outs and moves and was sort of geared towards helping novices and medium-level players. I thought that eventually I would include helpful combos (similar to Gambit's non-existent, aforementioned technique) and stuff of that nature, but it would take just too darn long and make my FAQ about 5 times larger. If you would like to know about a specific character's combos, or other more advanced techniques, I suggest that you consult one of the many wonderful, in-depth FAQs have been written on the subject, and they can be found at http://www.gamefaqs.com among many other places on the web. Q: Can you give me the e-mail address to Capcom (since you obviously have an inside connection), because I have this really cool game idea.... A: Whoa, there! Sorry if I gave anybody the impression that I KNEW anybody from Capcom. I don't. I'm just a schmoe like anybody else, and I don't know any special e-mail adresses. Even if I did, they wouldn't appreciate me giving them out to just anybody.... Q: Can I print your FAQ for personal uses? A: Of course, just as long as it's personal. I don't care what you do with it, as long as you're not SELLING it or taking credit for something you didn't write (known as PLAGIARISM), which is a crime, punishable by death (in some places, I'm sure). And if a website wants to publish my FAQ for their use, I am kindly asking you to give me credit for it. I have been burned before, and it sucks. Q: How do you play as Abyss or ___ (fill in the blank with the name of one of the other many alleged secret characters)? A: Sorry but you can't. There are no secret characters in this game. Q: How do you do the "x" move? Other FAQs say __, while your FAQ says __. A: Let me start off by saying that every move in my FAQ was researched by me and play-tested 4,503 of times before I write it down, so they work. The only tip I can give to everyone out there is that some moves only work if you perform the button combination VERY fast. If that doesn't work... uh, try doing it really slow. Q: As long as we're talking about moves... is there an easy way to do the "dragon punch motion" (F, D, DF + P), without accidentally whipping out a fireball? A: Good question, because there is actually a sure-fire solution to this. Whenever you want a Dragon Punch (or anything that uses the same joystick motion), pretend like you're doing two fireball motions really fast, one right after the other. In other words, D, DF, F, D, DF, F + whatever. For some reason this method seems to work well for most people. Q: Will there be a Marvel Vs. Capcom 3? A: YES, YES, and YES again! I had previously said "no", but it turns out that Capcom is making Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 (if it's not already out by the time you read this), and also Capcom Vs. Dragonball, which should also be very interesting. Well, that's about all I can handle. Now on to... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X: - CREDITS & MISCELLANEOUS - First of all, don't forget to check out my website at: http://users2.ev1.net/~swidly/ ... it's not video game related, but it has some pretty swell stuff. At least give it a look, will ya? *Ahem!* Now on to the rest! - This FAQ was written and researched entirely by me, Chalupa Donny AKA John Malone - The very excellent Gamefaqs website for publishing my FAQ. It means a whole lot to me. That's: http://www.gamefaqs.com ... check it out! - Also Fresh Baked Games (http://www.fbgames.com) for publishing my FAQ. Too, too kind of you. - If there's any other sites that I have forgotten about that I gave permission to, I'm sorry I forgot your names, but I would like to thank you, too ;D - Phillip Mouliatis (phillipm80@hotmail.com) has helped me correct numerous mistakes on my FAQ, including some info for Jill Valentine and Magneto. Thanks buddy. - BadPigg (BadPigg@email.msn.com) provided the info of Amingo's mysterious origin plus his info on possible Marvel Vs. Capcom characters. - Blazer6105 (blazer6105@netzero.net) for his contribution to the Top 10 list. - X (wing_gundam_0@mechpilot.com) for clarifying Roll's character info. - nyu_bomber (Lanoom@aol.com) for explaining the "Balance Type" Assists to me. Thanks, guy! - VulturesWaiting@aol.com for their contribution to the Top 10 list. - Richard Hoelscher (rahga@rahga.com) for his great info on Chun Li's taunt, Sonson's origin, and the "Captain Corridor Controversy." Thanks. - DkFFIV@aol.com for pointing out the true nature of Dan's Otoko Michi super. - dab2185@aol.com for a whole mess load of great character idea contributions. - Tony Evans (Jumparound2@aol.com) for yet more character idea contributions. - zera flyer (zera_flyer@yahoo.com) for another character contribution. - Jason Andrews (ldaecon@animeone.com) for clarifying that Hayato's "Black Hayato" super is indeed blockable. - David (samuraidav@hotmail.com) for even more zany character contributions. - Max Bryant (ThaGreatMax@aol.com) and his theory on the origin of Abyss (see the Abyss section). - John Oberlin (joberlin@math.fsu.edu) for correcting 2 silly FAQ errors on my part, including the meaning of the word "Sublimation" in the Ruby Heart section (geez, you'd think a year in Engineering Physics would teach me a thing or two... go figure). - Mako0286@aol.com for more info on the origin of Abyss (also see above). - Jason for pointing out that Amingo is not actually from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and for the final info on the origin of Abyss. - And last, but certainly not least, you, the reader for helping me with my FAQ and for reading the darn thing. Thanks all! - Oh wait, maybe I should also mention the swell chaps at CAPCOM for making such a kick-@$$ game. Kudos to you, too. Any resemblance that this FAQ bears to other FAQs or writings is entirely coincidental, as no other FAQs or writings were used to create the FAQ that you are now reading. The game Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and all characters mentioned are a registered trademark and property of Capcom along with Marvel Comics, as is Marvel Vs. Capcom, X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes, and X-Men: Children of the Atom. Street Fighter II, SonSon, Strider, Star Gladiators, Darkstalkers, Street Fighter Alpha and any other games mentioned are the sole property of Capcom. Copywright 2000. Last update: 3/1/02. \(*o*)/