This FAQ is intended for personal use only. Permission is NOT granted for reproduction in any for-profit publication. If you wish to post this on a non-profit website, etc. please ask for my permission first. You may print this out for reference if you wish, but please keep in mind the previous statement (don't try and sell it to other people, but then again, I can't really see anyone wanting to buy it).
This document is (c) Copyright 1999 Anthony Nickerson. Street Fighter is (c) Capcom Ltd. Marvel characters are (c) Marvel Inc. Strider is (c) Moto Hitaku. Any other copyrights not specifically mentioned are acknowledged by the author. I am not affiliated in any way with either Capcom or Marvel, and this document is written without the permission of either company.
By now, I've played Marvel Vs Capcom more than I'd care to admit. It's still one of my favourite games, and I thought I may as well pass on the things I've picked up. This FAQ is not anything specific. It is NOT a move list, because there are tons of them. It's partly a strategy guide, but not a full strategy guide, because I couldn't be bothered. It's just...things. I guess if you desperately want to pin a specific name to it, it's general tips for the characters, plus a few code-style things you may or may not know about. I am by no means a master at this game. I have been roundly thrashed a fair bit, but I've also done my share of thrashing. I've played as every character (some better than others) and I've learned almost all of the moves for them. After all that experience, I can say one thing about the game. It's damn cool. Some may consider it a little childish (I really hate Megaman) but ultimately it's just great fun to play. I can't guarantee that any of the following information will be useful, or even interesting. Nevertheless, it's here to read. I have assumed that you have some knowledge of the commonly used terms such as OTG and a knowledge of game mechanics like combos, cross-over counters and the like. If you don't know about these, poke around and find a move list (I'd have to recommend Kao Megura's, there's a shortcut to his page at http://i.am/kao).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. VERSION HISTORY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's new in each version...
1 - Everything. Quite honestly, I don't expect there'll be another version of this FAQ, but I'm putting this in just in case. It was originally going to be a mini-FAQ, but at one point or another I got a bit carried away...
You will notice at the start of the game that it allows you to choose between Manual or Easy mode. I will assume that people are using Manual, and I recommend that anyone using Easy mode learn Manual immediately. The way I see it, if you can't do the moves properly, you'll never be good at the game. Sure, you may succeed for a little while, occasionally even win, but Easy mode will never stand up to a good player in Manual.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. THOUGHTS ON CHEAP / CHEESY CHARACTERS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
People tend to see things like someone choosing Wolverine, and immediately assume they are one of those cheap, annoying Fatal Claw types. The same tends to be said with Strider and Captain Commando, but I've been thinking about this a bit recently. I've come to this conclusion - there is no such thing as a cheap character. It all depends on HOW they are played. For instance, generally speaking, Ryu is not considered to be a cheap character, while Wolverine is. In a fight between Ryu and Wolverine, the Ryu player could play one of those irritating keep-away games (shoryukens and hadokens), while Wolverine could be doing nothing but LP-MP-HP combos. It's difficult to describe properly, but I hope people can get the gist of what I'm trying to say. Sure, there are characters that make cheap or cheesy tactics easier to perform, but ultimately the cheapness comes down to the player, not the character. Now, despite how much I hate Captain Commando, I wouldn't say he's a cheap character. The same would go for Wolverine, etc. From now on, I don't want to hear people going on about how cheap Wolverine is, or how cheesy Strider is. Generally, people resort to calling others cheap to console themselves for their own shortcomings. If you can't accept that you've lost without calling people cheap, well I pity you. If you think someone's being cheap, well, you can always challenge them again and unleash your full cheesiness. For now though, I'd rather people concentrate on what they did wrong themselves, rather than trying to find faults in their opponent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. THROW SOME CHEESE AROUND ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's my clever title for a short section about cheesy throws. These are the multiple-hit ones (like Gambit's standing HK throw). You know the sort - the ones that end up with someone grabbing another and hitting them repeatedly (a good example from an older game is one of Dhalsim's throws, which became known as the Yoga Noogie). People may have discovered that if, while doing the throw, you move the stick Left and Right and hit either the Punch or Kick buttons (depending on which started the throw) you can quite easily increase the number of hits done. If you get into the right rhythm, the number of hits (and the amount of damage) can get way out of hand. Once, when someone was fighting against me as Wolverine, one of his throws did no fewer than 20 hits on me, and took a good chunk of life away (it didn't make me any happier that he did this more than once. Then I got him with a Shin Shoryuken. Heh). Now, in my eyes, this isn't right. I don't know about anyone else, but I never actively try and throw my opponent unless I'm Zangief. I may accidentally do the odd throw, but mostly my tactics involve combos and well-timed supers. Getting thrown repeatedly isn't any fun, and although it is possible to tech hit out of them, most happen so quickly (particularly in Turbo mode) that you would have to have superhuman reflexes to deliberately tech hit. Every character can throw, but I don't think Capcom intended for this game to be a big throwing spree. Usually, to get out of throws requires a bit of forethought. First, watch what your opponent is doing - if they are going hell for leather to get right next to you, they're probably going to throw you. The best way to pull off a tech hit (based on my research) is, at the estimated moment of the throw, mash all the buttons and madly rotate the joystick. This doesn't always work, but when it does it saves you from a good amount of damage. If you actually get thrown, watch what the opponent does again. If they keep coming towards you again, they're probably actively trying to throw you, whereas if they continue a "normal" strategy, it was probably an accident (I've accidentally thrown people more times than I can count). Against a thrower, practice trying to throw them when they come next to you, you'll hopefully tech hit out of their throw (or you'll throw them if you're quick). So, those are my thoughts regarding people who are hell-bent on throwing you to death. I'd like to see as litle throwing as possible (unless you're playing as Zangief because, let's face it, that's all he's good at) and I'm sure I'm not alone on this subject.
It helps if you know which characters I consider myself good with, and which I pretty much suck with. This way, you'll understand that if I say something you don't agree with, it might just be because I'm not too good with the particular character. I've divided them up into 5 tiers. Up the top are my best characters, the ones I'm most consistently successful with. Going down in degrees, we gradually reach the bottom tier, which contains my awful characters, the ones I only pick if I'm feeling stupid. Ok, here we go...
A CLASS B CLASS Chun-Li Captain America Gambit Lilith Jin Ryu Morrigan Shadow Lady Strider Venom Zangief
C CLASS D CLASS Captain Commando Megaman Wolverine Spiderman Hulk Orange Hulk
E CLASS War Machine (never really got the hang of him) Gold War Machine (likewise, plus he gets pummeled by fireballs) High-speed Venom (he dies too much) Roll (just don't like her)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. SPEED, POWER AND STAMINA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a rating of each character's speed, power and stamina. Note that these are just based on my observations, and may not be entirely accurate. I have included secret characters, but the ratings there are more likely to be inaccurate, the reason being that I haven't seen them as much as the normal characters. Ratings are from 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. Different characters also have different staminas, but it's a little difficult to tell sometimes. Therefore, I have roughly divided stamina as being Low, Medium or High.
SPEED POWER STAMINA ------------------------------------------------------------------- Captain America 7 7 Medium Captain Commando 7 8 Low Chun-Li 9 5 Medium Gambit 6 8 Medium Hulk 3 10 High Jin 5 9 High Megaman 6 7 Medium Morrigan 7 5 Low Ryu 7 7 Medium Ryu in Ken mode 8 6 Medium Ryu in Akuma mode 8 7 Low Spiderman 10 5 Medium Strider 8 8 Low Venom 8 7 High War Machine 4 8 High Wolverine 10 6 Medium Zangief 3 9 High Mega Zangief 1 9 High
Gold War Machine 1 9 High High-speed Venom ++ 7 Extremely low Lilith 7 6 Low Orange Hulk 4 9 High Roll 6 6 Low Shadow Lady 9 7 Medium
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. CHARACTERS AND TIPS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the section devoted to the bits and pieces I've collected over time. Again, keep in mind that I play some characters better than others. The secret characters are in a separate section at the end of the main characters. Everything's in alphabetical order, now let's get to it.
+-----------------------+ | 9.1 - Captain America | +-----------------------+
Captain America is a good all-round character, but he doesn't seem to be used very much. Mostly, I think this is because of the extreme American image - he looks like a bit of a fool. Once you get past that, though, he's a very solid character, and difficult to catch.
The most important thing to keep in mind when playing as Captain America is that his punches are good, and his kicks are not. Personally, I don't touch the kick buttons unless I'm doing Charging Stars or any other action that requires a kick button (like the tag-out). A simple combo is to do crouching LP-MP-HP, then jump up and finish off in the air with LP-MP-HP. It's actually quite effective.
The Shield Slash is an interesting sort of fireball. The best version is probably the LP one, since it can OTG. The HP version is next to useless, because if the opponent is going to jump in at you, they're probably not going to be where his shield is thrown. Remember that he can do them in the air, and they'll be at the same angles (except his LP one will go downwards slightly). Of course, if you don't pick up the shield again, you won't be able to do any more Shield Slashes (more on that below).
The shield is a Very Important Thing. If you do a Shield Slash and don't pick it up again, he's kind of crippled until you do. His Charging Stars don't negate fireballs, you can't do any more Shield Slashes, and I think he might even take additional block damage. Use the Shield Slash, but picking the shield up again is your first priority.
Captain America's Charging Stars are amongst his best moves. They negate fireballs when he has his shield (although his Charging Star will move much slower after negating one) and they do a good amount of damage. Watch out for recovery time if they're blocked (particularly on the HK version) because the opponent can (at the very least) launch you into all sorts of nasty combos.
His Stars & Stripes moves are pretty much the same as standard Shoryukens, and they suffer from the same weaknesses. They're good counters, and he's more or less invincible on the way up, but if they're blocked or you miss, you're in for it.
The cartwheel is often overlooked, but is probably his most useful special move. This thing goes straight through projectiles ("Hadoken? Good for you") but remember, some moves aren't technically classified "projectiles". Never, EVER try to cartwheel through the following moves - Gamma Slam/Wave, Captain Corridor (not sure about that one, but best not to experiment), Captain Fire, Kikoushou (well, duh!) and probably a few others that don't spring to mind. Also, Captain America is totally unable to block regular punches and kicks during this, but don't let that discourage you from using the cartwheel. Just know when to use it (it's great against fireball-happy people) and it will be very valuable. He can be hard to catch if you know what you're doing, so get practicing! And remember the double jumps!
Captain America has some good supers. The Final Justice by itself is beyond useless, because even a half-blind chimpanzee could see it coming, but if you chain it to a Helper attack (Psylocke or Colossus are good, but you may have trouble catching them) it can do pretty good damage. Remember, even if you just barely clip their foot, and they don't block, Captain America will finish the whole move.
NB - In Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter, his Final Justice could go through fireballs (I went straight through a Yoga Fire once). As far as I know, he can't do this anymore.
That Hyper Stars & Stripes isn't exactly the best move in his arsenal. It comes out quickly, but that's about it's only virtue. The damage is fairly paltry, and it it's blocked it will leave him really vulnerable. Only use it if you desperately need a really fast counter attack.
The Hyper Charging Star looks pretty cool, and is good for chipping damage. It takes a bit too long to come out, but it does good damage if you manage to connect (it will also OTG) so get ready to throw out this move during an opening.
Don't be afraid to try playing as Captain America - he's a good, solid character, and probably my first recommendation for beginners. He's a whole lot easier to use now compared to how he was in Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter, so give him a try. Who knows, he may become one of your favourite characters.
I don't like Captain Commando. Sure, he can be an effective character, but he's just so annoying. I've played against too many annoying Captain Commando people, and by now I've seen that damn Captain Storm so much it's just irritating. Although I've listed Captain Commando as a C Class character, I don't choose him much anymore. Still, what I've picked up might be useful.
Perhaps the most important thing is to encourage people to jump in at you. Captain Commando has some of the most effective air defence moves in the game. In particular, the Captain Sword can hit anyone in a 90 degree arc in front of him, regardless of how high they are.
The Captain Corridor / Coleda / Collidor (I've seen it spelt all of those ways. I'll say Corridor from now on) is a very useful move. It has incredible vertical height - I've seen Hulk hit out of his Gamma Crush on the way down with this move, and it also does a good deal of damage. However, even a LP Captain Corridor has a horrible recovery time. Make sure you at least force the opponent to block it, otherwise you'll be wide open (you'll give them a big window of opportunity even if they DO block it). Don't overuse it, because it gets predictable, and people soon spot ways of overcoming it.
Remember, when using the Captain Fire a single enemy fireball will totally nullify it. The animation will still be going, but it will be completely harmless. Otherwise, Captain Commando will probably win a firefight (with the exception of ones against War Machine and possibly Megaman). I think that the LP and HP Commando Strike moves will also nullify fireballs (I suppose the MP one would if someone was up high enough). Even if they don't actually nullify them, the other guy can take the hit for you. A Captain Corridor will nullify fireballs as well.
He's got those Captain Kick moves, but quite honestly they're not that useful. I'm pretty sure opponents can duck under them, and the damage is pretty paltry. Someone, somewhere may have found a use for these, but that someone is not me. One thing I have noticed is that if the HK version is ducked, he travels a long way - someone like Jin may actually have trouble hitting him because he's just too far away (Zangief doesn't have an ice-cube's chance in hell of countering it).
He's also got Commando Strikes, which are interesting. The LP one will call in the ninja (Sho, Kakeru or Ginzu, depending on where you're from) which is probably the best because it is very fast (he also looks damn cool) although he doesn't do much damage at all. MP will call in that bizarre mummy guy (Jennety, Genity or Mack the Knife) which is fairly useless. It's just far too high to be of any real value. And finally, HP will call in that baby in the robot (Hoober or Babyface{?}). I'm told that it does very good damage if it hits, but that's the thing. I'm yet to see it hit (except once when it was done at time out. It hit, but it didn't show how much damage was done). I'm sure they all have their uses.
As for supers, Captain Commando has some interesting ones. The Captain Sword is absolutely lethal, but remember that it's not a beam super. It's best for bringing super-jumping opponents to the ground (even if they block it, they'll end up back on the ground). As for the Captain Storm, it may look pretty cool at first, but once you're on the receiving end it quickly loses it's charm. He'll go across the whole screen to uppercut, but it's really easy to see coming. Never just use it straight out of the blue, either wait until the opponent is recovering from something, or chain it to a helper attack.
Captain Commando has a good deal of power, but he doesn't take hits too well. Watch out for Blodia Punches, Double Final Atomic Busters and so on, even more so than you would with a different character.
Chun-Li is an excellent character. She's very fast, with good moves and four supers - although the power of her regular moves is somewhat lacking. If you've never tried Chun-Li before, give her a go. It may take a little while to master her, but once you do she's a very well-rounded character.
Technically speaking, Chun-Li can't fly. In practice though, her air moves are second to none. Triple jumps and air dashes can greatly increase air time - learn how to use them well. Once after a Super to triple jump (with air dashes), I was way up in the air and hammering the MK button. My opponent was Captain Commando, who chose that time to pull off a HP Captain Corridor right below me. Flying up even higher, I went on with more triple jumps and air dashes - it took me a full five seconds to reach the ground! Overall, I'd been in the air for 30 seconds of the fight. That's longer than War Machine when he's ACTUALLY flying! Admittedly, the Captain Corridor extended my air-time, but still...
Don't rely on her Kikoken - you won't win any firefights with it. The only character with a worse fireball move is Strider, but of course some characters don't have any fireballs at all. The Mini-Kikoushou is actually handy against someone like Wolverine or Morrigan (i.e. people who are coming up to try and launch you into a combo).
Her Lightning Kicks are probably her best move, and since in the Vs games you can do them in the air they become one of the most important parts of her strategy. Try this against Onslaught's second form - jump up to his head and repeatedly hammer away at a kick button (HK if you can do it fast enough). Depending on where he is in the screen, you should be able to get about 20 hits before the parabombs reach you. The kicks are also excellent air-combo finishers, and she's pretty much invincible from the front while doing them.
The Tenshou Kyaku (also known as Spinning Bird Kick, but I hate that name) is quite effective as air defence. Use it as you would a Shoryuken move, and if you miss, watch out for nasty things waiting for you on the ground.
The Axe Kick is a handy overhead surprise attack, but don't overuse it because people will get used to it and it's really easy to counter once you know how. If there are people who are turtling in the corner, it may catch them off guard, but otherwise it won't achieve too much.
Her supers are amongst the most effective in the game. The Kikoushou (also known as the "bubble-thingy") is great for when people keep jumping at you. I've caught countless Captain Commando players jumping in with his insane jumping HP-crouching HP-Captain Corridor combo. This thing is totally HUGE compared to it's size in the Zero/Alpha series (the Kikoushou super was the size that the Mini-Kikoushou is in Marvel Vs Capcom) and the fact that it's an enveloping attack means that there's no annoying hitting Chun-Li in the back while she's still going (like you can with Ryu, etc.). Note that the recovery time leaves a bit to be desired, and that an opponent can push-block Chun-Li to the opposite side of the screen.
The Hazan Tenshou Kyaku is good for a surprise attack, but MAKE SURE YOU HIT THEM. At least make sure they have to block (preferably while they're also in the air), because otherwise it leaves you wide open. I've seen this used in a combo off her launcher, which was surprisingly effective, but on the whole if you want an air combo, practice the Shichisei Senkuu Kyaku.
The Senretsu Kyaku is great for combos, but don't just pull it out unless you're feeling stupid. The recovery time on that is enough for hurty things like Shin Shoryukens, Gamma Crushes, Ultra Final Atomic Busters...need I go on? It does, however, do excellent chipping damage (remember to mash the buttons) so if you want to chip someone to death, this should be your move of choice.
Finally, the Shichisei Senkuu Kyaku (bit of a tongue-twister) is also a great surprise attack against people that don't stop jumping in at you. Do a backflip, pull this off and with a bit of luck it's time for the fireworks. Otherwise, it can be used in a totally devastating air combo (although I personally haven't gotten the timing quite right) which leaves your opponent missing a huge chunk of their life.
Overall, don't stay still, hit hard and get away and remember when to use her supers. She can be one of the most effective characters, all you need is practice. Again, make use of her triple jumps, air dashes and wall springs, because Chun-Li pretty much rules the air.
Gambit is one of my favourite characters, but maybe that's just because I always thought he was cool in the cartoon. He's undergone slight alterations since X-Men Vs Street Fighter (most notably a new super) but otherwise he plays very similarly. If you've never played X-Men Vs Street Fighter, Gambit shouldn't be too difficult to pick up.
The Kinetic Card is a very useful move, but not in the same way as other fireballs. After you do the move, Gambit pulls out a few cards, charges them up and throws them - once he actually throws them they travel across the screen instantly. Mostly, I use the LP version, because the others just take too long to come out. The HP Kinetic Card is handy if your opponent has done something dumb like a HP Captain Corridor from the opposite side of the screen. Doing this move in the air is also handy, since it dramatically slows down his descent - you can totally avoid chipping damage from over-ambitious Shinkuu Hadokens and the like.
As for the Trick Card, it's not his best air defence. I've found the best use for it is against people who pick someone like Morrigan or Akuma-style Ryu, then super jump and continually throw fireballs at you. Otherwise, it's just a surprise attack - people forget he can do it.
His Cajun Slashes are perhaps the most important part of his ground strategy. Not only do they look pretty cool, but they are quite easy to combo. The HP version in particular is quite difficult to counter if blocked (even harder if the fool push-blocks). Each one is handy for different situations - I've found that the LP version has surprising range and comes out very quickly, while the MP version is good to catch out people who have just landed after jumping, or who are likely to do sweeps. The HP version is best for combos or to follow up as an OTG.
NB - I've been using the Cajun Slashes in fights against human opponents a lot recently. Do MP Cajun Slash, then when he's done, start the HP Cajun Slash. Go back to the MP, and human opponents often get caught out here.
I've never found a use for the Cajun Strike or Cajun Escape. The fact that they are charge-up moves prevents you pulling them off quickly, and they're so obvious that anyone can see them coming (or if they think quick enough, use painful moves like a Gamma Crush or Maximum Spider). The only thing I can possibly think of is to use it as a fake-out Cajun Explosion, but as of yet no opponent of mine has fallen for that (and I'm not sure what I'd do if they actually did "fall for it").
Gambit jumps funny. That's the only way I can describe it. His regular jumps just seem so crippled, so stick to Super jumps or the ground. If someone repeatedly jumps in at you, either Super jump out of the way or pull off a quick LP Trick Card (even if they block it, it will knock them back a bit).
Gambit's supers are different in terms of uses than those of other characters. The Royal Flush is not quite a beam super, so don't use it like one. It's best to punish a mistake that an opponent has made, or set up a cross-over combination, and it will even OTG (although for a greatly reduced number of hits). Keep in mind that Gambit clicks his fingers after finishing the move - there's nothing you can do about it, just don't be surprised if someone manages to hit you after blocking the Royal Flush.
The Cajun Explosion is great fun, but people can usually see it coming. The best thing to do is jump over the opponent's head (ie. the qcf + KK version) while they're doing a fireball. If you're ambitious you could try linking it off a helper attack (multiple-hit ones like Psylocke would be best).
Gambit is a very effective character, and good fun to use. In particular, his combos are very good, but overlooked in favour of Wolverine, Spiderman and Strider. He's also THE stylish character - great for anyone tired of doleful and somewhat bland fighters.
+------------+ | 9.5 - Hulk | +------------+
I've been experimenting a bit with Hulk recently, and there's more to him than the plain old "hit-them-really-hard-repeatedly" strategy that I've seen people employ. On the surface though, he seems to just be one of those big intimidating guys, and his moves reflect this.
Hulk can't do very big combos, but the ones that he can do HURT. A lot. A 4 or 5-hit combo from Hulk will do more damage than a 9-hit combo from Spiderman. Take advantage of this, and if you get an opportunity to launch the opponent, make the most of it.
I love Hulk's jumping HK. I use it against silly crouching turtle people cowering in the corner, and (like all of Hulk's moves) it hurts. Whatever you do though, don't overuse Hulk's standing HK. It's not totally useless, but it's really slow and leaves him wide open.
Hulk's Gamma Slam is not used like a fireball. Anyone who knows what they're doing can avoid it and make you pay. If you do get drawn into a firefight, it's just too slow, and even the multiple hits can't make up for that. It's best used to put some distance between you and the opponent (if you can force them to block it). Otherwise, don't use it too much.
The Gamma Charge is a great move, but don't use it against turtling opponents. The reason for this is that it takes Hulk AGES to recover, pretty much anything can be done before he can block. It's difficult to combo, but that's the best use for it. A Vertical Gamma Charge can be handy, but don't rely on it to save you from jumping opponents.
The Gamma Tornado is one of the most useless moves in the game. It can be blocked (or ducked for the smaller characters) and you can even Tech Hit out of it. If you actually manage to grab someone, the damage is pretty paltry considering Hulk's standards. Don't use it.
Hulk's Supers are interesting. I reckon the Gamma Crush is probably the best, mainly because it can hit people as Hulk jumps up, and does insane damage (just how high do you have to jump to grab an asteroid?). The Gamma Wave is handy but is too easy to block. Use it only to punish stupid opponents or to try and chip someone to death. As for the Gamma Quake, try to use it when your opponent is in the corner, otherwise they can retreat and hit you with the beam super of their choice.
When all's said and done, Hulk is clearly the strongest character, but don't get too carried away. It's all too easy to think that this massive green bloke can just roll over everyone in his way, but for him to do that your opponent would have to be brain-dead. Don't just repeatedly hammer the Heavy punch and kick buttons - some strategy is required. However, once you pick up on the strategy, Hulk is a very good character.
+-------------------+ | 9.6 - Jin Saotome | +-------------------+
Jin is probably my favourite character - he's just so strong. He's slightly slow for his size, but his power really is amazing. Personally, I took a little while to get used to his strange style (it was quite a change from Gambit or Ryu) but once I did he's a great character.
The Saotome Dynamite is both a great asset and a dangerous gamble. It's great because it hits for a good deal of damage and hits in all directions at once. The danger comes from the fact that it has an extremely short range and the recovery time - if your opponent blocks it, or worse, you miss, they will have all the time in the world to hit you with the super of their choice (I reckon that even War Machine could get you with a Proton Cannon if you miss). Personally, I only use the Saotome Dynamite linked to a crouching HK, but it would also be handy against people who keep jumping in at you.
The Saotome Typhoon is best againt people who are jumping in at you, or you need a quick counter attack after blocking moves like the Captain Storm or Weapon X. Otherwise, I can't think of any way to use it without being left vulnerable. Still, if you feel like taking a bit of a risk, it may pay off.
I usually forget that Jin can do the Saotome Crush - that's how useless it is. I've never managed to hit a human opponent with this, and usually I've been badly hurt while I'm vulnerable. Forget about this move, the damage isn't worth it anyway, and I'm pretty sure you can tech hit out of it.
Jin has the best taunt in the game - the Saotome Fire. You could get by perfectly fine without it, but it's just so funny! Not so much the taunt itself, but the fact that it inflicts damage (have a look at your opponent's face when you kill them with this). Better yet, you can cancel it at any time (press KKK). Great stuff, just make sure you actually get to the flame stage when you need to (Jin's harmless until he catches on fire).
Let me introduce you to something that makes Jin totally devastating - the Blodia Punch. This is one of my favourite supers, the reason being that it HURTS. It cancels out fireballs, and works in pretty much every respect as a beam super, only ten times more powerful. The best use for this is to combo it off a crouching LP-MP - remember that Jin also punches as Blodia does, so he can hit them and leave them totally unable to block when that massive fist comes onto the screen.
As for the Blodia Vulcan, it's not that great. It's dead easy to spot, and the damage isn't really that good. It's best for chipping someone to death. The Saotome Cyclone is best against super-jumping opponents, since the vertical range is great and it's very unexpected when Jin isn't actually on the screen at the time. I've actually magaged to combo this off a standing MP, but I think that was more my opponents fault than it was my skill.
Jin also has something that nobody else in the game has. His Desperation power-up can make all the difference in tight situations. He has super armour and all his attacks will do even more damage (try the Blodia Punch now!). Despite whatever else you might read, Jin CAN be launched during this power-up (I've done it to him). Overall though, this power-up is great, and since it's unique to Jin, he will always have an edge over other characters (apart from another Jin). Whatever you do, don't let Jin die first!
Jin is one of the best characters in the game, but he may take a little time to learn. Don't let this effort put you off - he's damn cool once you can successfully play as him.
It's that nauseating little kid again. I've had enough of this guy, he seems to pop up all over the place. I've never really gotten the hang of him, but maybe that's because I'm too busy vomiting all over the place. He plays like Ryu's baby brother, with a few interesting moves of his own.
Fireballs. That seems to be what Megaman is all about. He can charge his fireballs up (apparently indefinitely) and all it takes is a single hit of the HP button. Keep in mind that the uncharged ones don't do any chipping damage, so you can't kill someone that way (thankfully).
Megaman has a kind of Shoryuken move (possibly called a Mega Upper) which is used in pretty much the same way as any move of it's kind. Keep in mind that Megaman is puny - even his HP version won't go too high.
Megaman's versatility comes from his Item Change move. Default is the Tornado Hold, which is exactly the same as Storm's old move (she also does it when called in to help). That one's probably the most useful, just judge the distance right. An LP Item Change will result in a Rockball, which is pretty much worthless - even if they get hit by it, it doesn't do much damage. The Leaf Shield (HP Item Change) could be handy, but I've never been able to use it properly. In general, I'd stick to the Tornado Hold, but anyone more co-ordinated with Megaman than me might like to experiment with the others. Remember to pick up the item that is dropped, and remember that opponent Megaman or Roll players will be able to steal it. This could be used as a deterrent - drop a Rockball item on the ground and keep away from it.
Megaman is small - an absolute nightmare for Zangief, and if you know what you're doing he can be irritating for other characters too. You can duck under a lot of attacks (when Thor is called on to help, his lightning misses even if Megaman is standing) so use this to your advantage. Also, any attacks that hit at multiple levels simultaneously (like Gambit's Royal Flush) can have their chipping damage reduced by ducking while blocking. Actually, that's a general rule, but more obvious with someone like Megaman.
Megaman's supers are quite good, but they all have one (sometimes fatal) flaw - recovery time. Megaman takes ages to recover from them (this is not helped by him stopping to do something "cute") and this can be ruthlessly exploited by characters with fast moves or supers.
The Hyper Megaman is ok, but the best part about it is that Megaman can actually uppercut someone while he's preparing for the super. This leaves them vulnerable, and soon missing a good amount of their health. The Rush Drill is best for moderately quick counter-attacks (remember to hit the buttons for turbo boosts) but otherwise I'd skip this in favour of the Beat Plane. The Beat Plane is probably his best super, since there is a potential for a lot of hits (50+) and you can move all over the place (even chasing super-jumping opponents). This also does insane chipping damage, but most veteran players will call that really cheesy (I'm on their side).
I'm sure Megaman could be a good character, but I'm too put off by the cutesy image. Still, if you can look past that or (shudder) even like that kind of thing, you may find Megaman to be very powerful.
As of this writing, I haven't played any of the Darkstalkers games, so the first time I saw Morrigan was here in Marvel Vs Capcom. Her moves are comparable in effect to those of Ryu (I assume she was the "Shoto-clone" in Darkstalkers) but there are plenty of differences once you see everything she's capable of.
Her Soul Fists are fairly good as far as fireballs go, but Morrigan is capable of so much more - I rarely use them unless I'm jumping in and want to go backwards really quickly (away from something horrible like a Kikoshou). The air version pushes her upwards and slightly backwards, so be wary of people doing infinite air fireballs - it's a really cheesy tactic, but the best thing is that some characters can counter it really easily. Ryu can super-jump and pull off a Shinkuu Hadoken, Jin can run underneath and do a Saotome Cyclone, Captain Commando can do a Captain Sword from anywhere on the ground...there's also Hyper Megamans, Gamma Crushes and War Destroyers, not to mention regular moves capable of hitting a fireball-happy Morrigan (Captain Corridor works well). If you can't actually hit Morrigan (maybe when you're playing as Zangief) there are plenty of places to hide from the fireballs. So, why am I saying all these things about how to STOP Morrigan from doing this? Because it's bloody annoying, and it won't win you any friends (it won't win you too many fights either). Don't do this - some people aren't as tolerant as me.
Morrigan outclasses even Ryu when it comes to the Shoryuken-style moves. Her Soul Blade is probably the best in the game. It still suffers from the same weaknesses, but it hits multiple times and has a better horizontal range. She can also do it in the air (although Ryu can too in Ken mode) which makes it the most useful Shoryuken-style move in the game. As good as it is, don't overuse it - people will learn and then hurt you for it.
Her Vector Drain throw is interesting, but ultimately it isn't that much use in a fight. The damage is good, but it's difficult to grab anyone who knows what they're doing. You can also tech hit out of it, so only use it as a surprise attack or if the opponent is REALLY vulnerable from something (like after you've just blocked a HK Charging Star).
Many people overlook Morrigan's air dashes, but they form an integral part of my strategy. The fact that she can dash in three directions (UF, F or DF) means that they're very versatile. I've gotten behind Ryu while he was repeatedly throwing hadokens at me and pulled of a Darkness Illusion before he could recover. The most important thing to remember is that once you dash, there's no blocking like there is for most ground dashes - it's a Death or Glory style thing. Either you land and do something good, or you crash and burn because an opponent was clever enough to pull off a successful counter. Don't let that discourage you though, because the air dashes are extremely useful in the right situations.
Morrigan has a few kick moves (not special moves, because they don't do block damage) which can be handy in the right situations. Her D + MK while jumping isn't actually much use (I'd rather do a standard HK) but her D + HK (again while jumping) is useful. It's great for catching someone like Spiderman by surprise when he tries to dash under you while you jump. Finally, her F + HK move (while standing) is good for a surprise attack (it hits multiple times, and I think you can start a combo from it too).
Morrigan has some of the best combos in the game. Better yet, they're much easier to do than those of, say, Spiderman. Usually, I have some trouble pulling off 9-hit combos, but with Morrigan this is made really simple. Use crouching LP-LP-MP-HP then jump and follow with LP-LK-MP-MK-Soul Fist. It seems complicated on paper, but once you get the hang of it, you can pull it off in your sleep.
Morrigan's four supers are interesting. First of all is the Soul Eraser, which is a very valuable beam super. Once she actually starts it, the beam crosses the screen instantly (in other words, if you're not blocking before it actually starts, it's going to hurt) and it does a surprising amount of damage (don't forget to mash the buttons). As for the Darkness Illusion, it's handy but ultimately not that useful. I only use it to punish an opponent for doing something dumb, or to exploit any opening I get (like when I air dashed behind Ryu). Otherwise it's not the best super (I don't think you can air-combo it in at all). The Silhouette Blade is vaguely reminiscient of the Shoryuu Reppa, but I stress "vaguely". Morrigan herself doesn't actually hit the opponent, so you may think it's much safer than the Shoryuu Reppa. The only flaw in this reasoning is that she has a huge recovery time, so if they block it, they can do pretty much anything they want to you. The damage is decent, so don't shy away from this super, just know when to use it.
Her final super is the Eternal Slumber, which is a Level 3 super. The only thing worthy of note about this super is that it's unblockable - against inexperienced opponents it's pretty useful (and it's also a great way to finish a round). Otherwise, the heart travels really slowly, and I think it can even be cancelled by a regular fireball. Most opponents have the sense to jump or super-jump out of the way, and if you actually manage to hit, the damage isn't really worth three levels of super energy. Only use this if you want to show off, or you've got tons of super energy and nothing to do with it.
Morrigan is a pretty good character, and worth taking the time out to learn. Particularly, if you're a Ryu fanatic, you'll pick up Morrigan pretty quickly.
+-----------+ | 9.9 - Ryu | +-----------+
Ryu is the only character who's been in every single Street Fighter game ever made. That's got to say something - Capcom really likes this guy for some reason (maybe his background). In Marvel Vs Capcom, Ryu is probably the most versatile character, with his ability to switch between the three main shotokan styles (Ryu, Ken and Akuma).
On that subject, you can quite effectively play Ryu without using the Shotokan Switch move (some people prefer plain old Ryu anyway) but this isn't making use of his full potential. Switch your styles around, make your opponent think before they attack you. Usually I stick to Ryu at the start (or switch to Ken mode and be really annoying) and when it looks like my opponent is getting used to that style, I'll switch again. Personally, I try not to use Akuma too much, mainly because everyone knows exactly what Akuma can do. Usually, I use Akuma as sort of a threat - switching to him then going on an all-out offensive, because this style is undoubtedly the best for offense. Ryu is best for defence, while I mainly switch to Ken for his irritation value.
Depending on which style you're in, the Hadoken is the most valuable or most worthless move in your arsenal. Ryu seems to rely heavily on the Hadoken, while in Ken mode they are basically crap. Akuma strikes a medium between the two - his are handy but not his best move. If you want to use Hadokens, stick to Ryu mode, but don't get too predictable with them - a beam super in the face often hurts.
Next up on the signature move list is the Shoryuken. Ryu gets the slow and steady ones, which do good damage but, as I said, are rather slow. Ken has the best, with multiple hits, good damage and the ability to pull them off in the air. Once again, Akuma hits the middle - multiple hits and decent damage, but not the best move available to you. All suffer from the same basic flaws - if you miss, even with the LP version, you're probably going to get hurt. At the very least, you'll be giving your opponent a free hit, which obviously isn't a good thing to do. Be particularly careful against Zangief - he can jump up and SPD you, or quickly pull of a big, hurty FAB for when you land. They're best against opponents who are jumping in, because in all three versions, he's pretty much invulnerable on his way up.
And then we come to the Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku (or Hurricane Kick, if you prefer). Akuma's version is the best by far, with multiple hits, good damage and spiffy lightning effects to boot. Ryu once again gets the slow and steady style - once I heard them referred to as "one hit wonders" which adequately sums them up. You'll probably only get a single hit out of them, but the damage is pretty good. Ken's funky oblique version is handy, but risky (in the same way as a Shoryuken). If you miss, you've just given your opponent as much time as they could need to do whatever they want to you. Keep in mind, with all three, that they can be done in the air (Ken's will revert to the standard kind for air ones) which is usually most useful for when you're jumping in at an opponent (a flying mass of feet is difficult to counter, except for Captain Commando).
In all three styles, you've got overhead smashes (F+MP for Ryu and Akuma, F+MK for Ken) which can only be blocked while standing. They're handy, but they take a while to come out (Ken's in particular seems to take ages). Don't overuse them, because they get pretty predictable after a while.
In Akuma mode only, you'll gain access to the dive kick, which in my opinion is a horribly overused move. It does a few hits, for good damage, but I can always see it coming. I've managed to hit him with a Blodia Punch while he's recovering, so it's not a very safe move. Don't use it too much - personally I'd only use it as a surprise attack against a jumping opponent who has strayed too close. Also in Akuma mode, you'll get the Teleport, which is very useful, but don't accidentally pull of a super instead.
Ryu's supers in standard mode are some of the most powerful in the game. First of all, a move which many overlook - the Shin Shoryuken. This thing has virtually no horizontal range, but if you hit them with it, it HURTS. Ryu's most used super is the Shinkuu Hadoken, which is probably the best beam super in the game - it comes out pretty quickly and does great damage, with very little recovery time. Finally, he's got the Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku (probably the longest name in the game) which does good damage, but is very risky. In particular, if this is push-blocked, Ryu will be sent across to the other side of the screen, while they can hit you with pretty much anything.
In Ken mode, all of his supers are somewhat risky, but they are by no means useless. With the Shoryuu Reppa, it comes out extremely quickly, and covers ground faster than Spiderman (and that's saying a lot). I've been hit by this while recovering from a Royal Flush (the Shoryuu Reppa was started from the opposite side of the screen). Keep in mind that it's the same as a Shoryuken (if it's blocked, they've got a lot of time to hurt you). Next is the Shinryu Ken, which is great for super-jumping opponents, and it can also be used in a combo after his launcher. Again, this is like the Shoryuken in terms of risks. Finally, his Shippujinrai Kyaku is very useful, because (I think) he's invincible during the start-up frames. If it's blocked, though, he takes a little time to recover - not ages like War Machine after a Proton Cannon, but enough to give your opponent a window of opportunity.
I don't much like the supers in Akuma mode - they're just not as useful as those in other modes. Anyway, first is the Messatsu Gou Hado, which is similar to the Shinkuu Hadoken, but you can't do it in the air, it takes longer to come out and does less damage. Not terribly good, so don't use it much. Next is the Messatsu Gou Shoryuu, which is (more or less) exactly the same as the Shoryuu Reppa. He also has the Tenma Gou Zankuu, which is useful but (in my opinion) far too obvious. Maybe if you're in the air and need a counter attack really quickly, but otherwise it's not too great. And finally he has the Shun Goku Satsu, which is about as useless a super as you could find. Level 3 only, it's REALLY obvious when you're trying to do the move and he seems to go so slowly. Not only that, but he can't block while going forwards, and your opponent should know that if they don't hit him or get out of the way, they're going to get hurt. Never, EVER use this move against a human opponent! In general, when you're in Akuma mode it's best to save your super energy for your partner.
So there you have it. If you want a solid, versatile character, look no further than Ryu. He's pretty easy to pick up, and offers enough to keep you trying to master him. He seems to be a touch on the slow side, but other than that he's a good, all-round character.
Spiderman is a pretty funky character. All his moves look...interesting...to say the least, and he is, without a doubt, the most acrobatic of the characters. I'm not too good at him myself, but I've picked up a few bits of information that may be useful.
First - combos. Spiderman has amazing combos, but they're a little tricky. In particular, his launcher isn't very straightforward. You could use a standing MP, but he always ends up jumping too high when you try to follow up. To launch an opponent, use a crouching MK, then a standing HK. I'd probably be much better at Spiderman if he had a regular launcher, but I guess you've got to work with what you're given.
Spiderman's fireball is the Web Ball, and despite what you may think, it's not too great for entangling an opponent. The HP one seems to take ages to come out, and in that time most people have either done their own fireball or started to block. The LP version comes out quickly enough, but traps them for quarter of a second (if you're lucky). Usually, just use the LP version to cancel out your opponent's fireballs, and ignore the others unless you're feeling lucky.
The Web Throw is an interesting move, but ultimately useless. It seems to take too long to come out, and they have to be within half (?) a screen to actually get thrown by the thing. I've found that the best use is a surprise attack against jumping opponents, with the MP and HP versions. Otherwise, don't use this too much.
I really like the Web Swing move - not for how it looks but what it can do. The fact that you can do it in the air makes it a good air combo finisher, and it's good for an "attacking dash". Spiderman looks deceptively vulnerable while doing the move, and most opponents will be lured into trying to hit him. If my experience is anything to go by, this move has insane priority (once I traded hits with a Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku, but that may have just been luck). It's a great move, but don't overuse it, otherwise your opponent will get used to it and make you pay.
The Spider Sting is an interesting version of a Shoryuken, and should be used in pretty much the same way. If you manage to connect with it, don't forget to tag the extra hit on the end of the move.
Spiderman's supers are handy but by no means easy to use. The Maximum Spider is really easy to see coming, although once he actually starts it is unbelievably fast, and does good damage. Try and chain it to a helper attack or wait until your opponent is really vulnerable. If it's blocked, Spiderman is in trouble. The Crawler Assault is a handy move, but I'm yet to find a really good use for it. It's best to use when you have an opening that would be too small to start a Maximum Spider. As for the Ultimate Web Throw, it's just silly but insanely powerful. It's pretty easy to see coming, but a good time would be after blocking something like a Gamma Charge or Charging Star. If you reckon you can hit, go for it! The damage is excellent.
As I said, I'm not too good with Spiderman, but I know that he can be a very effective character. You have to take advantage of his speed, and never stay still. Probably a good way to win with Spiderman is to annoy your opponent sufficiently that they just get fed up and leave.
Strider originally appeared in an old Capcom platform game, but I've never played it myself. I'm told that it's pretty good, but I'm yet to track it down. Nevertheless, I know that in Marvel Vs Capcom, Strider is really good. Some people would say he's a bit cheap, but he's fairly well balanced once you take everything into account.
Strider has the best combos in the game - seriously. They're dead easy to do (he's the only character that I've been able to do a standard 10-hit Hunter combo with) and he does good damage with each hit. His sword (Cipher?) gives him excellent priority, and to cap it all off, they look really impressive. What more could you want?
He's also got a whole swag of special moves, but quite honestly some are just plain useless, so I'll mention those only briefly. First is his fireball (Formation B), but the fact that it's a double charge move (once to get the satellite thing, again to launch it) means that it's too slow to be of any use. His Ame no Murakumo (or useless-runny-slashy-thing) takes too long to come out and leaves him really vulnerable if it's blocked. The next useless move is (I think) called Formation C, but most people just know it as the bomb drop, and it's just far too slow to be of any real use (good damage, though). His Teleport is only of use during cheesy Ouroboros tactics (more about that later) because otherwise it leaves him really vulnerable (better to use the Vagula). The Wall Cling is just annoying for your opponent, it really won't do you much good (climb up into the corner and wait, then when they jump up at you, cross over to the other wall. Repeat for maximum irritation). His other moves are at least somewhat useful in certain situations, so I will elaborate upon them.
>From memory, the move is called Ghram - the one where he slashes almost across the whole screen. This is a useful move, particularly good if you want to play keep-away games, but don't try it in close quarters - it comes out a bit too slowly. Remember that on the ground he can do a low version as well (use K) but in the air he can only use the P version.
Performing the move for the Ame no Murakumo in the air will result in a body slash style thing. I've found this is best as a combo finisher (you can get extra hits tagged onto his already impressive combos) or as a kind of air dash (watch out though, since that's a bit risky). Remember that you've got 6 directions, with LP going almost straight up, through to LK going headfirst into the ground.
The Vagula is a great move, and I don't know why more people don't use it. I've caught countless people by surprise with this move (kicked Ryu in the head after he'd done a Hadoken. Heh) and it also looks pretty snazzy. The recovery time if it's blocked is a bit of a drawback, but it comes out so quickly you should be able to pick a good time to use it (like after a Hadoken).
Formation A will send a mechanical leopard running along the screen. It's actually decent for if you get into a firefight with someone like Chun-Li or Spiderman (although if your opponent starts a firefight with either of those characters, they need their head examined) but otherwise I find it's best to just annoy your opponent. Don't overuse it, but throw out the odd leopard and chase after it, launching a flurry of attacks in their direction.
Strider has three supers, and quite honestly, I can't find a use for them. None can be used in a combo, and they're really obvious so you can't catch an opponent by surprise. Still, they may come in handy on the odd occasion. First is the Ragnarok, which does pretty good damage but is next to impossible to connect with. Only use it during an Ouroboros combo, or if your opponent has just done something REALLY dumb.
NB - Recently, I've been experimenting with the Ragnarok. A really nasty trick is to wait for your opponent to switch out (hit them as much as necessary) then after blocking their kick, quickly start up the Ragnarok. If you were close enough, he'll get them while they're still taunting. I can't be responsible for any personal injury while using this tactic (I swear one guy I fought against was on the verge of punching me). This obviously won't work against people who know when to properly switch out (or use Team Supers, etc.).
The Ouroboros are probably his most useful super - if you want to put your opponent on the defensive, nothing will do it like this. Only a complete git would attack Strider while these things are going, because if you hit your opponent, there are all sorts of nasty things you can do to them. As I mentioned, the Ragnarok can actually be used during a combo from these things - they'll cover the time it takes Strider to actually start his move. If you want insane combos, launch an opponent during the Ouroboros and watch the hits rack up. Some have noticed potential cheesy tactics with these, and a "dark side" method has evolved, which I've had to face more than once. Basically, Mr Cheese will start up his Ouroboros, then teleport behind you, so you'll have to block the other way. They'll teleport over and over, and the odds are that eventually you'll be caught out, ready for all sorts of horrible follow-ups. Trying to block this is really hell, so I've been doing a bit of thinking. I said that only a complete git would attack Strider, but sometimes the complete git is the one who wins. The best possible thing to counter this is Chun-Li's Kikoushou - even if the Strider player blocks it, his precious Ouroboros will have taken a break by the time you're done. Also good would be Ryu's Shin Shoryuken, considering that he's more or less invincible during it. Another would be Megaman's Rush Drill (or Beat Plane, actually) since he really IS invincible during them. Basically, any super which forces Strider to block (even if he push-blocks he'll probably end up on the other side of the screen) will do, but the enveloping ones like the Kikoushou are the best. Use your judgement. If you don't have super energy, either back into a corner and watch as Strider teleports in front of you, or super-jump and stay out of his way.
Strider's final super is the Legion. I like this super a lot, but it's not actually a lot of use for hitting people - the animals take too long to cover the screen. It's usually used to chip people to death, but if an opponent knows what they're doing they can not only avoid chipping altogether, but hit Strider as well. Beam supers will cut swathes through the mechanical animals, likely hurting Strider in the process. There's not much the Strider player can do about this, just watch out if your opponent has a level of super.
One final note - Strider takes hits like a pansy. A move which would slightly hurt a "regular" character will put a big dent in Strider's energy, and all I can say is WATCH OUT for supers like the Shin Shoryuken or Blodia Fist - Strider ain't gonna be too healthy after those.
Strider is an excellent character, just remember how badly he takes a hit. Use everything in your extensive arsenal combined with Strider's speed and range to overcome anything your opponent throws at you.
Venom is probably the most interesting newcomer to the Vs series, and I'm glad he finally made it into one. He's a bit difficult to play at first, but if you get the hang of him he can be a devastating character (like Shuma Gorath in Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter).
The most important thing to remember when playing as Venom is his size. Although he's as fast as Strider or Morrigan, he's still a big guy. This can be exploited by combo-freaks (I mean, who would you rather attempt to do a combo against - Roll or Zangief?) and he can't do sneaky things like duck under War Machine's high Shoulder Cannon. There is, of course, nothing you can do about this. Just keep it in mind.
Venom doesn't have too many good combos - he's really more of a poking character. His standing HP has amazing range, and his standing HK will hit pretty much anyone who jumps in at him. Super-jump around, hitting them with anything then retreating to safety. His best air combo is probably as follows: launch your opponent (MP) jump up and follow with LP-MP-HP-Venom Fang. Otherwise, Venom has to keep on the move to be really effective.
He only has three special moves, but they're all handy. First is the Venom Fang, which is excellent air defence and also an excellent air combo finisher. However, don't just pull this off while you're on the ground unless you're really confident - if you misjudge the range they'll probably hurt you.
The Venom Rush is a great move, but you really have to know what you're doing. It's great for counter attacks (it is REALLY fast) but if you miss you'll look like a bit of a fool (particularly if you receive a beam super in the face). Know when to use it (right after a Hadoken is NOT a good time) and it will come in very handy. Once I sent it into a Kikoushou just for fun (I didn't expect it to do anything worthwhile) but it DID stop her doing that annoying move...I guess user discretion is required when it comes to this thing.
Finally the Web Throw looks pretty cool, but isn't that good against other opponents on the ground. It's best as a surprise attack against opponents who are jumping in at you, but don't overuse it (they'll get used to it, and, if they're really clever, will work out a way to hurt you while avoiding it). Maybe throw out the odd one along the ground to keep them on their toes, but otherwise air defence is the best way to go (a little premonition may be required - it's speed leaves much to be desired).
Now we come to the supers - first is the Venom Web. Heh...this thing is next to useless against human opponents, because EVERYONE can see it coming. Only use it to punish a silly mistake that someone has made, otherwise you'll never get anywhere using this move against anyone with half a brain. It looks pretty funny though, and on the odd occasion I'll throw it out just to see the goofy way Venom jumps...
The Death Bite is a fun super, and it comes out surprisingly fast. I've hit Strider with this thing as he started his Ouroboros (it was pretty funny at the time) and I've even hit Captain Commando out of a Captain Sword (much to my relief, 'cause Venom didn't have enough health to survive) but despite how useful it is, it can be the complete opposite if you don't know what you're doing. Against opponents who are jumping in, he may actually start it BEHIND them as they land (and you'll soon be on the receiving end of something nasty). It's best against people who don't have quick beam supers (obviously NOT Ryu) because even if they block it they'll be out of counter attack range (or at least, out of range for powerful counters).
Venom can be a powerful character, but you really need practice. He's not a beginners character, so I'd only suggest trying Venom once you've got a good grasp of the game. Once you become proficient with him, he can be a very effective fighter.
+--------------------+ | 9.13 - War Machine | +--------------------+
I'll be perfectly honest - I'm not much good with War Machine. I've tried, and occasionally I'll do adequately, but most of the time the match will end with me shouting something like "Stop flying, damn you!" at the machine (I know what to do to stop flying, it just doesn't always stop when I want it to). But, I have seen the odd War Machine player, and what I've picked up may be remotely useful...
First I'll talk about Flight - War Machine is the only character in the game who can do this. It can actually come in handy, but remember one vital thing about this - War Machine can't block during it. He's got a lot of possible moves, but there's not a lot he can do about supers in his face. If it looks like your opponent is going to do a super at you, land straight away (although if my experience is anything to go by, this is easier said than done).
In my opinion, War Machine's launcher is pretty terrible, which is a pity because he'd be able to do a fair bit in an air combo. It's only good against opponents who are jumping in at you, because he kicks STRAIGHT up (not "kind of straight up" like Chun-Li's launcher). If you manage to launch someone, you can follow up with a simple War Destroyer, or do some fancy thing in the air (try to finish it with a Shoulder Cannon).
On that subject, a Shoulder Cannon is both useful and risky. The high version is particularly risky against someone like Megaman, but both high and low suffer from a key weakness - they take just a split second too long to start and finish. Whereas something like a Hadoken has all the recovery piled on at the end (i.e. it comes out very quickly, but he needs to recover a bit after doing one) the Shoulder Cannon seems to have the recovery evenly divided. Still, it's a great move (particularly handy for combos) and War Machine should be able to win a firefight against anyone else in the game (yeah, even Megaman with his ultra-easy HP fireballs).
Smart bombs are good fun, but ultimately not too useful. I mean, he's going around shouting "Smart Bomb!" as he does them - he may as well say "Watch out because I'm going to hurt you!" (doesn't have the same ring to it). To put it another way, you're not going to catch anyone by surprise using these things. Try super-jumping then just bombing their brains out (it's bloody annoying) but I don't think this move will really be useful.
Repulsor Blasts have been seriously toned down since Iron Man appeared in Marvel Super Heroes (War Machine's armour must be inferior). If you don't hit your opponent with it, it seems like War Machine stands there for SO long with his hands above his head. Either use it as air defence (and hope. A lot) or don't use it at all. Never use this from a whole screen away - I can't think of many things that would be dumber.
War Machine has two supers which may come in handy but I haven't found a real use for them. The Proton Cannon looks mighty impressive, but it takes a long time to come out (not to mention having a huge recovery time) so you'll never catch anyone by surprise. If you want it as a counter attack, you'd best start it pretty early (have we got our premonition ready?) because otherwise your opponent will be ready and blocking before War Machine even starts to fire.
The War Destroyer is a fun move (Geronimo! War Destroyer!) and is a useful move against super-jumping opponents who are trying to land on your head (usually Wolverine or Morrigan with their annoying head stomps). It can be effectively used in a combo off his launcher, but as I said before, his launcher isn't too good. If you want chipping damage, sometimes this actually does more than the Proton Cannon (hard to believe, but true). It's also good for tracking opponents. If, for instance, you've just push-blocked Ryu during a Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senkuu Kyaku, a War Destroyer will pound those missiles right on his head (you probably won't have time to start up a Proton Cannon).
I'm sure War Machine could be good, but I'm pretty much crap as him. Maybe one day I'll achieve Nirvana and discover the profound secret about playing as War Machine, but as it stands, I'm not the best person to seek advice from.
He's back again - he's appeared in all three Vs games to date (along with Ryu, Chun-Li and Zangief, excluding helper characters) and I still don't like him any more than I did to begin with. It's not that I'm bad with him, it's just that he seems to have more to do with button mashing than actual strategy. Nonetheless, some people love to play as Wolverine, and in my opinion pretty much anyone can muster up a decent performance with him.
Wolverine is fast. Damn fast. He can run rings around pretty much anyone except Spiderman (even Spiderman when he uses the Berserker Rage) and High-speed Venom (but again, Berserker Rage will bring his speed equal to High-speed Venom. Then again, High-speed Venom is a pansy, so you shouldn't need it). Take advantage of this speed.
He's got a fair few special moves, each having their uses. The Drill Claw is best as an air-combo finisher, because otherwise it's really slow and leaves him extremely vulnerable if it't blocked. However, the fact that it can be used in 8 directions means that it's very versatile and can actually give Wolverine a good deal of manoeuvrability in the air.
The Berserker Barrage is his signature move, and is best used in ground combos, because if my experience is anything to go by, you won't catch too many people by surprise with this thing. As far as I can remember, I've only ever been hit by it when it was used in a ground combo. It will also OTG, so it can come in handy in other situations as well.
The Tornado Claw could be better, but it's far from useless. It suffers from the same weaknesses as any Shoryuken move, so keep that in mind, but he does multiple hits for decent damage. He also has good horizontal range, so it can be used as a very quick counter-attack against relatively close opponents.
The Berserker Slash is a great new move, but if you misuse it, you will look really stupid. It can go through pretty much anything, and will go straight past the opponent, and therein lies the catch. If you misjudge the distance, Wolverine will be facing the other way and at the mercy of the opponent. But the truth is that this move is great - it's very fast and can hit someone out of pretty much anything. Practice this move until you can judge the distance correctly all the time.
Wolverine has that annoying head stomp, but it's not as useful as it could be. You may catch someone by surprise the first time, but any intelligent opponent will learn from the experience, and likely hurt you when you try it (in particular, watch out for Saotome Cyclones).
As for supers, Wolverine has some of the best. The aforementioned Berserker Rage makes him unbelievably fast (I think if you're lucky you can actually combo the Weapon X while in Berserker Rage) and most players, when using this, just mash the buttons because you'd have to be really fast (and I mean REALLY fast) to perform standard combos. If you really want to surprise a Wolverine player, attack back while they're in Berserker Rage. I actually managed to hit Wolverine with a Shin Shoryuken while he was in this - the look on the guy's face was one of total amazement. Usually people just block and hope...
The Berserker Barrage X is one of the most annoying supers to face. It is really, really easy to combo in, and it does good damage. When not used in combos, it comes out extremely fast, so you can catch most people out from the tiniest opening. Watch out though, because if it's blocked, Wolverine will be rather vulnerable (in time for launchers or most supers).
The Fatal Claw can be a bit of a gamble sometimes. It is, however, comboable in the air (and it's rather painful) and most good Wolverine players can (and will) pull that one off. I said that it's a gamble because of the shape of the attack - if you just pull this off from the ground, the opponent can be straight under you and even avoid all chipping damage (not to mention being in a perfect position for a launcher). It's best to stick to using this in air combos.
Finally, we come to the Weapon X, which looks pretty cool but isn't very useful. The fact is that it takes far too long to come out, so even if you want to catch someone out after a missed HP Shoryuken, the timing is absolutely critical. Too early and you'll run under them before they land, too late and they'll block. The best use is the nasty trick I mentioned for Strider's Ragnarok, but otherwise you won't catch too many people out with this.
If you want speed and combos, Wolverine is probably the man for the job. If you're not too good at the game yet, Wolverine will also probably put up a sterling performance regardless of how little you know. I know that there's more to him than mashing repeatedly, but I've never really liked him enough to bother to experiment.
Zangief has undergone numerous overhauls since his original appearance way back in Street Fighter 2 (an immovable Lariat and the Spinning Pile Driver were his only moves) and in the Vs series he's become a very solid character. I only really started playing as him in Marvel Vs Capcom, and I can say that once you get the hang of him, he can hold his own against pretty much everyone.
Zangief has horrible dashes. Technically, he has horrible dash, because he can't go backwards. His forward dash is really slow, and I don't think it can be stopped to block like the forward dashes of other characters. Try not to dash with Zangief, it won't get you anywhere worthwhile.
You've got to be able to do the Spinning Pile Driver (SPD) move to be able to successfully play as Zangief. I must confess that I can't pull it off 100% of the time, but I'll succeed more often than I'll fail. The SPD is probably his key move, so if you can't do the 270 motion you'll never be good with Zangief. It doesn't do as much damage as it did in Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter, and it's possible to tech hit out of it, but the move is still perhaps the most important in his arsenal. Practice this move.
Even if you can't do the SPD motion, you can still muster a decent performance with Zangief, using the Russian Bear Slam/Siberian Suplex move. The half-circle move is a lot easier to do than the 270, and he'll have super armour while he's moving forwards (see note below). Don't just use this move out of the blue from the opposite side of the screen - that's not what the super armour is for, and besides, he probably won't make it to his opponent unless they dash forwards (unlikely). It's best against someone like Morrigan or Spiderman, who's probably going to try and combo you after you land in front of them.
NB - It's actually more than super armour. Hulk, for instance, has a 1-hit buffer before flinching, but can be tripped any time. I think Zangief will never flinch while running forward, but can also be tripped. I'm still not sure about things like Web Ball/Web Throw against the Bear Slam.
Zangief's Lariat is a very useful move. His fists will hit pretty much anything first (I swear I've hit Spiderman as he charged down towards me in a Maximum Spider) and of course he will go through most projectiles (a notable exception is War Machine's high Shoulder Cannon). It's probably the best move to finish of Zangief's puny air combos, and it's helpful because Zangief looks deceptively vulnerable during it - novice opponents may be lured into attempting to attack him, but veterans will either sweep or stay out of your way. It's really easy to do, so don't overlook it, but don't overuse it either, because soon people will notice his vulnerability to sweeps.
The Aerial Russian Slam (a super from Street Fighter Alpha, but a regular move in Marvel Vs Capcom) isn't actually very good as air defence. I always have trouble actually grabbing the opponent, and the angle is kind of odd (you'll probably fly under an opponent who's jumping at you). If your opponent is kind of dumb, you may be able to combo this off a crouching MP, but I mean they have to be REALLY dumb. I haven't really found a use for the Aerial Russian Slam.
The Banishing Fist is a very valuable move for Zangief. It will negate fireballs, but the timing is very difficult, and he takes too long to start, so you'll have a really hard time hitting the fireballs. The real attraction for this move is that it can set up either a SPD or a FAB, and if you're really good it doesn't matter if the Banishing Fist connects or not! If they block it, Zangief has virtually no recovery time (not even enough for a crouching LP from Morrigan) and will be left right next to the opponent. If he actually manages to hit them with it, well, they'll still be reeling while you do the move. Heads, I win. Tails, you lose.
As for supers, there are three words that will strike fear into the minds of anyone on the receiving end - Final Atomic Buster. This is probably the most daunting (although not the most powerful) super in the game. After it is started, Zangief has Hyper armour (i.e. nothing will stop him) until he either grabs the opponent or he finishes running forwards. Technically speaking, this move can't be used in a combo, but there are times when you can start it and the opponent has virtually no chance of getting out unhurt. For instance, while the opponent is standing up, start the FAB, and there's not a great deal they can do to get out of it. If you rotate the joystick during the move, the final piledriver will do more damage than normal.
Zangief's new Level 3 super is the Ultra Final Atomic Buster, and quite honestly it's a bit of a disappointment. When started, he doesn't move forward at all (the same as doing a SPD while on the ground) so your chances of grabbing the opponent are reduced dramatically. The damage done doesn't warrant three levels of super, and it really isn't that impressive visually either. This move shouldn't be used in a serious fight, because it is, not to put too fine a point on it, crap.
Another new option available to Zangief is the Iron Body/Mega Zangief mode. It takes up a level of super, but once done Zangief will turn into the secret character from Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter. This means that he has Hyper armour and won't flinch from ANYTHING. He gains a new move, the Vodka Fire, which is handy but only really useful against someone who tries to jump in at you (never use it against Roll!). He loses the Banishing Fist, which is a pity, but it's a worthy sacrifice. Instead of the UFAB, he gets a bizarre thing called the Siberian Blizzard, which is kind of like Ken's Shinryuken only harder to do and not terribly useful. By the way, Zangief cannot block in this mode (maybe that Iron Body transformation cut off the blood circulation to his brain) and his is SLOW. Damn slow. Transforming can be the smartest or the stupidest thing you've ever done, depending on your opponent. Against Spiderman, go for it! Spiderman can't do any real damage to Zangief this way, his Web Balls, Web Throws, Maximum Spiders and Ultimate Web Throws will be shrugged off with little effect. Against someone like War Machine, Iron Body isn't a terribly clever thing to do. War Machine can hang back and blast you with Shoulder Cannons, Proton Cannons, War Destroyers... or he can just super-jump and Smart Bomb you to death. You should be able to get the idea - Iron Body against weak, combo freaks (not Strider, mind) but use regular Zangief against someone with good ranged attacks.
Zangief is great fun to play, and people shouldn't shy away from him like they did in the earlier games. Sure, in Street Fighter 2 Zangief was at a severe disadvantage, but now that's been levelled out. He still requires a fair bit of skill to play, but it's worth taking the time out to learn him.
SECRET CHARACTERS
All codes are entered on the Character Select screen. It's best to enter the code while selecting your first character, because otherwise the cursor will skip over the picture of the character you have selected. To enter the code, move over the portrait of the character mentioned, and input the directions indicated. Do it fast, or the game will automatically select the character you are currently over when the timer runs out. Once you reach the end of the code, the final direction should move you off the grid, over whatever secret character you have chosen. Press any button to select them. Note that the tactical descriptions tend to be somewhat cursory, since generally speaking the secret characters aren't vastly different from their counterparts.
+------------------------+ | 9.A - Gold War Machine | +------------------------+
Gold War Machine is slightly different from regular War Machine (move-wise, instead of Shoulder Cannons he fires missiles, and the Proton Cannon will also fire missiles) but obviously the main difference is that he has Hyper armour, like Zangief in Iron Body mode. Unlike Zangief, War Machine can't switch his armour off, so he'll never be able to block. Quite a big drawback.
Now of course, I suck as War Machine, so I haven't tried playing as this guy much. If you want to be effective, you have to take advantage of the Hyper armour (you can't play him as though he was regular War Machine). You're best off super-jumping to get close to your opponent, then hitting them with the hardest thing you have. Keep in mind that they'll be trying to keep AWAY from you, so this is easier said than done.
He really is just too slow (regular War Machine was slow enough) so you'll have a horrible time against someone like Wolverine. I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this guy, he just seems...wrong, somehow. They should have done the Hulk secret character with Hyper armour, and the War Machine secret character slightly faster (he NEEDS the speed).
CODE - From Chun-Li, R, Dx4, L, Ux4, Rx2, Dx2, Lx2, Dx2, Rx2, Ux4, Lx2, U
Ugh...freaky. This guy is a bit of a shock - he's always got supercharged speed (like a perpetual Berserker Rage) and he actually tends to be a touch more powerful than regular Venom. But (and it's a BIG but) he has next to no stamina. A strong super like the Shin Shoryuken will probably take him out in one go (if it doesn't he won't be too healthy). A few good whacks on him and he's gone.
If you want to win with this guy (trust me, it ain't likely) you've really got to capitalise on his speed. I mean REALLY capitalise - if you're standing still then you're doing something wrong. Avoid any chipping damage wherever possible (and push-block whenever impossible). Hit hard and never let up (as a great tactician once said, "The best defense is a perfect offense."). Hope like hell you don't get hit by supers.
Keep in mind that High-speed Venom's special moves are different to those of regular Venom. Generally speaking, a qcf+P move will result in Venom's HP and a qcf+K will result in Venom's HK (although there are differences, as you will see if you perform the move). High-speed Venom still has the Web Throw, but otherwise his moves are different.
I wouldn't use this guy in a "real" fight, not even if I wanted a challenge. Sure, he's fast, but he just dies before he can achieve anything valuable. Perhaps a good partner for him would be Jin...
CODE - From Zangief, Lx2, Dx2, Rx2, Ux2, Dx4, Lx2, Ux4, R, L, Dx4, Rx2, Ux4, Lx2, Dx4, R, D
Lilith is quite an effective character for anyone who plays as Morrigan. She tends to be slightly faster and a touch more powerful than her sister (although Morrigan has much better supers) and this will allow you to have two "Morrigans" on the one team (devastating once you know how to use them).
Generally speaking, Lilith has the same special moves as Morrigan, the only difference being the Soul Fists - Lilith's version is a heart-projectile, which only covers half the screen (like Ken's hadoken) but tends to do a little more damage than one of Morrigan's Soul Fists. Otherwise, the Vector Drain and Soul Blade are the same, and she also has the Head Stomp, etc..
As for supers, Lilith loses the Eternal Slumber, but retains the Darkness Illusion (her version is identical, but called Luminous Illusion, I think). Instead of the Soul Eraser, Lilith gets something called Brilliant Shower, which sends heaps of pink bats at the opponent. It's good for chipping, but takes a bit too long to come out. Also, instead of the Silhouette Blade, Lilith gets a pretty useless thing called Splendour Love. It seems to take AGES to start, and doesn't really do very much if you actually manage to start it. Generally, save your supers for your partner (if you can combo in a team super, the Brilliant Shower is an excellent back-up to anything).
Lilith is an interesting character - her supers aren't as solid as Morrigan's, but she can hold her own against pretty much anyone. In particular, team her up with Morrigan and (with a little practice) the results are devastating.
+-------------------+ | 9.D - Orange Hulk | +-------------------+
CODE - From Chun-Li Rx2, Dx2, Lx2, Rx2, Dx2, Lx2, Ux4, Dx2, Rx2, Ux2, Dx4, Ux4, L, U
I haven't played as Orange Hulk too much, but from what I've seen he's almost identical to regular Hulk. The differences are that Orange Hulk trades his super armour for easier to perform combos (or so I'm told). The moves are identical, and strategies tend to be pretty much the same (but take advantage of air combos, because Hulk's REALLY hurt).
+------------+ | 9.E - Roll | +------------+
CODE - From Zangief, Lx2, Dx2, Rx2, Dx2, Lx2, U, L, Ux2, Lx2
When I first saw Roll, I had trouble keeping a straight face. She's just so pointless...I don't know. She seems really underpowered and just plain dumb.
Her moves tend to be similar to Megaman's, but there are a few very important differences. The fireball is now qcf+P and cannot be charged, and it's also got insanely slow recovery time (Roll has trouble in a firefight against Strider, but mainly because Strider has those leopards). To use whatever item she has is now qcf+K. qcb+P will throw a flower bouquet, which is probably the dumbest move in the game (for comparison, I'd rather use Chun-Li's taunt than this thing). She also loses the Mega Upper.
Roll is microscopic - as of yet I haven't fought against her with Zangief, but it's not something I'd look forward to. Many moves miss her while she's standing, and she can crouch to be even smaller! This lack of size also means lack of range - her arms and legs are really short, and you'll have trouble hitting someone.
Roll retains the Beat Plane and Rush Drill, and instead of the Hyper Megaman she gets the Hyper Roll (funnily enough). This is really silly, because in the Hyper Megaman you'll notice that huge beam coming out of him - she loses that and gets useless lightning bolts and missiles instead (I know which I'd rather have).
There are people who'll play as Roll, but I don't think anyone could really stand up to a good player of the game as Roll. Sure, she's hard to hit, but she really has trouble hitting back, and when she does hit it's like being assaulted by a flea. I'll leave this up to you to decide...
+-------------------+ | 9.F - Shadow Lady | +-------------------+
CODE - From Morrigan, U, Rx2, Dx4, Lx2, Ux4, Rx2, Lx2, Dx2, Rx2, Dx2, Lx2, Ux2, Rx2, Ux2, Lx2, Dx5
Remember Chun-Li's ending from Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter? Well, Shadow Lady is now playable in Marvel Vs Capcom. She is, of course, similar to Chun-Li, only I think the word "techno" adequately describes her moves now.
Shadow Lady retains the Lightning Kicks and the Axe Kick, but loses the Tenshou Kyaku and the Mini-Kikoushou. Her other moves either replace moves that weren't mentioned there, or are new to Chun-Li - these moves will be described below.
Shadow Lady has the Drill Punch instead of the Kikoken, and it's ten thousand times more useful. The Drill Punch does multiple hits and as such does much better damage that the Kikoken.
She gets a Lightning Field move, which is handy but ultimately not too useful. It's kind of like Venom's standing HK - good if you connect with it, but extremely short range. Use it against opponents who are jumping in, but don't overuse it.
Finally she gets some pretty useless things (I just call them Butt Missiles) that take far too long to come out. They do track the opponent, but pretty much everyone will either start up some kind of beam super or block - you may catch someone by surprise the first time (like a Captain Commando player who starts a Captain Storm) but people will tend to learn after the first time. Maybe use them once or twice, but don't rely on them, because they're not too great.
As for supers, Shadow Lady gets the Big Bang Laser (pretty dumb name, but you can get some funny cross-over finishes...Big Bang Bite...hmmm) which is kind of like War Machine's Proton Cannon, except it comes out and finishes much quicker. It does good damage, but people do tend to see the eye ching and take the hint.
She also gets the Galaxy Missile, which is probably the least useful super in the game. Think of it as Super Butt Missiles, and you'll get the idea. It takes AGES to come out, and suffers from pretty much all the drawbacks of the regular move. May do good chipping damage, but I don't really get the chance to experiment (if I do try it, I'm usually eating super pretty quickly).
If you want to know what happened to the Shichisei Senkuu Kyaku, or the Hazan Tenshou Kyaku, well...I don't know. Shadow Lady just doesn't get them, so she can't dominate air fights like Chun-Li can.
Shadow Lady is an interesting change, but personally I'd rather have regular Chun-Li. If you see her ending, it shows Jin getting cybernetically enhanced...perhaps Shadow Jin's going to show up in the next Vs game? You better believe I'm crossing my fingers about this one...but anyway, as for Shadow Lady, she's useful, and can do some interesting things, but if you want a character to dominate the air, you should stick to Chun-Li.
These are the helper characters available in the game, along with codes to select them and comments on their effectiveness. There's apparently some numerical order to them, but I couldn't be bothered about that, and the grid isn't on the screen for very long, so I've just alphabetised them instead. To use the codes, you must hold down Start and the indicated buttons, preferably BEFORE the grid comes up (otherwise when you press the buttons you'll select whoever the cursor is over).
Name: Anita Code: LP + MP + HP # of uses: 5 Comments: Some little girl (apparently from Darkstalkers) who isn't actually much use. She takes ages to actually launch her clocks (?!) and so forth at them, and most opponents will either block or hit her. The damage isn't too great, and she's not big enough to make much of a distraction. Generally, if you get her randomly, don't bother using her, because it really won't do you any good.
Name: Colossus Code: LP + MP + MK # of uses: 5 Comments: Hoo-boy...this guy's annoying. If you see someone with Colossus who's backing into a corner, DON'T JUMP AT THEM! It's a nasty trick (which, I must confess, I myself have used a few times) to set up all sorts of supers. Colossus is called as you jump in and you bounce along on his shoulder. The opponent starts up something like a Captain Storm...kiss goodbye to a big chunk of your life. Colossus is probaby the most "useful" helper, but that's just because he makes it so easy to set up things like the aforementioned Captain Storm. If your opponent deliberately chooses Colossus and you get your helper randomly, at least you can claim a moral victory regardless of the outcome of the fight.
Name: Cyclops Code: LP + LK + MP # of uses: 7 Comments: Cyclops' low Optic Blast is good against, say, Megaman, because it does three hits (cancelling out most fireballs and hitting the opponent) but the damage isn't too great. Cyclops is a good helper for someone like Jin or Zangief, who don't actually have any ranged attacks worth mentioning. Also will be good against fireball-happy opponents.
Name: Devilot Code: MP + HP # of uses: 5 Comments: The only attraction here is that the explosion is unblockable, so if you want a bit of space most opponents will back away from Devilot. But that's about as good as this thing gets - the range is next to nothing, and it takes way too long to blow up, so you'll never catch someone by surprise. As I said, the only real use is against some berserk opponent who is relentlessly attacking (and even then they may be able to avoid damage and continue their assault). Use with discretion.
Name: Iceman Code: MP + MK # of uses: 4 Comments: I don't know the story behind Iceman - I think he's got something to do with the X-Men (but he's not part of them anymore, or something). In game terms, he's a lot like Hulk's Gamma Quake (only much shorter and for less damage). It covers a good portion of the screen (great for Dave's good old "confuse-the-enemy-by-putting-too-many-characters-on-the-screen" tactic) and lasts a fair while. Handy to have. The only trouble is that you only get to call him four times, so don't waste them.
Name: Jubilee Code: LK + MP + HP # of uses: 8 Comments: Jubilee (one of the X-Men) comes on and fires a few flashy firecracker things at the opponent. She takes a little too long to start, but the firecrackers always seem to go towards you (they don't track you, but there's a fair few of them). She won't stand up to beam supers, but then again, no helpers will. Use her as you would a sort of crazy fireball.
Name: Juggernaut Code: LP + MK # of uses: 3 Comments: Juggernaut comes charging on to the screen, doing excellent damage and (as most people should know by now) he's BIG. The drawbacks here are that you only get to call him three times, and that he only does three hits per summon. He'll go through fireballs, but will stop if he gets hit physically. I'd use him in close quarters, near a screen edge so as to minimise the time it takes to get Juggernaut actually hitting the opponent (and thus have a good chance of catching them by surprise).
Name: King Arthur Code: LP + MP # of uses: 8 Comments: He's from Ghouls & Ghosts, that ancient platform game, and quite honestly, he's a bit of a git. He'll come on and throw three lances, then bound off again. If he gets hit by anything, he'll have his armour blown off and fall off the screen in his underwear, so don't call him in when the opponent is close (when I was Strider, my opponent wasted five summons because I'd just hit Arthur with a single LP as he came). He's best used for irritation value, because he's not too quick.
Name: Lou Code: MP # of uses: 8 Comments: I've got no idea where Capcom pulled this guy from. Anyway, he looks like some variety of gnome, who'll come on and fire a few harpoons at your opponent. There's a little orb near his head that shoots a flame as well, so he's got a fair bit of firepower for such a little guy. As with Arthur, he's best used for irritation value, because even if you manage to hit he doesn't do very good damage.
Name: Magneto Code: LK + HP # of uses: 7 Comments: Magneto (one of the bad guys from the X-Men series) comes in and does one of his EM Disruptors. He's actually quite good, because first you can call him seven times, and he's actually one of the quicker helpers out there. Also, he's very safe while doing his EM Disruptor, but he doesn't look it (so foolish opponents may be lured into attacking him). As with Cyclops, he's good for characters who don't have any real ranged attacks of their own, but Magneto probably won't do as well as Cyclops would against fireballers.
Name: Michelle Heart Code: LP + LK # of uses: 6 Comments: Dunno where she's from, and quite honestly I don't care. Against human opponents, I don't think she's really very useful. Although her firing has a good vertical spread, she doesn't really do much damage. She will appear roughly at the height your opponent is, which can actually be a bit of an inconvenience - for instance, if your opponent is jumping in at close quarters, and you call in Michelle, she'll appear up really high, and in the meantime your opponent has landed and is beating the crap out of you. She is handy against Onslaught's second form, but against human opponents there are much better helpers out there.
Name: Psylocke Code: MK # of uses: 5 Comments: I can't remember where Psylocke comes from (she may have something to do with the X-Men, I can't quite remember) but I know she's been in Marvel Super Heroes. She comes on with her Psi-Thrust, which is fast and does decent damage, but she's not too tall, so opponents can easily jump over her. She's probably best for setting up beam supers, but you'll have to know when to call her out to catch your opponent off guard.
Name: Pure and Fur Code: LK # of uses: 5 Comments: Apparently, these two were going to be a Capcom mascot (I for one am glad that I'd never seen them before Marvel Vs Capcom) and in game terms, they're not that great, but they're far from useless. Probably the best thing about them is that the dice come from the absolute top of the super jump screen, so if you're facing super-jumping opponents you can call these two in to catch them by surprise (a dice-bombing isn't exactly what you expect while super-jumping). On the ground, they're not too good because they have next to no horizontal range. Chipping damage isn't too good either, so if you're fighting against an opponent who'll stay on the ground they're not that useful.
Name: Rogue Code: LP + MP + HP + LK # of uses: 7 Comments: Rogue comes onto the screen doing her rushing punches move from X-Men Vs Street Fighter. She has a fairly limited hit range, but if she actually connects, the opponent will be lifted up and ready for all sorts of follow-ups or beam supers. Rogue isn't the best helper out there, but there are plenty of uses for her.
Name: Saki Code: HP # of uses: 7 Comments: Some girl comes on and shoots this funny lightning gun thing, gives the thumbs up and jumps away. From a technical aspect, she's pretty much the same as Cyclops - her lightning hits three times and crosses the screen instantly. The uses are pretty much the same also - good to use as a projectile attack for someone like Jin or Zangief, and good against fireball happy opponents.
Name: Storm Code: LP + LK + HP # of uses: 6 Comments: Storm flies onto the screen and does one of her typhoons from X-Men Vs Street Fighter. The typhoon has fairly short range, but good vertical height and will lift up opponents (ready to be hit by the super of your choice). Don't expect an opponent to get hit by the typhoon too often, because Storm takes a touch too long to start up. However, it will cancel out fireballs and is a good way to exploit an opening. Practice the timing and Storm will come in handy.
Name: Thor Code: LK + MP # of uses: 7 Comments: When I first saw Thor, I thought he was pretty crap. Then, Dave ended up with him as a helper once (after messing up the Sentinel code) and he started calling Thor down and shouting "Thor!" all the time. Anyway, this soon ended up as Thor Wars (with both of us selecting Thor and trying to out-Thor each other) and since I've been seeing Thor so much, I've actually come to appreciate his uses. His lightning comes out really high, so pretty much anyone except Zangief and Hulk can duck under it - and most veteran players will do this. It's a bit of a trap, because then you come jumping in at them, forcing them to stand up or get hit, then you mix in a few low attacks...sad and cheesy, but really annoying (great for playing mind games with your opponent). Thor does decent damage (if he hits, which is another story entirely) and he's pretty big and intimidating (and thus causing a bit of a distraction for your opponent). He does take a bit too long to start, but otherwise Thor is one of those useful but overlooked helper characters. To top it all off, you get to call him seven times, which is bound to cause a headache or two for your opponent.
Name: Ton-Pooh Code: LP + HP # of uses: 9 Comments: I'm told this girl is from the original Strider arcade game. She's not too good - she'll jump on the screen and do a big kick (about the same range as Strider's Ghram) then jump off again. The kick has decent range, and you can call her nine times, but it's near impossible to use her to set up anything. Throw her out to catch your opponent by surprise, but otherwise don't expect too much from her.
Name: Unknown Soldier Code: LP # of uses: 4 Comments: This guy (don't know where he's from) will pop onto the screen and fire a few times. He comes out very quickly, and he fires a fair bit (don't try to out-shoot him, because you'll probably end up worse off). The problem is that you can only call him four times - not too great for someone like this. I mean, you can call Colossus out five times, and Colossus is tons better in game terms. If you end up with Unknown Soldier, he can be used to out-shoot fireballers, and to set up supers (if you're quick).
Name: US Agent Code: MK + HP # of uses: 5 Comments: He'll do a Charging Star, exactly the same as Captain America's HK version. Once he starts, he'll nullify fireballs, but he takes a touch too long to actually get going. Use him as you would a kind of tiny Juggernaut, because he's very similar from a technical point of view. He can set up supers and act as a fireball shield, but don't expect him to achieve a great deal.
HIDDEN HELPERS - These two can only be selected by a code. They won't appear on the regular grid.
Name: Sentinel Code: MP + MK + HP # of uses: 4 times Comments: Sentinel charges across the screen, hitting a few times for good damage. He's as tall as the regular screen (i.e. not including the super-jump height) but there's a big problem here. If he gets hit by a fireball, he'll stop and kind of half-heartedly explode (you'll see what I mean when this happens). Use him as you would Juggernaut, but keep this vulnerability to fireballers in mind.
Name: Shadow Code: LP + MK + HP # of uses: 3 Comments: Shadow jumps onto the screen with his Somersault Justice super. He's far from useless, but it's a little difficult to actually hit someone with him. If the opponent is in the opposite corner, Shadow will miss them entirely. Only use Shadow when your opponent is approximately in the middle of the screen. If he hits, they'll be lifted up, but it's difficult to chain supers off Shadow's hits - he just doesn't seem to last long enough. He's not a bad helper, but not someone I'd use very often.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11. VS ONSLAUGHT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Onslaught isn't like Apocalypse was in the original two Vs games. If you don't know what you're doing, he'll walk all over you. First there are ratings for Helpers against Onslaught, then character-specific tips for defeating him. The ratings for Helpers are like this - there are A, B and C, with A being the best and C being the worst. Generally, the best against Onslaught are large, multiple hit style characters, with the fastest taking pride of place. Helpers are mostly useless against his second form, so all of these ratings are for using against his first form. Note that these ratings are against Onslaught only. If you want to know about Helpers in a normal fight, see the previous section imaginatively entitled Helper Characters.
Anita - C - Takes too long to start. Colossus - A - Comes out quick, multi-hit. Cyclops - C - Doesn't do enough hits, sometimes misses. Devilot - C - Way, way, WAY too slow and too hard to hit with. Iceman - B - Only good when fairly close to Onslaught. Jubilee - B - A bit too slow to start, but otherwise good. Juggernaut - A - Good strength, comes out pretty fast, multi-hit. King Arthur - C - Far too slow. Lou - C - Just doesn't shoot rapidly enough. Magneto - B - Makes Onslaught stagger after he hits. Michelle Heart - C - Would be B class against second form. Psylocke - A - Probably the best, with speed, hits and 5 summons. Pure and Fur - B - Only good when right next to Onslaught. Rogue - C - Just no use against something so big. Saki - B - Multiple hits are good, but could last longer. Storm - B - Good hits but short range. Thor - B - Would be A Class, but he takes too long to start. Ton-Pooh - C - Just totally crap. Unknown Soldier - B - He's ok because he comes out fairly quick. US Agent - B - Fairly good, but a little too vulnerable.
Sentinel - A - As good as Juggernaut, but watch out for projectiles. Shadow - A - Multiple hits and decent speed.
Now, in general, against his first form you want to chain regular combos to helper attacks. Don't do supers, because Onslaught will just teleport out of them. When he does his optic blast (Behold! Optic Blast! That's what he should be saying) you'll notice a huge gap near his feet. If you can get to that gap (as a smaller character) you can crouch and do simple hits. A single LP for some characters (Jin, for instance) while some can do LP-MP (Ryu and Strider are good examples). Some characters have their own simple combos (Morrigan can do LP-LP-MP-F+HP). Generally, you want to block whatever he does and hit him a couple of times while he's recovering. To finish him off, a super can help (he'll only teleport out after being hit a few times). Against the second form, watch out for the eye beams! They do INSANE damage (as much as some supers against normal characters). Otherwise, watch out for hyper gravs, and if he suddenly disappears, super jump to avoid his rush. Jump up next to his head and hit him with a simple combo or a single HP or HK. If you need to switch out, the best time is just after he's rushed at you (before he gets back on the screen). A simple way to finish him off is to do a beam super as he rushes at you (he'll go straight into it and die). Keep your head, and again, watch out for those eye beams!
CAPTAIN AMERICA First Form - Use up your helpers, and chain a standing LP-MP-HP combo to their hits. After this, crouch and block, slipping in LP or MP during an opening. Alternatively, if you're feeling gutsy, try to cartwheel behind him and hit him in the back.
Second Form - When it's safe, jump next to his head and do a LP-MP-HP combo. The only super capable of hitting is a Hyper Stars & Stripes, but it doesn't do very much.
CAPTAIN COMMANDO First Form - Use your helpers, and chain a standing LP-MP-HP-Captain Fire to their attacks. Crouch and block, using LP or MP when possible.
Second Form - Watching out for Eye Beams, run under his head and do Captain Corridors. A Captain Sword can hurt him a bit.
CHUN-LI First Form - Crouch and use MK-HK, ad infinitum. The second hit will make Onslaught stagger, setting him up for another MK-HK combo.
Second Form - Jump up next to his head and hammer away at any kick button. He will send parabombs at you, so if it looks like you're going to be hit, drop to the ground and block. Repeat.
GAMBIT First Form - Chain LP-MP-HP-HP Cajun Strike to helper attacks. Otherwise, crouch and block, hitting him with LP whenever possible. Try Cajun Explosion if you feel lucky.
Second Form - Trick Card may do a bit, but otherwise jump next to his head with a hunter-style combo. Cajun Explosion helps too.
HULK First Form - Chain LP-MP-HP combos to helper attacks. After that, it's best to switch out (Hulk's too big). If you have to stay in, you can try blocking and slipping in a single LP when you get an opening.
Second Form - Jumping HP or HK next to his head will hurt him. Otherwise try LP-MP-HP combos or either Gamma Crush or Gamma Quake supers.
JIN First Form - Chain LP-HP combos to helper attacks, then crouch and block, using LP-Saotome Typhoon.
Second Form - Jump next to his head using LP-MP-HK combos. If he does his rush at you, try a Blodia Punch (you'll get hit, but do a hell of a lot of damage).
MEGAMAN First Form - Crouch and do uncharged fireballs at him. If you manage to start it, Beat Plane will help.
Second Form - Charge fireballs, then jump next to his head and fire them. A Hyper Megaman next to his head is great, as is a Beat Plane.
MORRIGAN First Form - Crouch and hit him with LP-LP-MP-F+HP combos whenever you get an opening. A Soul Blade is a good way to finish him off.
Second Form - Jump next to his head, doing LP-MP-HP-Soul Fist combos (while watching out for eye beams, of course). Try jumping Soul Fists at his head, but again, watch out for eye beams.
RYU First Form - This couldn't be easier. Chain LP-MP-HP combos to helper attacks, then crouch and use LP-MP combos during openings. If you want to beat him with a little flair, change to Ken or Akuma mode and get behind him (using rolls or teleports). Kick the crap out of him while he's looking the other way.
Second Form - Again, this is really easy. Ryu can jump up next to his head and do LP-MP-HP combos, and a Shinkuu Hadoken really hurts Onslaught. In Ken mode, use the same regular combo, but for supers use a Shinryu Ken instead. In Akuma mode, the same combo helps, or you could try dive kicks at his head. Use the Tenma Gou Zankuu as a super, but be really careful for eye beams.
STRIDER First Form - Piece of cake. Chain hunter-style combos to helper attacks, then crouch and use LP-MP combos. If you want, try teleporting behind him.
Second Form - Try to start the Ouroboros, then jump up next to his head and mash like crazy. Legion can do a bit of damage, but otherwise just use combos (and be extremely careful of eye beams!)
VENOM First Form - All I can think of is HP-Venom Fang from helper attacks, then LP whenever an opening presents itself. Venom is a little too big to be really effective against the first form.
Second Form - Jump up next to his head using HK hits. If you can afford to be hit a little, try a Death Bite as he rushes at you.
WAR MACHINE First Form - Chain LP-MP-HP-Shoulder Cannon combos to helper attacks. Then, try to just use crouching HPs or Shoulder Cannons whenever you have an opening.
Second Form - If you're really gutsy, go into Flight mode and drop Smart Bombs on his head. Otherwise, just use Shoulder Cannons at his head. A War Destroyer will help (as long as Onslaught doesn't move too much).
WOLVERINE First Form - Chain LP-MP-HP-Berserker Barrage to helpers (NOT Berserker Barrage X). Then, whenever you get an opening, mash the buttons until physically restrained (or until Onslaught attacks back, whichever comes first).
Second Form - Fatal Claw! Go nuts with that thing. Otherwise just jump up next to his head with the combo of your choice (but don't get too fancy, otherwise you'll get hit).
ZANGIEF First Form - Really, all you can do is use HPs during helper attacks, then hit him with a single LP when possible. In general, it's best to leave the first form to your partner. Don't go into Mega Zangief - this is a Dumb Thing To Do.
Second Form - Jump up next to his head and whack him with a single HP. If he sends Hyper Gravs at you, it's best not to try the Banishing Fist at them (more often than not, you'll get hit). Try and super-jump out of the way, otherwise you'll just have to take the hits (but Zangief's a tough guy). Again, don't go into Mega Zangief - this is an Even Dumber Thing To Do.
GOLD WAR MACHINE Either Form - I really have no idea. I guess all you could do is just hammer away at him repeatedly, but you'll take heaps of damage. I'd mostly just use him to give my other character a chance to recover.
HIGH-SPEED VENOM Either Form - Uh...if anyone can prove that they can beat either form of Onslaught solely with this guy, I'd be really impressed. His extremely low stamina means that Onslaught will soon chip him to death.
LILITH Both Forms - More or less the same as Morrigan, but don't try any supers. They take way too long to come out to be of any real use.
ORANGE HULK Both Forms - Just follow what you would do for regular Hulk, and remember that you don't have super armour anymore (not that it would do you much good against the second form).
ROLL First Form - Roll is GREAT against the first form! She's so tiny that Onslaught has a terrible time trying to hit her (watch what happens when he does the optic blast). Just whack him whenever he's vulnerable, and if he does the optic blast, rejoice!
Second Form - Pretty much how you would with Megaman, but use combos instead of charged fireballs. With Roll, a Beat Plane should be the only super you use.
SHADOW LADY First Form - Chain LP-MP-HP-Drill Punch to helper attacks. After that, use the same combo whenever you get an opening (it should cause Onslaught to stagger slightly).
Second Form - Just what you would do with Chun-Li. When he rushes at you, a Big Bang Laser will hurt him a lot.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. FAVOURITE TEAMS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although I like variety, and I frequently mix the characters around in any old way, there are a few teams that I come back to occasionally. I can't always justify my choice of teams, but someone, somewhere may find this interesting.
Gambit + Strider
Back in the days of X-Men Vs Street Fighter, I reckoned Gambit was cool. Maybe it was just because he got some cool one-liners in the cartoon, but I gave him a go and became relatively proficient with him. I was disappointed that he didn't make it into Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter, but once I heard he was in Marvel Vs Capcom I dredged up my old skills. When I first played Marvel Vs Capcom, I was looking for another character to accompany Gambit. I picked Strider, because I liked the look of him, and as it turned out he was a pretty cool character. Anyway, that's why I chose them originally.
In game terms, these guys make a great team. I love combos, and these two have some of the best in the game. A cross-over combination beginning with Gambit is also effective (if you hit). Gambit holds them in place with the Royal Flush, then Strider's Legion pummels them repeatedly. What fun. I think the main reason I like this team is that both characters can really handle themselves well independently, but can team up effectively for interesting cross-overs.
Jin + Chun-Li
I started playing as Jin because I'd never really gotten the hang of him before. After a few matches, I was very impressed by his sheer power (love that Blodia Punch). His power-up at the end can also help in desperate situations. As for Chun-Li, her supers complement his perfectly.
Cross-over combinations are what these two do best. Start one with Chun-Li, and it is absolutely DEVASTATING. Her Kikoushou acts as a vacuum, and Jin comes charging on, with Blodia smacking them repeatedly. I love that cross-over. If you start one with Jin, Blodia does his thing, and Chun-Li's Senretsu Kyaku follows up, reaching further than the Blodia Punch does. Potential for a lot of hits here.
Also, these characters are amongst my best individually. Jin is devastating once you know how to use him, and Chun-Li can be extremely annoying (if you want an unfair match up, pit her against Zangief). Overall, I'd have to say that this is the best team I've tried.
Zangief + Hulk
Well, how could you pass this up? The two biggest guys in the game, and they work well together. Although the damage of his moves is slightly lower than in Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter, Zangief is still one of the most dangerous in the game. Also, with the option of turning into Mega Zangief against those irritating characters like Spiderman, Zangief is actually quite a well-rounded character. As for Hulk, he's obviously rather strong. A few hits from him, and your opponent will be missing a good portion of their life.
But undoubtedly the best thing about this team is the Double Final Atomic Buster. If you manage to get them with one, they're not going to be too healthy afterwards. The fact that the damage increases if the supporting character is big is what makes the Zangief / Hulk combination the most effective.
The only criticism I have is against Onslaught. I always have trouble against Onslaught with this team, because they're both huge and Zangief can't grab him. Otherwise, this team is great fun, and very intimidating.
Morrigan + Lilith
I always seem to do well with Morrigan, so I couldn't pass up having two at once. Once you know how to use them together, these two can become rather dangerous. Keep in mind the differences (and make sure you can tell them apart) and you can't go wrong.
Also, a cross-over combination beginning with Morrigan is cool. I don't know if it's true, but Lilith's Brilliant Shower seems to do insane damage. The trouble is actually connecting with it - lock the opponent in place with the Soul Eraser.
Venom + Captain America
Nothing special about this team. Just finish someone with a cross-over combination, starting with Venom...you'll get the Death Star! Well, I thought it was funny...
Spiderman + Venom
I like this team, but I can't really explain why. Maybe it's just one of those "go against the story" things (like in Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter, teaming up Omega Red and Wolverine). Still, starting a cross-over combination with Spiderman is surprisingly effective.
Then again, I'm not too good with Spiderman. This isn't really a team I'm GOOD with, I just like to play as them together.
Captain Commando + Jin
This is a theoretical team, since I wouldn't often pick Captain Commando, but the reason I've included it is because these two have perhaps the most damaging cross-over supers in the game. Start it with Captain Commando (preferably when an opponent is jumping in, to maximise the damage) and Jin will finish off. Sounds good in theory.
Ryu + Megaman
This is the anti-Onslaught team. With these two, I've managed to do in Onslaught without taking a hit (although I did lose a bit of health from chipping). The reason they're so effective is their supers. Both can do jumping beam supers, which are really devastating against Onslaught's second form, and since he's so small Megaman can quite easily defeat Onslaught's first form (Ryu can do a pretty good job as well). Otherwise, there's not anything really special about this team.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13. TOP 10 SUPERS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've included this section mainly because I was bored. It lists the 10 supers that (in my opinion) are the most visually impressive or stylish. Now, I may be biased (I really hate Captain Commando and Megaman) but as I said, this is just my opinion. I'll be willing to hear your views, but keep in mind that with something as trivial as this, there are no "facts", only opinions. Also keep in mind that this has nothing to do with the technical aspect of the super. If Dan's Super Taunt was in the game somewhere, it would be right up there with the best of them.
#1 - Royal Flush - Gambit Well, how could I go past this move? This move is the epitome of style, and it's what makes Gambit the coolest character in the game. I've Royal Flushed more opponents than I can remember, and it's still my favourite super. The only flaw I can find is that there are only 37 hits - there should be 52 to make up an entire deck :)
#2 - Shichisei Senkuu Kyaku - Chun-Li I don't know what Chun-Li just did to her opponent, but this quote I overheard adequately sums it up - "That's not a kick, it's a natural disaster!". I've seen this move countless times (usually when I'm on the receiving end) and it's still one of the most impressive in the game. I don't think Dave will ever let me forget how goofy Spiderman looked when he'd just been hit by this thing...
#3 - Proton Cannon - War Machine That's some pretty impressive ordnance he's got there. And just where does that thing come from? In game terms, it's not the most useful super (people can see it a mile off) but it's damn cool in terms of appearance. Don't forget to shout "Proton Cannon!" along with War Machine - it adds to the annoyance of the move.
#4 - Legion - Strider I can't really explain why I like this super. I think it's all got to do with Strider's action - I love that point. It's as if he's got an entire army (or should that be zoo?) off screen, and it comes on rather suddenly. Once someone I was playing against sent out a single leopard afterwards (qcf+K). Looked like one of them was running a bit late (it would be really funny if it was fat and wheezing).
#5 - Blodia Punch - Jin Well, that massive fist is amongst the most reassuring sights in the game (that is, reassuring for the Jin player). I mean, seriously, if this was in a real fight, how could Jin lose? That huge robot should just step on the opponent and squash them flat. Game over. Like the Proton Cannon, remember to shout out "BLODIA!!!" when Jin does. If you really want to, punch your opponent as well.
#6 - Messatsu Gou Hado - Ryu in Akuma mode I love the look of the energy (chi?) gathering in this move - much more impressive than the Shinkuu Hadoken (of course, the Shinkuu Hadoken is tons better in game terms, but that's not what we're talking about here). Some people think the Tenma Gou Zankuu looks better, but I'd have to disagree. In my opinion, the Tenma Gou Zankuu looks a bit unco-ordinated. Maybe that one should be a beam super as well, a bit like Cyclops' air Super Optic Blast.
#7 - Weapon X - Wolverine I always thought Wolverine looked pretty cool at the start of this move (but the thing is, his claws are always out during the fight. Why does he need to pop them out again?). It's definitely my favourite auto-combo super, and I love the slow-motion at the end (can't explain why, though).
#8 - Crawler Assault - Spiderman This is a pretty funky super, with Spiderman hopping along doing all those kicks and punches. It may not do much in game terms, but this is probably my favourite of Spiderman's supers - the other two just aren't as impressive (that Ultimate Web Throw just looks silly).
#9 - Final Justice - Captain America FINAL JUSTICE! In my opinion, if you don't say that when you do the move, you may as well use the Hyper Charging Star instead. Captain America's good old super (came in with his first appearance in a fighting game) is back with a vengeance, and it's as useless as ever! Still, if you manage to connect with it, it's a pretty cool-looking super.
#10 - Final Atomic Buster - Zangief Even though Zangief has that Ultra Final Atomic Buster, I still prefer the good old Final Atomic Buster. The reason is, the UFAB just isn't enough. I can't really justify why I think that, but personally I'd do the FAB over the UFAB any day.
Anything which didn't fit in anywhere else will find it's way here. Most people already know these things, but there's bound to be someone somewhere who doesn't know. Whoever you are, enjoy...
BEAT UP THE DEAD GUY - After winning a match, press Start to stop your character doing their victory pose. Now you can control them and beat them up until the screen clears. Note that some poses can't be cancelled (such as Captain America with the eagle landing on his wrist).
POSE POINTS - After the points are totalled up, it will freeze whatever your character is doing and take the picture to the centre of the screen. Before the character portraits come up, you may get extra points depending on what the character is doing. More points are awarded for tricky poses (i.e. only one or two frames of a move will count, such as in Gambit's Royal Flush). There are tons of possible poses, so experiment.
SWITCH LEADER - At the match-up screen (i.e. when the portraits are displayed with a big fat VS in the middle) press all three punches to switch the character who will start out the match. Note that you don't have to hold the buttons, just pressing them will do.
STEAL HELPER - Between rounds, hold all three kick buttons to retain the helper character that your opponent used.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mostly, I've written everything in this FAQ myself. However, there are a few people I'd like to thank...
It's inevitable that I'd say this, but thanks to Capcom for making such a great game. Keep up the good work. Also, thanks to Marvel for letting them use Gambit :)
Kao Megura (kmegura@yahoo.com) for writing a comprehensive move list for MvC. I borrowed a few move names from there (hope that's ok, because otherwise there'd be no chance I'd remember a name like Shichisei Senkuu Kyaku). If you want to read his FAQ, it can be found at his homepage (redirect from http://i.am/kao) or at www.gamefaqs.com.
Thanks to Dave, Ty and anyone else I've fought against. If it weren't for all of you, I'd always be fighting the lame computer AI (which has occasional bouts of combo-frenzy).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16. FINAL NOTES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want the latest versions of my FAQs, you can check out my site at <http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Ring/9520>. Send any comments, suggestions or corrections to . Looking back over the FAQ, I've noticed that I've used my own names for a few moves, and since I haven't listed the actual commands, people may get a bit confused. I shouldn't imagine this will pose too much of a problem, but if you've got no idea what I'm talking about, e-mail me and I'll try to help. So there you have it - my FAQ on Marvel Vs Capcom. If you live in the area of Brisbane, Australia, I'd be glad to challenge you to a game of MvC anytime (I'm always looking for a good game).
