(www.marvelvscapcom3.com) Rated T for Teen by ESRB. Fan of fighting games have no doubt been keeping an eye on announcements from Capcom regarding Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The first MvC3 was met with excitement and fanfare from the fighting game community. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 ups the ante by adding 12 new fighters and a plethora of features and improvements.

The 12 new fighters increase the roster count to fifty. These characters come from a variety of games and comics. The variety includes the likes of Phoenix Wright, Rocket Raccoon, Frank West, Ghost Rider and Firebrand. These 12 new characters bring new moves and combat styles that will appeal to both veteran fighters and casual players. Frank West favors a rush-down style of play- picture Frank using his tools and weapons from the Dead Rising series to attack his opponents and unleash devastating combos that may even involve zombies. Phoenix Wright is a complex character which requires “collecting evidence” to perform damaging attacks and fight power-ups.

Not only were characters added, but many changes and additions were made to existing characters. New moves and abilities were added to all the characters- Ryu can summon the power of Satsui no Hado which provides a temporary boost in speed and power. Various updates and balances were made as well to make the game more balanced. Some characters such as Phoenix and Sentinel were nerfed. With these new move sets and re-balances it will be interesting to see what new combos will be discovered by the fighting game community.

Major improvements were also made to improve the online fighting experience. Spectators in lobbies can now watch the battle go on while waiting their turn. The previous Marvel vs. Capcom 3 did not allow spectators to truly ‘spectate’.

There is also a welcome distraction in the game called Galactus Mode. In this, you play as Galactus and fight characters who are trying to save the earth. But in order to unlock this mode, you need to have either 30,000 player points or an existing save file from MvC3. Heroes and Heralds is free DLC that all players are eligible to download.

It’s a fighting mode where players can equip a set of cards that alter the player’s abilities. The alternations include super armor, higher jumping ability, projectile invincibility and many different stat, ability and combo enhancements. Crazy things can happen in this mode because of all these bonuses.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a vast improvement over MvC3 with regards to move sets and balance updates, improved net code, spectator mode, larger character roster and new modes. The game is a must have for fighting game fans because the depth and complexity of the game is enormous. The interactions and combinations between all the new characters and existing ones have increased many times over making for almost endless combinations of fighting and fun.