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Like all fighting games though, multiplayer is the meat and potatoes, which is where Wii's shortcomings are most apparent. TvC has gone to great lengths to overcome the awful Friend Code system by allowing players to make individual friend and rival lists using unique TvC ID codes. Finding and distributing your code is straightforward, and adding rivals and friends substantially streamlines the Wii's online process. The latency of the matches we played online varied in quality, from no noticeable lag at all, to a few seconds, which is the kiss of death for online fighting games. Unfortunately, the game's matchmaking system doesn't allow you to preview your opponent's connection speed as with SFIV, making it difficult to avoid lagged matches when playing with people outside your friends list. Finding a group of friends with solid connections and speeds will definitely make the online more consistent and enjoyable. If you’ve got some friends and a couple classic controllers lying around though, TvC’s local multiplayer is always great fun.
To say that Tatsunoko vs. Capcom faces an uphill battle is a gross understatement. Despite the massive success of Street Fighter IV, fighting games tend to be a niche genre populated with hardcore devotees who will inevitably spend hours playing and learning every facet of the game. For them, Tatsunoko is a no brainer; it looks good, plays excellently and offers a fresh, fun take on the combo centric play of the vs. series. For everyone else, it’s a newbie-friendly fighting game on a console with no fighting game fans, populated with unknown ‘70s anime characters. No matter what happens at retail, Capcom should be applauded for having the confidence to bring TvC to the states - it’s an excellent fighting game that deserves to be played despite its commercial handicaps.
Jan 25, 2010
