Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars Review

For fighting game fans, the “Capcom Vs.” series has always been a popular franchise. Now, for the first time, the Wii gets its turn at the fast-paced action in the form of Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.
First off, what is Tatsunoko? Well, they’re one of the oldest and most popular anime companies in Japan. They are known for creating iconic characters ranging from outrageous superheroes to gigantic robots. Now, you take those guys and put them up against Capcom’s finest, such as, Street Fighter’s Ryu and Mega Man Legends’ Mega Man Volnutt and you have yourself a recipe for insane action full of combos, ultra moves, and crazy set pieces.
Before I start my review, I want to point out that I, personally, played the Japanese version of this game about 3 months before the US version was released so you will be seeing a few comparisons and observations between the two games.
There is a number of ways to play this game. You can use just the Wii remote turned sideways. You can use the remote and nunchuck. You can use the classic controller, and finally, you can use the GameCube controller. I will be explaining most of the game controls as if you were using the remote turned sideways.

When using only the remote the game’s controls get very simple. Your B button is for your assists, the 1 button is for standard attacks, and your 2 button is for special attacks.
If you have ever played a Vs. game before, you know a little about the game play. For those of you who haven’t let me explain it. This is a 3D fighting game on a 2D plane. You choose two characters to fight with. Think of it as a tag team match. By pressing the B button, you can call on an assist attack where your partner will come out, throw a single attack and then return off the screen. If you hold away from your opponent and hit B, your partner will take the current fighter’s place and you’ll begin playing as him/her.
When using the remote, just by repeatedly hitting the 1 button will unleash a flurry of combos based on the direction you are holding the D-pad. You can end a combo with a knock back move, or you can choose to hit your opponent in the air and go for an air combo. The 2 button is for all your special attacks and they all vary based on the direction you are holding the D-pad as well. So let’s say you’re playing as Ryu. If you hit the 2 button without holding a direction he will throw a Hadouken(Fireball). Holding back and the 2 button will initiate a hurricane kick. Down and 2 allows for a Shoryuken(Dragon Uppercut) So say you hit the 1 button 3 times in a row, that’s a combo. You can then finish it up with a special attack with the quick tap of the 2 button. Let me just say, the number of combos you can come up with in the game is almost endless.
There are also new additions to the series with the Baroque technique. What this is, is a cancellation of a combo which can then be turned back into a new combo. Most combos you perform end after the 4th or 5th hit. What you can do is start a combo. Hit your opponent 3 or 4 times then activate the Baroque by hitting the B button and an attack. This will then cancel the current combo and allow you to start another combo that can end with over 10 hits. There is also a new ability that will allow you to cancel an opponent combo that may be hitting you. Simply press the A button to perform a Mega Crash that will stop an opponent’s attack and allow you to recover. Keep in mind, these moves will take some of your ultra meter as well as some of your recovery life.
Now on to what the Vs. series are know for, the Ultra Combos. These moves are devastating when used properly. To perform these moves, simply hit both the 1 and 2 buttons and a direction with the D-pad. Each character has 2 main moves and a powered up ultra that requires your ultra meter to be at at least 3 bars. Your ultra meter increases when you land hits or are being hit by attacks. The possibilities are pretty much endless given the fact that every character plays almost completely different.

The game features 26 characters in all ranging from Gatchaman’s Ken the Eagle to Dead Rising’s Frank West. The list gives you the best of both sides. There are 4 unlockable characters, two from Capcom, and two from Tatsunoko. Continuing on with unlockable content. There is concept art and character art that can be unlocked almost like the trophies in Super Smash Bros. There is also a neat little top down shooter that you can play after you get all the gold letters during the ending credits…you’ll see. It’s a nice touch that will keep the player busy for a while.
Aside from the Story mode, there is also versus mode for 2 players locally, a time attack mode, and survival mode. There is also an online versus via the Wii’s Wi-Fi. It works most of the time, but I have experienced a good amount of lag in some of my matches online. As far as online mode goes it’s actually quite deep. You can fight in player matches or ranked matches. If you liked fighting a certain fighter, you can add them to your rival’s list. So that the next time they are online playing you can choose to fight them again. It’s one of the closest things the Wii can get to a friends list. You can also fight your friends that you have through the Wii friends list, but it requires both the Wii friend code as well as another code that is provided to you from the game. It’s not bad, it’s just very inconvenient.

The comparisons that I have for the US and Japanese versions are what most people would call rather small, but I need to address them. First off, the US version is faster paced as far as game play and action goes. It runs a lot smoother as well, which is a great thing. The thing that bothers me the most is the music. Yes, the music in the US version is great and fits the game perfectly, but the Japanese version has a one up on the version we got. In the Japanese version, the music was all based on the theme songs of the character that was in play. So if you had Yatterman out in the fight it would play his theme song. If you switched to Ryu, his theme from Street Fighter II would begin to play. I thought that was a great way to mix up the tone of the fight. It was really well done. Unfortunately, the US version does not have any of the characters theme music, rather, it has music to go along with each stage. I know it’s a small complaint but it matters to me.
I played the game with the GameCube controller as well just to see how it felt. To be honest, even though it felt more like a traditional fighting game, I am more inclined to just using the remote only. With the GC controller, there are three attack buttons representing light, medium, and hard attacks. In order to do your special attacks you have to actually input the traditional commands such as quarter circle forward attack for Ryu’s Hadouken. With the streamlined, simplistic controls of the remote, pretty much anyone can play and pull off some impressive combos which makes it accessible to new players as well as Vs. veterans.
All in all, TVC is a pretty awesome game that adds a new level of game play to an old-school formula. The Wii was in dire need of a good fighting game and without a doubt, this is it. It’s great for everyone to play with it’s easy controls and stylistic game play.

The Good: Great controls, Colorful environments, Fun game play, Wide variety of characters, Many unlockables, Runs smooth as butter.
The Bad: Online play can get laggy at times, While the music is good, I really wish they would have kept the Japanese version, The Wii’s online is just a bog down on the rest of the experience.
Bottom Line: If you have a Wii and you enjoy fighting games, this is a must buy. The simplistic controls cater to the new and casual players while the game play is deep enough to keep even the most skilled Vs. player on their toes. Honestly, this game may end up being another Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 where in 2 years, you won’t be able to find a copy anywhere so you may want to pick it up while you still can. Trust me, it will be well worth it.
Final Grade: 9.0