Stereotypically, Marvel vs Capcom 2 is a gamer’s wet dream. Combining the virtual presence of franchises such as Resident Evil, Mega Man and Street Fighter alongside hand-drawn heroes like Wolverine and the web-slinging Spiderman, this title leaps onto Xbox Live Arcade due to the demand of those who have true superpowers; the fans. With copies of previous iterations fetching increasingly extortionate prices over the years, the appearance of Marvel vs Capcom 2 on the current generation comes as a huge relief for those who’ve always wanted to pit Jill Valentine’s zombie elimination skills against the angriest monster of them all, the mighty Hulk. Fortunately, such unfair one-on-one battles aren’t going to take place here, as for those not in the know, this title pits trios of brightly rendered, freakishly powerful favourites against each other in a brawler that sits further from the Street Fighter series than you may imagine.

Importantly, the huge roster of 56 characters are readily awaiting players from the start, providing massive room to personalise your team and to find combinations that suit your playing style. As a Street Fighter enthusiast, I found myself quickly opting for the reassurance of Ryu, Dan and Ken, in the hope that my previous knowledge of the characters would carry me through. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before I was getting pummelled to the ground by Doctor Doom, Ironman, and even the loveably familiar thighs of Chun-Li; a character I’ve defeated numerous times over the years. Seeking a change in style, I began auditioning a replacement for Ken. Before long, two new, wholly untested forces were battling it out for a spot in our first team. Both Wolverine and Captain America, two favourites of the comic world, were now hoping to stand alongside the Shotokan masters. Restraining our inner geek with the subtly of a spandex wearing, childless father climbing across Tower Bridge, it suddenly hit me why Marvel vs Capcom 2’s return was so eagerly awaited, and why it has a ruthlessly hardcore following to this day.

Although not as complex as many other fighting games, this title is undeniably very hard. Even on the easiest difficulty, players will need to ensure they understand the fundamentals of the game, and are able execute them at will. Only four buttons are used to fight (punches and kicks are expectedly broken up into light/heavy attacks), with the shoulder buttons being used to call in assistance from the rest of your team. Starting with only one sprite each, it isn’t long before immensely paced combos and explosions of vibrant colour flatter the screen, as opponents and comrades hop in and out like a group of unsure frogs making a tough decision. As each off-screen character can offer support when called into the heat of the battle, it’s your knowledge and understanding of how and when to utilise them that will underline the amount of progress made. Simply using one fighter at a time is not enough, as the computer will mockingly deploy the abilities of its star squad with chilling ease, often wiping the floor with your Spiderman’s squeaky-clean buttocks before any sticky business has taken place.

Of course, the challenging difficulty of the computer becomes defunct when compared to the prowess and dominance of many online players, and Marvel vs Capcom 2 isn’t any different. The brawler aficionados have been waiting a long time for this title to appear with online multiplayer, and my god, it shows. For those who think they understand the technicalities of the offline mode, there’s an expert of the series quietly lurking, ready to rip you limb from over-exaggerated limb in a matter of seconds. Throw in the fact that many of the hardcore bunch will own an arcade stick of some kind, and the average player will quickly stumble whilst trying to Hadouken their way round an infuriatingly loose 360 pad. I own a Street Fighter IV Tournament Edition stick, and while it was enough to despatch the bad to average players, it was a completely different story once I lined up against the top guns. My Wolverine quickly resembled the lookalike loser from the current English Big Brother series, rather than the badass, claw wielding, trash-talker that has made so many people place sharp cutlery between their knuckles at home in the hope it’ll stick for good.

To the average eye, Marvel vs Capcom 2 is just another 2D beat ‘em up that Capcom have unleashed alongside the three arcade iterations of Street Fighter in order to make a quick buck. What we really have here is a fan-driven, purist experience, as the mixture of tactical combat and blistering aesthetics (that rely so heavily on sharp reactions and stern knowledge of the characters being used) amount to a dazzling downloadable experience. It truly is magnificent to watch, and even more breath taking to take part in, as the most powerful moves can be pulled of without the stress of earning it like in Street Fighter IV.

For those willing to put in the time, the 1200 MS points price tag will be seen as a cheap ransom to pay for such an enthralling fighter that can reward dedication so fruitfully. If you’re anything like me, Marvel vs Capcom 2 will not only have you giving up vital time for improvement, it’ll force you to understand that, yes, Sabretooth can be taken down by Rogue, and the Hulk isn’t any less powerful when he is rendered grey instead of green. Although these facts are ashamedly true, they fail to take away from what is one of the best beat ‘em ups available right now, especially if you’re in it for the long run, and not just to get your geeky juices flowing.

Grade: A-