Stick to the classic controller, and you will find a fast-paced, vibrant, and entertainingly solid fight game!
Upon loading up Tatsunoko vs. Capcom with the Wii remote control scheme, you immediately become aware of a few awkward quirks. The traditional arcade fighting button mapping is exchanged for something a little more reminiscent of Super Smash Bros.' attack scheme, and one must flick the remote to perform Special attacks. It is functional when played this way, but the controls don't feel tight and you lose a lot of control over your character. Don't get me wrong, the wii remote is great, it just might not be the most optimized for combo-heavy fighting games. My advice? – Plug in your classic controller. With the classic controller, you are presented with a more familiar, side-scrolling fight game control scheme. You have your 3 attack buttons: "y", "x", and "a", which correspond to "Weak", "Medium", and "Strong", respectively. The "b" button is your partner assist button, and you can map your "l" and "r" buttons to macro any combination of those four.
You will utilize your controls for swiftly executed combos and quick footwork against your opponents. The fighters' skill lists are on the short side, averaging around 7 or 8, which vary from Roll sweeping the floor with your face, to Ryu letting loose a full-blown, full-powered Hadouken. Few of the attacks are more than a simple quarter-circle forward combined with any of the attack buttons, but button mashing still won't get you very far. A relatively small skill list with solid, tight moves ensures strategy a place amongst your battle plan; a well-timed projectile or kick can cancel out most special skills.
Multiplayer is a fun option. There isn't really too much to report, as far as innovation goes. Playing against your friends feels just like playing against computer opponents. There is no online play, which will disappoint a few, but there are unconfirmed whispers that an online mode will be included in the American release of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. We can only hope.
Perhaps the biggest focus in the so-called "Superhero Rave" titles is the character roster, and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom doesn't skimp out in this category, though a few more unlockable characters would have been welcome. On the more recognizable side of the roster are Ryu and Chun Li from the classic fighter series, Street Fighter, Megaman Volnutt from the Mega Man offshoot series, Mega Man Legends, and Viewtiful Joe from the title of the same name. Unfortunately, other than the aforementioned fighters and maybe Morrigan, the chance that you'll find a familiar face is unlikely. The other characters, like Ken the Eagle and Yatterman, are from anime series dating back a few decades that only the more hardcore anime fans will recognize. The roster tops off at 22 fighters, which certainly is not bad for the first title in its sub-series, but still feels a bit lacking when compared with the 55+ fighters in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. All things considered, I'm frankly a little surprised they did not include Speed Racer on the Tatsunoko side. (Or perhaps Samurai Pizza Cats...? No? No.)
Unlocking the various goodies in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom will keep you busy and entertained for a good while. Every time you complete Arcade Mode, you earn currency with which to purchase unlockable content, such as trivia, mini-games, and extra fighters. Two characters from both Tatsunoko and Capcom are made available for purchase through playing Arcade Mode with different characters, and the mini-games range from button mashing, all the way to PTX-40A's mini-game, which feels like a full-blown game unto itself.
The visuals and musical composition satisfyingly tie everything together in a bright, beautiful package. The character models are well-rendered and crisp, and the background music always lends an audible hand in immersing you in the beautiful, and sometimes strange playing fields.
Altogether, this is a title that may find itself lost in its own obscurity at times, but exudes an underdog kind of charm that more than makes up for its questionably oddball cast. The tight controls, fun and fast-paced intuitive game mechanics, clean visuals, and copious amount of unlockables will keep you locked in combat on your Wii for many an hour.