>So this week marked the release of Tatsunoko vs Capcom for play on the Nintendo Wii. The excitement that I have had for this game has been building and building for a solid year. But before I get into the specifics of that story, I’d like to take a moment to discuss just what the Hell a Tatsunoko is, anyway? Tatsunoko is actually a Japanese production company that has produced some pretty awesome anime of the years, the most famous of which is probably Speed Racer. Some of the other more well known properties are Gatchaman (G-Force or Battle of the Planets), Samurai Pizza Cats, the Littl’ Bits, and Robotech (The combining of three other Tatsunoko properties; Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada)… That isn’t to forget their co-production with Gainex to produce Neon Genesis Evangelion.

And now we know what a Tatsunoko is. So what’s so special about this game? Well, it’s all about what has come before it. Back in the mid-to-late 90’s, Capcom (Videogame company) produced a series of fighting games featuring their Street Fighter characters going toe-to-toe with Marvel Super Heroes. The first game of this series was X-Men vs Street Fighter, released back in 1996, gave us a taste of over-the-top comicbook-y action that proved to be so popular that it earned 3 sequels, ending with Marvel vs Capcom 2 back in the year 2000. This series was followed up with a new wave of crossover games featuring Capcom characters and their rival company, SNK. Depending on who you talk to, this series ranged from anywhere from 2 to 7 specific games… But the last practical game in that series was released back in 2004. After that, there was a void. For years, there were rumors about a Marvel vs Capcom 3 or another game pitting Capcom against some other company… But ultimately, nothing came to be of those fabled games. It wasn’t until Capcom decided to develop Street Fighter IV, sometime around 2006, that another cross-company Vs game would even be attempted. When Street Fighter IV was announced near the end of 2007, a few months later in 2008, Tatsunoko vs Capcom was announced. Capcom was attempting to revitalize the fighting game genre with 2 swings.

And so, with the release of Tatsunoko vs Capcom, we get to see a game where half the roster looks like a Power Ranger with a cape. That’s exciting to me. Casshern, Tekkaman, Yatterman-1, Yatterman-2, Hurricane Polymar, Ippatsuman, 3/5s of G-Force… Let me know if any of these names ring a bell to you, because I don’t know anyone who has heard of all of them. But with tons of flashy lights, awesome art from both sides of the world, online play, a ton of cameos, and the option of buying more than one “real” game a year on the Wii is a no-lose situation. Last year, I only purchased one game for my Wii (New Super Mario Bros Wii) and the year before that, just 2 games (Super Smash Bros Brawl and Mario Kart Wii). Now I’m not some sort of videogame snob, but seriously, Nintendo needs to get it together… But this is a good start. If you have a Wii, check the game out. It’ll be fun… Unless you don’t like fighting games, in which case… Watch someone else play it. See ya next time.

-Fleet

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