There have been many fighting games I’ve played throughout my life such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, but no other fighting game has laid an impact like Marvel vs Capcom 2. MVC2 was released in the early 2000’s for the arcades and shortly after came out for the Dreamcast. The game play is pretty complex and hard for beginners however for those who put in the time and dedication, the payoff was worth it. Players exploited glitches such as Juggernauts power up glitch or Sentinels unblockable.
MVC2’s competitive scene has been strong for around 15 years. The scene has a variety of players from different states such as New York, California, Texas and others. The competitive scene also developed rivalries between different coasts, providing a good show. Players would also challenge other players for money. If you wanted to prove you were better than someone, you would have to put some cash up. The “Money Matches” can range from 10 dollars to 26,000 dollars.
After entering into the scene in 2005, I played the game and went to different tournaments around the States. What I learned from these trips is that players from different areas have their own style of game play. They add their own little flavor to their game play and it would catch you off guard if you didn’t notice it.
Some players wouldn’t openly share these tactics with other players because they want to hit you with that surprise, so the only way you would know is if you traveled to their state, play in one of their tournaments, and experience it for yourself.
Learning the game wasn’t easy—I practiced with my friends but it was not enough. I wasn’t good enough to touch the higher tier players. That never stopped me from playing the game and joining tournaments. As a matter of fact when I used to get my ass handled to me by the top tier players, I noticed that when I traveled out-of-state and enter tournaments I would do well. It felt pretty cool that my beat downs in my home equated to kicking some ass from another state.
Beast coast
I am from New York, better known as the “Beast Coast” of MVC2 with players like IFC Yiipes, Justin Wong and Sanford Kelly, aka the Marvel Gods. West Coast had their share of top tier players such as Soomighty, Clockw0rk and Harry Potter. The United States has produced so many high level players that it became a treat watching these players collide in the main stage, and that stage would be Evolution. Winning MVC2 at Evolution is like winning the Superbowl. You spend countless months practicing and joining countless local and out-of-state tournaments, and when time came to fly to Vegas and enter the ballroom, you knew playtime was over.
Evolution 2k7
I remember Evolution 2k7 as clear as day because that year provided one of the most incredible comebacks in MVC2 history. The match between IFC Yiipes vs Justin Wong at the grand stage looked like easy victory for Yiipes. Some players would stop playing if they lost two characters however Wong lives by the mantra of never giving up.
Wong came back with one character and defeated Yiipes. The crowd was hype, jumping around in amazement and for some there were no words. I was there live and watching that match was incredible. In my opinion that was the defining moment for MVC2. These two gladiators fighting it out while the crowd cheers in amazement was an incredible moment that I will never forget.
Nowadays MVC2 survives off the old school players and new players who still play the game. There is a Facebook group of players from around the world with over 2,000 members. The tournaments aren’t as big, but the players still try to support the scene.
Some players tried to make the crossover to the newer fighting games out there but it’s not the same. Marvel vs Capcom 2 was never supposed to be the game this complex till the players broke it and turned it into the beast we’ve known and love.
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