Marvel Super Heroes

	MARVEL SUPER HEROES Copyright © 1997 Capcom Sega Saturn Fighter / 1-2 Player ¥4,800 (Import Verson) Available Now (Import and U.S.) — by Charles McCarter		I thought this game would never come out! Originally slated for 4th quarter 1996 release, it was pushed back to January 1997. Then March. Then May. Then July. Then I just gave up and thought that Capcom and Sega had just decided to let it die. I even asked the Capcom folks at Comic Con International in San Diego, who had it only on display, when it would be released. "Late August," I was told emphatically. "For real? No more delays?" I asked. I was assured that everything would be on schedule. Late August came and went without the game showing up on local store shelves, but it did appear as an import. Since the game was so long in coming, there had been plenty of time for all sorts of rumors to appear and make the rounds over the net and in the gaming mags. "It won't support the ram cart." "Yes it will." "Half the frames are missing." Whatever. Despite the whole "ram cart-slow down-frame rate furor," or perhaps because of it, I was even more determined to see what this game was like. Those familiar with Capcom fighters (is there really anyone who isn't by now?) will have no problems with this. The "sequel" to X-MEN: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM, MARVEL SUPER HEROES uses the same basic engine. The new gimmick in this game is the existence of Infinity Gems, which provide helpful effects for limited periods of time, such as super armor, extra speed, or life recover.
			Four characters from X-MEN make the transition to this game: the ever-popular knucklehead Wolverine (with adamantium claws, thank you very much), everyone's favorite ninja telepath Psylocke, and the two boss characters, Juggernaut and Magneto. Rounding out the roster are some of the greats of Marvel Super Heroes: Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, and even the not-so-great Captain America; new villains include Shuma Gorath and Blackheart, who seem to have been chosen for their unique appearances and abilities. Characters have normal moves, special moves, and what are called "Infinity moves," which equate to the Hyper-X from X-Men or the Alpha moves from STREET FIGHTER ALPHA. Some characters have more than one Infinity move, such as Psylocke, who has the most with three. Wolverine has two, as does Magneto; most of the other characters only have one. And they work with mixed results. Suffice it to say that you can't depend on the super moves to win this game (unless you're playing against the stupid AI, but that's another story). Fans of these characters will enjoy pounding them into the pavement with your favorite Marvel fighter. A particular favorite of this author is Psylocke's "Kouchou Gakure", in which little psychic butterflies cut your opponent to ribbons. Getting beat up by a bunch of make-believe insects is pretty embarassing, especially if you're playing the Hulk. Gameplay is fluid and, although I am sure that there are frames missing, I can't notice it while I'm playing so I really don't care. (Besides, I have other things to do than try and figure out which frames were removed). I played the game without the RAM cart and it worked fine; the colors are bright and vibrant, and the sound effects are very sharp and powerful. Where the game really lacks, though, is in its pathetic excuse for an AI. X-MEN aficionados can attest to how difficult Mangeto was to beat, no matter what the difficulty level. With this game, it's the exact opposite; the AI is just plain stupid. Sometimes it will surprise the player and comes out of its computer coma and actually takes the offensive, but more often than not, it's just too easy. A friend who had never played the game before beat it without continuing. About the only way to get a challenge is to increase the difficulty level to the maximum and increase the number of rounds to five, but even then it's just not that hard. Of course, when engaged in a two-player slugfest, the stupid AI isn't really a problem. MARVEL SUPER HEROES was a great arcade game; the Saturn translation is very good, even with the missing frames and whatnot. My only complaint is that the AI is about as smart as the one for the Atari 2600 PacMan (Yes, I know I'm dating myself now.) But there's still no sight of this game on American shelves. It makes me wonder why Capcom and Sega (who needs all the support it can get in the U.S. right now) aren't pushing this game at all. If 2D fighters or Super Heroes interest you, then you owe it to yourself to own this game. Rating: * 1/2 (out of 4)**