MVC2 is an awesome game of course, but part of what keeps it so fresh is the huge number of possible combinations. 

Unity's XHunter got together with some friends and had a little MVC2 math party where it turned out there were "a ridiculous amount of combinations."  How many is "a ridiculous amount"?  How about 560,162,433,600 possible matchups?

You and your opponent each choose a team of 3 from 56 selectable characters.  Each character has 3 unique assists, and once you start to get serious, you'll find that even the order in which the characters start can have a major impact on how you play. 

It's also worth noting 560,162,433,600 number is actually just the number of matchups you could find in online matches.  If you include local multiplayer (offline), where you're able to pick the same character more than once per team, the number balloons to an incredible 694,075,604,544. 

Yep, that should be enough to keep me busy for a while.  Check out XHunter's blog for even more MVC2 fun-facts (or to tell him he screwed up somewhere!)

Capcom Unity and MVC2 all-star Zach D (aka "Preppy") has one of the greatest treasures any aspiring Marvel Vs Capcom 2 fan could imagine hidden away on a his humble-looking "game videos" page. 

It's a truly epic amount of MVC2 footage from the best players in the world.  Although the front page just looks like a giant mess of confusing names, once you click on a particular set of matches, you'll notice a little search box labeled "What's good?"

Type the name of a famous player in there, and bang, you get instant links to all the matches Zach has stored (usually a LOT).  Rather search on a particular character?  No problem--just type them in and go!

PS- check out Zach's license plate!

We're kind of hot on Fate around here (Arya in particular has to get scolded to turn down his PSP to avoid drowning the office in non-stop Fate fx), but it turns out it's not just us that <3 it. 

Witness Destructoid's fresh new Fate preview--the PSN PSP exclusive comes out next month:

"Fate/Unlimited Codes is a very nice looking PSP fighter. Your characters are rendered in full 3D, as is the setting, though you'll mostly be moving back and forth on a 2D plane. You have sword-wielders in poofy dresses, magical girls in short skirts, and studly archers being studly. Crazy Japanese cast? Check. Kind of like the PSP Bleach fighting titles, your characters are nice and large on the PSP's screen, and each has a fair bit of detail to them. Hair animates and clothing moves as you do. Overall, Codes is pleasing to the eye for everyone, and a visual treat for fans of the series."

...or if you just want to skip to the punchline:

"Fate/Unlimited Codes is that perfect pick-up-and-play fighting game. It's a perfect candidate for a Memory Stick download, which is exactly how Capcom is releasing it, on both the PlayStation Store and the PlayStation Network for $29.99."

Check out the whole review here!

IGN has gone the extra mile with their new Marvel Vs Capcom 2 guides.

They've got an actually useful beginner guide, an advanced techniques guide, a guide to individual characters, achievement/trophy tips, and even a "Q&A" section with their own MVC2 fanatic (who actually looks like they know what they're talking about  :)). 

It's helpful for everyone from beginners to people dipping their toes into the deep end of the pool, with descriptions (and video!) of everything from the basics to advanced techniques like unfly, guard breaks, wave-dashing, and the all-important triangle jump. 

Check it all out here.

Here's my quick interview with Capcom Unity superstar Random, aka Megaran, aka the guy who wrote one of my favorite tracks on the new Marvel Vs Capcom 2 vinyl "mixtape."  So how did a Unity member end up with his name on the cover of our new vinyl alongside hip-hop household names like Talib Kweli, Raekwon, E40, and more?  By being awesome.

Unity: So what's your background?

Random: I've been an MC for 10 years, a producer for 5. I enjoy rapping, and I love to explore new topics and ideas, so I jumped at the chance to get involved with the project when I heard about it. I talked to my guy at Capcom (Seth) and we did whatever we could to get a song on the soundtrack. Once I got the clearance, myself, Blaze Rock, Storyville and Akhil worked hard to put together a dope song.

Unity: What excited you about the project in the first place?

Random: Mainly the fact that it was based on the great Marvel Vs. Capcom franchise. I spent many nights getting destroyed on the game; I was never any good at it, but I'd always come back. So to be able to make a song that would serve as a backdrop to the game was something I just had to get involved with.

 
Unity: What do you think of the final product?

Random: The final product is incredible. Awesome artwork, a killer lineup of many of my all-time faves, a sweet blue vinyl, what more can you ask for? I'm really hoping a downloadable version comes out soon, because I don't want to open my vinyl, I'm a collector. It's an honor to even have my name that close to these folks.

Unity: What's your favorite track (apart from your own)?

Random: I know this might seem crazy, but I haven't heard it yet.. that's why I'm hoping for a downloadable version! but I really like The Grouch and Eligh's track that I heard.

Unity: What's your favorite thing about MVC2?

Random: I really dig the 3 on 3 tag style of the game. It's very intuitive and hasn't even been effectively duplicated by anyone else at this point.

Unity: How do you think your track fits in with the others?

Random: I was worried about this when we recorded because I wasn't able to hear the other artists' songs as we recorded "The Remainder is One," but I think we made some great fighting music. I play it all time time while playing Street Fighter IV online and it works perfectly.

Again, I didn't hear much else off the soundtrack but what I noticed is that the 2 tracks that have leaked are both pretty laid back... we wanted ours to be confrontational, in-your-face. something you can pull off a 150-hit combo to.

What do you think about a connection between hip-hop and games in general?

Random: Well they go hand in hand as far as I'm concerned... For most 80's babies in Philly where I grew up, Hip-Hop, video games, cartoons and comics were the only things that mattered...and pro wrestling. These were the things that took all of our time and money, and kept us out of the streets and away from negative factors.

I think this is why the Mega Ran album idea turned out the way it did...in the end, we're all just old people who want to relive our childhood... this is why Hollywood keeps remaking movies...or why Capcom returned to the 8-bit world for Mega Man 9.... :)  Reminds me, cheap plug: Mega Ran 9 is available now on Amazon. :)

It just surprises me that it's taken this long for a company to realize that and put them all together in the videogame market... Fighting games have used rock soundtracks for the longest, and while rock is very rebellious and aggressive, so is hip-hop.. they were both born out of the same movement.. they're both about rebellion. It's a natural combination... like Nutella and smushed banana on a tortilla..thanks MDD.

A lot of companies seem to be coming around, and I hope to see more hip hop (and more Random music) in future videogames.

PS- a very special thanks to JohnD for helping to make it all happen with the vinyl!