Tatsunoko vs Capcom is a 2D brawler, with 3D art, was recently announced for western release. I got some hands-on time with the full version of the game at Capcom’s E3 booth. From what I played it has the depth of Capcom’s previous fighting game, but the silly and frenetic fun of a more casual fighter.

The game feels exactly like a game from Capcom’s famous Marvel vs. Capcom series. This time, the game mixes Capcom’s franchises with the franchise of Japanese cartoon maker Tatsunoko. There were a lot of characters, although I did not get a count.

Speaking with the attendant, he said that they wanted to make sure that while the game has depth it still feels silly. A serious fighter pitting Viewtiful Joe and the lance-wielding Tekkaman wouldn’t really make much sense. Little things: like the fact the damage counter (an on-screen counter that shows up with each hit you land) measures damage in billions (“9,420 billion damage”), the cell shaded style, and the completely over-the-top special moves all keep the tone light. Each match lets you pick two characters, with an exception. That exception was when I picked the Tatsunoko character Gold Lightan. In perhaps the silliest, and yet most awesome thing I saw, Gold Lightan is an absolute giant. At three times the size of all the other fighters, he takes little damage but deals lots. I still lost… when playing as a giant you don’t get a second character.

There are a few control options. I played the game with a third-part accessory called the Hori Fighting Stick Wii. It felt like an arcade, which is fantastic. Unfortunately, the stick is only available in Japan. The attendant quickly said that Capcom is considering bringing the stick to the US. I hope they do, because it was a lot of fun to play with the stick. The other options are to play with the Classic Controller, the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, or the GameCube controller.

As stated before, the game’s objects are 3D, and the art is cell-shaded. It looks absolutely fantastic. The action is smooth, the effects are ridiculously over-the-top, and the colors are vibrant. This is one of the best looking games I saw on the floor.

I really enjoyed playing Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. It played well, had depth without being unapproachable, and looked nice. I’m excited to get some time with it when it releases this Winter.