I love me a good remix, especially if the original song is one that I like anyhow. "Terra" from Final Fantasy VI? Ailsean over at OCRemix killed it with "Terra in Black." "Schala" from Chrono Trigger? A remixer named Naz scores with "Dreams of a Black Wind,"and The OneUps turn it into an excellent jazz ballad.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 is full of impressive remixes, but the soundtrack overall is shaping up to be the best in the series (not that Marvel vs Capcom 2‘s jazz is any competition).
Taking a cue from the original game, MvC3 is giving each character their own theme song, which plays whenever they replace a fallen comrade in battle. Some will be familiar to MvC fans (re-made from the original), some will only catch the ear of seasoned fighting game fans (going back as far as Marvel Super Heroes), and some are taken from other Capcom games. So far, the roster has 28 characters with known theme music (we have yet to hear the two DLC characters’ theme songs). Through this article, I’m going to walk you through my personal top 10. Here we go!
(NOTE: As I said, these are my top 10. If you want to hear every track, follow this link to a list of all the music, courtesy of EventHubs.com.)
10. Wesker
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Anyone whose played Resident Evil 5 will recognize this song as the backdrop to fighting Wesker before his mutation. The original is played by a full symphony orchestra and creates an ominous and evil tone. While there’s no orchestra here, I feel that the tone of the song is still conveyed perfectly. Wesker is an evil dude, one that will take over the world any chance he gets. A guy like that needs an evil, foreboding theme song to call his own, and this song does it perfectly.
9. M.O.D.O.K
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While M.O.D.O.K is considered a "villain" in the Marvel universe, he only ever comes off to me as a nuisance. While he has evil intentions, I can’t help but think of him as someone that just gets in the way. His theme here gives off exactly that vibe: while he is evil and had evil intentions, it’s hard to take him seriously due mostly to his appearance. He’s a giant freakin’ head, for crying out loud.
8. Dormammu
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On the flip side of M.O.D.O.K lies Dormammu, who knows how to get his evil plans done. His song is a driving metal-sounding track, forming the notion that if you see him, run. Fast. Because if he attacks, it’s game over for you. The guy can manipulate time and space itself, there’s no winning in your future.
7. Magneto
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Magneto’s theme is a rehash of his theme from X-Men vs Street Fighter, a fast tune with an immediate foreboding overtone. Think if Magneto were attacking your city and put this track behind the attack the instant that you realize it’s happening. Tell me that hearing this wouldn’t make you run away faster. Magneto was a widely used fighter in Marvel vs Capcom 2, so all of you fight fans can probably expect to hear this song over and over again as an experienced Maggy player beats you down.
6. Tron Bonne
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It’s no secret that I love Mega Man Legends. It’s easily one of my top Mega Man games of all time. Tron, who originated from that game, is more of an antagonist than a true villain. The Trons are a bumbling bunch of pirates, thwarted not only by Mega Man Volnutt but by their own erroneous ways. To that end, Tron would need a track that emphasized the "more mischievous than evil" persona. Look no further than this excellent remix of "Flutter VS The Gesellschaft" that you’re hearing now. This is a lively, upbeat tune that is perfect for Tron and her Servbot minions.
5. Viewtiful Joe
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Henshin-a-go-go baby! Viewtiful Joe is slowly becoming one of my favorite MvC3 characters for three reasons: I loved him in Tatsunoko vs Capcom, his game is excellent (playing it now), and his theme song is amazing. A great remix of "Joe The Hero," this track isl light and fun with a jammin’ techno beat, perfectly suited for Joe himself. The added vocals are a nice touch as well, though besides "Viewtiful Joe" I haven’t the slightest idea what they’re saying…
4. Doctor Doom
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This is an interesting theme. It’s awesome to listen to anyhow, but there’s something about it that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s almost as if this theme was crafted around this fact: Doom starts MvC3‘s story as a main antagonist, but after everything goes to Hell he starts to realize the error of his ways, joining the heroes in their quest to kill the final oppressor. The track definitely has a "yeah, I’m bad, but I know when I’ve truly F’ed things up" quality to it. Imagine if the instant Doom changes his ways were to come at the :50 mark. That’d be epic.
3. Zero
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This wins for "Best Re-Imagining of The Original." I was never really fond of the source, as I thought it was really generic as far as Mega Man games were concerned. This remix, however, shot up to the top of the MvC3 list as soon as Zero was announced two weeks ago. It’s like the guy in charge heard the original, then built an entire battle scene around it. How energized will you feel when Zero enters the match and this song hits? I know I’ll be jazzed.
2. Amaterasu
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If I were at a club and I heard this track come on, I’d think it was just another Tiesto or DeadMAUS mix. No, fortunately for us, it’s the theme for Amaterasu, the white wolf from Okami. Great techno beats intject new life into "The Sun Rises" just as Amaterasu herself injects new life and color into the world around her. This is a song fit for a god, no doubt about it.
1. Arthur
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Come on, every one of you played Ghosts N’ Goblins in some form or another. My experience was mostly Super Ghouls N’ Ghosts on the Super Nintendo, and many a day went into it. Many a hair-pulling, leg-punching day of anger, bewilderment, and eventual triumph. This track is EXACTLY the way I’d think to approach a remix of the classic theme; hard rock guitar with a terrific rhythm section behind it. This is rock concert-quality stuff here, and we’ll get to hear it whenever we play with Arthur. Aren’t we lucky?
These are merely 10 of the 28 excellent themes that can be heard so far. Honoroable mentions go to the tracks of Dante, Chris Redfield, Super Skrull, and She-Hulk.
February 15th, the game will be in our hands. It. Is. ON.
