Wii/PS2 (n-Space's version) talk and Official News

[LX - Rampage]

Great! PS2 version has cheats now and they are pretty good
http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/marvelultimateallianceiifusion/hints.html?tag=tabs;cheats
Wii version has one too!
http://www.gamespot.com/wii/rpg/marvelultimateallianceiifusion/hints.html?tag=tabs;cheats

[Noelemahc]

There's finally a hack to run MUA2PSP on custom firmwares, so here I am, playing it.
(The DS version apparently starts from the point where you have already defeated Scorcher, wow, which is where the first SHIELD Point is in the PSP version)
Also, the DS version has a MUA1-style heroselect, while the PSP version has this bland cardboard cutout collection (and I assume, so do the other n-space versions, right?).
Some basic screensnaps of how the PSP version looks outside of action (inside of action, it's the same as the PS2 version with worse GFX and humongous stuttering):






I'm marginally pissed that the enemies now respawn randomly mid-battle, there is no equipment AT ALL (save for the boost medals), there's even less powers than before, and all in all, this feels a lot like a dumbing-down of the great ARPG that XML2 was.

Also, MUA2PSP seems to treat singleplayer just like MUA1PSP does - as multiplayer with one player (complete with "Press X to join, Player One!"), as it gleefully demonstrates the multiplayery stats after each level just as the previous game did. Except that there is no award for Most Useful Character (and NO MORE JOKES from the winner, bleh). Mind you, I'm still gonna play the hell out of this (and see how far it can be modded), I'm just... iffed. Verily.

EDIT: More snaps. Stark Towers is recycled in each version, except that in the PSP version the NPCs do nothing while in the DS version you could quip with them, however shortly and blandly. This also gives you an idea of how the game looks in-game =)
"Hey, Nate! Howzitgoin?"

I don't quite recall, were there white statues like these in Stark Towers in MUA1? I know the tables are gone, the benches are gone and the non-interactive NPCs are gone, but this I can't remember.

The trivia machine cycles from Captain Obvious-level questions to obscure stuff I don't even know where to look up.


From a modding standpoint, I propose doing what I began doing (but didn't quite finish) with MUA1 - the hud_heads need upscaling (just re-FB-ing the PS2 portraits should suffice, especially since here we don't need to make any new ones ourselves), the loading screens need upscaling as they're HIDEOUSLY blurry (though the PS2 are the same res, IIRC), the models can't really be saved, because they probably will still suck, but a try is worth a try, neh? Especially since there is one costume per character rather than four/five/six.

I will also try to adapt XML2's costume changing mechanic into this monstrosity of a game, though I am slightly doubtful it will work correctly (there might be hardcoding issues, like XML2's and MUA's max limit on costumes and MUA's inability to use passives for costumes 5 and 6).

[nodoubt_jr]

I love those pics, thanks for those

[DJay Saint]

Yes, there were statues like that in MUA1, although they weren't white (I don't know if they are supposed to be from that screenshot or if they were modified some how).

[Teancum]

From a modding standpoint, I propose doing what I began doing (but didn't quite finish) with MUA1 - the hud_heads need upscaling (just re-FB-ing the PS2 portraits should suffice, especially since here we don't need to make any new ones ourselves), the loading screens need upscaling as they're HIDEOUSLY blurry (though the PS2 are the same res, IIRC), the models can't really be saved, because they probably will still suck, but a try is worth a try, neh? Especially since there is one costume per character rather than four/five/six.

I will also try to adapt XML2's costume changing mechanic into this monstrosity of a game, though I am slightly doubtful it will work correctly (there might be hardcoding issues, like XML2's and MUA's max limit on costumes and MUA's inability to use passives for costumes 5 and 6).

But doesn't the PSP version already have framerate issues?  Going higher-res on the characters might make that worse.

[Noelemahc]

Good point. I didn't think about that. There's still a lot of fiddlage to be done besides that, though...

[Noelemahc]

Some more fun stuff.

Maria Hill's press conference showcases some of the main NPC capes involved in the story.

The trivia questions truly question your memory of the weird (the example pertains to Ajax, in case you haven't read Deadpool's old comics).

YES, there are tagalong buddies in there too!

[MarvelFan12345]

I just hate how NPCs don't have any sound when you speak to them

[Noelemahc]

Yeah, that's a big turnoff. The absence of special dialogue options is also severely depressing. It's like they didn't actually bother with making this anything more than a cheap ripoff of MUA1, which wasn't all that flawless to begin with.

The Bonus Missions provide an interesting distraction. Recruiting extra team members via completing optional missions is a nifty idea (sadly, rather poorly-realized, since this is nothing other than a variation on the virtual mission theme and allows replaying a supposedly one-shot chance of convincing the neutral X-Men to join your cause) =)

[MarvelFan12345]

What I hated was the small amount of levels (and I thought VV MUAII was short) and that the recruiting missions are harder and take more time.

And bases like Stark Tower didn't feel like home anymore with few people to talk to and no sound. Very lonely there. MUAII for Ps2 was good but many things were missing.

[BoosterMan]

how come alot of characters are just converted from mua 1 and xml2 is n space an entirely different company than vv everything seems reused

[MarvelFan12345]

I didn't completely get that.  Did you saying that VV made everything reused?

[BoosterMan]

i meant is n space a different company
n spaces version seems reused
vicarious vision version seems 99% new

[MarvelFan12345]

Oh ok cause I was about to say, "say what".

[Teancum]

how come alot of characters are just converted from mua 1 and xml2 is n space an entirely different company than vv everything seems reused

Because Marvel owns all that property, not Raven.  Similar to the Star Wars franchise, there's probably a server somewhere at Marvel headquarters that houses every model, texture and sound ever made.  Developers are given selective access to those materials in order to make new games, or just for reference (take a look at Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for example and you'll see tons of reused stuff from Star Wars Battlefront II). Basically companies are taking the 'why remodel every thing every time' approach because games are getting so expensive to make.