Of all the memorable fighters to bear the Capcom name over the last couple decades, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes seemed perhaps the dodgiest choice to bring to touch screen devices when announced recently. We've seen solid examples of fighting games translated to the iPhone and iPad, such as Soulcalibur and Capcom's own Street Fighter IV Volt, but this crossover fighter is a very different kind of beast -- a dizzyingly quick tag-team affair that's known as perhaps the most chaotic genre entry to date.
Kudos to the publisher for giving it a shot, but ultimately, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 just doesn't work as a tap-and-swipe fighter, at least in this initial incarnation. It's nothing against the original game itself, which debuted in arcades in 2000 and allowed fans to create three-man teams of iconic Marvel Comics characters (like Spider-Man and Wolverine) and familiar Capcom heroes (such as Ryu and Mega Man). It's been released on myriad home platforms and even recently revived in an updated HD version downloadable on consoles, but this universal iOS port doesn't share in the success.
Skillfully navigating the on-screen mayhem requires total control over your characters, and that's just not feasible with the touch schemes concocted for Marvel vs. Capcom 2. In addition to a virtual joystick on the left side, you can pick from a traditional six-button scheme that mimics the arcade layout or utilize a touch-centric four-button option, which condenses punches and kicks into single respective buttons while offering an assist button and a "flick" button you can swipe to access special moves.
No matter the choice, the joystick inputs rarely execute as planned, and the buttons lack responsiveness. I never felt like I was in control; it merely seemed like I was tapping in commands and the fighters would coincidentally perform the intended actions from time to time. And it kills the pace and flow of the game; instead of dominating teams with my screen-filling projectile attacks and being the last crew standing, every single match I played ended when the timer ran out following an awkward session of missed moves and anxious touch screen taps.
And despite hailing from a golden era of 2D fighters, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 looks messy on both iPhone and iPad. The slick sprites from past releases appear chunky and simplified here, while the backdrops are often distractingly pixelated and the menu screens are fuzzy throughout. Moreover, more than half of the 56 included fighters are locked from the start, and it'll take hours and hours of play to access them. Why couldn't the iOS version be based on the HD console version, which smoothed over the graphics and made all fighters accessible from the start? Given the choice between playing a compromised version on iOS or not playing at all, I'll stick with the latter option.
The bottom line. Unresponsive controls and poor presentation damage this iOS port of one of the best-loved fighters of all time.
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Of all the memorable fighters to bear the Capcom name over the last couple decades, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes seemed perhaps the dodgiest choice to bring to touch screen devices when announced recently. We've seen solid examples of fighting games translated to the iPhone and iPad, such as Soulcalibur and Capcom's own Street Fighter IV Volt, but this crossover fighter is a very different kind of beast -- a dizzyingly quick tag-team affair that's known as perhaps the most chaotic genre entry to date. 
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