The Marvelous Countdown, Day 11: Rocket Raccoon

A lot of attention was on Phoenix Wright in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3; nobody knew how he would turn out, and for the most part he was well-received as part of the roster. While he was the hype machine on Capcom's side of the roster, the Marvel half of things has a much smaller newcomer that's gotten quite a bit of controversy leading up to the release of the game. His name is Rocket Raccoon, and he looks to be one of the most intriguing characters in the game.

First and foremost, he's the smallest character on the entire roster, so he'll probably be dropping out of combos left and right. He has a variety of weapons and traps to keep the opponent away from him, and when things get too hairy, he can burrow into the ground to escape danger. However, he is also aptly capable of rushing down and creating an offense, equipped with a pair of rocket skates that allow to travel quickly in any direction that, when combined with an assist, can place the opponent in a very hard-to-block situation.

It's a versatility that I think will have to be taken on a character-by-character basis; of you're facing a character that can't get in on you very easily, make use of your zoning tools and keep them at bay. If you're up against a character that can outgun you or has a teleport for easy access to close range, mount an offense of your own and get the first blow.

If you find yourself up against Rocket Raccoon, I think you'd have an easier time rushing him down; sure, he has projectiles and traps to limit your approach, but think of the alternative. How are you going to zone him out when he can dash around in 8 directions and, more importantly, burrow under anything you throw at him? It's the lesser of two evils to attack him directly.

With Rocket Raccoon on the roster, there are finally 3 tiny characters in himself, Arthur and Viewtiful Joe. Aside from seeing that team on occasion online, I think that Rocket Raccoon will be used fairly often. His small size and versatility can make him invaluable as both meter-builder and meter-user, making him viable as both a point character and an anchor. He'll be as good as the player is, I think.