The Marvelous Countdown, Day 9: Nova

Nova looks to be one of the more dynamic characters new to the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 roster, albeit somewhat straightforward. Strong special moves, the ability to OTG and relaunch all by himself, and a solid flight mode round him out. He's got tools to lame it out (a projectile and more importantly a shield that both repels opposing attacks and locks them in place for a time), tools to rush down (fast Flight mode for overheads, sneaky moves with deceptively long range), and can easily follow up a throw with an extended combo into super. The Swiss army knife of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

If at any point you're using Nova, and you notice that all your red health is missing, fear not; it isn't some weird glitch in the game, but rather a mechanic unique to Nova: his supers will consume his own red health to deal more damage. I feel that the concept of giving up your ability to heal for extra damage is a nice OPTION to have, but unlike Akuma (who can either shoot a myriad of fireballs or a beam), he has no choice in the matter; every time you use a super with Nova, say goodbye to your red health. That irks me a little bit.

Certainly not on the popular and clamored-for end of the spectrum, Nova may not be on peoples' to-do list, but that I feel that he'll be one of the better characters of the new dozen. He can play however you want him to, with the tools he needs to fit any role. That versatility will eventually be recognized, and that's when we'll start seeing more Nova.