Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter

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Marvel Super Heroes vs.
Street Fighter
Marvelsuperheroesvsstreetfighter title.png
Promotional flyer featuring various characters
Developer(s) Capcom
Publisher(s) Arcade and Sega Saturn Capcom
PlayStation
Producer(s) Kenji Kataoka
Composer(s)
  • Yuki Iwai
  • Yuko Kadota
Series Marvel vs. Capcom
Street Fighter
Platform(s)
ReleaseArcade
  • JP: July 1997
  • NA: 1997
Sega Saturn
  • JP: October 22, 1998
PlayStation
  • NA: February 23, 1999
  • JP: February 25, 1999 [1]
  • EU: February 18, 2000 [2]
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system CP System II [3]

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter [lower-alpha 1] is a crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and the second installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. The game was first released as an arcade game in 1997. It then received ports to the Sega Saturn in 1998 and the PlayStation in 1999.

Contents

The gameplay and aesthetics of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter remain similar to X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Each player selects two characters to compete in a one-on-one tag team fight, attempting to defeat the opposing team. The game replaces most of the X-Men cast from the previous installment with characters from other Marvel properties. In addition, it introduces a new gameplay mechanic known as the "Variable Assist", which would be used in future Marvel vs. Capcom titles.

Much like its predecessor, the game received generally positive reviews for its gameplay, sprite animations, and character roster. The Sega Saturn version, utilizing the 4  MB RAM expansion cartridge, was praised for being an arcade-perfect conversion. Due to the memory limitations of the PlayStation, tag team battles were once again removed from its port, resulting in more mixed critical reception. A sequel, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes , was released in 1998.

Gameplay

Blackheart summons Shuma-Gorath to attack Chun-Li. Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter was the first game to introduce assists to the Marvel vs. Capcom series. MSH vs. SF gameplay.png
Blackheart summons Shuma-Gorath to attack Chun-Li. Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter was the first game to introduce assists to the Marvel vs. Capcom series.

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter is the second installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series of 2D fighting games. [4] It utilizes the same one-on-one tag team format previously employed in X-Men vs. Street Fighter . [5] The player chooses a team of two fighters, each sporting their own life gauge; at the start of the match, the first selected character is controlled by the player, while the second character remains off-screen and acts as support. [6] Using a combination of joystick movements and button presses, the player must execute various moves to deplete the opposing team's life gauges. [6] The first player to completely drain the opponent's health is declared the winner. [6] If the timer reaches zero, the player that possesses the most health wins. [6]

The most notable gameplay change in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter is the addition of the "Variable Assist". [7] With the Variable Assist, the player can summon their off-screen character to perform a special move without changing their currently-controlled character, opening new possibilities for combos during battle and greatly expanding the role of the secondary character. [7] [8] The ability to use assists would later become a signature gameplay element used in several future installments of the Marvel vs. Capcom series. [8]

Modes

The arcade, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation versions of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter share Arcade Mode and Versus Mode. [9] In Arcade Mode, the player fights waves of artificial intelligence-controlled teams, culminating in a penultimate battle against the boss character, Apocalypse, who previously appeared in X-Men vs. Street Fighter. [7] Upon defeating Apocalypse, the player must win against the final boss character, Cyber-Akuma. [7] The PlayStation version includes three exclusive game modes: Training, Hero Battle, and Cross Over. [10] Hero Battle is an endurance mode which pits the player against the characters that they did not select. [10] [11] In Cross Over, the player and the computer opponent fight with the same team of characters; if the player is victorious, then the computer swaps one character from both teams. [10] The PlayStation port also features a Gallery Mode containing promotional and character artwork, which are unlocked by completing various goals. [11]

Playable characters

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter features a roster of 17 playable fighters, with nine characters from the Street Fighter universe and eight heroes from the Marvel Universe. [10] All of the X-Men characters featured in X-Men vs. Street Fighter, with the exception of Cyclops and Wolverine, are replaced with characters from other Marvel Comics properties, such as Captain America, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. [7] Most of the Street Fighter characters from the previous game return, with the exception of Cammy and Charlie (although Charlie is actually still in the game as a palette swapped secret character named "Shadow"), who are replaced by Dan and Sakura. [12] The Japanese arcade and console versions of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter include an exclusive character named Norimaro (憲磨呂(ノリマロ)). [13] Norimaro is an original character created and owned by Japanese comedian Noritake Kinashi, who represents neither Marvel nor Capcom. [13] [14] Due to licensing issues involving the character, Norimaro is not available in international releases of the game. [15] In addition to the 17 immediately playable characters, the roster also contains six secret characters. [16] The secret characters are palette swaps of existing fighters with different moveset properties, such as "Dark Sakura" and "Mecha Zangief"; Captain America's and Blackheart's palette swaps are renamed "U.S. Agent" and "Mephisto", respectively. [3] [13]

Marvel characters

Street Fighter characters

Development and release

As with X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter was initially developed for the CP System II arcade system board. The game debuted in Japanese and North American arcades in 1997. [3] [17] The game received a port to the Sega Saturn, exclusive to Japan, on October 22, 1998. [15] The Sega Saturn port supported the 4MB RAM expansion peripheral, allowing the developers to create a conversion which retained the original frame rates and tag team system. [15] The game was then ported to the PlayStation in February 1999. [18] Due to the console's limited RAM capacity, the tag team format was switched to the more traditional round format used in other fighting game series, such as Street Fighter. [16] To compensate for the removal of tag team gameplay, several new game modes, such as Hero Battle and Cross Over, were implemented. [18]

According to former Capcom USA community manager and fighting game advisor Seth Killian, one of the primary goals for Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter was to "tone down the insanity" that occurred onscreen when compared to X-Men vs. Street Fighter. [12] The developers also sought to achieve balance within the character roster; the previous title had gained a reputation for being "broken", with characters having access to one or more infinite combos. [8] These changes, however, were met with negative reception from fans, who criticized the game for offering less freedom. [8] [13] This ultimately led to Capcom recognizing the theme of insanity as the hallmark of the series and using it as a focus for future Marvel vs. Capcom installments. [12]

In June 2020, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter was included in a home arcade cabinet from Arcade1Up alongside other games like X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes . [19]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter on their September 1, 1997 issue as being the third most-successful arcade game of the month. [28]

The Sega Saturn version of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter received "favorable" reviews, while the PlayStation version received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. [20] [21] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot praised the Sega Saturn port for its gameplay, character roster, graphics, sprite animations, and additional RAM support, labeling it an "arcade-perfect conversion". [15] However, Gerstmann faulted the game for being a "near-carbon copy" of X-Men vs. Street Fighter. [15] While the PlayStation port also received praise for its gameplay and character roster, it attracted numerous criticisms, many of which stemmed from issues related to the console's memory restrictions. GameSpot, IGN, and Game Revolution all reprimanded the game for removing the original version's tag team-based gameplay. [10] [16] [25] Randy Nelson of IGN stated that the lack of tag team fights negated one of the major elements that made Capcom's Vs. series stand apart, resulting in a game that was "nothing truly special or different". [25] Ryan MacDonald of GameSpot expressed disappointment over the port's lower graphical quality and cut animation frames. [10] Game Informer also complained about experiencing instances of slowdown. [23] However, despite the criticisms, reviewers claimed the game as an improvement over the critically panned PlayStation port of X-Men vs. Street Fighter. [10] [23]

Sequel

A sequel to Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, titled Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, was released for arcades in Japan and North America in 1998. The game expands its character roster beyond the Street Fighter series to include other Capcom video game franchises, such as Darkstalkers and Mega Man . [29] While its gameplay remains similar, Clash of Super Heroes removes the "Variable Assist" feature in favor of a new system. [7] It was ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation in 1999 and 2000 respectively. [30] A high-definition version of the game was also released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as part of the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins compilation. [31]

Related Research Articles

A fighting game is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more characters. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining attacks together into "combos". Characters generally engage in battle using hand-to-hand combat—often some form of martial arts. The fighting game genre is related to, but distinct from, the beat 'em up genre, which pits large numbers of computer-controlled enemies against one or more player characters.

<i>Marvel vs. Capcom</i> Series of crossover fighting games

Marvel vs. Capcom is a series of crossover fighting games developed and published by Capcom, featuring characters from their own video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series originated as coin-operated arcade games, though later releases would be specifically developed for home consoles, handhelds, and personal computers.

<i>X-Men vs. Street Fighter</i> 1996 video game

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<i>Street Fighter Alpha 2</i> 1996 video game

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<i>Street Fighter Alpha 3</i> 1998 arcade video game

Street Fighter Alpha 3, released as Street Fighter Zero 3 in Japan, Asia, South America, and Oceania, is a 2D fighting game originally released by Capcom for the arcade in 1998. It is the third and final installment in the Street Fighter Alpha sub-series, which serves as a sequel to Street Fighter Alpha 2, and ran on the same CP System II hardware as previous Alpha games. The game was produced after the Street Fighter III sub-series has started, being released after 2nd Impact, but before 3rd Strike. Alpha 3 further expanded the playable fighter roster from Street Fighter Alpha 2 and added new features such as selectable fighting styles called "isms".

<i>X-Men: Children of the Atom</i> (video game) 1994 video game

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<i>Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo</i> 1996 video game

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<i>Marvel Super Heroes</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Marvel Super Heroes is a fighting video game developed by Capcom. Originally released in the arcade in 1995 on the CPS-2 arcade system, it was ported to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in late 1997. The game, alongside Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, was also included in the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins collection, released digitally for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2012.

<i>Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes</i> 1998 crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is a crossover fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which features characters from Capcom's video game franchises and characters from Marvel Comics. The game debuted in Japanese and North American arcades in 1998. It was ported to the Dreamcast in 1999 and the PlayStation in 2000. The game was re-released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as part of the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins collection.

<i>Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes</i> 2000 video game

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes is a crossover fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Originally released in Japanese arcades in 2000, the game received ports to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, and iOS devices over the span of twelve years.

<i>Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness</i> 1995 video game

Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness, also known as simply Cyberbots, is a fighting game developed and published by Capcom in 1995. It is a spin-off of the beat'em up game Armored Warriors. Cyberbots was ported to the Sega Saturn and the PlayStation. The game only saw limited distribution in arcades outside Japan. With the exception of the untranslated PlayStation Network release, none of the console ports were released overseas. A port of Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness is included in Capcom Fighting Collection on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.

<i>Street Fighter Collection</i> Fighting video game compilation by Capcom

Street Fighter Collection is a fighting game compilation developed and published by Capcom for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. It contains the original Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (1993), its follow-up Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994), and an enhanced version of Street Fighter Alpha 2 titled Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (1996) [titled Street Fighter Zero 2 Dash in Japan and Street Fighter Alpha 2 Prime in Europe], which is exclusive to this compilation.

<i>Street Fighter Alpha</i> 1995 video game

Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, known as Street Fighter Zero in Japan, Asia, South America, and Oceania, is a 2D arcade fighting game by Capcom originally released in 1995 for the CP System II hardware. It was the first all new Street Fighter game produced by Capcom since the release of Street Fighter II in 1991. The working title for the game was Street Fighter Legends.

<i>Street Fighter</i> Japanese media franchise

Street Fighter is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six other main series games, various spin-offs and crossovers, and numerous appearances in other media. Its best-selling 1991 release Street Fighter II established many of the conventions of the one-on-one fighting genre.

<i>Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds</i> Crossover fighting video game

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds is a crossover fighting video game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in February 2011. It is the sequel to 2000's Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, the fifth installment of the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise, and the first to use three-dimensional character models instead of two-dimensional sprites.

<i>Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3</i> Crossover fighting video game

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. It is an updated version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The game was released in November 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and was featured as a launch title for the PlayStation Vita in 2012. The game was later ported to PlayStation 4 in December 2016, and Windows and Xbox One in March 2017.

<i>Marvel vs. Capcom Origins</i> 2012 video game

Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is a crossover fighting video game developed by Iron Galaxy Studios and published by Capcom. It is a compilation of Marvel Super Heroes (1995) and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998). The dual pack was released through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in September and October 2012, respectively.

<i>Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite</i> 2017 fighting video game

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is a fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth main entry in the Marvel vs. Capcom series of crossover games. Like previous installments, players control characters from both the Marvel Comics and Capcom universes to compete in tag team battles. Infinite features two-on-two fights, as opposed to the three-on-three format used in its preceding titles. The series' character-assist moves have been removed; instead, the game incorporates a tag-based combo system, which allows players to instantly switch between their two characters to form continuous combos. It also introduces a new gameplay mechanic in the form of the Infinity Stones, which temporarily bestow players with unique abilities and stat boosts depending on the type of stone selected.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Japanese: マーヴルスーパーヒーローズバーサスストリートファイター, Hepburn: Māvuru Sūpā Hīrōzu bāsasu Sutorīto Faitā
Footnotes
  1. ↑ "マーヴルスーパーヒーローズVsストリートファイター | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト".
  2. ↑ "Marvel VS Capcom". Chipsworld. Archived from the original on May 8, 2003. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter". Killer List of Videogames . Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  4. ↑ Chappell, Gareth (May 7, 2009). "Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter (Part 7)". Retro Gamer.
  5. ↑ "Coin Operated". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 24. Emap International Limited. October 1997. pp. 90–92. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter - Sony Playstation - Manual (PDF). Capcom . Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Edwards, Matt (February 15, 2009). "Retrospective: Street Fighter (Page 4)". Eurogamer . Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Co, Franz (March 16, 2012). "A History Of Tag Team Fighting Game Innovations". Shoryuken. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  9. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (January 4, 1999). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (Preview)". IGN . Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MacDonald, Ryan (February 16, 1999). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter Review (PS)". GameSpot . Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  11. 1 2 IGN staff (December 10, 1998). "Marvel Over These Shots". IGN. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 Killian, Seth (February 14, 2011). "Marvel vs Capcom: A history of the Vs fighting series". YouTube (GamesRadar). Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Elston, Brett (February 12, 2011). "Marvel vs Capcom: a history of the Vs fighting series (Page 2)". GamesRadar . Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Top Comedian Gets Hidden in Capcom's New Fighter". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 93. Ziff Davis. April 1997. p. 20.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gerstmann, Jeff (November 30, 1998). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (Import) Review (Saturn)". GameSpot. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Clint (March 1999). "Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter Review (PS)". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on October 25, 2004. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  17. ↑ McLaughlin, Rus (February 16, 2009). "IGN Presents the History of Street Fighter (Page 7)". IGN. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  18. 1 2 Perry, Douglass C. (October 14, 1998). "First Look: Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter". IGN. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  19. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (June 10, 2020), IGN Summer of Gaming: Arcade1Up Announces X-Men, Ms. Pac-Man and More New Cabinets , retrieved 2020-09-12
  20. 1 2 "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter for PlayStation". GameRankings . Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter for Saturn". GameRankings . Archived from the original on July 6, 2009. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  22. ↑ House, Matthew. "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (PS) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 McNamara, Andy; Storm, Jon; Reiner, Andrew (January 1999). "Marvel [Super Heroes] vs. Street Fighter - PlayStation". Game Informer . No. 69. p. 59. Archived from the original on December 6, 2000. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  24. ↑ Major Mike (1999). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro . Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  25. 1 2 3 Nelson, Randy (February 25, 1999). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (PS)". IGN. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . 1999.
  27. ↑ "Review: Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter". PSM . 1999.
  28. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 548. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 September 1997. p. 21.
  29. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (April 2, 1999). "Marvel vs. Capcom [Clash of Super Heroes] Review (DC)". GameSpot. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  30. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (October 7, 1999). "Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes Review (DC)". IGN. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  31. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (July 5, 2012). "Marvel vs. Capcom Origins announced with debut trailer, screens". Eurogamer. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
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