TheMarvel vs. Capcomseries can trace its origins all the way back to the early 1990s, with the Capcom-developedX-Men: Children of the Atomlaying the groundwork for future fighting game collaborations between the two brands. There have been a total of seven Marvel x Capcom fighting games over the last few decades, and while not all have lived up to the lofty legacy of the series' earlier entries, they’re all worth checking out. Unfortunately, in the last several years, theMarvel vs. Capcomseries has been notoriously difficult to play through legal means – until now.
Announced duringthe recent Nintendo Direct,Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classicsis slated for release later this year, and it’s set to give fans everything they’ve been asking for and more. There are a total of seven games included in this collection, some admittedly much more beloved than others, but all have played a pivotal role in forging the iconicMarvel vs. Capcomseries in one way or another, and it’ll be great for fans to finally be able to play those rare early entries.
Every Game Included in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics
The Punisher
Released in 1993,The Punisherwas the very first collaboration between Marvel and Capcom. An outlier in this collection,The Punisherisn’t a fighting game, but a side-scrolling beat ‘em up in a similar vein to games likeStreets of Rage, or the many different licensed arcade games of the time likeX-MenandTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Players will take on the role of the titular anti-hero as he attempts to clean up the streets of New York City alongside theDirector of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury.
X-Men: Children of the Atom
The first fighting game collaboration between Marvel and Capcom,X-Men: Children of the Atomreleased in 1994.X-Men: Children of the Atomessentially took the bones ofStreet Fighter 2and applied an X-Men overlay. There are 13 playable fighters inX-Men: Children of the Atom, ranging from franchise staples like Cyclops, Wolverine, and Magneto, to lesser-known mutants like Omega Red, Silver Samurai, and Spiral. This roster also includesStreet Fighter’s Akumaas a fun, foreshadowing cameo.
Marvel Super Heroes
Released in 1996,Marvel Super Heroesis essentially an upgraded version ofX-Men: Children of the Atom, now including a handful of characters fromthe rest of the Marvel universe, such as Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, and Hulk. The version included in the upcomingMarvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classicswill also contain the hidden Doctor Doom and Thanos characters.
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
The first fully-fledged crossover between Marvel and Capcom’s juggernaut franchises,X-Men vs. Street Fighteroriginally released in 1996. On the X-Men side of the roster, eight iconic heroes and villains are playable, with Sabretooth and Rogue being two characters who weren’t present in previous Capcom games.TheStreet Fighterside of the rostercontains nine playable characters, ranging from Ryu to Ken to M. Bison.
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
Releasing just a few months later in early 1997,Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighterpractically combines every Marvel-Capcom roster that came before it. Marvel gets eight characters again, whileStreet Fightergets 10, including the unique Cyber-Akuma fighter.
Marvel vs. Capcom
Technically the third game intheMarvel vs. Capcomseriesbut the first to brandish the name, 1998’sMarvel vs. Capcomis a further evolution of the 2v2 fighting formula of its predecessors. Here, Marvel has just seven playable fighters, with Venom and War Machine being its new additions. Capcom, on the other hand, has nine in total, including Mega Man, Strider Hiryu, and Morrigan.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
By far the most beloved entry in this collection,Marvel vs. Capcom 2was originally released in 2000, and it’s quite the cut above the rest.Marvel vs. Capcom 2ups the ante significantly, boasting an impressive roster of 56 playable fighters, and introducing 3v3 battles for the first time in series history. The Avengers, X-Men,Street Fighter,Resident Evil,Mega Man, and a good few more are all represented in this definitive fighting game.
