Software:Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter

From HandWiki
Short description: 1997 video game
"Marvel vs. Street Fighter" redirects here. For 1996 video game, see X-Men vs. Street Fighter.
Marvel Super Heroes vs.
Street Fighter
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)Capcom
Publisher(s)Capcom
PlayStation
  • JP/NA: Capcom
  • PAL: Virgin Interactive Entertainment
Producer(s)Kenji Kataoka
Composer(s)
  • Yuki Iwai
  • Yuko Kadota
SeriesMarvel vs. Capcom
Street Fighter
Platform(s)Arcade, Sega Saturn, PlayStation
ReleaseArcade
Saturn
  • JP: October 22, 1998
PlayStation
  • NA: February 23, 1999
  • JP: February 25, 1999[3]
  • EU: May 1999[4]
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemCP System II[5]

Script error: The function "nihongo_foot" does not exist. is a 1997 crossover fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996) and the second installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. After its release for arcades, it received ports to the Sega Saturn in 1998 and the PlayStation in 1999.

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. The game was followed by Software:Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes 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.

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter is the second installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series of 2D fighting games.[6] It utilizes the same one-on-one tag team format previously employed in X-Men vs. Street Fighter.[7] 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.[8] Using a combination of joystick movements and button presses, the player must execute various moves to deplete the opposing team's life gauges.[8] The first player to completely drain the opponent's health is declared the winner.[8] If the timer reaches zero, the player that possesses the most health wins.[8]

The most notable gameplay change in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter is the addition of the "Variable Assist".[9] 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.[9][10] The ability to use assists would later become a signature gameplay element used in several future installments of the Marvel vs. Capcom series.[10]

Modes

The arcade, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation versions of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter share Arcade Mode and Versus Mode.[11] 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.[9] Upon defeating Apocalypse, the player battles the final boss character, Cyber-Akuma.[9] The PlayStation version includes three exclusive game modes: Training, Hero Battle, and Cross Over.[12] Hero Battle is an endurance mode which pits the player against the characters that they did not select.[12][13] 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.[12] The PlayStation port also features a Gallery Mode containing promotional and character artwork, which are unlocked by completing various goals.[13]

Playable characters

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter features a roster of 17 playable fighters, with nine World Warriors from the Street Fighter universe and eight heroes from the Marvel Universe.[12] 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.[9] 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.[14] In addition to the 17 immediately playable characters, the roster also contains six secret characters, all of which are palette swaps of existing fighters with different moveset properties.[15]

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)).[16] Norimaro is an original character created and owned by Japanese comedian Noritake Kinashi, who represents neither Marvel nor Capcom.[16][17] Due to licensing issues from Marvel as they were against the character fighting their heroes, Norimaro is not available in the international releases or most later ports of the game.[18] Norimaro was restored for the Fighting Collection re-release of the game, making him playable outside of Japan for the first time.[19]

Marvel characters

Street Fighter characters

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Secret character

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.[5][20] The game received a port to the Sega Saturn, exclusive to Japan, on October 22, 1998.[18] 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.[18] The game was then ported to the PlayStation in February 1999.[21] 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.[15] To compensate for the removal of tag team gameplay, several new game modes, such as Hero Battle and Cross Over, were implemented.[21]

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.[14] 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.[10] These changes, however, were met with negative reception from fans, who criticized the game for offering less freedom.[10][16] 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.[14]

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 Software:Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes.[22] In June 2024, Capcom announced that Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter would be among the games included in the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics compilation, which was released the following September. The Fighting Collection version includes the ability for players to control Cyber-Akuma and Norimaro.[23][19]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PSSaturn
AllGameStarStarStar[24]N/A
Game Informer8/10[25]N/A
GameProStarStarStarStar[26]N/A
GameRevolutionB−[15]N/A
GameSpot5.7/10[12]7.3/10[18]
IGN7.5/10[27]N/A
OPM (US)StarStarStarHalf star[28]N/A
PSMStarStarStarHalf star[29]N/A
Aggregate score
GameRankings74%[30]77%[31]

In Japan, Game Machine listed Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter as the third most successful arcade game of August 1997.[32]

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.[30][31] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot praised the Saturn port for its gameplay, character roster, graphics, sprite animations, and additional RAM support, labeling it an "arcade-perfect conversion".[18] However, Gerstmann faulted the game for being a "near-carbon copy" of X-Men vs. Street Fighter.[18] 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 GameRevolution all reprimanded the game for removing the original version's tag team-based gameplay.[12][15][27] 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".[27] Ryan MacDonald of GameSpot expressed disappointment over the port's lower graphical quality and cut animation frames.[12] Game Informer also complained about experiencing instances of slowdown.[25] However, despite the criticisms, reviewers claimed the game as an improvement over the critically panned PlayStation port of X-Men vs. Street Fighter.[12][25]

Sequel

Main article: Software:Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

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.[33] While its gameplay remains similar, Clash of Super Heroes removes the "Variable Assist" feature in favor of a new system.[9] It was ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation in 1999 and 2000 respectively.[34] 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.[35]

References

Notes
Footnotes
  1. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 113. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n113/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006) (in ja). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005). Japan: Amusement News Agency. pp. 24, 113. ISBN 978-4990251215. https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n25/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ "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". https://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/slps01915.html. 
  4. ↑ "Marvel VS Capcom". http://www.chipsworld.co.uk/detProd.asp?ProductCode=1792. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter". Killer List of Videogames. http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8635. 
  6. ↑ Chappell, Gareth (May 7, 2009). "Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter (Part 7)". Retro Gamer. http://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games90/marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter/7. 
  7. ↑ "Coin Operated". Sega Saturn Magazine (Emap International Limited) (24): 90–92. October 1997. https://archive.org/details/Sega_Saturn_Magazine_Issue_24_1997-10_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n90. Retrieved December 3, 2019. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter - Sony Playstation - Manual. Capcom. http://gamesdbase.com/Media/SYSTEM/Sony_Playstation/manual/Formated/Marvel_Super_Heroes_Vs._Street_Fighter_-_1999_-_Capcom_Co.,_Ltd..pdf. Retrieved January 1, 2016. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Edwards, Matt (February 15, 2009). "Retrospective: Street Fighter (Page 4)". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/street-fighter-retrospective-article?page=4. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Co, Franz (March 16, 2012). "A History Of Tag Team Fighting Game Innovations". Shoryuken. http://shoryuken.com/2012/03/16/a-history-of-tag-team-fighting-game-innovations/. 
  11. ↑ Perry, Douglass C. (January 4, 1999). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (Preview)". http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/01/05/marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter-2. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 MacDonald, Ryan (February 16, 1999). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter Review (PS)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter-review/1900-2546016/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 IGN staff (December 10, 1998). "Marvel Over These Shots". http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/12/11/marvel-over-these-shots. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Killian, Seth (February 14, 2011). "Marvel vs Capcom: A history of the Vs fighting series". YouTube (GamesRadar). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EysnJBzlEtg. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Clint (March 1999). "Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter Review (PS)". GameRevolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Elston, Brett (February 12, 2011). "Marvel vs Capcom: a history of the Vs fighting series (Page 2)". GamesRadar. http://www.gamesradar.com/marvel-vs-capcom-a-history-of-the-vs-fighting-series/?page=2. 
  17. ↑ "Top Comedian Gets Hidden in Capcom's New Fighter". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (93): 20. April 1997. https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_93_April_1997_U/page/n19/mode/2up. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Gerstmann, Jeff (November 30, 1998). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (Import) Review (Saturn)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter-import-revie/1900-2532883/. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 McFerran, Damien (August 27, 2024). "Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Will Include Yoshiki Okamoto's Most Hated Character After All". https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/08/marvel-vs-capcom-fighting-collection-will-include-yoshiki-okamotos-most-hated-character-after-all. 
  20. ↑ McLaughlin, Rus (February 16, 2009). "IGN Presents the History of Street Fighter (Page 7)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/16/ign-presents-the-history-of-street-fighter?page=7. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Perry, Douglass C. (October 14, 1998). "First Look: Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter". http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/15/first-look-marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter. 
  22. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (June 10, 2020) (in en), IGN Summer of Gaming: Arcade1Up Announces X-Men, Ms. Pac-Man and More New Cabinets, https://www.ign.com/articles/arcade1up-ms-pac-man-marvel-x-men-street-fighter-capcom-cabinets, retrieved 2020-09-12 
  23. ↑ Coulson, David (2024-06-18). "Marvel Vs. Capcom collection with online features announced including forgotten arcade beat-em-up" (in en-US). https://www.videogamer.com/news/marvel-vs-capcom-collection-with-online-features-announced-including-forgotten-arcade-beat-em-up/. 
  24. ↑ House, Matthew. "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (PS) - Review". AllGame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17750&tab=review. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 McNamara, Andy; Storm, Jon; Reiner, Andrew (January 1999). "Marvel [Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter - PlayStation"]. Game Informer (69): 59. https://www.gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=3067. Retrieved January 3, 2016. 
  26. ↑ Major Mike (1999). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/75.shtml. Retrieved December 23, 2016. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Nelson, Randy (February 25, 1999). "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (PS)". http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/26/marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter. 
  28. ↑ "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1999. 
  29. ↑ "Review: Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter". PSM. 1999. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter for PlayStation". http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197866-marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter/index.html. 
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter for Saturn". http://www.gamerankings.com/saturn/197867-marvel-super-heroes-vs-street-fighter/index.html. 
  32. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (548): 21. 1 September 1997. 
  33. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (April 2, 1999). "Marvel vs. Capcom [Clash of Super Heroes Review (DC)"]. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/marvel-vs-capcom-review/1900-2540395/. 
  34. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (October 7, 1999). "Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes Review (DC)". http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/10/08/marvel-vs-capcom-clash-of-super-heroes-review. 
  35. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (July 5, 2012). "Marvel vs. Capcom Origins announced with debut trailer, screens". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-07-05-marvel-vs-capcom-origins-announced-with-debut-trailer-screens. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.



Template:Marvel Comics fighting games



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Marvel_Super_Heroes_vs._Street_Fighter&oldid=3955355"