| Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes | |
|---|---|
 Japanese Dreamcast box art | |
| Developer | Capcom |
| Publishers | Capcom Dreamcast, PlayStation
|
| Producer | Kenji Kataoka |
| Designers |
|
| Artist | CRMK |
| Composers |
|
| Series | Marvel vs. Capcom |
| Platforms | Arcade,Dreamcast,PlayStation |
| Release | Arcade Dreamcast PlayStation |
| Genre | Fighting |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
| Arcade system | CP System II[4] |
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes[a] is a 1998crossoverfighting game developed and published byCapcom for theCP System IIarcade system. It is the third installment in theMarvel vs. Capcom series, which features characters from Capcom's video game franchises and characters fromMarvel Comics. Unlike the series' previous entry,Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), this sequel features characters from numerous Capcom video game franchises, rather than strictlyStreet Fighter characters. While the gameplay is largely identical to its predecessor,Clash of Super Heroes removes the traditional character assist system and introduces the "Variable Cross" attack.
The game wasported to theDreamcast andPlayStation in 1999, and re-released in 2012 for thePlayStation 3 andXbox 360 as part of theMarvel vs. Capcom Origins collection and in 2024 forNintendo Switch,PlayStation 4 andWindows as part of theMarvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics compilation. The Dreamcast version of the game was praised for its visuals, gameplay, and translation of the original arcade experience. For the PlayStation version, Capcom removed tag team battles due to the console's limitedRAM capacity in an attempt to preserve the main game's speed and graphical integrity. Consequently, the PlayStation port received slightly less positive reviews than the Dreamcast version. The game was followed byMarvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes in 2000.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is the third entry in theMarvel vs. Capcom series of2Dfighting games.[5] The game utilizes similartag team-based game mechanics to its predecessor,Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter.[6][7] Before starting each match, the player selects a team of two fighters to compete in one-on-one combat.[6] The player is free to swap between their characters at any point during battle.[6][8] While one character fights, their teammate resting off-screen slowly regenerates their life gauge.[6] The first team to exhaust their opponent's vitality wins the match; however, if the timer runs out before either team is knocked out, the player with the most remaining health is declared the winner.[9]
Clash of Super Heroes features two significant gameplay changes fromMarvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter.[5] The game removes the "Variable Assist" feature used in the previous installment, which allows the player to summon their offscreen teammate to perform a special attack, in favor of the "Guest Character/Special Partner" system.[5][9] While similar in function, guest characters are randomly allocated to each player at the beginning of a match.[10] They are also limited to a few uses per round.[11]Clash of Super Heroes introduces a new technique called the "Variable Cross", also known as a "Duo Team Attack".[5][11] When executing a Variable Cross, the player can attack their opponent with both characters simultaneously for a limited time.[5] In addition, the player is given unlimited use of the "Hyper Combo Gauge", a colored meter towards the bottom of the screen which allows the player to perform several special techniques, allowing them to pull off multiple Hyper Combo moves, which deliver heavy damage to the opponent, in quick succession.[6][9]
The Dreamcast version ofMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes includes fivegame modes: Arcade, Versus, Training, Survival, and Cross Fever.[12] In Arcade Mode, the player must defeat severalartificial intelligence-controlled teams to reach the finalboss character,Onslaught, the central character of the "Onslaught"crossover story which ran through all of Marvel Comics's ongoing series a year beforeMarvel vs. Capcom was released.[13][14] Upon completion, the player views a cinematic ending unique to each playable fighter.[12] In Versus Mode, two players can choose their characters,handicap level, and stages before competing against each other in battle locally.[9][12] The player can practice moves andcombos in Training Mode, where they can also adjust certain settings, such as AI difficulty, and the number of bars available in the Hyper Combo Gauge.[9][12] In Survival Mode, the player fights through waves of enemies with a time limit; in addition, the player's life gauge is carried over through each round.[10][12] Cross Fever Mode allows four players to simultaneously compete in a two-on-two match.[10][12] In place of Cross Fever, the PlayStation version features an exclusive mode called Cross Over.[15] Cross Over is the only mode in the PlayStation port that permits tag team gameplay, which was removed due to the console's limitedRAM capacity.[16]
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes features a roster of 15 regular fighters.[7][17] UnlikeMarvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, which limited itself to characters from theStreet Fighter series,Clash of Super Heroes uses characters from other Capcom video game franchises, such asDarkstalkers,Mega Man, andStrider.[6] The roster also contains sixsecret characters, which are accessed by inputting codes on the character select screen.[18][19] Most of the secret characters arepalette swaps of existing fighters with different moveset properties, such as Shadow Lady, a modified version of Chun-Li.[20][21] The sole exception to this trend isRoll from theMega Man series, who has unique sprites, but mostly shares the same moves as Mega Man.[19]
The game features 22 "Special Partner" characters (including two that are hidden), drawn from the Marvel and Capcom universes, which can be called forth during battle for support.[22][6][12][8] Partner characters from Marvel Comics includeColossus,Cyclops, andJubilee, while the Capcom side includesArthur fromGhosts 'n Goblins, Devilotte fromCyberbots: Full Metal Madness, and the Unknown Soldier fromForgotten Worlds.[6]
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes was originally developed for theCP System IIarcade system board.[14] It was exhibited at theAOU Show in February 1998[23] before being released in Japanese arcades that month, followed by North America in March 1998.[1]
A directDreamcast port was revealed by the Computer Entertainment Software Association at the 1999Tokyo Game Show.[12][24] The Dreamcast version added the game mode Cross Fever, which permits four-player gameplay.[10] The port was released on March 25, 1999 in Japan, on October 7 in North America,[10] and on June 23, 2000 in Europe, where it was published by Capcom's usual European publisher,Virgin Interactive Entertainment.[10][25]
The game also received aPlayStation port.[26] The PlayStation'sRAM limitations required the developer to remove certain features, most notably the game'stag team element; thus, most game modes were restricted to two-character battles, instead of four.[27] This reduced the player's secondary character to an assist role, similar to guest characters.[15] A new gameplay mode called Cross Over allows tag team play by forcing the players to fight with identical teams.[15][16] For example, if Player 1 chooses Spider-Man and Player 2 chooses Ryu, then Ryu and Spider-Man would automatically be selected as Player 1 and Player 2's secondary characters, respectively.[28] The game also added an art gallery, where players can view game art and ending animations.[29] Many frames of animation were also omitted as a result of insufficient RAM, particularly in larger charactersprites.[27] The PlayStation port was released on November 11, 1999 in Japan, where it was renamedMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes EX Edition,[29][30] and in January 2000 in North America and Europe.[16][31]
A high-definition version of the game was released, alongsideMarvel Super Heroes, as part of theMarvel vs. Capcom Origins collection.[32] Built using the arcadeROM, the compilation sought to maintain the original's gameplay experience, while adding new features such as online multiplayer, challenges, and replay saving.[33] It was released through thePlayStation Network on September 25 in North America and October 10, 2012 in Europe.[34][35] TheXbox Live Arcade version was released worldwide on September 26.[34] Following the apparent expiration of Capcom's licensing contracts with Marvel Comics in 2013,Marvel vs. Capcom Origins was removed from online stores in December 2014.[36][37]
In June 2020,Clash of Super Heroes was re-released as a homearcade cabinet byArcade1Up, which also includedMarvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter,X-Men vs. Street Fighter, andMarvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems.[38] In June 2024, Capcom announced thatClash of Super Heroes would be among the games included in theMarvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics compilation, which was released the following September.
Toy Biz produced a line of action figures to help promote the game, which consisted of four two-packs, each of which featured one Marvel character and one Capcom character. The two-packs consisted of Captain America and Morrigan, War Machine and Mega Man, Spider-Man and Strider Hiryu and Venom and Captain Commando.[39]
| Aggregator | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Dreamcast | PS | |
| GameRankings | 80%[53] | 75%[54] |
| Publication | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Dreamcast | PS | |
| AllGame |   [40] |  [41] |
| Edge | 7/10[42] | N/A |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.875/10[43] | 6.5/10[44] |
| Eurogamer | 8/10[45] | N/A |
| Famitsu | 33/40[46] | N/A |
| Game Informer | 7.5/10[49] | N/A |
| GameFan | 92%[47] | 71%[48] |
| GamePro | [50] | [29] |
| GameRevolution | B[20] | N/A |
| GameSpot | 9/10[6] | 5.8/10[27] |
| GameSpy | 7.5/10[51] | N/A |
| IGN | 8.8/10[10] | 7.5/10[16] |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | N/A | [52] |
In Japan,Game Machine listedMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes as the second most successful arcade game of March 1998.[55] In the United States, the game sold an estimated 3,000 arcade units, reportedly outperformingStreet Fighter III (1997) to become Capcom's most successful arcade game in the US during that period.[56]Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes received "favorable" reviews on both Dreamcast and PlayStation, according to thereview aggregation websiteGameRankings.[53][54]
The Dreamcast port ofMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes received positive reviews for its animation quality and fast gameplay.[49]Game Informer lauded the game for its "seamless animation, in-your-face effects, and lightning-quick gameplay".[49] In addition, the magazine praised the Dreamcast version for being a "flawless" translation of the original arcade version.Jeff Gerstmann ofGameSpot also praised the visuals and combat, stating that it was "everything you'd expect from an over-the-top, ultra-flashy fighter".[6]GameRevolution, on the other hand, felt thatClash of Super Heroes lacked depth.[20] The site criticized the Dreamcast port for not adding any significantly new features from the arcade version.[20] In Japan,Famitsu gave it a score of 33 out of 40.[46]
The PlayStation port received a bit more mixed reviews than its Dreamcast counterpart. Gerstmann heavily faulted the game for its removal of tag team battles.[27] He claimed that while it had "the same moves as the original game...the shell surrounding those moves [was] completely different".[27] Douglass C. Perry ofIGN labeled the PlayStation version as "an average game", praising its gameplay and lasting appeal, while criticizing its selection of fighting styles and soundtrack.[16]GamePro praised the developer for making the decision to remove features in order to keep the speed and graphical integrity of the game without overloading the system; however, they still recommended the Dreamcast version over it.[29]
A sequel toMarvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes was announced by Capcom on December 1, 1999.[57][58] The game, titledMarvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, was initially developed for theSega NAOMI arcade board, marking Capcom's first attempt at a fighting game outside of theCP System II andIII hardware systems.[59][60] It features several significant gameplay changes fromClash of Super Heroes, such as three-on-three tag team battles, a new character assist system, and a more simplified control scheme.[58][61][62]Marvel vs. Capcom 2 also includes a roster of 56 playable fighters, drawing numerouscharacter sprites from Capcom's previous Marvel-licensed fighting games.[11][63] Following its release in Japanese arcades in 2000, the game received ports to theDreamcast,PlayStation 2,PlayStation 3,Xbox,Xbox 360, andiOS devices over the course of twelve years.
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