Marvel Super Heroes

Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America and Iron Man could finally face one another in the arena – and Capcom added the mighty Infinity Stones to it. Marvel Super Heroes was a fighting game that joined the world of superheroes with a combat system honed over years by the Japanese studio, creating a combination fans had long yearned for.

The game ran on the Capcom CP System II board and drew on the comic saga The Infinity Gauntlet. Players chose from a plethora of Marvel characters, from Spider-Man through Wolverine to the villain Thanos, and each had their own special attacks inspired by their comic-book abilities. Capcom drew on its experience from Street Fighter and the X-Men games and transferred it into a spectacular superhero show.

The unique mechanic was precisely the Infinity Stones. During a match you could collect six stones, each granting temporary advantages – increased strength, speed, regeneration or defence. This added a tactical layer and chaotic unpredictability to the fight, because a well-timed stone could turn a seemingly lost match around. Coupled with this were spectacular super attacks and Capcom's typically fluid animation.

Culturally the game was an important step on the road to the legendary crossovers. It followed X-Men: Children of the Atom and opened the door to the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which later became one of the most popular fighting brands ever. Marvel Super Heroes showed that a licensed superhero fighting game can have real depth and style.

The game made it to the home consoles of the time and later into digital collections. For fans of comics and fighting games alike it is a milestone that joined two worlds in a way that influenced a whole further decade of crossover games. To this day it is a treasured classic.

Why play it: For the joy of battles between iconic Marvel heroes spiced up with the tactics of the Infinity Stones.