Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter

The union of Marvel superheroes with the Street Fighter guard continued, and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter took Capcom's crossovers a step further. It expanded the roster of fighters with characters from Marvel Super Heroes and refined the tag-team formula that X-Men vs. Street Fighter had kick-started before — two characters on a team, swapping on the fly and grandiose joint finishers.

The game tuned what worked: an even wilder pace, spectacular super attacks and combos that made the matches resemble an animated explosion more than a traditional trial of strength. An entertaining system of assist characters and secret fighters was added as well, bringing more variety and surprises. For fans it was another helping of over-the-top yet gripping action.

On the SEGA Saturn this fighting game benefited from the console's hardware specificity. With the help of an expansion RAM cartridge, the Saturn could offer a more faithful conversion of the demanding 2D graphics than the competition of the time — more animations, a fuller rendering of both characters on screen. For connoisseurs it was another entry on the long list of reasons why the Saturn counted as the home of Japanese and arcade specialties.

Behind the game stood Capcom, which step by step assembled its vs. series and fine-tuned the formula that culminated in Marvel vs. Capcom. This title is an important link in the chain — the place where the ideas that defined the whole subgenre of team fighting games were gradually born.

Today the Saturn release is prized by collectors who want to experience a Capcom crossover in the most faithful home form from the era before emulators and modern compilations. It is pure joy from comic-book action that no one would want to miss out on.

Why play it: A refined continuation of the famous vs. formula with an expanded roster — on the Saturn in one of the most faithful home forms of its time.