Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes | March 25, 1999
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom and released in 1998. This game is the third installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, featuring characters from Capcom's video game franchises alongside those from Marvel Comics. Unlike its predecessor, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, this sequel includes characters from various Capcom franchises, not just those from Street Fighter. The gameplay is similar to previous entries, but there are two significant changes: the traditional character assist system has been removed, and the "Variable Cross" attack has been introduced.
The game was ported to the Dreamcast in 1999 and to the PlayStation in 2000. It was later re-released in 2012 as part of the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins collection for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and is scheduled for a re-release in 2024 as part of the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows. The Dreamcast version received praise for its visuals, gameplay, and faithful recreation of the arcade experience. The PlayStation version, however, had to remove tag team combat due to the console's limited RAM, leading to slightly less favorable reviews compared to the Dreamcast version. The sequel, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, was released in 2000.
Clash of Super Heroes is a 2D fighting game that utilizes a tag team-based game mechanic similar to its predecessor. Before each match, players select a team of two characters for a 1-on-1 battle. Players can swap characters at any time during the fight, allowing one character to recover health while the other is active. The team that depletes the opponent's health first wins, and if time runs out, the player with the most remaining health is declared the winner.
This installment includes two major gameplay changes. First, the "Variable Assist" feature from previous games has been removed in favor of a "Guest Character/Special Partner" system, where guest characters are randomly assigned to each player at the start of the match, with limited uses. Second, a new technique called "Variable Cross" allows players to attack their opponent with both characters simultaneously for a limited time. Players can also utilize an "Hyper Combo Gauge," which is infinite, allowing for multiple consecutive hyper combo moves.
The Dreamcast version of Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes features five game modes: Arcade, Versus, Practice, Survival, and Cross Fever. In Arcade mode, players face off against several AI teams and ultimately battle the final boss, Onslaught. Completing this mode provides each playable character with a unique cinematic ending. Versus mode allows two players to choose characters, handicap levels, and stages for local matches. Practice mode enables players to hone their moves and combos, with adjustable AI difficulty and hyper combo gauge settings. In Survival mode, players must survive waves of enemies within a time limit, carrying over their health from round to round. The Cross Fever mode allows four players to compete in a simultaneous 2-on-2 match. The PlayStation version features an exclusive mode called "Crossover" instead of Cross Fever, which is the only mode allowing tag team play.
The game features 15 playable characters, incorporating a variety of Capcom video game franchises such as Darkstalkers, Mega Man, and Strider, moving beyond the Street Fighter characters of the previous game. There are six hidden characters that can be accessed by entering codes on the character selection screen. These characters are mostly variations of existing fighters, with different move sets, while Roll from the Mega Man series has a unique sprite but shares most moves with Mega Man.
The game also includes 20 "Special Partner" characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes, which players can call for support during battles. The Marvel Comics partners include Colossus, Cyclops, Iceman, Jubilee, Juggernaut, Magneto, Psylocke, Rogue, Sentinel, Storm, Thor Odinson, and U.S. Agent. On the Capcom side, partners include Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins, Anita from Darkstalkers, Shadow from Street Fighter, Devilotte from Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness, Ryu from Three Wonders, Michelle Heart from Legendary Wings, Pure & Per from Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2, Ton Pu from Strider, Unknown Soldier from Forgotten World, and Saki Omokane from Quiz Nanairo Dreams.
