Summary
Back in the day, whenMarvelstuck to comics and cartoons, andCapcomwas kicking off with their arcade fighting games, they’d collaborate to unite both of their key franchises. The result would become theMarvel vs. Capcomseries, and it would become a worldwide success that would last for three decades and counting.
This cross-over was acclaimed by fans and critics for its creative art, advanced mechanics, and iconic music, but Marvel and Capcom’s collaborations didn’t begin with the firstMarvel vs. Capcomgame. Here are thebestMarvel vs. Capcomgamesin the series, ranked by their impact, popularity, and gameplay.
Updated July 11, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Galleries have been added for every game, along with a new section dedicated to Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics.
Considering this compilation contains every classic entry in theMarvel vs. Capcomfranchise (so, pre-Marvel Vs. Capcom 3), there is no point in ranking it; that said,Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classicsis (obviously) the best entry point for newcomers looking for both a history lesson and a convenient package containing some of the greatest fighters of all time. Each game in this package is, at the bare minimum, good, and that includes the earliest projects likeX-Men: Children of the Atom. Capcom added quite a few features and unlockables to keep things interesting beyond the core gameplay loop, turning this release into a full celebration of the franchise.
Arguably,Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics' biggest selling point is the inclusion of a game that is not part of the series:The Punisher. Capcom’s classic beat ‘em up spent decades being largely ignored, receiving no console releases post-2000. The arcade game is fairly straightforward for its genre, but it is nevertheless a fantastic romp that stands out due to its heavy focus on weapons. Even all these years later,The Punisherstill looks and plays great.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Originsis a compilation ofMvC1andMarvel Super Heroes. It reached the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2012, emulating the original games while throwing in high-definition support, graphical options, and online modes. Basically, it was like Iron Galaxy’s other retro re-releases,such asDarkstalkers ResurrectionandStreet Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition.
Fun as it was, it left fans noticing what it lacked more than what it had. Where wasMvC2? OrMSH Vs SF? Or any of the X-Men games? Disney/Marvel didn’t want to promote the latter because they didn’t own their movie rights at the time, despiteMvC1andMSHstill featuring Wolverine and co. It was all moot in the end, as the game was delisted from all platforms at the end of 2014. Nowadays, there is no point in picking up this compilation.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinitesaw the Capcom and Marvel universes merged together by Ultron Sigma (a fusion of Marvel’s Ultron and Capcom’s Sigma). It was up to both sides’ best and brightest to fix things.MvC:Iaimed to take the series in a new direction. Unfortunately, while the game had some neat ideas, it had a lot of problems. Some were minor, like going back to 2-person tags instead of 3; others were more significant, like thebroken Infinity Stones system.
Then there was the lackluster story mode, the cheap-looking presentation, and the reduced roster. Its rough development was a factor in producer Yoshinori Ono’s departure from Capcom,Street Fighter 6’s delayed development, and may have ended theMvCseries for good.
Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighteris essentially the same asX-Men Vs Street Fighterbut with most of the X-Men replaced with the Avengers. The Japanese version even had a strange character in Norimaro, a scrawny otaku based on a character played by comedian Noritake Kinashi.
It had the same huge combos, high-damage attacks, and assist attacks (calling the tag partner to perform a special move). That and everyone got a bunch of new moves and super combos, which enhanced the overall gameplay quality; however, it is ultimately just more of the same, complete with the same stages and penultimate boss in Apocalypse.
After nearly a decade on ice,Marvel vs. Capcom 3brought theMvCseries back to life. The 3 vs 3 tag team gameplay came back fromMarvel vs. Capcom 2, only this time, they could all (officially) be played online. It added a fresh set of characters like Deadpool, Wesker, and Phoenix and smoothed out the controls to make them more intuitive for new players.
This move worked as over 2 million copies were shipped within the first month of its launch. However, the game was succeeded within months by itsUltimatereplacement, which likely left many of the original’s customers with a little buyer’s remorse. Still, consideringUltimate’s additions, this was likely cheaper than buying seasonal DLC packs.
The series all started with one Capcom game based on one Marvel franchise: 1994’sX-Men: Children of The Atom. Players could pick 6 of the titular mutants or 4 of their villains in an arcade take on the Genosha storyline where Magneto sets up a space colony for mutants.
There’s no tag gameplay here; no assists, DHCs, or anything like that. It’s just a straightforward 1-on-1 fighter but with bigger, bolder graphics and much faster gameplay. It holds up today as a dose of old-school fun and for its significance. Aside from being Capcom’s firstMarvelgame, it was also the second game ever to feature Akuma, who’sjust as brokenas he was inSuper Street Fighter 2 Turbo.
Marvel Super Heroescame afterX-Men Children Of The Atomthe following year in 1995. This time, it followedThe Infinity Gauntletstoryline, complete with Thanos as the final boss. Like the comics and future movies, Iron Man, The Hulk, Spider-Man, and Captain America, among others, had to stop him. Unlike them, they were backed up by Wolverine and Magneto, alongside Dr. Strange villains Shuma-Gorath and Blackheart.
The graphics were brighter and more colorful than ever and were paired with some of the best music in the series. Then the gameplay was boosted by the Infinity Gems, where players could steal their opponent’s gem and use it for a power boost like refilling health, extra defense, and stronger offense.
Marvel and Capcom’s first true crossover came in 1996’sX-Men Vs Street Fighter. Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, and company joined forces with Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and the others to stop the Age of Apocalypse. TheStreet Fightercast got their powers boosted up to match their Marvel counterparts like Ryu’s Shinku Hadouken becoming a giant Kamehameha-like beam.
It keptMSH’s super jump and aerial combos and introduced the tag battle system, where partners could swap in and out of combat for combos or join forces to unleash combined hyper moves. This fast and furious (if broken) gameplay, combined with its vivid animation, made it a worldwide hit.
3Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
(Nearly) Perfecting The Formula
Oddly, the firstMarvel vs. Capcomgame was actually the 3rd in the overall series. This time, the Marvel heroes were supported by a wider variety of Capcom stars to bring the dreaded Onslaught down. It maintained the tag gameplay and aerial combos from the prior games, then threw in a bundle of unique mechanics that never made it into the sequels.
Players could select a 3rd Guest character to provide backup (a laMortal Kombat 1’s Kameo Fighters). They could also activate the Dual Combination Attack, where they control both of their characters at the same time to pile on the pressure. Presentation-wise, it really lived up to its “Clash of Super Heroes” tagline. Gameplay-wise, it had room for refinement.
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom3’s additions were originally planned as DLC for vanillaMvC3.However, due to the Tohoku Earthquake disrupting development, they were all put together in one big game. This included 12 new playable characters fromAce Attorney,Dead Rising,Guardians of the Galaxy, and more, alongside cosmetic changes like redrawn endings for the arcade mode.
The gameplay was also tweaked, balancing out some characters and elements better fromMVC3, though the likes of Phoenix and X-Factor remained causes for concern. Nonetheless,UMvC3is still widely played today and still receives new content via the fan community’s mods on the PC port.
The reason fans still go crazy for the series is due toMarvel vs. Capcom 2. It introduced 3-on-3 combat, the snapback mechanic that knocked one opposing team member out in favor of another, selectable assist attacks, and a gigantic 53-character roster that combined everyone from all the priorMarvelgames with a few new additions.
It’s odd thatone of the best fighting games evercame out due to timing rather than artistic or gameplay merit. Capcom’s deal with Marvel was due to run out in 2000, so they threw everyone into whatever they could piece together to complete their end of the deal. It’s why the stages and jazzy soundtrack feel out of place. Even so, it still produced the most fun and influentialMvCgame of all time.
