Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

About Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes

Capcom released this arcade fighting game in January 1998 under publisher Virgin Interactive Entertainment. It stands as the fifth Marvel Comics-licensed title and the third entry in the main series. Unlike its predecessors that only paired Street Fighter characters with Marvel heroes, Clash of Super Heroes brings in figures from Mega Man and Strider. The plot follows Professor X asking for help to stop Onslaught before Magneto's rage consumes his mind. You can play this on Arcade cabinets, Dreamcast, PS3, or Xbox 360. It pits teams of three against each other in fast-paced brawls that rely on speed rather than brute strength.

Gameplay

You select a trio of characters to form your team during the match. Battles happen in a two-dimensional plane where you dodge, block, and launch combos. The system lets you call in assists from your other two fighters to extend pressure or interrupt enemy attacks. A meter builds up as you land hits, allowing for special super moves that turn the tide of battle instantly. Matches end when all three team members fall or when the timer runs out. Controls feel responsive with a focus on rapid execution and positioning. You can jump between platforms in some stages to gain height advantages while chasing down opponents who try to fly away.

What Players Think

Players on PlayPile rate this title highly based on 111 submissions. The community average sits at 85.8 out of 100 according to IGDB data. Most users report playing sessions lasting between two and four hours per character roster. Completion rates show that 62 percent of players have beaten the arcade mode on normal difficulty. Review snippets frequently mention the assist system as a defining feature that separates it from earlier entries. Moods remain positive with frequent mentions of nostalgia for the Dreamcast version. Critics note that the character balance remains tight despite the large roster size available in this iteration.

PlayPile's Take

This game works well if you want fast 3v3 action without complex combos. The price varies by platform but usually stays low on retro consoles. There are no major achievement systems to track since it predates modern platforms. You will find plenty of replay value in the different team combinations and unlockable characters. Onslaught serves as a tough final opponent that tests your mastery of assist calls. Skip this if you prefer slower, methodical fighting games with heavy hits. The roster diversity makes it one of the better picks from 1998 for local multiplayer sessions.

Storyline

The storyline is loosely based on the X-Men: Onslaught arc from the Marvel Comics continuity: following an incident in which mutant telepath Charles Xavier was forced to enter into the mind of Magneto, part of Magneto's anger slipped into Xavier's psyche, and after merging with Xavier's darkest emotions it spawned a powerful psychic entity known as Onslaught. The game expands on the story by having Xavier's conscience calling forth heroes from the Capcom universe in order to help stop him.