Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is a ‘crossover’ arcade fighting game developed and published by Capcom in 1998. It is the third instalment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which features characters from Capcom‘s video game franchises combined with characters from the Marvel Comics universe.

The game utilizes a similar Tag Team-based game mechanic as its predecessor, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, where you choose two fighters and must fight as a team against a series of opponents in either single-player or two-player Versus Mode.

This time the game features characters from a variety of Capcom video games, rather than just Street Fighter characters. While the gameplay is largely identical to its predecessor, Clash of Super Heroes features two distinct changes: the removal of the traditional character assist system and the introduction of the “Variable Cross” attack.

In Clash of Super Heroes the Marvel characters are: Captain America, Gambit, The Hulk, Spider-Man, Venom, War Machine and Wolverine, and the Capcom characters are: Captain Commando, Chun-Li, Jin Saotome, Mega Man, Morrigan Aensland, Ryu, Strider Hiryu and Zangief. The roster also contains six secret characters that are ‘palette swaps’ of existing fighters, with different movesets, such as “Shadow Lady“, who is a modified version of Chun-Li. The exception to this is “Roll” from the Mega Man series, who has unique graphics but mostly shares the same moves as Mega Man.

Instead of your off-screen teammate assisting, the game introduces a guest character – called a “Special Partner” – who is chosen from a randomly-moving list before starting, and is limited to a few uses in each match. Guest characters from Marvel Comics include: Colossus, Cyclops, Iceman, Jubilee, Juggernaut, Magneto, Psylocke, Rogue, Sentinel, Storm, and Thor, while the Capcom side includes: Arthur from Ghosts ‘N Goblins, Anita from Darkstalkers, Charlie as Shadow from Street Fighter, Devilotte from Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness, Lou from Three Wonders, Michelle Heart from Legendary Wings, Pure & Fur from Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2, Ton Pooh from Strider, Saki Omokane from Quiz Nanairo Dreams, and The Unknown Soldier from Forgotten Worlds.

When executing a “Variable Cross” move you can attack your opponent with both characters simultaneously for a limited time. In addition, you’re given unlimited use of the “Hyper Combo Gauge” (the coloured meter at the bottom of the screen), which allows you to perform several special moves – to deliver heavy damage to an opponent – in quick succession.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is another classic fighting game from Capcom, with bold, beautiful graphics and challenging gameplay. The game might be a bit manic for some, but for those who like fast-paced beat ’em ups – and Marvel fans – this should be mana from heaven.

Ports of Clash of Super Heroes, for the Dreamcast and Sony PlayStation, were released in 1999, and a high-definition remake was published on XBox Live Arcade in 2012 (although this has since become unavailable due to the licensing agreement between Capcom and Marvel Comics expiring).

A follow-up, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, was released in 2000. This sequel unfortunately still won’t run in the latest version of MAME, so I haven’t yet been able to get screenshots of it. If anyone knows how to get it running, please let me know by commenting below!

More: Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes on Wikipedia