Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter is a 1997 crossover fighting game developed by Capcom for the CP System II (CPS2) arcade hardware. It is the second entry in the Marvel vs. Capcom series and serves as a direct sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter, replacing many X-Men with characters from the broader Marvel universe. 

Gameplay Mechanics

The game features fast-paced, 2D tag-team combat where players select a team of two fighters. 

• Variable Assist: This title introduced the “Variable Assist” mechanic, allowing players to summon their off-screen partner to perform a special move without switching characters. This became a staple of future Marvel vs. Capcom games.
• Tag Team Battles: Matches end when both characters on a team are defeated. Players can swap characters mid-round to manage health.
• Balance Adjustments: Developers aimed to “tone down the insanity” from the previous game by removing certain infinite combos, though some fans felt this reduced the game’s freedom. 

Character Roster

The base roster consists of 17 playable characters (9 from Street Fighter and 8 from Marvel). 

• Marvel Side: Captain America, Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, Cyclops, Blackheart, Omega Red, and Shuma-Gorath.
• Street Fighter Side: Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, Zangief, Akuma, M. Bison, Sakura, and Dan.
• Secret Characters: Includes “Echo” characters like US Agent, Mephisto, Dark Sakura, Mech Zangief, and Shadow (a variant of Charlie).
• Exclusive Characters: Norimaro, a comedic character created by Japanese comedian Noritake Kinashi, was exclusive to the Japanese arcade and Saturn versions due to Marvel’s disapproval.