Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of the Super Heroes by developer Capcom Co., Ltd. and publisher Capcom Entertainment, Inc.—PS1 Throwback Thursday review written by Hamza. 1999.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of the Super Heroes is a superb crossover fighting and one of the finest from 90’s gaming. As the name implies, familiar characters from the more famous titles of Capcom and the Marvel universe clash and collide – and occasionally join forces as allies. Each character is beautifully animated.
Characters like Hulk and Venom are
wonderfully detailed; their sinews and popping veins standing out like
no other. When the green rage-monster moves, aggression and force can be
felt at every step; likewise with the symbiote, whose slimy nature is
fluid and precise. The energetic, detailed sprites not only give life
and energy to the characters, but also to the whole “I’m just here to
win” attitude that is so prevalent with such fighters. I haven’t played a
more energetic, electrifying and awesome game as Clash of the Super
Heroes.
Instead of continuing on with a traditional review praising the highs and lamenting on the lows of the game, I’ll instead put forth a very memorable memory that I have associated with the game. Without further ado:
Back in 2003 when I was in the 4th grade in Oman, my school held a fundraiser for the hurricane victims in Sri Lanka. Since there were no limitations as to what one could do to participate and donate, I and a couple of my friends decided that we would use my TV and PlayStation (since I lived practically next door to the school) to accept donations. Our idea was to charge a small fee per game for a limited play-time (500 baisa for 30 minutes; 1 riyal for 60 minutes); with the money incurred going to the fundraiser. At the end of the day, we managed to accumulate around 15 riyals (roughly $40). Though this wasn’t very much – even at the time – it was a major effort for a couple of ten year olds.
When the fundraiser time was drawing to a close, and with the crowd thinning every passing hour, my friends and I decided to stick around and play games to our liking. The one game we all agreed on was Clash of the Super Heroes: a favourite across the classroom. For the next couple of hours or so – well into midnight – I and four of my friends took turns to whip the virtual asses out of each other. No alliances mind you, only enemies. At every successful victory, the victorious would retain his position, while the defeated would get rotated to the other person, and so on. What makes this particular memory such a happy one, is it was the first time I was engaging in a multiplayer co-operative style of playing I had only heard about in magazines and online forums.
Our playful, hushed swearing, attempts
at distracting the other player, and screeching reminders to use the
combo attack are all what stick vividly in my mind. Anyone who has ever
engaged in multiplayer combat with their friends – especially when it
gets loud and chaotic – will know the feeling. It’s one of those
memories that etches itself permanently in your brain. Though I’m not at
all close to my classmates now, and it’s been decades since I last
touched my PlayStation, this particular highlight stands out among the
rest when I think back to school. Whenever I’m having an off day or just
want to think about a time where innocence reigned supreme, I often
invariably go back to this moment… a moment where we acted good for a
cause and kicked each other’s asses.
Note: Screenshots from all platforms that were available at the time can be found here at Moby Games.
Score: 9.5 / 10
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