Top 5 Greatest Crossover Fighting Games of All Time, Ranked

It may seem strange nowadays in the age of cinematic universes and limited-time promos, but crossovers weren’t always super prevalent, especially not in the space of fighting games. However, as the 90s gave way to the new millennium, the perennial heavy-hitters in the fighting game community began to break new ground. Characters from Street Fighter were soon seen taking on Marvel Comics’ most iconic heroes in games such as Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter and X-Men vs Street Fighter. All the while, the minds and developers at companies like SNK were crossing over their own franchises such as Fatal Fury and The Art of Fighting. The floodgates opened in earnest, and the Fighting Game Community was never quite the same.

Since the mid-90s kicked off a generation of crossover fighting games, there’s been plenty to celebrate with regards to characters diversity. It’s no longer unheard of for a fight between Ryu and Wolverine or Mega Man and Iron Man. Games like Mortal Kombat X have even featured slasher villains such as Jason Voorhees and Leatherface. Nowadays, when a AAA fighting game releases, gamers worldwide always speculate about crossover characters regardless if they’re hinted to or not.

We’re in a fighting game crossover golden age of sorts, but it wouldn’t have been possible without landmark titles. It certainly doesn’t hurt to take a look at some of these titles even now.

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5. SoulCalibur II (2002)

Although the series that spawned from the success of Soul Edge is now well-known for its crossover “guest” characters, SoulCalibur II was the first entry in the series to feature them, and it was done in a huge way considering the time period. Although crossover games such as Super Smash Bros. Melee were already on the market, SoulCalibur II introduced a guest character exclusive to each platform the game was featured on, two of which wouldn’t be seen in a Smash Bros game at the time.

Gamecube enjoyers of SoulCalibur II stepped once again into the boots of Link, the savior of Hyrule and protagonist of The Legend of Zelda. Playstation fighters could command the intense body blows weilded by Heihachi Mishima from the Tekken series. Xbox players may have been especially delighted, as Todd McFarlane‘s iconic anti-hero Spawn was made available to play.

Although Soulcalibur II didn’t sport the massive crossover cast of some games, it introduced many players to the idea of crossover characters. The popularity of these three characters is still intertwined with the Fighting Game Community, as Heihachi returns to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a background character while his son Kazuya battles as a playable fighter. After constant pushes by fans, Spawn also made his return to fighting games in Mortal Kombat 11 as a downloadable fighter.

4. The King of Fighters ’98: The Slugfest (1998)

During the burgeoning popularity of arcade fighting games, SNK made its mark with several different fighting game series such as Fatal Fury and The Art of Fighting. With the release of The King of Fighters series, SNK took their collective fighting game universe and combined it while also creating original characters to mingle with the two major series. Entries throughout KOF even sported characters from other SNK titles such as Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Samurai Shodown, Ikari Warriors, and Psycho Soldiers.

At their core, the King of Fighters games retain similar gameplay to that of Fatal Fury. However, King of Fighters 98 includes the additional playing styles included in King of Fighters ’97. With these playing styles, gamers could choose between Advanced or Extra mode when choosing a fighter. When a player loses a round, they are given a handicap based on the playstyle they chose. This mainly pertains to the character’s power bar in both respects.

The huge roster of KOF ’98 set the bar for SNK’s marquee fighting game series for some time. Players today who have never played Fatal Fury or The Art of Fighting are now more familiar with its characters thanks to their consistent inclusion in The King of Fighters. Fatal Fury‘s protagonist (Terry Bogard) and antagonist (Geese Howard) have even appeared recently in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Tekken 7 respectively, a testament to the characters’ popularity and staying power.

Although the Capcom and SNK heavyweights had already faced off before a year prior, Capcom vs SNK 2 or CvS2 improved its predecessor’s team-based combat system for optimum balance and accessibility. Capcom’s roster included mainstays from the Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, Rival Schools, and Final Fight while also introducing newcomers like Eagle, who had only been seen in the background of the original Street Fighter to that point.

On SNK’s side, many series regulars from Fatal Fury and The Art of Fighting made an appearance, but brought along popular picks from The King of Fighters, Psycho Soldiers, Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Samurai Shodown as well. The game’s Ratio System assigned a value to how many characters players bring into a fight. A team of three fighters will be weaker than a one or two-man team for the sake of balance.

One of the most entertaining aspects of CvS2 is its “Groove” combat system. After selecting a team, players could select a groove, each of which was a different gameplay scheme intended to emulate a different Capcom or SNK fighting game. For example, the P-Groove operated similar to gameplay in Street Fighter III featuring parries and hops, while N-Groove emulated King of Fighters ’97‘s movement and multi-stocked super gauge. This provided an entirely new level of customization to gameplay, and it’s interesting to play Capcom characters in SNK gameplay styles and vice versa.

2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)

The Nintendo crossover brawler to end them all, and the peak of the Super Smash Bros. series to many with regards to character options. Featuring a total of 82 characters from myriad franchises present on Nintendo consoles at some point or another (though there are a few exceptions), Smash Ultimate brings the accessibility of a platform-based brawler and jam-packs it with characters. The roster may not be perfect to some hardcore Smash players who wished for something different, but to the casual and veteran player alike there’s a character for nearly any playstyle one could think of.

The beauty of Smash Bros has always been its accessibility. It’s a fantastic game both for friendly gatherings and parties but has also been a staple in the fighting game tournament scene for decades. You can joke around with items or turn them off and go toe-to-toe on an Omega stage for bragging rights. And when it comes to characters, few fighting games (other than M.U.G.E.N) can match the massive roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

If the words “I wanna take you for a ride” just popped into your head, then you likely know this title enough to warrant the top spot. Capcom’s greatest against Marvel Comics’ motley crew of super-beings was a match made in heaven. Although the original Marvel vs Capcom got the wheels rolling, Marvel vs Capcom 2 is the crown jewel of fighting game crossovers. Although the competitive balance between characters wasn’t great (a whole lot of Cable, Storm, Magneto, and Sentinel during high-level play), the huge roster of 56 characters included both obscure and beloved fighters. There were even characters created specifically for the game such as Amingo the cactus.

The gameplay in Marvel 2 is fast, hits hard, and requires fast reactions and inputs. When some fighters have the ability to fire beams damn near the size of the screen, both offensive and defensive play becomes paramount to one’s survival in a match. Team composition also matters, as a player’s three-man team can live or die based on the assists that they can bring out during battle from their characters waiting in the wings. But if the competitive intensity isn’t your thing, pick three Servbots and go wild with a character with a tiny hitbox. There’s an insane amount of fun to be had in Marvel 2, and there’s a little something for everybody.

Whether they played it on a console or in the arcade, Marvel vs Capcom 2 is almost universally beloved. Its characters, sprite and background design, and unforgettable soundtrack piece together the best crossover fighting game of all time. There may be a day where it loses its crown, but for now, Marvel 2 is still looked back on with near-unanimous adoration. It may take quite some time to match that kind of passion.

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