Summary
Fighting Gameshave always held a special place within the industry and in many people’s hearts, giving us some of the best moments in the Esports scene while also simultaneously garnering a massive casual crowd that just wants to play or watch some ‘Good Ass Tekken.’
While Tekken, Street Fighter, and even Guilty Gear are all delivering some excellent titles, there seems to be a severe lack of Crossover (Versus) Fighting Games. This sub-genre was immensely popular back in the day, seemingly fading out due to all the licensing and legal issues surrounding them. And,with the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection on the horizon,maybe we will see more return in the future. But, for now, let’s figure out which one is the best.
Developer
Capcom
Kicking things off, we haveStreet FighterXTekken, which is a pretty solid entry overall but has many shortcomings that place it firmly at the bottom of the list. While the gameplay was generally fine for the most part, some characters, especially the Tekken ones, would feel a bit… off, which could be frustrating.
Additionally, the Gem Unit system completely derailed most matches, allowing players to use Gems to access a wide range of effects in-match, which could be seen as Pay-to-Win as some Gems were tied exclusively to DLC. Again, this is a solid enough title to make the cut, just not strong enough to rise above the others.
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Midway Games
An often-overlooked title in the crossover genre isMortal Kombatvs.DC Universe. This title introduced many beloved systems and mechanics for the Mortal Kombat series going forward, such as the Rage mechanic, which would later return as the X-Ray mechanic.
However, that being said, the gameplay wasn’t necessarily what we’d call polished and was very rough around the edges, which is a fair point of criticism. Still, this game is extremely fun to sit down and play with friends, as the roster is pretty solid and robust for its time.
June 23, 2025
Platforms
Arcade, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Arc System Works
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is our next in line. It has received lots of hate over the years, but we still believe it’s a pretty solid title overall. It’s just a tad bit simplistic in areas that make its tag elements feel less strong or unique than they could or should have been.
Regardless, if you put Persona and BlazBlue characters in the same game, you’re bound to get over-the-top anime action, and that’s all that really matters at the end of the day. Anime Fighters of its time were extraordinarily complex and complicated to pick up, so receiving one that was far less strict or hard to learn kind of threw people off. This game rules and deserves more recognition!
X-Menvs.Street Fighteris an arcade classic that took a while to catch fire in North America, but once it did, it was a certified hit. While some ports were less than ideal -looking at you, PlayStation- X-Men vs. Capcom brought two beloved worlds together and did it well. What’s not to love?
If you love playing Street Fighter and are a fan of X-Men, there is quite literally no downside to this game. The roster is expansive and rewarding to learn, the systems and mechanics are what you’d expect from a fighting game made in the late ’90s, and that’s all we’re really looking for.
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 is arguably one of the best Crossover Fighting Games ever created, even if some of its ports have completely taken the wind out of its sail. However, if you’re looking for a balanced title, then you best look elsewhere, as this game is broken in all the right ways.
The roster is robust and filled to the brim with fan favorites, which automatically makes it worthy of a high placement. Being able to fight Mai Shiranui as Chun-Li or Ken Masters as Terry Bogard is beyond hype andsomething we will soon get to experience thanks to Street Fighter 6.
Last but certainly not least, we obviously haveMarvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroesas our number one. It has an unbeatable cast of characters, the music is legendary, and the art just goes HARD. This game is a masterpiece in the genre and deserves all the fervor and praise it gets.
There is nothing quite like Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and we’re beyond excited to finally get it back into our lives later this year and see many people experience it for the first time. While it’s certainly not a balanced game, it’s nothing but pure fun and hype, which is all that matters!
