X-Men vs. Street Fighter (エックスメンVS.ストリートファイター) is a versus fighting game developed by Capcom and was released for the Sega Saturn in 1997. It is the first fighting game crossover to be released by Capcom, combining characters from Marvel's X-Men comics with characters from Capcom's own Street Fighter series.
X-Men vs. Street Fighter debuted with the 4MB Extended RAM Cartridge in Japan and requires the cartridge to run. Likely as a result of this, the Saturn version of the game was only released in Japan, although for much of 1998, North American[4] and European releases were planned.
X-Men vs. Street Fighter is a 2D fighting game featuring gameplay similar to the Street Fighter games, but it incorporates dual-character selection and tag team-based combat. Each player selects two characters to compete in a one-on-one battle, attempting to defeat the opposing team. Instead of the typical best-of-three round format, matches consist of a single round. Players control one character at a time, while the other awaits off-screen. The starting character can tag in the off-screen character at any time during the fight. Characters have separate vitality bars, and the dormant character slowly recovers the red portion of their vitality bar while the other character is fighting. If one character loses all of their vitality, then the tag partner automatically replaces them in play. The match continues until both characters on either team are defeated. If the timer runs out before either team is knocked out, then the player with the most combined remaining health is declared the winner.
The game borrows numerous gameplay conventions from Capcom's previous Marvel-licensed ventures, X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes, such as the Super Jump, the ability to jump higher than normal, and Aerial Rave, the ability to perform combos on the opponent while in the air. X-Men vs. Street Fighter also includes a meter system similar to the two aforementioned games called the Hyper Combo gauge. As characters perform moves and receive damage, the Hyper Combo gauges gradually fill. Players can expend their meter to perform various special techniques, such as the Hyper Combo, a special move that unleashes high amounts of damage; Crossover Combination, where both characters use their Hyper Combos simultaneously; and Crossover Counter, which transforms a defensive block into an offensive counterattack by tagging in the off-screen character.
In Arcade Mode, the player fights several computer-controlled teams before competing in a final battle against the boss character, Apocalypse, an antagonist from the X-Men series. In Versus Mode, two players can fight against each other.
Characters move with and and dash with and (or ++ or ). They jump upward with and jump behind and ahead with and . Characters can Super Jump high into the air with (or ++ or ). They crouch with . Punches are done with (light), (medium), and (strong) and kicks are done with (light), (medium), and (strong). Light attacks are faster and hard attacks deal more damage. Special moves for each character are done by pairing specific directional combinations with an attack button. Blocking is done by holding the D-Pad away from the opponent, which can also be done in the air.
Throws and grabs are done by holding the D-Pad toward an opponent and pressing a medium or hard punch or kick button. Characters can perform throws in the air as well. Throws cannot be blocked, but characters can land safely out of a throw by pressing the same motion as a throw, which greatly reduces the damage taken. It is also possible to roll on the ground after falling from a throw or other attack by pressing or .
At any time during the match, the current character can tag their partner into the match by pressing the strong punch and strong kick buttons simultaneously (+ by default).
Characters share a Hyper Combo gauge with three levels. When the gauge is at level 1 or higher, a character can perform a Hyper Combo with a special button combination (typically a directional motion with two adjacent punch or kick buttons). These moves do high damage if they successfully connect with an opponent (and often do additional damage if the player presses the attack buttons rapidly while they are being performed). This costs one level of the gauge. If the gauge is at level 2 or higher and neither team member has been defeated, the player can perform a Crossover Combination, where both characters perform a Hyper Combo simultaneously, by pressing , then a punch and a kick button of the same strength simultaneously. This costs two levels of the gauge. Finally, players can perform a special counterattacking technique called a Crossover Counter after blocking an opponent's attack with P (or P if facing left), which summons the other team member to jump in and attack the opponent. This costs one level of the gauge.
After selecting a character, the player can choose between Manual or Automatic blocking and then Normal or Turbo game speed. Turbo speed is only available when using manual blocking.
Characters
X-Men
Magneto, Juggernaut, Storm, Wolverine, and Cyclops return from X-Men: Children of the Atom, with Magneto and Juggernaut playable (without the use of cheat codes) for the first time.
Magneto is a mutant with the ability to generate and control magnetic fields.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Electromagnetic Disruptor
P
Magneto fires an energy beam across the screen. This move can be performed in midair.
Hyper Gravitation
K
Magneto sends out energy balls that do a light amount of damage but pull his opponent toward him.
Magnetic Force Field
K
Magneto surrounds himself in a magnetic force field momentarily. If he is attacked while the force field is out, his opponent is knocked away. This only affects direct attacks and not projectiles.
Magnetic Blast
P in midair
Magneto fires energy waves downward at a diagonal angle.
Levitation
+ two adjacent K simultaneously
Magneto levitates for 5 seconds or until he is hit. He can move in any direction using the D-Pad. This move can be performed in midair.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Magnetic Shockwave
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Magneto summons a shockwave of energy pillars that move across the screen.
Magnetic Tempest
+ two adjacent K simultaneously
Magneto fires a volley of magnetic shards all around the screen. This move can be performed in midair.
Gambit can charge playing cards and other objects with kinetic energy to use as explosive projectiles. He is also adept at hand-to-hand combat and fights with a staff. He is married to Rogue.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Kinetic Cards
P
Gambit throws a hand of kinetically charged playing cards across the screen.
Trick Card
P
Gambit throws a hand of kinetically charged playing cards diagonally above him.
Cajun Slash
P
Gambit advances forward while swiping his staff with each step.
Cajun Escape
Hold for 2 seconds, then +P
Gambit leaps to the edge of the screen. He can jump from one side to the other with and or dive with a downward slash with P.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Royal Flush
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Gambit throws two hands of kinetically charged cards, hitting multiple times.
Rogue has the ability to absorb the life force and superpowers of anyone through physical touch. She is married to Gambit.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Repeating Punch
P
Rogue dashes forward with a flurry of punches, finishing with an uppercut. This move can be performed in midair.
Rising Repeating Punch
P
Rogue flies into the air while delivering a series of punches.
Power Dive Punch
K
Rogue floats high into the air, then dives downward with a punch. The stronger versions jump higher into the air.
Power Drain
K
Rogue dashes forward and grabs her opponent, giving them a kiss that damages them and absorbs one of their abilities. This move can be performed in midair.
Absorbed Power
K
Rogue uses the power that she absorbed from her opponent with the Power Drain or Goodnight Sugar ability. She does not absorb any additional ability from another Rogue. Wolverine and Juggernaut give the same move.
Character
Special move
Magneto
Hyper Gravitation
Juggernaut
Earthquake
Sabretooth
Berserker Barrage
Storm
Typhoon
Gambit
Kinetic Card
Wolverine
Berserker Barrage
Cyclops
Optic Blast
Dhalsim
Yoga Flame
Vega
Psycho Shot
Chun-Li
Kikouken
Zangief
Spinning Piledriver
Cammy
Cannon Drill
Nash
Sonic Boom
Ryu
Hadouken
Ken
Shouryuuken
Gouki
Zankuu Hadouken and Shun Goku Satsu
Move list (Command normals)
Name
Command
Description
Air Dash
in midair
Rogue dashes forward in midair.
Dive Kick
+ HK in midair
Rogue drops with a diving kick.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Goodnight Sugar
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Rogue dashes forward and pummels her opponent into the air with a barrage of punches, ending with a kiss that absorbs one of their abilities.
Wolverine is a mutant with animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, a regenerative ability known as a healing factor, and three retractable claws in each hand.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Berserker Barrage
P
Wolverine charges forward while slashing his claws.
Tornado Claw
P
Wolverine jumps into the air while rotating and slashing his claws. Pressing P repeatedly does additional hits.
Drill Claw
Any direction + MP and LK
Wolverine flies in any direction while spinning and holding a claw out.
Move list (Command normals)
Name
Command
Description
Rebound
D-Pad in the opposite direction when jumping onto the edge of the screen
Wolverine can jump off the edges of the screen.
Head Stomp
+ MK in midair
Wolverine holds a straight leg in a head stomp.
Double Claw
MP MP
Wolverine combos a second slash with his alternate hand.
Sliding Claw
+ HP
Wolverine slides along the ground with his claws first.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Berserker Barrage X
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Wolverine charges forward with a barrage of slashes.
Weapon X
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Wolverine dashes forward and performs a series of slashes and kicks, ending with an X-shaped double slash.
Cyclops is the first member and leader of the X-Men. He can emit destructive beams of energy from his eyes, which he controls with a visor made of ruby quartz.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Optic Blast
P
Cyclops shoots a laser blast from his eyes that covers the entire width of the screen. When used with LP , Cyclops fires the blast straight ahead while crouching. When used with MP , Cyclops fires the blast straight ahead while standing. When used with HP , Cyclops fires the blast at a diagonal upward angle while standing. He can also perform the move in midair, which is always fired straight ahead.
Optic Sweep
P
Cyclops shoots a laser blast at the ground, sweeping his opponent.
Gene Splice
P
Cyclops performs a rising uppercut. Pressing P repeatedly does additional hits.
Cyclone Kick
K
Cyclops leaps forward, doing a spinning kick followed by a low kick.
Move list (Command normals)
Name
Command
Description
Double Jump
in midair
Cyclops jumps again in midair. It works after a jump and also when falling or spinning.
Double Punch
LP LP
Cyclops punches and follows up with another quick punch.
Double Kick
LK LK
Cyclops kicks and follows up with another quick kick.
Spin Kick
HK HK
Cyclops kicks and follows up with a jumping spin kick.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Mega Optic Blast
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Cyclops shoots a tall optic blast that covers a large area and hits multiple times.
Control Beam
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Cyclops fires a wide optic blast that can be directed with or . This move can be performed in midair.
An evil dictator and leader of the Shadaloo crime syndicate. He possesses a negative, psychotic energy called "Psycho Power."
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Psycho Shot
P
Vega throws a fireball across the screen. When used with LP , the fireball arcs upward. When used with MP , the fireball travels straight ahead. When used with HP , the fireball arcs downward.
Psycho Field
P
Vega throws a slow-moving fireball that explodes into a large burst after traveling across the screen.
Double Knee Press
K
Vega leaps forward while kicking.
Head Stomp
Hold for 2 seconds, then +K
Vega flies into the air and stomps his opponent's head. After bouncing off his opponent's head, he can dive down again with a Psycho Fist by pressing P.
Skull Diver
Hold for 2 seconds, then +P
Vega flies into the air toward his opponent. This move can be followed by P to dive his opponent with a Psycho Fist.
Air Warp
P
Vega teleports into the air. When used with LP , he reappears behind his previous position. When used with MP , he reappears in front of his previous position. When used with HP , he reappears on the other side of the screen from his previous position.
Ground Warp
P
Vega teleports onto the ground. When used with LP , he reappears behind his previous position. When used with MP , he reappears in front of his previous position. When used with HP , he reappears on the other side of the screen from his previous position.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Psycho Crusher
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Vega spirals toward his opponent while infused with psycho energy.
Knee Press Nightmare
+ two adjacent K simultaneously
Two other Vegas appear, and all three perform Double Knee Press maneuvers.
An expert martial artist known for her high agility and strong kicks.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Hyakuretsu Kyaku
KKKKK
Chun-Li unleashes a flurry of rapid kicks.
Tenshoukyaku
Hold for 2 seconds, then +K
Chun-Li jumps high into the air while spinning her legs around in kicks.
Kikouken
+P
Chun-Li shoots an energy ball across the screen.
Sen'en Shuu
K
Chun-Li does a handstand and then kicks downward with a straight leg.
Move list (Command normals)
Name
Command
Description
Wall Jump
D-Pad in the opposite direction when jumping onto the edge of the screen
Chun-Li can jump off the edges of the screen.
Air Dash
in midair
Rogue dashes forward in midair.
Triple Jump
in midair
Chun-Li can jump a second and third time in midair.
Short Kick
+ LK in midair
Chun-Li kicks a short distance in front of her.
Front Kick
+ HK in midair
Chun-Li kicks a long distance in front of her.
Yosokyaku
+ MK in midair
Chun-Li holds a straight leg in a head stomp.
Kaku Kyaku Raku
+ HK
Chun-Li backflips high into the air, coming down with a kick.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Kikoushou
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Chun-Li produces a large fireball all around her.
Senretsu Kyaku
+ two adjacent K simultaneously
Chun-Li moves forward quickly while performing a series of Hyakuretsu Kyaku kicks. She has a brief period of invulnerability at the beginning of the move (allowing her to pass through projectiles).
Hazan Tenshoukyaku
+ two adjacent K simultaneously
Chun-Li performs a more powerful version of her Tenshoukyaku.
A massive Soviet wrestler who specializes in devastating grappling moves.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Double Lariat
All three P or K simultaneously
Zangief spins around with his arms outstretched, knocking anyone who wanders into him. He spins around once with K and twice with P. He can move with and while spinning.
Spinning Pile Driver
D-Pad in a 360° rotation, then P
Zangief grabs his opponent, jumps high into the air, then drives them head first into the ground while spinning. This move can be performed in midair.
Flying Power Bomb
K (far away)
Zangief grabs his opponent, jumps, and and slams them into the ground.
Atomic Suplex
K (close)
Zangief grabs his opponent and performs a series of rolling suplexes.
Banishing Fist
P
Zangief takes a step forward and does a low back hand slap. This move can neutralize projectiles.
Move list (Command normals)
Name
Command
Description
Flying Body Attack
+ HP in midair
Zangief falls down with a diving splash.
Double Knee Drop
+ MK in midair
Zangief falls with his knees forward.
Headbutt
+ MP in midair
Zangief performs a headbutt in midair.
Long Punch
+ HP in midair
Zangief flattens his body and punches in the air.
Elbow Dive
+ MP in midair
Zangief drops to the ground with his elbow out.
Elbow Drop
+ MP
Zangief drops to the ground with his elbow out.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Final Atomic Buster
D-Pad in a 360° rotation twice, then two adjacent P simultaneously
Zangief performs two Atomic Suplexes followed by a Spinning Piledriver.
A Shadaloo agent known as Agent Killer Bee, who is the leader of the Dolls.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Cannon Drill
K
Cammy spirals forward feet first like a drill. This move can be performed in midair.
Cannon Spike
K
Cammy leaps into the air with a front kick.
Axle Spin Knuckle
P
Cammy hops forward and does an elbow smash and a punch. This move passes through projectiles.
Cannon Revenge
K
Cammy glows and taunts her opponent. If her opponent attacks her while she is glowing, she counters with a Cannon Spike.
Cannon Strike
K in midair
Cammy dives with a downward kick.
Hooligan Combination
P
Cammy curls into a ball and hurls herself at her opponent. If no button is pressed, she ends with a sweep when she lands. When Cammy is near the opponent's neck or waist, the player can perform a takedown by pressing K while holding a direction toward the opponent.
Move list (Command normals)
Name
Command
Description
Double Jump
in midair
Cammy jumps again in midair. It works after a jump and also when falling or spinning.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Spin Drive Smasher
+ two adjacent K simultaneously
Cammy performs a Cannon Drill followed by a Cannon Spike.
Killer Bee Strike
+ two adjacent K simultaneously
Cammy attacks her opponent with a series of flying kicks. This move can be performed in midair.
An emotionless and powerful warrior who has fights with the dark energy of Satsui no Hadou. He is a secret character who can be selected simply by pressing at the top of the character select screen.
Move list (Special moves)
Name
Command
Description
Gou Hadouken
P
Gouki focuses energy through his palms and fires a surging punch across the screen.
Zankuu Hadouken
P in midair
Gouki shoots a single-handed Hadouken at a diagonal angle downward in midair.
Shakunetsu Hadouken
P
Gouki shoots a flaming variant of the Hadouken.
Gou Shouryuuken
P
Gouki rises off the ground while punching upwards, knocking his opponent high into the air.
Tatsumaki Zankuukyaku
K
Gouki jumps into the air and spins around an axis with his leg extended. This move can be performed in midair.
Tenma Kuujin Kyaku
K in midair
Gouki dive kicks diagonally downward.
Ashura Senkuu Forward
+ all three P or K simultaneously
Gouki glides forward. He is invulnerable in this state. He moves across the entire screen with P or half the screen with K.
Ashura Senkuu Backward
+ all three P or K simultaneously
Gouki glides backward. He is invulnerable in this state. He moves across the entire screen with P or half the screen with K.
Move list (Command normals)
Name
Command
Description
Zugai Hasatsu
+ MP
Gouki performs an open-handed chop, potentially hitting twice.
Senpuu Kyaku
+ MK
Gouki leaps forward, doing a single spinning kick similar to a Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku.
Split Kick
+ MK in midair
Gouki kicks into the air.
Straight Kick
+ HK in midair
Gouki kicks straight ahead.
Move list (Hyper Combos)
Name
Command
Description
Messatsu Gou Hadou
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Gouki fires a tall beam of energy that covers a large area and hits multiple times.
Messatsu Gou Shouryuu
+ two adjacent P simultaneously
Gouki performs a series of low Shouryuukens while moving across the screen, culminating in a high Shouryuuken.
Tenma Gou Zankuu
+ two adjacent P simultaneously in midair
Gouki fires multiple Zankuu Hadoukens at his opponent.
Shun Goku Satsu
LP LP LK HP
Gouki glides to his opponent, then performs a series of attacks that cannot be seen as the screen flashes white.
Bosses
Apocalypse
An ancient and immortal mutant with the ability to control the molecules of his body to alter his form at will. He appears as the final boss.
History
Release
The Saturn version of this game was extremely close to getting a European release, being given a price of £49.99 and being packaged with a 4MB Extended RAM Cartridge. It was meant to arrive in March, but Capcom and Sega pulled the plug at the last minute.
Legacy
X-Men vs. Street Fighter proved to be a success for Capcom, and would lead to numerous other crossovers, starting with Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter.
Versions
The Sega Saturn port of X-Men vs. Street Fighter was the first and to this day most accurate home conversion of the game, with a rival PlayStation release arriving a year later. Unlike X-Men: Children of the Atom, where the differences are relatively minor, the PlayStation of version of X-Men vs. Street Fighter strips out major features such as tag-team battles, changing the one-round two-on-two battles to a more conventional best-two-of-three-round setup.
Most notably, the PlayStation version makes significant graphical cutbacks across all elements of the game. Many frames of character and background animation were removed, with characters such as Magneto having almost entirely different (and more rigid) idle poses to compensate for the limited hardware. Even when animation is not a feature, the PlayStation often uses less detailed assets, and runs with a lower screen resolution at all times.
The Saturn conversion is able to achieve closer parity with the arcade version through its use of the 4MB Extended RAM Cartridge, which is required for the game to run. A side effect of this approach also means that loading times are shorter than on the PlayStation (though still longer than in the arcades, where there is no disc to access), with fights on Saturn hardware taking about one second to load versus the PlayStation's ten seconds.[5]
The 4MB Extended RAM Cartridge also means the X-Men characters have more frames of animation than their counterparts in the Saturn version of X-Men: Children of the Atom.
Voice Actor: Norman Spencer, Cathal Dodd, Catherine Disher, Lenore Zann, Tony Daniels, Don Francks, Rick Bennett, Lorne Kennedy, Katashi Ishizuka, Tetsuya Iwanaga, Yuko Miyamura, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Susan Hart, Yoshiharu Yamada, Wataru Takagi, Tomomichi Nishimura
Producer: Tetsuya Iijima
General Producer: Noritaka Funamizu (POO)
Special thanks to: Sakomizu, Adviser Akitomo, Takuya Shiraiwa, Matt Taylor, Erik Suzuki, Kinu Nishimura, Jesus R. Bueno, Harumi Yamashita, Dana Moreshead, Alison Stroll, Rita Rokos, Darryl Williams, Mr.Kubozono, Mr.Hirao, Marcello Fortino, David Alex Stinson, Joseph Calamari, Satoshi Ise