Shuhei Matsumoto, the producer for Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, recently told IGN in an interview at EVO 2024 that he wanted to bring back more of Capcom’s legacy fighting games. This is great news for fans of Capcom’s classic fighters, as many are difficult to play today. Here are three games that would benefit most from modern ports.
Capcom and SNK’s Legacy Fighting Games
The recent re-release of SNK vs.Capcom: SVC Chaos and Shuhei Matsumoto’s comments have given fans of the Capcom vs. SNK games hope that their favorite fighters will return. Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millenium 2001, in particular, is a beloved title that acts as the swan song for Capcom’s golden age of fighting games. With 48 characters total, this crossover between two of the biggest fighting game developers is a dream come true for fans of either company’s works.
Unfortunately, this game has not been available on home consoles since its 2001 release for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Dreamcast, and has never come to PC in an official capacity. This can largely be attributed to licensing issues for SNK’s characters. However, there is a lot of hope for this legacy fighting game. As mentioned previously, SNK’s take on the idea received a recent rerelease. Additionally, Capcom has already licensed SNK’s Terry Bogard and Mai Shiaranui to be added to their own game, Street Fighter VI, making the future of Capcom vs SNK appear hopeful.
Tatsunoko’s Niche Crossover
2010’s international release of Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate Allstars may have flown under the radar of many Western players, but its importance cannot be understated. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is the predecessor to the immensely popular Marvel vs. Capcom 3, featuring the same developers and many similar mechanics. Its roster is one of the most unique among Capcom’s legacy fighting games, featuring some obscure Capcom picks like Saki Omonake from Quiz Nanairo Dreams and many superheroes from Tatsunoko’s classic anime like Yatterman and Gatchaman.
Those Tatsunoko heroes are undoubtedly the reason the game has not seen a modern release. Like with SNK, Tatsunoko’s characters would need to be licensed by Capcom. Unlike SNK, Tatsunoko does not hold the rights to their franchises worldwide, as they have licensed their characters to companies outside Japan like Time Warner. Having to juggle multiple licenses was a headache for Capcom to release the game internationally for the first time (even removing a character from the original 2008 Japanese release). So they are unlikely to repeat the same mistake for a re-release.
Despite the licensing problems, this legacy fighting game’s historical significance would make it an ideal candidate for a modern version. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom would benefit greatly from a remaster, ideally containing the cut character Hakushon Daimaō and various other content that failed to make it into the international release. Regardless of whether it is a straight port or a remaster with additional content, Tatsunoko vs Capcom is a game that needs to be more accessible to modern audiences.
The Wildest Fighter: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future is one of Capcom’s best legacy fighting games and is still played competitively. This game adapts the manga JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders into an extremely unique fighting game with characters who use crazy powers like the ability to stop time or turn other characters into helpless children. Despite releasing over a decade before JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure became popular worldwide, this game has managed to maintain a large following thanks to its fun and strange mechanics.
Like Capcom vs SNK 2 and Tatsunoko vs Capcom, this game has licensing problems preventing its re-release. While Capcom did re-release it once digitally on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, that version is no longer available. Bandai-Namco owns the license to develop JoJo games and has made some good fighters with the brand, such as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R. However, unless Capcom and Bandai-Namco reach an agreement, Heritage for the Future may never see the sun again.
The Hope for a Return
While the legal problems may make the return of these legacy fighting games seem hopeless, not all is lost. Marvel vs Capcom is getting a collection, and those games faced extremely difficult licensing issues. Because Shuhei Matsumoto wants to bring back older fighting games, the demand for them might make these classics easily available. Hopefully, he will pull through, as these legacy fighting games comprise important history that should not be forgotten.
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