X-Men vs. Street Fighter

"The arcade classic comes to Saturn!"

I remember when this game first came out. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Classic comic book characters verses the titans of capcom. It was a dream come true for fighting fans. It was an arcade favorite and rightfully so. The only problem is that Arcade ports sometimes suck. And on Playstation this game did. But Sega Saturn had a reputation for great arcade ports and XM vs SF was no exception.

Graphics:10
Top notch for their time. Sega Saturn handled this game so well. It is Arcade perfect. Looking at the roster, the vibrant and colorful graphics bring these great characters to life. The animations are great. All of the animations from the Arcade version are present. The backgrounds are awesome as well. Very street fighter/comic book like.

Gameplay:9
Somewhat revolutionary for it's time. There are 16 classic characters to choose from. You pick two and have a tag team match. It's awesome. You switch your characters anytime you want and let the good times roll. The street fighter characters return with their classic combos and super combos. The X men characters were introduced in this game and they can also hold their own. All the characters have at least one super combo and are very well balanced. My only complaint is that with this game now on systems, there could have been more modes. One must not forget about the importance of one on one combat. Or maybe an endurance mode. But nevertheless, this game is definitely worth your time. No problem with controls. The responsiveness you'd expect from a Capcom fighter.

Sound:9
The sound is excellent. Each character has their own music when they fight. And the music is good. Not like that garbage that Marvel vs Capcom 2 crapped out. Fast, rock and roll, like beats. The voice acting is excellent. All the great street fighter voices return with the X men sounding like you'd expect them to.

Replayability: 9
Even without extra modes, the arcade experience is 1st class. With a great roster of characters and responsive controls, you can't lose.

Story:8
This game is no final fantasy when it comes to story, but it's actually pretty good. The Xmen have to team up with the Street Fighters to take down Apocalypse. Each character has their own ending which is pretty cool. Not like that crap in Marvel vs Capcom 2 where you get a few measly drawings for an ending.

Rent or buy?
If you like fighting games, you will probably like this. Street fighter fans will have no problem accepting it's greatness and it's a must have for Saturn owners.

Overall: 9
XM vs SF is a perfect conversion from the arcades, so there is little to dislike. Just look at the above and judge for yourself. I'm willing to bet this arcade classic will overwhelm you with feelings of nostalgia.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/25/04