When a game system struggles to handle a title, common sense suggests avoiding its release on that platform. However, driven by profit, Capcom launched a severely compromised version of the arcade fighting sensation, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, for the PlayStation. While they attempted to sweeten the deal with super cancels – allowing chained super combos, borrowed somewhat carelessly from Street Fighter EX – this addition does little to mask the game’s fundamental flaws on this console. It’s clear the PlayStation port of X-Men vs. Street Fighter feels rushed and poorly considered from top to bottom. Even if this were a flawless conversion of the arcade experience, the core gameplay itself leans heavily into chaotic button-mashing, a far cry from balanced and strategic fighting.
One of the redeeming qualities of the arcade release, and its faithful Saturn counterpart, was its visual presentation. Characters were large, vibrant, and boasted fluid animation. Unfortunately, the PlayStation, known for its weaker 2D capabilities, simply couldn’t keep up. Capcom’s solution involved drastically reducing animation frames – Juggernaut, for example, appears sluggish with noticeably fewer frames in his movements and attacks. The graphics suffer from a washed-out appearance, and the game is plagued by unacceptable slowdown. Even iconic super moves like Ken’s Shinryuken, stripped of animation frames, still bog the game down to a near standstill. This pervasive slowdown and the jarringly missing animation frames actively degrade the already questionable gameplay experience.
The arcade version’s main draw was its innovative tag-team system, allowing players to switch between two characters mid-fight. Teammates could also jump in for dynamic team attacks and assist with Alpha counter-style maneuvers. Replicating this on the PlayStation would demand significant memory to manage four animation sets simultaneously. Consequently, the tag feature is entirely absent. While you still select a second character – a cruel reminder of the arcade’s full functionality – they are relegated to brief cameos during team attacks and counters. In a questionable attempt to compensate for the diminished gameplay depth, the arcade’s single-round matches are replaced with standard two-out-of-three round battles. Characters also passively regenerate health, mirroring the arcade’s backup character mechanic, but these changes feel like inadequate bandages on a deeply flawed port.
This PlayStation iteration of X-Men vs. Street Fighter simply should not exist. At some stage during development, someone should have recognized the PlayStation’s inherent limitations in handling this arcade title and made the difficult decision to cancel its release. The Saturn, already possessing superior RAM to the PlayStation and requiring an additional 4MB of RAM, was necessary to achieve a true arcade-perfect port. While the Street Fighter franchise holds considerable appeal, this PlayStation version is a step too far, delivering a profoundly compromised and disappointing experience for fans.
