The original Marvel vs. Capcom from 1998 is where the crossover series truly found its identity, and this soundtrack is an absolute powerhouse of late '90s arcade music. The character themes are iconic, with "Theme of Strider Hiryu" delivering one of the most pulse-pounding, ninja-action tracks in fighting game history, and "Theme of Spider-Man" continuing to refine the heroic energy that Capcom had been perfecting since the earlier Marvel fighters.
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"Theme of Venom" goes appropriately dark and menacing, a perfect musical foil to Spider-Man's brightness. The Capcom side of the roster brings some truly inspired musical choices. "Theme of Captain Commando" is gloriously retro-futuristic, honoring the character who was literally Capcom's mascot before anyone knew what a Mega Man was.
"Theme of Rockman" (Mega Man to Western audiences) channels the Blue Bomber's classic NES energy through the CPS-2 sound chip, while "Theme of Roll" somehow makes the little housekeeper robot's presence in a superhero brawl feel completely natural.
"Theme of Morrigan" carries that seductive Darkstalkers atmosphere into the crossover arena, and "Theme of Jin" represents Cyberbots with underappreciated mech-pilot intensity. The boss themes are where this soundtrack reaches its peak intensity.
"Theme of Onslaught 1" and "Theme of Onslaught 2" score one of the most memorably brutal final boss fights in fighting game history, building from ominous dread to full-blown cosmic apocalypse as Onslaught transforms into his second, screen-filling form.
"Variable Cross" captures the excitement of the game's signature assist mechanic, and the "Opening" track sets the stage with that unforgettable feeling of two universes colliding. This is essential listening for anyone who grew up feeding quarters into Capcom cabinets.