Capcom has made plenty of money off of well-received re-releases and remasters, from the Marvel vs Capcom Collection to Resident Evil 4 Remake. However, despite the developer’s trend to reintroduce players to its extensive library, one fighting game title seems to be left behind. For fans of Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, it seems like Capcom has forgotten about a unique gem.
With Capcom Fighting Collection 2‘s upcoming release, players will be able to experience some of Capcom’s best fighting game collaborations, such as the revered Capcom vs SNK 2. Back in 2008, though, Tatsunoko vs Capcom was a crossover fewer fans recognized. This game featured both iconic Capcom characters and Tatsunoko legends in fierce 2v2 battles that would lay the groundwork for other popular fighting games to come.
Multiple Trademarks Behind Characters Prevent A Modern Remaster
Tatsunoko vs Capcom came out on the Nintendo Wii, a console that has long been in the past with the release of the Switch and Switch 2. With the ongoing success of Street Fighter 6 and the release of two Capcom fighting game collections on the Switch 2, it would make sense for this other crossover to come back at some point.
For now, one of Capcom’s less remembered crossovers only remains available on a console that debuted almost two decades ago. This is a shame, as Tatsunoko vs Capcom remains one of the developer’s most innovative fighting game titles. Using a unique Baroque Combo system and featuring more obscure characters from both sides, the game stood out from Marvel vs Capcom or Capcom vs SNK titles.
The recent inclusion of Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui as guest characters in Street Fighter 6 and Ken Masters as guest fighter in Fatal Fury: City of the Wovles shows that Capcom might want to embrace crossover games again in the near future.
One of the main reasons we haven’t seen Tatsunoko vs Capcom again is the multitude of licensing rights surrounding Tatsunoko characters in the game. Even when it released in 2008, this game had struggles getting a western launch, as each character not from Capcom’s library had different trademarks associated with them.
This created a nightmare of legal loopholes to get through just for the original game, so going through that again might not be something Capcom is willing to deal with. Furthermore, the Tatsunoko side of the roster largely features characters from various Japanese games, making them much harder for a western audience without context to connect with.
Tatsunoko Rights Aside, This Remaster Would Still Hit Now
Fast-Paced Team Gameplay Holds Great Appeal
Even if getting the rights to Tatsunoko characters took forever, Tatsunoko vs Capcom would be the perfect fighting game to re-release right now. With Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, 2XKO, and Invincible VS all on the horizon, team-based fighting games are coming back in full force.
As a unique game in the genre, Tatsunoko vs Capcom could be incredibly successful, especially following the good sales of Capcom’s other crossover collections. The Baroque Combo structure and 2v2 format in Tatsunoko vs Capcom is ahead of its time, featuring far more free-flowing combat than some fighting games that would follow it.
In recent years, Marvel vs Capcom Infinite had a similar 2v2 structure to Tatsunoko vs Capcom. However, as a game developed by the group Eighting, it shares more similarities with Marvel vs Capcom 3.
The simplified three-button attack system also makes Tatsunoko vs Capcom a great entry for beginners to jump into the genre. With a possible remaster to the 3D visuals in stage backgrounds, newcomers might see a greater appeal, but without any sacrifice to fighting game depth that retains veteran players.
The exclusivity of this title on just the Nintendo Wii prevented a large audience from experiencing it before, but perhaps a re-release could fix that. As a huge fan of the original, I hope Capcom brings back Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars in some way, either as part of their next collection or as a fully developed remaster for new players to enjoy.
