Capcom is one of the most historic third-party developers in video game history. The Japanese company was founded in 1979 and got into console game development in 1985. Since then, it’s given players fan-favorite series like Mega Man, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and countless other best-sellers. And to its credit, Capcom has continued to grow and innovate throughout its long history, successfully keeping its status as one of the industry’s best publishers and developers throughout several console generations. With hundreds of games and dozens of iconic series, it can be tough to pick a favorite Capcom game. Below, I’ve put together a list of the 10 best Capcom games of all time.
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This list is presented in ranked order, and I’ve done my best to include games from several franchises to capture the breadth of Capcom’s gigantic catalog.
10) Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
Most games in the Ace Attorney series are worth playing, but Trials and Tribulations takes the cake for me as the end-cap of the original trilogy. Director Shu Takumi took the more episodic format of the first two games and introduced a more concrete overarching plot, giving the series a darker tone. While it didn’t introduce any new gameplay mechanics, Trials and Tribulations was a fitting end to the original trilogy.
9) Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
Capcom has its share of great fighting games (we’ll get another one below), but MvC’s brand of tag team fighter has always been a fan-favorite. MvC 2 is the best of the bunch thanks to its frenetic pace and gorgeous visuals. The one big downside is that the early versions of MvC 2 didn’t include online multiplayer outside Japan. Once Capcom added that support, tag team fighter fans were feasting.
8) Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is one of the more ambitious games from Capcom in the last decade. It’s not a perfect game, but the sheer scope of what it’s attempting with its pawn system and emergent narrative is staggering. If you want a game to lose yourself in, there aren’t many better than Dragon’s Dogma 2.
7) Okami
Let’s be frank, Okami is one of the best-looking games of all time. The cell-shaded graphics are stunning, and it’s a shame that it was released so late into the PlayStation 2’s life cycle. That doomed the game (and Clover Studios), but thankfully, it’s been ported to modern platforms and recognized for its beautiful art and original gameplay.
6) Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2 might have the best soundtrack in video game history. Add in the classic Mega Man combat and a slew of great boss characters, and you have the series’ best game. Mega Man X and Mega Man 3 get close to taking the title, but fall just short of this all-time classic.
5) Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening
Nearly every Devil May Cry game is worth a try. Capcom’s action-adventure series has always pushed style to the max with great success. That said, DMC 3 stands out as the best of the bunch, though Devil May Cry 5 gets relatively close. There just aren’t many games that will make you feel cooler as you slice through hordes of enemies and solve puzzles.
4) Monster Hunter World
In many ways, Monster Hunter World is Capcom’s greatest achievement. It took a series that hardcore fans loved and made it more accessible, which led to over 44 million copies sold. That’s more than 10 million copies more than any other Capcom game, easily making it the best-selling game in the company’s history. As many players’ first Monster Hunter game, World was an excellent starting point, mixing incredible core gameplay with a slightly easier learning curve for new players.
3) Resident Evil 2 Remake
Resident Evil 2 Remake stands right next to Monster Hunter World as the games that helped usher Capcom into the modern era. The remake of the classic Resident Evil game took that old game and injected so much new life. Mr. X’s constant presence was the standout feature, but the real star of the show is the map itself.
Resident Evil 2 Remake turns the Raccoon City police station into one big puzzle, forcing you to plan every trip perfectly, so you can stay out of Mr. X’s deadly reach. It’s a masterclass in game design that the developers have been chasing since.
2) Street Fighter 2
You can pick whichever version of Street Fighter 2 you want, and to be clear, there are a lot of them. Either way, this is the fighting game for many players in the ’90s. When it launched in 1991, it quickly became a top-seller across all platforms. It’s been speculated that, between console ports and arcades, Street Fighter 2 has earned around $10 billion. It pumped new life into the arcades and spawned a multi-media franchise. On top of all that, it still holds up as a great fighter.
1) Resident Evil Remake
The original Resident Evil’s GameCube remake squeaks by Street Fighter 2 as Capcom’s best game. Simply put, this is the game that started the company’s best series, but even better. Director Shinji Mikami took his original design and made a game that better matched his original vision, given the increased hardware capability of the GameCube. And even if Capcom decides to remake Resident Evil again, it will be tough to live up to this game, because it’s highly unlikely that Mikami will return to the studio.
Regardless, this is the game that introduced us to so many important characters and design elements in Resident Evil’s long history. It showed us how great a remake could be if given the proper care. Resident Evil Remake has gone on to release on nearly every major platform, giving new fans an easy way to check out this all-time classic.
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Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
