The series originated as coin-operated arcade games; later releases were specifically developed for home consoles, handhelds, and personal computers.

The series' gameplay is distinguished from other fighting game franchises due to its character assist mechanics and emphasis on aerial combat.

The Marvel vs. Capcom series has received generally positive reviews from critics, who have praised its fast-paced gameplay, vibrant visuals, and wealth of playable characters.

[29] Official Complete Works made its international debut at San Diego Comic-Con on July 11, 2012, in an exclusive hardcover edition.

The iteration of Spider-Man from the series made a cameo appearance in the second issue of the comics crossover event Spider-Verse (2014–15), where he is defeated by Morlun as he hunts all Spider-Totems across the multiverse.

[32] Using a combination of joystick movements and button presses, players must execute various moves to damage their opponent and deplete their life gauge, or alternatively, have the most cumulative health when the timer runs out.

[37] The off-screen, dormant characters will slowly replenish their red health, allowing players to cycle through their team members and prolong their ability to fight.

[37] Furthermore, as characters deal and receive damage, a colored meter at the bottom of the screen known as the "Hyper Combo Gauge" will gradually fill.

[9] Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter introduced the concept of the "assist" by allowing the player to summon their off-screen partner to perform a special move without switching characters.

[40] Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds introduced "X-Factor", a comeback mechanic which offers increased damage, speed, and red health regeneration for a limited time upon activation.

[25] Another gameplay element that helps to distinguish the Marvel vs. Capcom series from other fighting game franchises is its emphasis on aerial combat.

[38] As Capcom's design philosophy for the series has changed to appeal to a wider audience, the control scheme has been repeatedly modified to accommodate people less familiar with the fighting game genre.

[44][46] Though Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite returned to a control scheme similar to Marvel vs. Capcom 2 ― with four attack buttons, one dedicated button for character tagging, and another for activating Infinity Stone abilities ― it introduced a new "auto-combo" system to improve accessibility that allows players to repeatedly mash the light punch input to automatically execute ground and air combos without any damage penalty.

[57] In 2011, then-current Capcom USA Strategic Marketing Director of Online and Community Seth Killian stated that many fighting game aficionados, including himself, consider them to have laid the foundation for the series.

[57] The idea for implementing tag teams was allegedly inspired by an easter egg from Capcom's own 1995 fighting game Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams.

[58] The easter egg itself had drawn inspiration from the final battle sequence of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, which featured a similar fight scene.

[116] The series' first three titles, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, received praise for their frantic gameplay style, visual flair, playable character rosters, and the quality of their sprite animations.

[6][34][117] Conversely, the PlayStation ports were criticized for their removal of tag team battles and noticeable decline in frame rate and animation quality – changes which stemmed from the console's RAM limitations.

[36][118][119] Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes received similar praise, with particular attention given towards the large cast and the addition of three-on-three combat.

[124][125] In addition to its character variety and visual presentation, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds garnered praise for simplifying the series' combat mechanics and control scheme, thus making it more accessible for players new to fighting games.

[131][132] Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite received mixed to positive reviews, with critics praising its implementation of new gameplay mechanics, such as the "Active Switch" combo system and the addition of the six Infinity Stones.