Tekken, Marvel Vs Capcom, And SoulCalibur Are Now Available In-Browser

For many, the PlayStation 2 has the greatest library of games of any console. It had some of the best entries from series like Grand Theft Auto, God of War, Resident Evil, and Metal Gear Solid. It also birthed classics like Okami, Shadow of the Colossus, and Ico.

In a time when couch co-op was king, the PS2 also had a phenomenal selection of fighting games, with Tekken and SoulCalibur reigning supreme. And as a wave of video games make their way from older consoles to web browsers, the PlayStation 2’s fighting game collection has become a focus, with four of them now playable on the internet.

Recent advances in web emulation and generative AI have let gamers run complex sixth-generation console games directly in modern browsers. We’ve seen multiple examples in the past weeks, including Need for Speed: Underground 2 and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai, and now more PS2-era games have made their way online.

The first in-browser title is Tekken 4. It’s the fifth game in the Tekken franchise, coming after 1999’s Tekken Tag Tournament, and the first developed specifically for the PlayStation 2. It featured 23 fighters and a full story mode that unlocked character-specific cutscenes. It was a staple in couch co-op gaming.

SoulCalibur 2 now also has a browser version. While not rated as highly as its predecessor, which is the second-best game ever created according to Metacritic, it’s easily one of the most impressive traditional 1v1 fighters. Its array of vastly different characters was supplemented on each platform by an exclusive fighter, with Link appearing in the GameCube version, Spawn in the Xbox version, and Tekken’s Heihachi Mishima in the PlayStation version. It’s certainly the game on this list I have the fondest memories of.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is next up and has arguably the most impressive roster of fighters from any fighting game in that era. 56 characters from across Marvel and Capcom duke it out in the fighter that scored a 76 on Metacritic.

The final game is Street Fighter Anniversary Collection. This title featured both Hyper Street Fighter 2 and Street Fighter 3 3rd Strike in one nifty package. It was arguably the best way to play any Street Fighter game on Sony’s second home console.

If you choose to hunt these down, be careful. They carry a legal risk if you play copyrighted games without owning a copy, and many are laden with intrusive ads that could download malware or other dangerous programs to your devices.