In Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, players engage in combat with teams of two characters—owned by Capcom or Tatsunoko Production—and attempt to knock out their opponents. The game is set in a 2.5D environment; characters fight in a two-dimensional arena, but character models and backgrounds are rendered in three-dimensional graphics. The game is designed around a simplified three-button attack system, which was inspired by the simplistic control schemes commonly used by both the Vs. series and the Wii.