If you grew up in the ’90s, or even the early 2000s, you’ve probably seen one of these titles. I grew up near the Intensity Arcade in my local shopping center (I’m shouting it out loud to those who remember it), and every weekend and birthday party I would slam my parents’ gold into that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 machine. I spent a lot of time there.
I get dizzy thinking about it. These games have been around in one form or another for the past 20 years, but it’s great to see Capcom come out with another collection with a list of games that seem relatively relevant.
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics includes X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of 7 It is a combination of titles. Super Heroes, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, and finally The Punisher.
choose and play
In this review, I’ll briefly discuss each of the seven titles, along with some quick thoughts. I would love to talk about each of these titles in detail, but I think each one is worth reviewing. A more extensive review expands and modernizes each of these titles, further focusing on features across the collection.
Originally released in 1994, X-Men: Children of the Atom was one of the first Marvel-exclusive fighting games and the first fighting game developed and published by Capcom. I feel like it paved the way for this type of fighting game in this collection, even though it feels a little outdated by today’s standards considering all of the following:
First released in 1995, Marvel Super Heroes expanded the lineup, with selections loosely based on stories from the Infinity Gauntlet comics. This is probably the game I spent the least amount of time with growing up, but I can appreciate the proactive inclusion of more subtle features, such as the addition of combos and special attacks.
First released in 1996, X-Men vs. Street Fighter hit the ground running in terms of what we expected from the fighting series. It’s more Street Fighter than ever, and it’s the first game to incorporate tag team combat. It helps, but at the end of the day it still feels like it’s still in the shadow of later titles.
First released in 1997, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter continues to be popular. Rather than Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes being compared to Street Fighter 2: Turbo or Championship Edition, it feels more like a standard Street Fighter 2. It also expanded beyond the traditional Street Fighter roster and added more variety, though it feels a little more toned down than I remember.
First released in 1998, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes felt like perhaps the most polished title of its time. Still really good. From the once again expanded roster to the new tag team variable cross attack system, the impact will be felt long after this point.
First released in 2000, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes remains one of my favorite fighting games and, dare I say it, one of the best fighting games of all time. The sprites and character models look great, and everything else is full of color and energy. Choosing from once again expanded rosters on both sides, players can now choose up to three characters for their side as they aim to break through the opposing team. I can’t say anything that hasn’t already been said, but I think everyone is paying particular attention to this title.
Finally, the Punisher appears. Released in 1993, this title functions more as a fighting game than a traditional fighting game, but it’s incredibly underrated. This is a game I never played growing up, and I’ve probably spent the most time playing it ever since I fell in love with it.
It’s a brawler similar to Streets of Rage or Final Fight, but it’s extremely satisfying to play, and you can even team up with Nick Fury to double the amount of justice served on the streets. can.
for the better
Now that we’ve reviewed the list, we’d like to highlight how approachable this is for modern audiences thanks to all the features added to this particular collection. This makes the whole package all the more enjoyable, while also feeling like a well-crafted love letter to the Capcom Fighting pantheon, and one of the most robust and consistent collections you’ll find today. .
First, players can now participate in battles online. Depending on the title, players can compete in ranked or casual matches, or even create private lobbies for their friends, making matchmaking a little easier via co-op or head-to-head play. .
I had to wait a few days before release before I could play online with friends, but it was relatively smooth. Hiccups are inevitable, but they are rarely enough to ruin the experience. You can also watch a competitive match between two friends.
The only real downside here is that cross-play isn’t allowed across the collection, so make sure you’re okay with everyone getting this on the same platform. That said, more traditional high score challenges are also available for those looking to climb the online leaderboards, but unfortunately it’s unclear which platforms contribute to these high scores.
Each game also gives players access to a host of customizable features and controls for both hardcore and casual fans. Enthusiasts will probably want some kind of specialized arcade stick, but beginners will be fine with the fact that they can tweak and customize the controls and combinations.
Choosing a difficulty level is obvious, but the ability to essentially assign macro combos and combine a huge list of buttons into a single command makes things much easier if you want to jump right into the action. It will be.
This game packs in plenty to watch, listen to, and even try out. If the actual games aren’t enough for you, you can check out over 500 pieces of both concept and development artwork and listen to over 200 songs from all seven titles. You can also choose between English and Japanese versions of each title, each with its own differences.
I’m sure many people would prefer the English version (probably the US version) instead of the Japanese version of Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, as all characters are unlocked from the beginning .
Finally, for everyone looking to complete, there is also a dedicated Achievements section where you can earn prizes in each of the seven games by tackling specific tasks and challenges.
look at the part
These arcade ports look and play well, but the attention to detail makes all the difference. There are video filters you can pop on your screen, even if some of them look a little aggressive and detract from the cleaner raw visuals. But the fact that most of these games, especially the later ones, are still around is just pleasing.
There are many menus to navigate, but everything is presented with such energy that it’s like strolling through a museum of hits and you know what you came here for. Selecting a game will display their specific cover artwork, and changing the game version from English to Japanese will change the artwork on the fly.
You might not realize it, but this is great because people collect these games on their original consoles and platforms for the artwork differences.
final thoughts
I wish the online part of the package was cross-play compatible, but there’s no doubting what an impressive feat this is. Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics not only combines a ton of great games, but presents them in a way that feels like it was made with fans in mind.
New fans will appreciate the different difficulty settings and customizable controls, but the incredible amount of additional artwork, tracks, and achievements piled up here makes this a worthy collection for any fighting game fan. It has become.
4 1/2 stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlights: A great selection of games that are still relevant today. Includes lots of additional artwork and music. Online play works fine
Cons: No online cross-play
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
Available now: Digital release now, physical release November 11th.
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 (via backwards compatibility) using code provided by the publisher.