Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
Genre: Compilation / Fighting Game
Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local, Local Wireless, Online), 2 Co-Op (Local, Local Wireless), 7 Spectators (Online), Online Leaderboards
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Review:
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, released in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, is a Compilation containing seven games. All but one of these games are Fighting games (The Punisher is an Arcade Brawler), all of these games feature Marvel Comics characters, and over half of these games pit those Marvel characters against various Capcom characters.
For the uninitiated, apart from The Punisher (which is an odd inclusion that doesn’t really fit with the rest of this group of games), these games are beloved among Fighting Game fans not only for their increasingly impressive roster of beloved characters, but for their wild, over-the-top gameplay.
Given how beloved this series is, and how it has been absent from consoles for years (apparently 12 years since the last release of any of these games!), many gamers were thrilled to see these games brought to modern platforms. What’s more, this marks the first time these games have appeared on a Nintendo platform, and only the second time ever that The Punisher has received a home console port (the game was previously ported to Sega Genesis).
Here is what I thought of each of the games in this collection:
| Game | Genre | # of Players | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| X-Men: Children of the Atom | Fighting Game | 1-2 Competitive (Local, Local Wireless, Online), 7 Spectators (Online), Online Leaderboards | C+ |
tl;drThis is a slow game by today’s standards, and the roster of only ten characters (plus one hidden unlockable character) is tiny, and the controls don’t feel anywhere near as fluid as later games in the franchise. It’s still a fun Fighting Game, but it’s hard to see many people opting to play this game over the others in this collection. | |||
| Marvel Super Heroes | Fighting Game | 1-2 Competitive (Local, Local Wireless, Online), 7 Spectators (Online), Online Leaderboards | B |
tl;drOnce again, this game only has ten fighters (plus three hidden unlockable characters), but they control more fluidly than X-Men: Children of the Atom. A small but marked improvement. | |||
| X-Men Vs. Street Fighter | Fighting Game | 1-2 Competitive (Local, Local Wireless, Online), 7 Spectators (Online), Online Leaderboards | B+ |
tl;drNot only does this game increase the roster to 16 characters (plus one hidden unlockable character), but it also marks the introduction of the tag-team system this series became known for. This is a fantastic game, even if it is overshadowed by later games in this collection. | |||
| Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter | Fighting Game | 1-2 Competitive (Local, Local Wireless, Online), 7 Spectators (Online), Online Leaderboards | B+ |
tl;drThis game doesn’t change much from X-Men Vs. Street Fighter aside from the roster, which is once again 16 characters (with six unlockable palette swap characters). Still a great game, but it has the same problem that X-Men Vs. Street Fighter had – it has to compete with the later games in the collection. | |||
| Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes | Fighting Game | 1-2 Competitive (Local, Local Wireless, Online), 7 Spectators (Online), Online Leaderboards | A- |
tl;drThis game doesn’t expand the roster of the series – it still only has 15 playable characters (with six unlockable characters who are mostly palette swaps), but what it does do is introduce numerous Capcom characters who have never been in a Fighting Game before, like Strider Hiryu, and obscure characters like Captain Commando, with extremely creative new playstyles. Plus, this game introduces assist characters, adding a new element to combat. The result is an incredible Fighting Game that’s only overshadowed by one other game in this collection… | |||
| Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes | Fighting Game | 1-2 Competitive (Local, Local Wireless, Online), 7 Spectators (Online), Online Leaderboards | A+ |
tl;drThis game makes some strange artistic choices, like bizarre fighting arenas that have nothing to do with the characters, new characters who aren’t from either stable of characters, and some odd music (yes, yes, “I’m gonna’ take you for a ride” became memetic, but only because it’s such an oddball song to have in this game). However, none of that matters – this game’s massive roster of 56 characters includes nearly every character from the entire series, plus numerous others, and the new 3v3 tag-team system and more simplified four-button controls make this an absolute joy to play, letting you create your favorite team and let them loose on opponents. This is the last 2D game in the Marvel Vs. Capcom series, and many will argue it’s the series’ greatest game to this day, and one of the greatest Fighting Games of all-time. While it is wonderful to get the other games in this collection too, I don’t think there’s any question that this is the real star of this Compilation. | |||
| The Punisher | Arcade Brawler | 1-2 Co-Op (Local, Local Wireless), 7 Spectators (Online), Online Leaderboards | B- |
tl;drThe Punisher is a mostly-decent Arcade Brawler with the interesting mechanic of Punisher (or Nick Fury) swapping to a handgun with unlimited ammo whenever an enemy with a gun appears onscreen. However, the controls are a bit stiff, and there are definitely times where it feels like taking damage is unavoidable (gotta’ get those quarters). Still, it’s a fun entry in the genre as long as you don’t mind having to continue a lot. | |||
In short, I think this collection is all about Marvel Vs. Capcom, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, and The Punisher. It’s not that the other games aren’t good – nearly all of them are still great even today. The problem is… why would you play any of those other games instead of Marvel Vs. Capcom 1 & 2? I suppose there is an argument at least for Marvel Super Heroes due to its unique infinity stone mechanic, but otherwise this is mainly about those three games. The Punisher gets included in the three not because it’s especially great, but because it’s notably different from everything else in this package.
The games themselves have been brought over to modern consoles with full online play using rollback netcode to ensure a top-quality gameplay experience, as well as additional accessibility options like training modes and one-button specials for those who enable these features in the options. Players can opt to play either English or Japanese versions of the games, there are display options, save states (er, save state, singular – you can only have one at a time for the entire collection), and there’s an extensive gallery of artwork as well, including a full soundtrack. What’s more, this collection even has a catchy Menu Theme, just for good measure.
Finally, we need to talk about value, and this is kinda’ a tough call, because what we have here are excellent versions of seven classic games, complete with great online play, a bunch of extra features, and a full gallery of content. But I did say that really only three of these games are really worth playing here, and at $50, the price feels a bit bloated. Capcom could have easily made this package a better deal by throwing in a few more games – even if they wanted to refrain from including 3D games like Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite, they could have added the Capcom-developed and published Super Nintendo games X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, and Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems, especially since both of these were already included on Capcom’s Marvel-themed Arcade 1UP cabinets.
Failing this, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics feels overpriced. However, while the price tag may make it harder to put your quarter down on this bundle, I think that when you finally do, you won’t be disappointed. Even if only three of these games are worth playing, the games are so good, and presented here with such high quality, that every Fighting Game fan should consider this bundle a must-buy.
tl;dr – Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a Compilation of seven games, mostly in the Fighting Game genre. Almost all of these games are great, but there’s little reason to play the earlier games when this bundle lets you play Marvel vs. Capcom 1 & 2 instead. Add in Arcade Brawler The Punisher, and it really seems like this is a bundle of three games you’ll play and four you’ll probably never go back to. However, the games are so great, with excellent features, superb online play, and an impressive gallery of extra content, that it still makes this a must-have collection for any Fighting Game fan.
Grade: B+
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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2024 Game Awards:
Runner-Up: Best Compilation/Collection
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