Six classic fighters and one extra beat-’em-up come together in a collection that’s well worth the wait.
By Jason Fanelli Twitter on September 9, 2024 at 8:00AM PDT
In its heyday, the Marvel Vs. Capcom crossover fighting franchise was omnipresent. Every arcade–a concept that’s also a relic of a time long passed–had walls lined with MvC machines, and each one was surrounded by players dropping quarters into X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, and others. It’s a bygone era, and for a while, fans believed that their beloved crossover franchise was as lost to time as the arcades of old.
Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, however, brings together all six of those era-defining fighting games–along with the historic brawler that started the core partnership between Marvel and Capcom–in a new era. Thankfully, this package presents each game in a way that celebrates that storied past while also injecting new life into them with modern features, creating a collection that’s up to the task of reintroducing these classics to a new age of players.
The core of this collection lies in its fighting games, each true to their original arcade form. All six games are presented as they were originally designed, staying faithful to their 1990s arcade roots, despite occasional frame-rate issues. This choice highlights which games have aged better and which still compete with today’s titles.
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, the standout game of the collection, remains as exhilarating as it was upon its release 24 years ago. Its dynamic three-on-three battles and extensive roster of 56 characters continue to captivate. The ability to mix and match teams to discover massive combos and simultaneous super moves is particularly thrilling. In contrast, X-Men: Children Of The Atom provides a slower experience with only 10 characters and a traditional duel setup. Although it’s a solid game, its simplicity and the age gap with more recent titles make it the least appealing in this collection.
While the other games included don’t surpass Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, they each provide unique and enjoyable gameplay elements. Marvel Super Heroes introduces the Infinity Stone mechanic, adding a layer of strategy to the battles by enhancing attacks and abilities. X-Men Vs. Street Fighter laid the groundwork for Capcom’s future tag-based fighters, albeit with a smaller roster compared to others in the collection.
Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter and the original Marvel Vs. Capcom add a layer of intrigue with their secret characters not found in other games, enhancing replayability and surprise. X-Men Vs. Street Fighter also includes a hidden character—Akuma, who is familiar from other series entries.
MSHvSF introduces Shadow, U.S. Agent, and Mephisto, representing alternate versions of Charlie Nash, Captain America, and Blackheart, along with others. Meanwhile, MvC adds Roll to its roster and includes superpowered variants of Venom, War Machine, Hulk, and others. These characters significantly alter gameplay, though they don’t replace the MvC2 experience. However, they offer enough novelty to justify revisiting the games periodically.
The Punisher, a side-scrolling action game from 1993, stands out in this context. Leaning more towards the gameplay style of Final Fight rather than Street Fighter, it marks the initial collaboration between Marvel and Capcom. The game is entertaining, albeit brief, and can be played solo or with a friend in co-op mode. Despite its historical significance, it doesn’t contribute substantially to the overall collection.
The contemporary enhancements bestowed upon these games are generally positive, though not without minor drawbacks. The inclusion of a quick-save feature, common in other Capcom collections, allows players to save progress instantly. But a significant issue arises due to the limitation of having only one quick-save slot for all seven games in the collection. This flaw can jeopardize a deep game run if another game is played, forcing players to choose between saving one game over another. This can notably disrupt gameplay, such as needing to overwrite a save in a crucial moment against The Punisher’s final boss to accommodate a new game session in MvC reaching Onslaught.
The introduction of rollback netcode across all seven titles is undoubtedly the finest modern enhancement in this collection. Rollback netcode has revitalized the entire fighting-game community, manifesting in the Marvel vs. Capcom Collection by enabling smoother and more reliable online interactions. During the review phase, online matches performed seamlessly, showing minimal disruptions. It’s important to note that these tests weren’t conducted under the pressure of a full consumer release, so experiences may vary post-launch. However, during the review, it felt almost as if competitors were playing side-by-side.
Additional features of the collection invite players on a nostalgic journey through the Museum, which includes a gallery showcasing concept art and design documents for each game, as well as a jukebox to enjoy the complete soundtracks. While these offerings don’t affect gameplay, they provide a cherished look back at the franchise’s history. Fans might be interested to learn tidbits such as the varied representation of characters on the Japanese versus U.S. marquees for X-Men: Children of the Atom.
Prior to this release, it had been exactly 12 years since the last official release of these titles, marked by Marvel Vs. Capcom Origins on September 25, 2012. For years, fans were left wondering if these games would ever emerge from their prolonged hiatus. Now, the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection has successfully gathered these classics into one contemporary package, despite some titles aging better than others. This collection represents a significant act of game preservation and deserves commendation for such.
Whether long-time fans or newcomers, the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection offers an excellent opportunity to delve into or revisit these games. In essence, it is ready to take players on an exciting journey.
