Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a game that I’m baffled even exists. The past decade has been a particularly rough one for Marvel vs. Capcom fans following the dismal release of MvC: Infinite. This combined with the previous delisting of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 from digital storefronts made it seem as though Capcom’s iconic fighting game series might be gone for good. Fortunately, these fears have now been put to rest as the franchise has now been revived in a way that could make it more relevant than ever.
After having spent time with all seven titles in the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, I’m surprised by how great each still feels to play. From X-Men: Children of the Atom through Marvel vs. Capcom 2, every game included here is still incredibly fun and offers a top-tier fighting game experience. The odd inclusion of the bunch, 1993’s The Punisher beat ’em up, is still quite enjoyable in its own right, especially given how sparse brawlers are nowadays.
Videos by ComicBook.com
While you can play all of these games in the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection with friends on your own couch, online play has also been added to each title. In my experience, online matches worked seamlessly and gave me no issues whatsoever. While I struggled to find opponents at times, I chalk this up more to the lack of people playing in the pre-release phase. Whenever I did land a match, though, each one felt just as fluid as if I was playing with someone else locally. Capcom’s commitment to rollback netcode with this collection is likely a big reason for this seamless experience and it’s very much appreciated.
Outside of its online component, practice mode is the other big inclusion with each game in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection. This is a rather straightforward addition, but it’s also one that was particularly needed, especially as a way of cultivating new fans. Given how old these games are, there are surely millions of players already familiar with the ins and outs of every title included. Practice mode being folded in doesn’t only ensure that veterans can hone their skills further, but it can get new players to better understand how the various systems and mechanics of each title work before then jumping into matches against others. This is something that I particularly found helpful, and I’m glad Capcom put in the effort to include it.
Arguably the coolest aspect of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection is its slew of bonus features. More often than not with collections like this, I find that the extra inclusions are a bit of a letdown. That’s far from the case here with MvC Fighting Collection, though, as the game is filled to the brim with hundreds of old pieces of concept art, design docs, and other materials from Capcom’s creation processes in the 90s. Documentation of this kind is rarely ever released to the public, and I’m baffled that some of these items haven’t been lost over the past two to three decades. While I wouldn’t consider any of this a main selling point of the game, it’s a fantastic inclusion for those who are interested in Capcom’s history.
If there is a downside to this Marvel vs. Capcom collection, it would be that there is little reason to go back and revisit some of these games. Most of Capcom’s Marvel fighting games of the 90s progressively built upon one another until they eventually culminated in Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which is by far the best entry of the bunch. As a result, going back to some of the precursors of MvC2 can feel a bit stale by comparison. Still, this is hardly a negative aspect of the collection as I’m happy to see Capcom include all of these titles for no other reason than game preservation.
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics largely makes good on its simple premise. All of the games included here are of a great quality, and Capcom fortunately hasn’t messed anything up in the porting process. This combined with some of the ancillary bonus features makes Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection just as interesting as a historical piece as it is a game that can be played with friends. Whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran to Marvel vs. Capcom, this is a collection that is well worth the price of admission and should hopefully pave the way for a wholly new installment.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is set to release this week on September 12th and will come to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. A copy of the game on PS4 was provided by Capcom for the purpose of this review.
