Marvel vs Capcom Classics Arcade Revival Hits Consoles

The Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a phenomenal compilation for fans of Capcom's fighting game history. This review covers experiences across Steam Deck, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, highlighting both the strengths and minor shortcomings of this impressive package.

Game Lineup:

The collection boasts seven classic titles: 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 Super Heroes, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, and The Punisher (a beat 'em up). All are based on the arcade originals, ensuring a complete and faithful experience. Both English and Japanese versions are included, a boon for fans seeking regional variations like Norimaro in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter.

This reviewer's 32 hours of playtime across multiple platforms provided ample opportunity to explore these titles, many for the first time. The sheer enjoyment derived from Marvel vs. Capcom 2 alone justified the purchase price.

New Features and Enhancements:

The collection shares a familiar interface with Capcom's Capcom Fighting Collection, including online and local multiplayer, Switch's local wireless support, rollback netcode, a training mode with hitbox displays, customizable game options, and a crucial feature to reduce screen flickering. A helpful one-button super move option caters to newcomers.

Museum and Gallery:

A comprehensive museum and gallery showcase over 200 soundtracks and 500 pieces of artwork, some previously unreleased. While a treasure trove for fans, the lack of translation for Japanese text in certain materials is a minor drawback. The inclusion of the soundtracks is a significant win, sparking hopes for future vinyl or streaming releases.

Online Multiplayer Experience:

The online experience, tested extensively on Steam Deck and with cross-platform play, mirrors the quality of Capcom Fighting Collection on Steam, a significant improvement over the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Rollback netcode ensures smooth gameplay, even across distances. Matchmaking supports casual and ranked matches, with leaderboards and a High Score Challenge mode. The convenient persistence of character selection cursors between rematches enhances the overall user experience.

Issues and Shortcomings:

The collection's most significant flaw is the single, global save state. This limits the convenience for players wishing to save progress in individual games. Another minor issue is the lack of universal settings for visual filters and light reduction, requiring adjustments on a per-game basis.

Platform-Specific Observations:

• Steam Deck: Perfectly functional and Steam Deck Verified, offering 720p handheld and up to 4K docked resolution.

• Nintendo Switch: Visually acceptable but suffers from noticeable load times compared to other platforms. The lack of a connection strength option is also a shortcoming. However, it uniquely offers local wireless play.

• PS5: Runs via backward compatibility, offering excellent visuals but missing PS5 Activity Card integration. Load times are fast, especially when installed on the SSD.

Overall:

Despite minor issues, the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a superb collection, offering exceptional value and a fantastic online experience. The inclusion of a wealth of bonus content further elevates its appeal. The single save state remains the most significant area for improvement.

Steam Deck Review Score: 4.5/5