MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics review for PS4, Switch, PC

When I reviewed Capcom Fighting Collection two years ago, I stated in passing that I hoped that Capcom would be able to release other compilations given the company’s deep gameography when it comes to fighting games and lo and behold their sophomore release in the “Fighting Collection” line might be their greatest feat to date. While the general public seems to think the licensing process is a simple phone call that ends with bags of money handed to the licensor and a product on the shelves…The process is never that simple. So when a certain portion of the populace credit this compilation happening because of a hashtag campaign, I let out a hearty laugh…but that might be me being petty about the marketing effectiveness of a popular streamer. Nonetheless the stars aligned and we hold in our hands (or have in our digital libraries…since the physical editions don’t arrive until November) this monumental release.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection features all of Capcom’s fighting games which feature Marvel IPs that were released prior to 2011 (Marvel vs Capcom 3). This means you get X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs Street Fighter (Canonically the first “Vs” title), Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and the much beloved Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. Each game in this compilation utilizes modified arcade versions of the game, which is probably the way to go as home versions were serviceable, but never had any value add which supplanted the original co-op releases (Although there is a home release of Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter allowed you to play as the game’s final boss, Apocalypse.).

This collection obviously adds modern touches such as adjustable scanlines, one button special moves, save states (an odd thing to add in a fighting game compilation, but it was in the first collection), the ability to lock/unlock hidden characters, practice mode and new to this collection, the ability to reduce the flashing lights. Other key features include a museum where select archival documents can be viewed and the game’s music can be enjoyed.

In terms of each title’s technical performance, I will leave that to the autists in the Fighting Game Community or something with actual equipment to break down. For a layman…since it’s meant to take your quarters, the games are pretty tough even on a relatively low difficulty (2 Stars is the default), but I was able to do “Single Coin” runs in a couple of the games…barely.

While online was quite sparse during the pre-release, I did give the mode a spin on release day. There was a small wait to get into a game (I’m sure the wait will be longer for older games like X-Men, but if you opted for Marvel vs Capcom 2 matchmaking you wouldn’t be waiting too long for a scrap.). I think my only complaint about online matches is how many killers are playing right off the bat. My first and probably last (for a while at least) online match in Marvel vs Capcom 2 had me just being battered, but it goes to show the netcode was stable enough that an actual skill player can do to me online the same thing they could do in the arcades. Checking the leaderboards I already spy players who are in the platinum rank…and this was just day one! Another online mode that’s new to this collection is High Score Challenge, go through arcade mode and see what’s the highest score you can achieve in your run.

The collection also includes The Punisher arcade game from 1993, which has the distinction of being the first collaboration between the two companies. It is an interesting beat’em up as it incorporates gunplay…but the gunplay usually consists of unloading your clip as quickly as possible before the enemy thugs get too close or fire their guns. I am curious as to why other Capcom/Marvel titles such as the SNES’s X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse and Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems didn’t make the cut. Perhaps they could be fodder for another Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle?

Overall this compilation is a fantastic package, it’s really hard to find flaws in it. Although I did wish in offline mode there was a way to quickly reset the game instead of having to go back to the game selection to restart. It’s certainly a minor nitpick. With a Capcom Fighting Collection 2 already set for 2025, let’s hope we’ll get other Quality of Life changes and this might be a pipedream, but perhaps Capcom can take a page out of Jackbox’s playbook and put out a single launcher for their various collections. I mean the company sure has a lot of retro compilations (I’m counting 3, Arcade Stadium, Fighting Collection and Beat’em Up Bundle).

Much like the Sun will set one day, I’m sure the licensing agreement that brought this collection to us will certainly end. So if you truly are a fan of fighting games you owe it to yourself to secure this title, it’s worth every penny of its $49.99 asking price. Hell, If I had to recommend a specific edition to buy, I would say get it on PC since it’s probably the platform which will not sunset anytime soon. So what are you waiting for…IT’S MAHVEL BAYBEE!

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection is available on the PlayStation platform, Nintendo Switch,  PC via Steam and eventually on the Xbox One X|S sometime in 2025.

Note: Capcom provided us with a PS4 code for review purposes.