Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics delivers a knockout punch for fighting game fans. This collection, a surprising release given recent franchise history, offers a compelling retrospective for veterans and a fantastic introduction for newcomers. My experience across Steam Deck, PS5, and Switch reveals a mostly stellar package, though with a few minor shortcomings.
A Roster of Classics
The collection boasts seven 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 beat 'em up, The Punisher. These are faithful arcade ports, ensuring complete feature parity. A nice touch: both English and Japanese versions are included, with gems like Norimaro available in the Japanese Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter.
My 32 hours of gameplay across platforms (Steam Deck, PS5, and Switch) confirmed the enjoyment. Marvel vs. Capcom 2, in particular, exceeded expectations, easily justifying the purchase price. I'm even tempted to grab physical copies for my collection! While I'm a newcomer to most of these titles, the fun factor is undeniable.
Modern Enhancements
The user interface mirrors Capcom's Fighting Collection, offering both online and local multiplayer, Switch-specific wireless local play, and crucially, rollback netcode. A training mode with hitbox displays and customizable options caters to both seasoned players and newcomers. A helpful one-button super move option adds accessibility.
A Treasure Trove of Extras
The included museum and gallery are a highlight, showcasing over 200 soundtracks and 500 pieces of artwork – some previously unseen. While Japanese text in sketches remains untranslated, the sheer volume of content is impressive. The inclusion of the soundtracks is a welcome addition, hinting at the potential for future vinyl or streaming releases.
The official soundtrack release is a dream come true, but I hope it's just the beginning; a vinyl or streaming release would be incredible!
Online Play: A Smooth Experience
Online play, tested extensively on Steam Deck (wired and wireless), delivers a smooth experience comparable to Capcom Fighting Collection, significantly improving upon the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Adjustable input delay and cross-region matchmaking further enhance the online experience. Co-op in The Punisher also worked flawlessly.
The collection supports casual and ranked matches, along with leaderboards and a High Score Challenge mode. A smart feature: character selection cursors remember your previous choices upon rematch.
The persistent cursor positions in games like Marvel vs. Capcom 2 are a small but significant quality-of-life improvement.
Minor Issues
The biggest drawback is the single, global save state. This applies to the entire collection, not individual games – a carryover from Capcom Fighting Collection that's disappointing. Another minor issue: visual settings aren't universally applied; adjusting light reduction or filters requires individual game configuration.
Platform-Specific Notes
- Steam Deck: Verified and runs flawlessly, supporting 720p handheld and up to 4K docked.
- Nintendo Switch: Visually acceptable, but suffers from noticeable load times. The lack of a connection strength option (present on PC and PS5) is also a concern. Local wireless is a plus.
- PS5: Runs via backward compatibility, looking excellent but missing PS5 Activity Card integration. Fast loading, even from an external drive.
Final Verdict
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection is one of Capcom's best compilations, surpassing expectations. The extras are superb, online play is fantastic (on Steam, at least), and experiencing these classic games for the first time has been a treat. Despite the single save state limitation, this collection is highly recommended.
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics Steam Deck Review Score: 4.5/5
