Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics Review

There’s something so powerful about nostalgia, especially nostalgia for video games we used to play in arcades as kids. The fighting game cabinets were always full – at least in South Africa, Mortal Kombat and Tekken were preferences for many players. However, the Marvel vs. Capcom fighting game series held a special place in hearts. Now with the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics, we get to relive those golden days; all the highs and lows of the franchise’s history and it’s glorious.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics bundles seven classic fighting and action titles from the 90s and early 2000s: The Punisher (1993), X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998) and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000).

It’s immediately evident that Capcom went to great lengths to preserve the arcade versions of each of these titles instead of the divisive console and PC ports. Depending on who you ask, the arcade versions are the superior ones and that’s what you get in this beefed up bundle, complete with several fantastic quality-of-life improvements, adjustments, accessibility options and tweaks to bring the classics into the modern era.

The arcade feeling is wonderfully replicated in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics by giving players a few customisable display options. You get eight different screen filter options, few of which emulate the grainy arcade cabinet visuals of the 90s while others let you apply background images to the sides of the screen due to the 4:3 aspect ratio, though you’re also free to just leave these blank as well if it’s too much of a distraction.

For players that prefer widescreen, there are several resolution options available but unfortunately, switching to wide will simply stretch out the screen to your display, resulting in some rather ugly visuals. Understandably, Capcom attempts to preserve the visuals of the original titles right down to their original aspect ratios, though it would’ve been nice to have a widescreen option with a little more consideration put into it for modern screens.

Luckily the side bars aren’t too intrusive but considering how many customisable options are already at your disposal in the bundle, it seemed like a missed opportunity to not widen the screen and expand the breadth of those classic stages so they get a chance to show off their incredible background details. It’s a slight nitpick but not one that completely derails how excellent this collection is as a whole.

Before you jump into any of the games, you’re presented with some great accessibility and customisation options like tinkering the difficulty, your attack power, timer speed, damage received and adjusting the round timer (up to 5). More importantly, you can also toggle previously unplayable boss characters like Juggernaut and Magneto in X-Men: Children of the Atom so they’re playable on the character select screen, complete with signature movesets.

Every fighting game comes with a substantial training mode that allows you to fine-tune your skills, right down to visible hit boxes that can be toggled on or off and training dummy opponents with preset behaviour types. The training mode also lets you adjust the network stability or delays for playing online, meaning you can sort of emulate the delayed reactions of your hits and combos depending on your connectivity.

It honestly surprised me that, despite each title’s age, they still feel terrific to play today, especially Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes which is the highlight of the bundle (and arguably one of the greatest fighting games of all time). The side-scrolling beat ’em up The Punisher feels a bit stiff in the gameplay department – age has not been very kind to it – but if you’re seeking the feel-good dopamine rush that comes with nostalgia, you’re definitely going to get it.

X-Men vs. Street Fighter is another standout that pits Marvel’s family of mutants against (most) of the familiar Street Fighter roster in a sparkling brawler that harnesses the best abilities of each detailed character. Fast-paced and demanding, these classic fighters have an addictive quality to them that has evidently never been lost to time. Thanks to the ease of access and options available in the collection, these titles have never been easier to simply pick up and play.

Taking the quality-of-life improvements one step further, Capcom bolstered Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics with a lot of well-thought out features. You can now configure entire combos to just one button input if you find that learning and executing some combos are a bit too complex (in most cases, they certainly are). However, you can’t carry your custom button configurations over to ranked matches for obvious reasons but if you’re playing offline, they’re welcomed additions for players just learning the intricacies of each game.

Each game also comes with one quick-save slot for moments where you need to roll back a loss or quickly course-correct a combo screw up, though this system can’t be abused due to the limited save slot capacity, further encouraging you to get good without relying on hasty roll backs constantly.

Unfortunately due to the review process, we weren’t able to extensively test out online play but judging by Capcom’s previous online implementations of classic arcade fighters, it will likely be smooth-sailing and well-implemented on release. For those wondering, offline couch multiplayer is also available if you want to invite friends over and spend an afternoon duking it out in the classics.

Finally, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics includes a Museum mode if you want a closer look at character designs, concept art and a walkthrough of the behind-the-scenes process while developing each title. A built-in player also lets you preview the soundtrack for every title included in the bundle. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before but it’s a nice little addition for fans who like to dig deep into the rich history of the games.

To address the elephant in the room – and address a recurring problem for most classic fighting games brought into modern day – the dated mechanics aren’t going to be to everyone’s taste. Sure, the numerous customisation options and quality-of-life features go a long way but it’s going to be a tough sell for players already accustomed to the many improvements brought to fighting games over the decades.

Whether this shows up as questionable hit boxes or some of the clunky character movements that come with age, this is clearly a collection made for those already familiar with (and have a sweet spot for) the arcade brawlers. It’s unquestionably the best entry point for newcomers but mileage may vary depending on how much you’re willing to accept its dated mechanics, visuals and gameplay.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics goes above and beyond to bring arcade fighters of a bygone era into the modern day to superb results. Thanks to the thoughtful quality-of-life features, robust customisation options and more, you can relive some of Capcom’s biggest and best fighters of the past without hauling an expensive arcade cabinet into your living room. It’s not perfect but it’s another worthy collection to add to your library if you’re seeking you next nostalgia fix.

This Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics review is based on a PS5 code sent to us by Capcom. It releases on 12 September digitally. You can pre-order a physical version starting from R930 before release on 22 November.