As someone who grew up with a love for both Mega Man and arcade games, I can confidently say that Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics has been a long-awaited dream come true. I remember being captivated by those vibrant sprites in an arcade as a child, and now, decades later, I find myself immersed in the very games that ignited my passion for gaming.
As a child, I wasn’t deeply invested in Marvel comics, but I was captivated by Mega Man. A vivid memory stands out from my past: entering an arcade for the first time at a theme park and being mesmerized by the largest, most detailed, and vibrant Mega Man sprite I had ever encountered on an arcade cabinet. I didn’t even get to play the game, but that image has stayed etched in my mind. Later on, I became aware of Marvel vs. Capcom, although it was eclipsed by the popularity of Mega Man Legends at the time. Consistency is my middle name! To this day, the visual style of Marvel vs. Capcom continues to hold a special place in my memory.
Disney delivered?
Regardless of what piece of Marvel’s 90s bankruptcy history appeals to you the most, Capcom’s latest collection offers a time capsule packed tight with one of the biggest chunks you can get in a single package. Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics contains the entirety of Capcom’s licensed Marvel library, ending with the one everyone has been yearning for of course, but going all the way back to 1993’s The Punisher, which isn’t even a fighting game! This is the whole deal in one set, with everything possible crammed into what feels like a final act of defiance (and future-proofing to the extent it can be) against barriers caused by console/hardware generations and licensing expiration dates.
In an unexpected turn of events, such a scenario would have appeared implausible. We find ourselves in a reality where a harsh truth emerged: these popular games flourished mainly because Marvel was aggressively licensing its properties during that period. However, when Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite dropped at a time when Marvel held immense power, the outcome was disastrous. The game, being a niche video game title, seemed insignificant to the mighty IP empire driven by Hollywood. As far as anyone could tell, the relationship had soured significantly.
Diving into history headfirst
This collection includes an impressive total of seven games. Although it’s likely that most gamers will focus on just one or two for their regular gameplay and online competitions, having the entire set has several advantages. For instance, it’s fascinating to observe how this series progressed from one game to another. You can trace the development of characters’ sprites, visual styles, gameplay mechanics, and more, culminating with Marvel vs Capcom 2. The convenience of being able to play each game effortlessly, even switching between them in online lobbies, is a significant benefit for those who want to witness the evolution firsthand.
In addition, this significantly enhances the museum content, making it more comprehensive and satisfying. As I mentioned in my recent review for Castlevania Dominus Collection, Capcom has been instrumental in revitalizing art galleries. This is evident here, as each game features its own collection of high-resolution art, concept sketches, advertisements, arcade control displays (I’m not sure what they’re called, my apologies), and even design documents. It’s fascinating to scroll through some of the handwritten origins of intricate fighting game mechanics, even if you can’t read them. While more could always be included, it might be unrealistic to expect Capcom to provide all their materials for legal reasons and other considerations. Regardless, the museum remains my preferred starting point for these collections, and once again, Capcom has made it worthwhile.
Menus and stuff
One aspect I wish could be better is the user experience outside of playing the games. Intuition tells me it’s unavoidable, but it’s always a pain figuring out where I have to go to access which function of play, such as training mode or multiplayer. In a dedicated fighting game that stuff is simple to access, but here I have to do eyeball exercises to find each piece. Playing The Punisher with a friend was perhaps the peak of this particular annoyance, as I had to start creating a lobby to find the option in a menu with no hints or direction otherwise. But once you get over that hump everything works great, and some of the nerdier stuff like screen filters are some of the best work Capcom has done yet. Being able to preview the full game screen from within the window to see how each option works at the push of a button rules. CRT sickos are eating well these days.
For preserving history, this source delivers one of the best official offerings available. With backward compatibility and being on Steam, it’s challenging for even an expiration of licensing agreements to disrupt playing this collection in the future years. In the interim, having these games accessible on contemporary platforms makes them more playable than ever, although the lack of cross-platform play is a significant disappointment. However, the museum content provided is as impressive as we’ve come to anticipate from Capcom’s recent lineup of classic collections. Lastly, the long-awaited question, “When will Marvel arrive?”, now has an acceptable response.
The Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Originals is currently accessible on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5. However, Xbox users will have to wait for a future release. This review is based on a code provided by the publisher.
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2024-09-20 16:27