There’s probably few names in the fighting game community that ring more hallowed than Marvel vs. Capcom 2. The fighting game debuted in Japanese arcades but became a true classic when it released on platforms like the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. For many it is the headliner of the all new Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection that contains all the arcade-releases that Capcom made with the Marvel license. I managed to get my ass kicked for about thirty minutes during a special hands-on preview at Gamescom. While I am still really bad at Arcade fighters, I am fairly certain that this collection will be everything fans are looking for and more.
A quick overview for those not in the know. Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics features seven fighting games in one packages. Both Marvel vs. Capcom 1 and 2 are in there as well as X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter and The Punisher. I got to play all of the games except The Punisher and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter. While there is a lot of overlap between these games and mechanics, it is clear that every game brings its own distinct style to the fighting game formula. While MVC2 will be the main attraction for most players. I will break a lance for X-Men vs. Street Fighter, which is a much more straightforward fighter, but was the first one to feature 2-on-2 matches. The combat is fluent and each character has their own fighting style that still comes through. The roster can be quite small for that game, but I do think that it aids in getting to grips with the characters easily.
I will be the one to first admit that I have very little experience playing fighting games. I know the very basics, but get my low and high punches/kicks messed up all the time. Let alone swapping between five games at a very rapid pace, was quite a bit to get my head around. Thankfully the presentation of the collection makes it fairly easy to get accustomed to the different games. Each game comes not only with a dedicated moves list per character, but it can also display the marquee card that was featured on the original arcade machines. This feature is delightful, as it not only shows some awesome additional artwork, but presents these games in context and can be a quick overview if you’re familiar with fighting games, but not a specific one from this collection.
But the star of the show without a doubt will be Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. This is the original arcade version so it features 56 characters, all the stages and of course the soundtrack that has had players grooving for over two decades. The game plays really well and I was personally happy to see that there is now an option for a dedicated difficulty settings for both the CPU and using One-Button Specials (be aware that this feature is unavailable if you’re diving into ranked matches). My time with the demo only featured local play, but the final release will also feature rollback netcode for all titles in the collection, which will help MVC2 fans kick ass for years to come.
My main gripe with the game was the applied CRT-display filter. Perhaps it was because I had to sit so close to the screen, but the filter was just really bad. The combination with the flickering attacks, while reduced from the original, gave me a headache at the end of my play session. Now I’ve been told this CRT-filter can be turned off, so thankfully it is optional, but I did find it weird that for a game that wants to adhere to its arcade roots this choice of filter was actively hurting the experience. I was also not yet able to see the museum gallery, that contains high-resolution artwork of all characters, level designs and design documents for each game. But if the previous Capcom collections are anything to go by, this should probably be a fantastic ride through this particular history of the company.
Overall Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics should be exactly what you get. A responsive, pick-up-and-play experience for some of the most revered fighting games from the 1990’s. The rollback netcode is enough to justify this game for puritans who’ve been anxiously waiting to dive back into Marvel vs. Capcom 2. But I feel that this collection overall has enough to satisfy anyone with a passion for fighting games. Just be sure to turn off the CRT-filter and practice in training mode to get your bearings before going online and I’m sure you’ll have a wild ride.