Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (Switch) Review

To say I haven’t played any of the games in the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics in a while is an understatement. I remember a much younger version of myself playing the first Marvel vs. Capcom during a super session at Timezone, and I probably haven’t played any of them properly since. Sure, most of these games have been available in some form elsewhere, and they’re always just a MAME away, but all of these games have previously avoided Nintendo platforms — so that’s probably it.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (what a mouthful), contains, as you’d expect from the name, anything that both Marvel and Capcom were involved in during the late ’90s and early 2000s. The magnum opus of this release is, of course, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, a title that has often been requested for re-release more than anything else here. However, it doesn’t arrive alone. There’s the original Marvel vs. Capcom, The Punisher, X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter. That’s a lot of Marvel, which means there’s a fair amount of overlap between the titles, but each game has its own strengths and unique qualities. Oddly though, The Punisher, being the first game released chronologically in this collection, isn’t even a fighting game. Let’s be real though, the majority of people are going to be here for Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

If you’re looking for a super in-depth critique of these arcade games as individual titles, you’ve come to the wrong review. I’m not a fighting game expert—I’m more of a Mortal Kombat guy—but what I can tell you is that this collection is solid, and Capcom has been studious in getting this right (they took long enough). Each game is presented as it was in the arcade, but you can change it up however you’d like. There are multiple filters to choose from for each game, with some having thicker scanlines, others thinner, or you can turn them off completely. Personally, I turned them off to let the colorful graphics shine. Each game can be configured differently, and you have the option to choose different wallpapers around the 4:3 displays, or none at all.

Before you even start playing, you can adjust each game’s settings to customize the arcade difficulty. There are options for each game, including overall game difficulty, attack power, timer speed, enabling or disabling free play (you just press a button to add credits), or even showing the boot screen if you want a fully authentic experience. Controls are also fully customizable, so if you use a fight stick, you can remap the buttons as well. By default, one-button special moves and hyper combos are enabled, but these are disabled in ranked online play.

The collection’s online modes cater to both casual and competitive players. You can search for matches across all games or select specific titles. If you’re just looking for some casual play, there are casual matches, while ranked matches let you compete for points. There are leaderboards for ranked modes as well, and one-button specials are turned off.

You can also set up custom matches, watch your friends play, or select custom rules. All of this is supported by rollback netcode. Unfortunately, before launch, I couldn’t find anyone to play against, so we’ll have to see how it goes in the long run – especially since there’s no crossplay. The Punisher also has online functionality, allowing for co-op play with drop-in and drop-out play.

Capcom has gone all out with quality-of-life features. There’s a training mode with visible hitboxes and damage numbers to help hone your skills. In all the games, you can check a move list, which is standard for fighting games, but Capcom has also included the original marquee cards with moves and tips. There’s also quick save functionality and achievement-like challenges to complete for even more things to do.

A gallery with design documents, posters, and all of the games’ music is available for you to browse through—even while waiting for an online match.

Capcom has lovingly crafted a collection of some of their best fighting game work. Everything runs as it should, and you can customise it to look how you want. It’s adjustable for those who have been playing these games their entire lives, while still being welcoming to someone who just wants to see what all the fuss has been about.

Rating: 4.5/5