Marvel vs. Capcom Arcade Legacy Revived with New Collection

Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics delivers a nostalgic knockout! This collection, a surprise hit for many longtime fans, offers a comprehensive package of classic arcade fighters, exceeding expectations. For newcomers like myself, having only played Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Infinite, it's been a revelation. The legendary Marvel vs. Capcom 2 soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission!

Game Lineup: A Retro Fighting Feast

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, preserving all the original features. A delightful bonus: Japanese versions are included, unlocking characters like Norimaro in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter.

This review reflects 15 hours on Steam Deck (both LCD and OLED), 13 hours on PS5 (backward compatibility), and 4 hours on Switch. While I'm not a fighting game expert, my experience—especially with MvC2—justifies the purchase price many times over. I'm even tempted to grab physical copies for my collection!

Modern Enhancements: A Polished Presentation

The user interface mirrors Capcom's Capcom Fighting Collection, inheriting both its strengths and weaknesses (more on that later). Key features include online and local multiplayer, Switch's local wireless play, rollback netcode, a robust training mode, per-game customization options, a crucial white flash reduction setting, extensive display options, and several wallpaper choices. The training mode, accessible for each game, boasts hitbox displays and input indicators, perfect for beginners. A helpful one-button super move option is also available for online play.

Museum and Gallery: A Treasure Trove of Nostalgia

The collection's museum and gallery are impressive, showcasing over 200 soundtracks and 500 pieces of artwork, some previously unreleased. While I found everything fresh and exciting, longtime fans will appreciate the archival value. Note that Japanese text in sketches and documents remains untranslated. The official release of these soundtracks is a welcome addition, hopefully paving the way for vinyl or streaming releases in the future.

The inclusion of the soundtracks is fantastic, hopefully a precursor to vinyl or streaming releases!

Online Multiplayer: Rollback Netcode Triumphs

The online experience shines thanks to rollback netcode. Options include microphone and voice chat controls (PC), input delay, and connection strength (PC and PS4). The Switch version, unfortunately, lacks the connection strength option. My pre-release Steam Deck testing (wired and wireless) demonstrated smooth online play, comparable to Capcom Fighting Collection but significantly improved over Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Cross-region matchmaking and adjustable input delay are also included. The clever cursor persistence during online rematches adds a nice touch.

Matchmaking supports casual and ranked matches, and leaderboards, including a High Score Challenge mode.

The thoughtful design, like persistent cursors during online rematches, shows a dedication to player experience.

Minor Issues: Room for Improvement

The biggest drawback is the single save state for the entire collection, not per game. This issue, carried over from Capcom Fighting Collection, is disappointing. Another minor gripe: lack of universal settings for light reduction and visual filters. While per-game adjustments are appreciated, a global option would be more convenient.

Platform Performance: A Mixed Bag

The Steam Deck version is perfectly optimized, a testament to its "Verified" status. It runs flawlessly at 720p handheld and supports 4K docked. The Switch version, while visually acceptable, suffers from noticeable load times. The PS5 version, running via backward compatibility, looks excellent but lacks PS5 Activity Card support. Faster loading is possible by moving the game to the internal SSD.

Switch performance is decent, but load times are a significant drawback compared to other platforms.

PS5 performance is excellent, but native support would unlock PS5 Activity Cards.

Overall, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a superb collection, setting a high bar for Capcom and beyond. The extras are top-notch, online play is excellent (on Steam, at least), and the games themselves are a joy to play. The single save slot remains a frustrating limitation.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics Steam Deck Review Score: 4.5/5