Rating: 9/10
**This review was based on the PC/Steam port of the game.**
For over 15 years, access to classic fighting games starring Capcom and Marvel characters has been severely limited. With the release of “Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics,” not only does the collection bring back these classic games to modern audiences, but it feels like a love letter to the series as a whole.
For $50, you earn access to seven games and the museum, which allows you to view the artwork and listen to the music in the series.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
With over 550 pieces of artwork and over 200 tracks available for anyone to explore, it’s a wonderful addition to an experience that seemingly aims to reignite the passion for this series of fighting games.
The reason why this game is important to many fans comes from the #FREEMVC2 movement which expresses the desire for fans to see the return of the classic title.
The movement began in August 2021 thanks to fighting game content creator Maximilian Dood, who voiced his frustration in a video about the limited availability of “Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.”
Before the release of this collection, the only way to play many of these games was through original arcade hardware, ports for older home consoles, delisted digital remasters or the costly Arcade1Up mini arcade cabinets.
With this collection finally out for everyone to buy, it brings these classic titles to formats that most people have nowadays for roughly $7.15 per title.
These games stand the test of time, and their release in a modern market is amazing to see, considering just how much players can customize their experience.
In every game except for “The Punisher,” a training mode can be accessed that shows the hitboxes for characters to study the frame data; there are also several different options to customize the AI of the practicing enemy.
Every game in the collection also allows players to customize their controls to whatever mapping they might follow if they use an arcade stick, controller or any other form of controller.
From a technical standpoint, when playing these games over several hours there is seemingly very little input lag, so minimal that it is not noticeable to the average player.
Each game also has different filter settings based on the experience many players would have grown up playing, including that old CRT grain and different specific aspect ratios.
The online mode in these games also proved to be more than an enjoyable time, seeing as how the matches use Rollback Netcode, which allows your game to feel as smooth as possible with whatever Wi-Fi connection you may have.
Before an online match, you can look at the museum or practice, which is a great way to kill time as you wait for your next opponent. On a Wi-Fi connection, online matches feel responsive; there was no point where I had a bad experience against fellow Wi-Fi users or players connected through Ethernet.
Online matches also have a voice chat option, ensuring you can engage with your enemy while allowing for more direct interaction with the enemy team.
For any purists, you can switch versions of the games between the English and Japanese copies of the titles with slightly different alterations, such as characters.
The collection is currently out on PC, Switch and PS4 digitally; however, the physical copies of the game come out in November followed by an Xbox release in 2025.
“Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics” is wonderful for newcomers and veterans alike, and frankly, it’s one of the best ways to play some of the greatest fighting games of all time.
