Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection Review: Matching the memories inside

I am a big advocate for game companies releasing older titles on current hardware, specifically if the new version is made with a lot of attention to detail and crafted to give fans of the original titles something great to come back to. Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics does exactly that for a franchise that many thought was going to remain locked away in Disney’s licensing vault forever. 

There is a reason so many people (rightfully) freaked out when Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics made a surprise appearance during the June Nintendo Direct presentation. Prior to this, MvC titles, specifically Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes had been largely unavailable on modern hardware—with MvC2 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 getting delisted on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in December 2013. 

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 eventually made a comeback with a PS4 and Xbox One re-release, followed by Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite dropping in September 2017. MvCI underperforming after a mixed reception essentially put the franchise into a hiatus—at least on modern hardware (shout out to Arcade1Up.) Now, fast forward almost exactly seven years and we are so back.

Revival isn’t the right word…

If you love Marvel vs Capcom, or any of the classic Capcom Marvel titles, Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is the perfect way to play them on your platform of choice. I loved revisiting each of these timeless titles over the last week and can’t wait to jump online with friends to grind for the foreseeable future. 

Everything you would expect to see from the arcade versions of the Capcom Marvel games makes the jump to the collection. So not only do you get fairly faithful to original hardware versions, but now it comes with the addition of rollback netcode, new training modes, and the Gallery—which shows elements of these games like design documents that we haven’t seen or had access to before. 

I never got to experience the highs of the arcade scene, but I have fond memories of visiting the one in my local mall and putting quarters down on an ​​MvC2 cabinet with faded colors and a scratched-up screen. That is the only real history I have with an older Marvel vs Capcom title, but playing it in Capcom’s new Fighting Collection brought all those memories rushing back in the best way (especially since I spent most of that time in the arcade playing alone.)

From Justin Wong making it a personal mission to top the MvC2 leaderboards on every platform (beware the Wazzler) to new players testing the waters, we have seen a revival of sorts in the MvC community with how many people are streaming or creating content around this collection. And with this new iteration of these games, you are also seeing fresh faces clash with familiar ones, adding to one of the richest legacies in the FGC. 

Capcom Classics Factory

Just because Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics has made so many games easily available without emulation, I would have been fairly happy with the product. However, Capcom made sure that each game was a quality port that preserved its original content while also making use of the extras to create a deeper experience for new and old players—once again, PLEASE go scroll through the Gallery!

My only knock against Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is that we are still limited to only playing online against players on the same platform. Not having crossplay is a bummer, but isn’t anything new since this has become the standard for Capcom’s collections in recent years (likely due to some infrastructure issues.) Hell, we weren’t going to get this or the upcoming Capcom Fighting Collection 2 on Xbox until recent technical discussions with Microsoft, so who knows what is really going on. 

A lack of crossplay is nothing against the game’s solid netcode and online performance, seemingly across all platforms. The offerings might be basic, but every game that I went online with ran smoothly, which is all that really matters when it comes to a collection like this.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is one happy birthday that the entire FGC will happily take. It is a stellar release from Capcom as the company continues to make its library of hits from across the decades easily playable on modern hardware. 

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics: 9/10

Thanks for reading! I know this is pretty late since the game has been out for a hot minute, but I do plan on publishing more reviews and preview content here on BoosterBlogs when I can’t find another home to get these stories out through (and get paid for!)

So, while other work does take priority, you can pop on over to read or watch my previews for Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO or Tekken 8’s upcoming DLC.

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If you want a much more detailed look at Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics from the eyes of series veterans, I highly recommend Maximillian Dood’s video review, along with jmcrofts’ overview.