Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics Review – Switch, Steam Deck, and PS5 Covered

Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a dream come true for fans of the series, especially considering the mixed reception of recent entries. This collection brings together seven classic titles, offering a comprehensive retrospective of the franchise's history. For newcomers like myself, having only played Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, it was a revelation. The iconic soundtrack of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 alone justifies the purchase price.

Game Lineup

The collection includes: 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 Punisher (a beat 'em up, not a fighter). All are based on the arcade originals, ensuring complete feature sets. Both English and Japanese versions are included, a welcome addition for fans of the series' localization variations.

This review is based on extensive playtime across Steam Deck (both LCD and OLED), PS5 (via backward compatibility), and Nintendo Switch. While I lack the deep expertise of long-time players, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Marvel vs. Capcom 2, in particular, has proved exceptionally fun.

New Features and Enhancements

The collection boasts a familiar interface, similar to Capcom's Capcom Fighting Collection, though it shares some of that collection's minor flaws (discussed later). Key features include online and local multiplayer, local wireless on Switch, rollback netcode, a comprehensive training mode, per-game customizable options (including crucial white flash reduction), various display settings, and several wallpaper options. The training mode, accessible for each game, offers hitbox displays and input visualizations, making it perfect for beginners. A new one-button super move option caters to players of all skill levels.

Museum and Gallery

A rich museum and gallery showcases over 200 soundtrack tracks and 500 pieces of artwork, some previously unreleased. While Japanese text in sketches and design documents remains untranslated, the sheer volume of content is impressive. The inclusion of the soundtracks is a major highlight, hopefully paving the way for future vinyl or streaming releases.

Online Multiplayer and Rollback Netcode

The online experience is a strong point. PC players can adjust microphone settings, voice chat volume, input delay, and connection strength. Switch offers input delay adjustment only, while PS4 allows for input delay and connection strength. Pre-release testing on Steam Deck (wired and wireless) showed excellent performance, comparable to Capcom Fighting Collection on Steam and a significant improvement over Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Matchmaking supports casual and ranked matches, along with leaderboards and a High Score Challenge mode. The convenient cursor retention after rematches is a small but appreciated detail.

Issues and Shortcomings

The collection's main drawback is the single, global save state. This affects the entire collection, not individual games, a carryover issue from Capcom Fighting Collection. Another minor issue is the lack of universal settings for visual filters and light reduction. While per-game options are provided, a global toggle would be preferable.

Platform-Specific Notes

• Steam Deck: Perfectly functional and "Verified," running at 720p handheld and supporting 4K docked. 16:9 aspect ratio only.
• Nintendo Switch: Visually acceptable, but significantly slower load times compared to other platforms. Connection strength options are missing. Local wireless is supported.
• PS5: Runs via backward compatibility. Looks excellent, loads quickly (especially on an SSD). Lack of native PS5 support means no Activity Card integration.

Overall, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a superb collection, exceeding expectations in most areas. The excellent online play, extensive extras, and the sheer joy of experiencing these classic games make it a must-have for fans of fighting games. The single save slot remains a notable flaw, however.

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