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

The Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is a phenomenal compilation for fans of Capcom's fighting game history, especially considering recent releases. This review covers experiences across Steam Deck, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses.

Game Selection:

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 Punisher (a beat 'em up). All are arcade versions, ensuring complete feature sets, and include both English and Japanese language options. This is a significant draw, especially the inclusion of Norimaro in the Japanese version of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter.

My 15+ hours on Steam Deck (LCD and OLED), 13 on PS5 (backward compatibility), and 4 on Switch provided ample playtime. While lacking deep expertise in these classic titles, the sheer enjoyment, particularly with Marvel vs. Capcom 2, easily justifies the price.

New Features:

The interface mirrors Capcom Fighting Collection, inheriting both its strengths and flaws (discussed later). Key additions include online and local multiplayer, Switch wireless support, rollback netcode, a robust training mode (with hitboxes and input displays), customizable game options, a crucial white flash reduction setting, diverse display options, and several wallpapers. A helpful one-button super move option caters to newcomers.

Museum and Gallery:

A comprehensive museum and gallery showcase over 200 soundtrack tracks and 500 pieces of artwork, some previously unreleased. While a welcome addition, Japanese text in sketches and design documents remains untranslated. The inclusion of the soundtracks is a major highlight, sparking hope for future vinyl or streaming releases.

Online Multiplayer:

The online experience, tested extensively on Steam Deck (wired and wireless), mirrors Capcom Fighting Collection's quality, significantly surpassing the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Adjustable input delay and cross-region matchmaking enhance the experience. Co-op in The Punisher also functioned flawlessly. Matchmaking supports casual and ranked modes, plus leaderboards and a High Score Challenge. The retention of cursor positions between rematches is a thoughtful touch.

Issues:

The collection's most significant drawback is the single, global save state. This affects the entire collection, not individual games, a flaw carried over from Capcom Fighting Collection. Another minor issue is the lack of universal settings for visual filters and light reduction, requiring per-game adjustments.

Platform-Specific Notes:

• Steam Deck: Steam Deck Verified status ensures flawless performance. Supports 720p handheld and 4K docked (tested at 1440p docked and 800p handheld), though 16:10 aspect ratio support is absent.

• Nintendo Switch: Visually acceptable, but suffers from significantly longer load times compared to other platforms. The lack of a connection strength option is also disappointing. Local wireless is a plus.

• PS5: Backward compatibility performance is excellent, though native support would have enabled PS5 Activity Card integration. Loads quickly, even from an external drive.

Conclusion:

The Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection is a triumph, exceeding expectations in most areas. The robust extras and excellent online play (on Steam, particularly) make it a must-have. The single save state remains a frustrating limitation.

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