Marvel vs Capcom Classics Reviewed: Switch, Steam Deck, PS5 Compatibility

For fans of Capcom's fighting games, the announcement of the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics was a thrilling surprise, especially considering the mixed reception of the most recent Marvel vs Capcom titles. As someone who has primarily experienced Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 and Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, I was eager to dive into the earlier games that have been lauded by both competitive and casual players. And let's not forget the iconic music from Marvel vs Capcom 2, which alone was reason enough for excitement. Now, months after its announcement, this collection is available on Steam, Switch, and PlayStation, with an Xbox release scheduled for 2025.

Games Included in Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

The Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics comes packed with seven games: 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, which is a beat 'em up rather than a fighting game. These are faithful arcade versions, ensuring no missing features that older console ports might have omitted. Both English and Japanese versions are included, with the Japanese version of Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter featuring the unique character Norimaro.

This review is based on my experience playing Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for about 15 hours on Steam Deck (both LCD and OLED), 13 hours on PS5 (via backward compatibility), and about 4 hours on Nintendo Switch. While I'm not an expert on the intricacies of these games, having played them for the first time through this collection, I can confidently say that the enjoyment I derived from Marvel vs Capcom 2 alone justifies the purchase price. It's so compelling that I'm tempted to buy the physical console versions just to have a tangible copy.

New Features in Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

If you're familiar with the Capcom Fighting Collection, the interface of Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics will feel quite familiar. It does inherit some of the same issues, which I'll discuss later. Key features include online and local multiplayer support, local wireless play on Switch, rollback netcode for online gaming, a training mode, customizable game options, the ability to reduce white flashes or light flickering per game, various display options, and a selection of wallpapers.

The training mode, accessible for each game, includes hitboxes, displayed inputs, and other useful options, making it especially beneficial for newcomers. Speaking of which, there's a new one-button super option that can be toggled on or off when searching for online matches, catering to both beginners and veterans.

Museum and Gallery in Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

The collection also boasts an extensive museum and gallery featuring over 200 soundtracks from the games and more than 500 pieces of artwork. A friend who's also reviewing the collection pointed out that much of this artwork has never been publicly available before, which is a significant treat for long-time fans. For me, it's all new, but it's impressive nonetheless. It's worth noting, however, that sketches or design documents with Japanese text lack translations.

As a music enthusiast, I'm thrilled to finally have an official way to enjoy these iconic soundtracks in 2024. I hope this is just the beginning, leading to potential vinyl or streaming releases in the future.

Online Multiplayer Experience with Rollback Netcode

Before diving into the online experience, let's look at the network settings. On PC, you can adjust the microphone, voice chat volume, input delay, and connection strength. On Switch, only input delay can be adjusted, while on PS4, you can tweak input delay and connection strength, but there are no voice chat options. I assume players will use the native PS5 and PS4 voice chat instead. It's disappointing that the Switch version lacks a connection strength option.

In pre-release testing on Steam Deck, both wired and wireless connections with another player on Steam were smooth. The online experience mirrors that of Capcom Fighting Collection but is a significant improvement over the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. We tested most games and even tried co-op in The Punisher, and everything functioned seamlessly despite our geographical distance.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics offers matchmaking for casual and ranked matches, along with leaderboards and a High Score Challenge mode.

It's also worth noting that when rematching in online play, the cursors remain in place, allowing you to quickly select your previous characters in games like Marvel vs Capcom 2 without manual adjustments. These small details show the care taken to ensure a top-notch experience for both new and returning players.

Issues with Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

My main gripe with Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is the single save state (quick save) for the entire collection, rather than one per game. This was a known issue from the Capcom Fighting Collection and unfortunately persists here. Another minor annoyance is the lack of universal settings; you can't easily apply light reduction or visual filter adjustments across all games at once.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics on Steam Deck – Already Verified

My first experience with Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics was on the Steam Deck, where it runs flawlessly right out of the box. As a Steam Deck Verified title, this isn't surprising, but it's always reassuring to confirm for oneself. On the Deck, it runs at 720p and supports 4K when docked. I played mostly at 1440p when docked and 800p in handheld mode. Note that it maintains a 16:9 aspect ratio without 16:10 support.

The PC graphics options are found under the PC Settings menu in the options, where you can adjust resolution, display mode (fullscreen, borderless, windowed), and toggle v-sync.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics on Nintendo Switch

While the game looks good on the Switch, the most noticeable downgrade is the longer load times. Switching between games on Steam and PS5 is nearly instant, but the Switch takes longer for virtually every action. I hope the connection strength option is added in future updates, as it's available on PlayStation and PC. On the positive side, the Switch version supports local wireless play, which the others do not.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics on PS5

I wish the game were natively available on PS5 rather than through backward compatibility, as PS5 Activity Card support would be fantastic for quick access to different games. Nonetheless, it looks great on a 1440p monitor and loads quickly, even from an external hard drive. Moving it to the SSD would enhance loading times even further. I have no complaints about the PS4 version running on PS5.

Overall, Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics stands out as one of Capcom's finest collections to date, across all genres. It's packed with superb extras, offers excellent online play on Steam, and has been a joy to explore these classic games for the first time. The only major flaw is the single save slot for save states across the entire collection.

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