This review dives into Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, a compilation that surprised many fans. Having only played Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite previously, I was eager to experience the older titles, particularly after hearing the praise heaped upon them. The inclusion of the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 soundtrack alone was a major draw. The collection is now available on Steam, Switch, and PlayStation, with an Xbox release slated for 2025.

Games Included

The Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection boasts 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 (a beat 'em up, not a fighting game). These are arcade versions, ensuring complete features unlike some older console ports. Both English and Japanese versions are included, with the Japanese version of Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter featuring Norimaro.

My review is based on approximately 15 hours on Steam Deck (LCD and OLED), 13 hours on PS5 (backward compatibility), and 4 hours on Nintendo Switch. While I lack deep expertise in these games (this being my first time playing most of them), the fun I had with Marvel vs. Capcom 2 alone justified the purchase price, prompting me to consider buying physical copies for my consoles.

New Features

The interface mirrors Capcom Fighting Collection, inheriting both its strengths and weaknesses. The collection offers online and local multiplayer, local wireless on Switch, rollback netcode, a training mode, customizable game options, a crucial setting to reduce white flashes/flickering, various display options, and wallpapers.

The training mode features hitboxes and input displays, beneficial for newcomers. A new one-button super option is also included, togglable for online play.

Museum and Gallery

A comprehensive museum and gallery showcases over 200 soundtrack tracks and 500 pieces of artwork, some previously unreleased. While impressive, Japanese text in sketches and design documents remains untranslated. The official soundtrack release is welcome, but I hope it paves the way for vinyl or streaming releases.

Online Multiplayer

The options menu includes network settings (microphone, voice chat volume, input delay, connection strength on PC; limited options on Switch and PS4). Pre-release Steam Deck testing (wired and wireless) showed online play comparable to Capcom Fighting Collection on Steam, a significant improvement over Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Input delay and cross-region matchmaking are adjustable. The collection supports casual and ranked matches, plus leaderboards and a High Score Challenge mode. Conveniently, rematch cursors retain previous selections.

Issues

The most significant drawback is the single save state for the entire collection, not per game. Another minor issue is the lack of universal settings for light reduction and visual filters.

Steam Deck Performance

The Steam Deck version is verified, running at 720p handheld and supporting 4K docked (I used 1440p docked and 800p handheld). PC graphics options allow resolution, display mode, and v-sync adjustments.

Nintendo Switch Performance

While visually acceptable, the Switch version suffers from lengthy load times compared to Steam and PS5. The lack of a connection strength option is also disappointing. However, it does offer local wireless play.

PS5 Performance

The PS5 version (backward compatibility) performs well, though native PS5 support with Activity Card integration would have been ideal. Loading times are fast, even from an external hard drive.

Overall, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics is one of Capcom's best compilations, offering excellent extras and online play (on Steam). The single save state is its main flaw.

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