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 following recent developments and the mixed reception of the latest Marvel vs Capcom title. As someone who has only experienced Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 and Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, I've long been eager to dive into the acclaimed earlier games. And let's not forget the iconic Marvel vs Capcom 2 soundtrack—it's simply unbeatable. Now, months after its initial reveal, the collection is accessible 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 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 rather than a fighting game. These are based on the arcade versions, ensuring you get the complete experience without missing any features. Both English and Japanese versions are included, meaning you can enjoy Norimaro in Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter by selecting the Japanese version.

My review stems from approximately 15 hours of gameplay on the Steam Deck (both LCD and OLED), 13 hours on the PS5 (via backward compatibility), and around 4 hours on the 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've derived from Marvel vs Capcom 2 alone justifies the purchase price, compelling me to consider acquiring the physical releases for consoles.

New Features in Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

If you've used the Capcom Fighting Collection, the interface of Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics will seem familiar, though it does inherit some of the same issues. The collection boasts online and local multiplayer support, local wireless on Switch, rollback netcode for smooth online play, a training mode, customizable game options, an option to reduce white flashes or light flickering per game, various display settings, and a selection of wallpapers.

The training mode, accessible for each game, includes hitboxes, displayed inputs, and other features, making it an excellent tool for beginners. Speaking of beginners, a new one-button super option is available, which can be toggled on or off during online matches.

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

The collection features an extensive museum and gallery, with over 200 game soundtracks and more than 500 pieces of artwork. A friend who has been playing the collection online with me mentioned that much of this artwork is being made public for the first time, which is particularly exciting for long-time fans. However, it's worth noting that Japanese text on sketches or design documents lacks translations.

The inclusion of the soundtracks is a welcome addition, and I hope this leads to future vinyl or streaming releases.

Online Multiplayer Experience with Rollback Netcode

Before diving into the online experience, it's important to mention the network settings in the options menu. On PC, you can enable or disable microphone, adjust voice chat volume, input delay, and connection strength. The Switch version only allows adjustments to input delay, while the PS4 version offers input delay and connection strength settings without voice chat options. The lack of a connection strength option on the Switch is disappointing.

Pre-release testing on the Steam Deck, both wired and wirelessly, showed that the online experience is comparable to Capcom Fighting Collection but significantly better than the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. We tested most of the games and even played some co-op in The Punisher, and despite the distance between us, the gameplay was seamless.

The collection supports matchmaking for casual and ranked matches, along with leaderboards and a High Score Challenge mode. A thoughtful touch is that when you rematch online, the cursors remain in place, allowing you to easily select your previous characters in games like Marvel vs Capcom 2, enhancing the user experience for both newcomers and veterans.

Issues with Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

My main gripe with the collection is the single save state (quick save) for the entire collection, rather than one per game. This issue, carried over from the Capcom Fighting Collection, is a significant drawback. Additionally, the lack of universal settings or the ability to easily apply light reduction or visual filters across all games is a minor annoyance. While having options per game is beneficial, a global toggle would have been more convenient.

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

Playing the collection on the Steam Deck was a seamless experience right out of the box, as expected from its Steam Deck Verified status. It runs at 720p on the Deck itself and supports 4K when docked. I mainly played at 1440p when docked and 800p in handheld mode, though it remains in 16:9 without 16:10 support.

The PC graphics options, found under the PC Settings menu, allow adjustments to resolution, display mode (fullscreen, borderless, windowed), and toggling v-sync.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics on Nintendo Switch

The Switch version looks good, but suffers from longer load times compared to the Steam and PS5 versions. Switching between games is nearly instant on the other platforms, while the Switch requires loading for almost everything. I hope the connection strength option is added in future updates, as it's available on PlayStation and PC. However, the Switch does offer local wireless support, which is not available on the other platforms.

Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics on PS5

While I wish the collection were native to the PS5 rather than played via backward compatibility, it looks fantastic on my 1440p monitor and loads quickly, even from an external hard drive. Moving it to the SSD would speed things up even more. I have no complaints with the PS4 version running on the PS5.

The Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics stands out as one of Capcom's finest collections, not just among fighting games or arcade games, but across all their offerings. It's packed with superb extras and offers a fantastic online experience on Steam. Experiencing these classic games for the first time has been a joy, though the single save slot for the entire collection remains a downside.

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