Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics Explained

30/06/2024

The Marvel vs. Capcom series can trace its origins all the way back to the early 1990s, with the Capcom-developed X-Men: Children of the Atom laying the groundwork for future fighting game collaborations between the two brands. There have been a total of seven Marvel x Capcom fighting games over the last few decades, and while not all have lived up to the lofty legacy of the series' earlier entries, they're all worth checking out. Unfortunately, in the last several years, the Marvel vs. Capcom series has been notoriously difficult to play through legal means -- until now.

Announced during the recent Nintendo Direct, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics is slated for release later this year, and it's set to give fans everything they've been asking for and more. There are a total of seven games included in this collection, some admittedly much more beloved than others, but all have played a pivotal role in forging the iconic Marvel vs. Capcom series in one way or another, and it'll be great for fans to finally be able to play those rare early entries.

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Every Game Included in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics

The Punisher

Released in 1993, The Punisher was the very first collaboration between Marvel and Capcom. An outlier in this collection, The Punisher isn't a fighting game, but a side-scrolling beat 'em up in a similar vein to games like Streets of Rage, or the many different licensed arcade games of the time like X-Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Players will take on the role of the titular anti-hero as he attempts to clean up the streets of New York City alongside the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury.

X-Men: Children of the Atom

The first fighting game collaboration between Marvel and Capcom, X-Men: Children of the Atom released in 1994. X-Men: Children of the Atom essentially took the bones of Street Fighter 2 and applied an X-Men overlay. There are 13 playable fighters in X-Men: Children of the Atom, ranging from franchise staples like Cyclops, Wolverine, and Magneto, to lesser-known mutants like Omega Red, Silver Samurai, and Spiral. This roster also includes Street Fighter's Akuma as a fun, foreshadowing cameo.

Marvel Super Heroes

Released in 1996, Marvel Super Heroes is essentially an upgraded version of X-Men: Children of the Atom, now including a handful of characters from the rest of the Marvel universe, such as Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, and Hulk. The version included in the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection Arcade Classics will also contain the hidden Doctor Doom and Thanos characters.

X-Men vs. Street Fighter

The first fully-fledged crossover between Marvel and Capcom's juggernaut franchises, X-Men vs. Street Fighter originally released in 1996. On the X-Men side of the roster, eight iconic heroes and villains are playable, with Sabretooth and Rogue being two characters who weren't present in previous Capcom games. The Street Fighter side of the roster contains nine playable characters, ranging from Ryu to Ken to M. Bison.

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter

Releasing just a few months later in early 1997, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter practically combines every Marvel-Capcom roster that came before it. Marvel gets eight characters again, while Street Fighter gets 10, including the unique Cyber-Akuma fighter.

Marvel vs. Capcom

Technically the third game in the Marvel vs. Capcom series but the first to brandish the name, 1998's Marvel vs. Capcom is a further evolution of the 2v2 fighting formula of its predecessors. Here, Marvel has just seven playable fighters, with Venom and War Machine being its new additions. Capcom, on the other hand, has nine in total, including Mega Man, Strider Hiryu, and Morrigan.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2

By far the most beloved entry in this collection, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was originally released in 2000, and it's quite the cut above the rest. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 ups the ante significantly, boasting an impressive roster of 56 playable fighters, and introducing 3v3 battles for the first time in series history. The Avengers, X-Men, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Mega Man, and a good few more are all represented in this definitive fighting game.