Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection was o?nly released on September 12, but th??e legend of a player called the "Wazzler" is already spreading.

According to Steam reviews, this guy is like Thanos; running into him on ranked is inevitable. The unholy beatdowns he delivers are, too. It all makes perfect sense, though, because the Wazzler is none other than Justin Wong, 9-time EVO champion and the greatest Marvel vs Capcom player of all time.

Getting bulled in a fighting game by Wong is nothing new. For example, a clip of him showing an eight-year-old the ropes in Mortal Kombat X has made its rounds on the internet for years. But Marvel vs Capcom is Justin's specialty, and this ?time, it's adults quitting the game in frustration.

The first mention of the Wazzler comes from Steam user "TongOfDmg," who claimed? that their run-in not only ruined his night bu??t drove him to refund the game. Meanwhile, several other users have left reviews warning of the impending danger of Wazzler and the dire consequences of his wrath.

But maybe they've got Justin all wrong. Maybe, in a twisted way, his reign of terror ??is for the benefit of mankind. I mean, Steam user "formerly" said they made their entire family dinner while locked in an Iron Man combo. And anyone who brings family together like that is alright in?? my book.

Justin himself seems to be having fun with the situation and acknowledged it on his Twitter. But what he said next might sha??ke Marvel players to their core. After reaching the number one rank on the Steam and PlayStation 4 ladders, he announced the Nintendo Switch would be next.

It appears no platform is safe from his expanding empire, and I worry for myself and other Xbox players when the MvC collection comes to Xbox One next year. The only certainty is that if you dare go online with the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection, you must beware Wazzler.

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Capcom is digging back into its vault and finally unearthing one of its most asked-after classics, packaging its pixel-era Marvel crossovers into a single game with the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection.? It's a comp?ilation that would, indeed, like to take you for a ride.

While this collection is probably most notable for making Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 conveniently playable, it's also a tour through a fascinating, arguably foundational, era of Capcom's brawler development. So, to tackle its disparate parts, we've put two reviewers on the case. First off, I—Eric—will dig into the multiplayer fighting game aspect, from X-Men: Children of the Atom up through Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Then Zoey will weigh in with expert knowledge on The Punisher, ??the side-scrolling beat 'em up packaged in with the bunch.

Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (PC, Switch, PS4, PS5)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: September 11, 2024
MSRP: $49.99

Wanna learn how to do an infinite?

It’s still a little surreal to see Capcom’s Marvel crosso?vers playable on a modern platform. Once Arcade1Up put out its Marvel cab, it felt inevitable that some kind of port would follow. But even for preservation’s sake alone, this collection is a big deal.

When the collection bears the name �em>Marvel Vs. Capcom�on the title, you know what the focus is. Everything here centers on Capcom’s legendary series of crossovers, starting with a few core Marvel games and building into Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.

Seeing these games in sequence like this really helps illustrate how Capcom built these characters and concepts up over time. You can see the first iterations of Cyclops and Wolverine duking it out and how those fighters shifted over the years from X-Men: Children of the Atom all the way through to MvC2.

Laying out the lineage like this is a nice touch, and thankfully, it’s pretty easy to play through a few rounds on every game. Though the lobby system is a little finicky for my taste, it certainly functions just fine, and the netcode felt solid in the matches I ran with someone across the States from me. Playing a first-to-three in Marvel Super Heroes and then swapping over to an X-Men or MvC is pretty smooth, making it easy to jump around through Capcom’s develop??ment timeline.

While the history is nice to see, there are obvious standouts. X-Men Vs. Street Fighter is a personal favorite of mine, and it’s been done well here. The original Marvel Vs. Capcom holds up well, too, and it’s neat to see how t??he tag and ??assist systems evolved in these crossover fighters over time.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is the star of the show, though. It’s been years since I spent hours trying to climb in the Xbox 360 port, and many more since I first put a quarter in an MvC cab, so I do think it’s important to stress: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is one hell of a game.

I mean this in a few ways, too, because as fun as it is to play so many characters that feel so powerful, the line can quickly veer into something busted. It’s a rite of passage to go online in MvC2 and get bowled over by an Iron Man infinite or someone ru?nning a classic composition of god-tie??r fighters.

All the nastiness is here in spades, and for the sickos who want that, I think they’ll find it. Even as a critic, I’d still recommend the absolute MvC diehards check out in-depth reports from the likes of Justin Wong to see whether the granular details have translated well. But for someone like me, a casual MvC fan who just wants to play my favorite version of Jill? Valentine and fight my friends, it’s a solid offering?.

A few modernizations could help onboard newcomers, like the increasingly popular one-button specials option. It’s nice to see a good training mode in here, too. All of this points to a collection that could revitalize competitive interest in MvC; while the diehards have been using alternative methods for some time, this is another point where putting these games o??n a moder?n platform helps out.

Sadly, even modernization doesn't help all of these games shine as brightly as others. The aforementioned standouts are there, and I'm pretty sure if you're buying this collection, you're buying it for Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. Everything else is gravy on top. But after a handful of rounds in some of the other games, I felt fine not running more, especially when they had fewer character options compared to the massive MvC2 lineup.

Ultimately, this collection feels like a time capsule of Capcom history. Putting all these games together clearly illustrates the through-lines, showing how Capcom and Marvel built a working relationship over years of fighting game crossovers. In that respect, it might feel a little lacking in variety. Rather than a smorgasbord of differing styles, it’s focused on a lineage, the way previous collections like the Street Fighter 30th laid out decades ?of ??iteration on a core concept.

But it’s this focused encapsulation that makes this collection so endearing for me. So much artwork and music has been packed in, alongside options that make it easy to tinker, train, or just experience the explosive wonders of MvC2 for the first time. I think if you’re a fan of fighting game history, this collection is a no-brainer. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone looking to “get into�fighting games, but I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who gets rosily nostalgic every time they hear “I wanna take you for a ride�ring out through their speakers. - Eric Van Allen

It's punishin' time

It’s always a cause for celebration when a licensed game somehow gets rereleased in modern times. While the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection centers around the mashup titles, The Punisher sits at the beat-’em-up lunchroom table alone. A surprising addition, but one that deser?ves attention.

Without thinking too hard about it, Capcom was the best when it came to belt-scrolling brawlers. 1994 was a good year to be a fan, as that was when Alien vs. Predator and The Punisher were released. While AvP is probably the better game overall, The Punisher is no slouch.

You can play as either The Punisher or Nick Fury. I have ??no idea why Nick Fury is here, aside from the fact that he’s one of the few Marvel characters who will use a gun. I thought it would be explained in the opening demo, but it isn’t. I’m not sure why a government agent would join a vigilante in a full assault against an organized crime family. If that sort of thing was allowed, they probably cou??ld have just killed the Kingpin a long time ago.

Anyway, that’s all The Punisher is. It starts off by having you beat up thugs in a casino. Then you just follow the trail of thugs until yo?u get to The Kingpin. You go through various crime-y locations, such as a bus, a mansion, a waterfront warehouse, and an underground grow-op. There are bosses at the end of each. You know the drill.

Perhaps the biggest twist to the beat-’em-up brawler that The Punisher brings is that if a thug pulls a gun on Mr. Punisher or Mr. Fury, they’ll pull out their pistols and resp?ond in kind. That sounds like they were trying to say that they only shoot thugs ?in self-defense, but you can later pick up Uzis and assault rifles and kill indiscriminately. I guess it doesn’t count when you’re using guns you pick up off the ground: It’s the five-second rule for murder.

Overall, The Punisher is a solid brawler. The art style is one of the best parts, especially for the perpetually seething Punisher. You can practically see the veins popping out of his head. The levels feel kind?? of short, but the entire game clocks in at just over 40 minutes. When you get tired of the smorgasbord of fighting games that make up the rest of the collection, it makes a pretty great palette cleanser. 

Or maybe you’re just tired of kicking the crap out of your friend and want to team up for a change. You can briefly immerse yourself in the camaraderie between Mr. Punisher and Mr. Fury a few years before Mr. Punisher shoots Mr. Fury in the back. - Zoey Handley

Gather ye stones

On the whole, the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection does exactly what it sets out to do: take these classic crossovers, apply some modernizations, gather up some historical assets, and package them ??all neatly together.

It's not the most wide-ranging appeal, but for those within that niche, it's hard to fi??nd too many complaints. There's rollback netcode, some fantastic games, and a Punisher beat 'em up for when you'd rather co-op than fight. If you're a nostalgic fan of the originals or someone curious about one of the most storied games in fighting history, this collection makes it easy to take a ride back in time.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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There was a lot of exciting news for retro gamers in the Nintendo Direct. One that got me good was the reveal of the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection. This collection brings together such out-of-reach licensed classics as The Punisher and Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

Okay, here’s the trailer:

And here’s the list of ??games. Capitalization is all Capcom marketing:

• 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
• THE PUNISHER

This is extremely exciting to me. I’m always thrilled when old licensed games get re-released because I know it’s often a lot of hoops for the publisher to jump through. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is probably the top of the heap, but that doesn’t mean that the others included aren’t gre??at on t?heir own.

The more obscure entry here is The Punisher. Rather than a fighting game, it's a beat-’em-up where you play as the eponymous anti-hero and Nick Fury. It’s no Alien vs. Predator (hopefully, one day), but ?it’s appropriately violent and an excellent arcade title.

It comes with some bells and whistles, too. There will be Online modes with rollback netplay, and training modes for all the fighting games. There is also a spectator mode, a juk?ebox, and screen filters.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics will be released later this year for Switch, PS4, ??and PC.

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