The return of a couple of classics, and it shows...

Posted 6 months ago By Frosty - Ryan Foster

Anyone who’s anyone knows what it’s like to feed quarters into those machines at a little known place called the arcade. Yes we all have fond memories of this and for some, these experiences remain timeless. For others, not so much. Marvel Vs. Capcom Origins’ goal is obvious and simple: hit everyone with a wave of nostalgia. If you’re someone merely considering buying into this, there’s no chance of that goal failing. However, whether or not it will be as enjoyable as it was in the past is something to be argued.

Bringing together Marvel Superheroes and the original Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash of Superheroes, Origins takes a step back to the roots of this series’ classics. Respectively, these two old school 2D fighters were released in 1995 and 1998 at the arcade. Later on, Superheroes was ported to the Sega Saturn and MVC made its way to the Sega Dreamcast. Eventually both games landed their way onto Sony’s PlayStation, but never have we gotten an arcade-perfect port of Marvel Superheroes until now. Marvel Vs. Capcom Origins transports you back in time with the same games you fed endless quarters into, but this time giving you cleaner visuals and some extra features not present before.

"When it all comes down to it, these are without a doubt the best versions of these two fighting classics to date."

Being arcade-perfect ports, both games run as smoothly as they did when they were first released. The performance issues the PlayStation ports got criticism for are not present here. Instead, we have the same games we first played in the 90’s, only they look even better. No, the HD filter isn’t nearly as noticeable over pixels as much as it is over 3D graphics like we’ve seen with the numerous HD collections to hit the shelves lately, but there’s no doubt these are the best looking versions of Marvel Superheroes and Marvel Vs. Capcom to date.

Regardless of how great something is, age can make an impact on it, and unfortunately the gameplay of these two titles may not sit well with the people who have grown accustomed to the fluidity of modern fighting games. While these were easily two of the smoothest fighters of their time, it’s just not the case anymore. Maneuvering on screen feels sluggish and clunky compared to today’s standards, even with turbo turned on. Attacks don’t always do exactly what you need them to, when you want them to. Those limitless combos can get unfair, especially with Wolverine stringing together his quick paced attacks. But don’t think these issues ruin all the fun. For players who know exactly what they’re getting into, there’s no doubt they will enjoy these classic fights. Though while there’s still fun here to be found for any gamer, don’t be surprised if the dated gameplay doesn’t do anything for you.

Another mark of bad age is unfortunately the roster of characters. A fighting game with just over ten playable characters would be laughed at in this day and age. Improper balancing is also an issue with both titles. Gold War Machine and Venom are particularly two fighters who have been infamously complained about for being overpowered. Once again, it’s a flaw by today’s standards, but doesn’t ruin the fun. After all, you’re only a sore loser if you’re on the receiving end of these attacks. Playing as them is a whole other story.

As a collection, Origins has all the obligatory features. Unlockable pictures in an art gallery can be viewed by completing challenges and stacking up your Vault points, and of course there’s online play too. Matches run fairly smoothly during online play, though the speed of the match isn’t based on choosing turbo or normal, but rather the speed of your connections. Changing speeds can get a bit disorienting, but unlike running into Gold War Machine, it’s not a game breaker.

Some of the coolest features of Origins are the visual settings. Origins actually allows you to view the match in a slanted arcade box style fashion, and it makes you feel right at home while playing it. You can even play the match in an over-the-shoulder style, which allows you to view the arcade box as if you were watching your buddy play at the arcade. Additionally, one of the best features about this collection is the easy switch between Marvel Superheroes and Marvel Vs. Capcom. Simply go to the main menu of the current game and press select, and watch as it smoothly transitions over. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if other HD collections didn’t force you to quit out of the game disc entirely in order to switch to a different title in the game select menu (we’re looking at you Sony HD collections).

Final Focus

When it all comes down to it, these are without a doubt the best versions of these two fighting classics to date. Improved visuals, online play, and other tiny but sweet details make Marvel Vs. Capcom Origins fulfilling as a package. However, the same amount of praise can’t exactly be said about the games themselves. Hilariously overpowered characters as well as dated combat allow both titles to show their age, unmasked. Fans of old-school fighting games, as well as arcade games should look no further. Definitely consider Origins as the definitive versions of Marvel Superheroes and Marvel Vs. Capcom. However, all other gamers be warned: this is not your modern fighter. It’s an obvious yet not so obvious observation to be made. The amount of fun to be had here depends entirely on you.