Marvel VS. Capcom Fighting Collection: A Fun Nostalgic Ride And Reminding Us Why The Arcade Was A Quarter Eater

Right now, I still have no plans for a PS5. I'm disappointed with the direction that Mortal Kombat took with Fire God Liu Kang's new messy era. I'm also disappointed with how Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite had so many bad reviews, missing X-Men characters, and how Disney has messed up Marvel. Marvel vs. Capcom: Fighting Collection is an interesting nostalgia trip -- way back before Disney (and Warner Bros.) bought as many franchises. Many can remember when Warner Bros. bought Midway out of bankruptcy and hence Mortal Kombat fell to their territory. Back then, Marvel was still cool and it takes me back to memory lane. The memory lane when Haim Saban actually handled something he knew better than Toei. Saban adapted the X-Men franchise and created a cartoon series out of it. I couldn't handle Power Rangers but Saban's handling of Marvel has been far better!

The fighting collection can remind me why the arcade was a quarter eater. Playing the games on default can have the typical arcade problems. These problems can be the infuriating AI that somehow button reads or almost knows the player's every move. It wasn't just Mortal Kombat II but also Street Fighter II that had The Computer is a Cheating Bastard trope in the arcade. X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes were also infamous for their really infamously evil AI at the arcade!

Playing X-Men: COTA -- I could remember the infuriating AI. Who can remember Juggernaut and Magneto having SNK boss tropes? Marvel Super Heroes also had the AI bosses who were truly more infuriating. Juggernaut and Magneto became playable in Marvel Super Heroes -- boss stats were reduced for balance. However, Dr. Doom and Thanos are both monstrously unforgiving. Dr. Doom is pretty good at keep away. Thanos' normal moves are damaging PLUS his meter builds up like crazy. Thanos' super moves are downright crazy. The game has a higher difficulty streak than the PSX version that I played years ago!

It was good to finally play the entries from X-Men vs. Street Fighter up to Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes in a more complete form. Back then, the PSX had memory issues and hence the EX edition was created. It was disappointing that the sixth generation consoles didn't remake X-Men vs. Street Fighter up to Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes with the true tag team gameplay. Playing them in their more or less original form was satisfying. It can be infuriating when I consider how dangerous Cyber-Akuma than be while Apocalypse was actually easier. However, Onslaught would be a real pain here compared to the EX edition of Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes would offer. Onslaught would be a real pain compared to Abyss' three forms. 

I had more fun playing 2 vs. 2 than the 3 vs. 3. 3 vs. 3 was built on hype. Playing Mortal Kombat (2011) and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (which I hope get remastered in the future) made me see why 3 vs. 3 is just hype. The 2 vs. 2 gameplay is way more focused. Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes had better focus. Onslaught was a truly terrifying. The first form is even that horribly difficult. The second form flies around a lot -- making it ABSURDLY DIFFICULT to defeat him. One must find the right combination of partners (and strategies) to beat Onslaught. There's no EX menu, which I used a lot back in the PSX days. 

Trying out The Punisher arcade game has me thinking, "Arcades are meant to be money eaters!" Fortunately, the continues are now UNLIMITED. I can't imagine how much money I'd waste trying to beat the Kingpin. I kept seeing the Continue screen. Fortunately, I don't need to insert the token. I was able to finish the games but I'd admit -- the difficulty can be frustrating. Seeing the Punisher (or Nick Fury) getting a CPR is funny. It can also be a reminder of how the arcade machine is a real money eater. 

So far, it's a real treat to think about. It can help one get revenge on the arcades. Sure, there are no cheat devices these days. However, one can slowly analyze and get even with the arcade that drained one's quarters for years! Bwahahahahaha!