Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection takes you for a ride, and then some

Capcom’s no stranger to a retro re-release but this latest offering is particularly special.

For the longest time, Marvel vs Capcom and its sequel were considered the ultimate crossover fighting games, with the second game in particular boasting a staggering roster and near-endless 3-fighter team possibilities.

Although this retro compilation names Marvel vs Capcom in the title, Capcom hasn’t been content with simply slapping both games together and giving us an Ace Attorney Investigations style double-bill.

Instead, it’s also included the four Marvel-licensed fighting games that preceded Marvel vs Capcom, so players can see how we got to that point. Then, just to round things off, it’s nonchalantly chucked in the first ever home release of a cult favourite arcade beat ‘em up.

It makes sense to start with the latter, because it’s also the earliest of the seven games on offer. Released in 1993, The Punisher retells the story of the comic series and has you playing as the man himself as he kills his way through countless bad guys in search of justice for his murdered family.

Although it did get a heavily watered down Mega Drive port, the ‘proper’ arcade version of The Punisher has never made it to home consoles before, and fans of beat ‘em ups will thoroughly enjoy it. Capcom had a shining reputation for the genre ever since it essentially rewrote the rule book with Final Fight in 1989, and The Punisher is a brilliant example of this, especially in this uncut form.

Whether you’re playing as the Punisher himself or jumping into the P2 role and controlling Nick Fury, this is a solid beat ‘em up which now has us wishing Capcom could just pay up to reacquire the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs licence so we can have that beat ‘em up back too (both games were released in the same year and are very much in the same boat in terms of quality).

While an arcade favourite beat ‘em up getting its first home release after 31 years is no minor thing, it’s the one-on-one fighting games that still