One of Capcom’s most popular fighting game franchises is the Marvel vs. Capcom series. Featuring popular characters from Marvel’s comic books and Capcom’s video games, not to mention flashy yet inviting gameplay that both novices and pros could get into, the Marvel vs. Capcom games are still going strong today. Now you can experience the arcade games that started it all with Marvel vs. Capcom Origins, available to download on PS3 and Xbox 360 (PS3 version reviewed here).

The two games in this collection include Marvel Super Heroes, a fighting game released in 1995 riding the coattails of the popular Street Fighter series. For its time, Marvel Super Heroes featured lighting quick gameplay, over-the-top moves and graphics, and new ideas like gems you could pick up and use to give you a boost in power. The other game on this collection is the original Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), a crossover fighting game with tag team gameplay mechanics, featuring characters from Marvel’s comic books and Capcom’s large library of game characters (including my favorite: Mega Man).

This collection has a decently sized list of extras, too. You can choose how you want to view the game in several ways. You can even have the action shown in a slanted, over the shoulder monitor view, like an arcade machine. There is also a large list of challenges for you to achieve. By completing these challenges and gaining experience points, you can use those points to buy and unlock goodies like character art, movies, and even secret fighters! Single player, training, and local and online multiplayer modes round out the package.

The only problem I had with this collection is that since these are arcade games, they are more difficult than the home versions of the more recent Marvel vs. Capcom titles, even on the easiest modes. So beginners may have a hard time finishing these. Plus it would’ve been nice if Capcom included some of the other titles in the “Vs.” series, like X-Men vs. Street Fighter. But otherwise it’s a great collection for fans of the games and mid-to-late 90’s arcade titles.

Kid Factor:

Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is rated T for Teen with ESRB descriptors of Violence and Partial Nudity. The Partial Nudity comes from some of the female heroes’ slightly revealing and suggestive costumes, like Morrigan, Chun-Li, and Psylocke. It’s a fighting game, so of course it is violent. But the battles are very cartoony and much less violent than what you see in today’s comic books. Honestly I’d let any kid play these games. Kids love super heroes, and these games are a great way to have fun with their favorite characters. Younger gamers and less experienced players may find the single player modes a bit too difficult, but everyone can have fun playing together in the local and online multiplayer modes, and kids can experience what arcade games were like when their parents were kids!

Tags: Game Reviews