In just a couple days, fighting game fans will be able to dive into Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics. The compilation of seven titles, including the second entry in the titular series as well as the beloved Punisher beat-em up, releases on September 12. But if you just can’t wait that long to get your MvC fix, then Steam has a deal for you. Until September 13, you can pick up Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3—which isn’t part of the upcoming collection—for $US7.49 and enjoy the 2011 title’s incredible modern take on the classic tag team fighter.
For many longtime fans Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will always be the pinnacle of the series, but it’s also squarely rooted in the franchise’s arcade roots. What makes MvC3 an incredible game in its own right (and a fantastic companion piece to anyone looking to grab the new collection when it drops) is how it translates the franchise formula into a more modern fighter. But every good fighting game starts with its roster, and MvC3 has an impressive one, with 50 characters to choose from. As is series convention, you get to mix and match the roster into a team of three, creating a wide variety of playstyles that you can essentially tailor to your needs as a player. That roster also includes the introduction of iconic Capcom and Marvel characters like Ace Attorney’s Phoenix Wright, Resident Evil’s Nemesis, and Hawkeye, all of whom are perfect additions.
Of course, gameplay is king when it comes to fighting games, so it’s good that MvC3 still delivers in this regard. It continues the fast and frenetic tag team battles of its predecessors with a more refined design. Perhaps the most important change is the introduction of the X-Factor mechanic which lets players move faster, deal higher damage, regenerate more health, and extend combos. It’s a skill that can only be activated once per match by a player and gets stronger the more knocked out characters you have on your team. It’s effectively a hail mary that gives everybody a chance to come back and win it all, making every match feel like a true competition that can turn on a dime at any second.
MvC3 also introduced a simplified control scheme that (prior to Street Fighter 6’s incredible modern controls) felt like the textbook example of how to make a fighting game more beginner friendly while retaining a focus on strategy. To this day, the three-button scheme makes MvC3 one of the easiest fighting games to pick up. As an added bonus, the transition from pixelated sprites to 3D character models with cel-shading make the world of MvC3 look more like a comic than the series ever had before. It gives the game a unique look that feels in line with the grand multiversal clashes you get to engage in, and hasn’t been matched by any entry in the series before or since. So even if you can’t wait to dive into MvC2 again on September 12, don’t ignore the modern classic that is Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
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