Capcom has been known to go back in their library and re-release some of their backlog to a current generation of consoles. Sometimes we get totally re-skinned games like Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix with visuals that make it look like a new game, or a port like Marvel vs Capcom 2 where it’s the same as the original game. This time around it’s a straight forward arcade port but you get two games in one, 1200 Microsoft Points package. Marvel vs Capcom Origins includes Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel vs Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, both Arcade classics from the 90s. Now is this a great bargain or just a money grab?
Marvel Super Heroes was originally released in 1995. When you first start playing this game you can definitely detect the influence this had on the later games with some of the same mechanics you’d find in the first and second Marvel vs Capcom games. The big difference is, this isn’t a tag team based game. 10 Marvel characters are available by default with a few unlockable characters. It has a slower compared to Marvel vs Capcom but you get some the trademarks like air combos, launching moves, throws and generally the same specials you’re used to. Since the tag team mechanic isn’t present you’ve instead got the best 2 of 3 rounds you find most fighting games. A unique feature in this game are the power ups. You’ve got multiple kinds such as for quick healing, speed or power that you can earn in a fight and use against your opponent for a temporary bonus. This fun little mechanic gives you some interesting options once you’ve collected some and you find yourself in a bind. This is a fun fighting game that, while not as hectic as the second game in this package, makes up for it with solid basics and an interesting gimmick.
Marvel vs Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is the later game in the package originally released in 1998 and started the now famous crossover series (unless you count X-Men vs Street Fighter or Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter). This game is far more fast paced and hectic, due in part to the game’s speed, but also because of the tag team character you control like a random special partner. Unlike the last game, since you’ve got two members of a team, the fight ends when both are defeated but you can switch one character out at any time, allowing limited regeneration while you use the other. You’ve got a selection of 15 characters to choose from 7 from Capcom and 8 from Marvel. This classic is definitely the more solid addition to the bundle with an enjoyable classic arcade mode. The online multiplayer in both games seemed relatively without lag. Nothing groundbreaking but it gets the job done.
The graphics in both games stay true to the originals in that they look like 90s arcade games. My only problem would be the default screen setting is a fake CRT screen which while retro, is one of the worst ways to present the screen at least in my opinion. I believe 4:3 original format with no screen gimmicks would‘ve been far better. Like most modern emulators it has some nice options for smoothing the textures and making them look as good as if you ran it on a PC. I can’t fault the presentation much since this doesn’t aspire to be anything more than what it is. The original soundtracks wisely remain untouched.
While newcomers to the series might be better off picking up the more newcomer-friendly Marvel vs Capcom 3, this bundle is great for those wishing to recapture their youth by playing some old arcade favorites.
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