Capcom Fighting Collection Review

Capcom Fighting Collection, like Capcom Arcade Stadium 1st and 2nd, is a collection of Capcom’s arcade classics that make up some of its best offerings in history. The company is almost synonymous with the fighting game genre, and it’s not hard to see why.

With Street Fighter 6 almost upon us, now is a great time to revisit what made Capcom fighting games so iconic and more importantly, so fun to play. It’s not just a collection of Street Fighter games, but a diverse array of different genres and types. From giant robots duking it out, to the more familiar territory in Darkstalkers, and finally my personal favorite – Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo.

Is Capcom Fighting Collection worth your dime on Day 1? Read and find out!

Back to the 90s

Let’s get this out of the way – Capcom Fighting Collection is appealing to me for Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix. I didn’t have the dexterity needed for fighting games even back in the day, so these puzzle games were more of my jam.

In the same way, the Capcom Fighting Collection will appeal to not only newcomers but most especially to arcade fans from the 90s that have played these games to some extent. Whether it be the extensive collection of Darkstalkers titles or even the Red Earth console debut, the collection features fantastic titles that deserve a replay of sorts.

Capcom Fighting Collection features 10 titles – Darkstalkers, Nightwarriors, Vampire Savior, Vampire Hunter 2, Vampire Savior 2, Red Earth, Cyberbots, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Hyper Street Fighter II, and Super Gem Fighter Minimix – with matching wallpapers and an interface that really appeals to fans of the games. The overall presentation is top-notch, and is simple enough to appreciate while enjoying the actual games.

Capcom even preserved the nostalgia as best as they can by providing the CRT look and the 4:3 aspect ratio for us to relive all our arcade experiences back in the day. All things considered, these copies can be considered arcade-accurate.

One particularly cool feature of the Capcom Fighting Collection is that the games offer both the English and Japanese versions if that tickles your fancy. Besides the language and the several name changes Capcom is infamous for, both versions work the same but will certainly appeal to purists.

Because these are arcade-accurate versions, don’t expect them to perform in the same way as current titles in terms of frame rates. It could be quite the adjustment for those used to titles with higher frame rates, so be warned about that.

Online Arcade

What elevates Capcom Fighting Collection are the various multiplayer options available. From casual to ranked play, Capcom really shows off its mastery in the genre by providing a friendly netcode to mitigate internet latency. Based on a number of online matches, performance was rock solid, so you’ll get the experience of actually having your own arcade right in the comfort of your own home. Mileage may vary, of course.

As you slowly complete the games, you can extend your experience by completing the different fighter badge rewards and trophies. If you really want to take a walk down memory lane, the Capcom Fighting Collection also has the Museum mode to explore, which includes different art galleries and music bytes that fans will surely approve of.

The best part of the Capcom Fighting Collection is how they’ve added many titles that may have been forgotten in the last couple of years. Oldies like me will appreciate seeing Morrigan, Donovan, and the rest of the Darkstalkers roster, and playing it once again is a joy.

It’s also heartening to see more obscure titles like Cyberbots and Red Earth on display. These are some titles that many players may not have played due to whatever reason, and while a lot will be more familiar with the likes of Tekken and Mortal Kombat, these are classic games for a reason. In fact, Red Earth is so obscure that I didn’t exactly try it out until now. It plays like old-school Fatal Fury and World Heroes where you choose a hero and vanquish opponents, so I feel it brings back some of that nostalgia too.

What We Liked:

• Keep the nostalgia alive with the CRT visuals and the 4:3 display.
• Ten different fighting games that are some of the best back in the day.
• Great netcode for online play makes for both competitive and friendly matches.

What We Didn’t Like:

• If you’re used to more recent fighting games, some of the mechanics in these games have aged quite a bit.
• The realization that none of these properties may never get a modern reimagining.
• The realization of your age.

Verdict: Buy It!

Your dose of nostalgia, especially from 90s fighting games, will be realized with the Capcom Fighting Collection. With ten unique games to choose from, it’s definitely worth the price of admission especially if you’re a die-hard fighting fan looking for a great time by yourself or with competitive play. As a fighting game casual, I still found myself enjoying the single-player options that many of these titles offered.

Whether it be for the more popular titles like Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and Hyper Street Fighter II or the more obscure ones like Cyberbots and Red Earth, the Capcom Fighting Collection is a superb compilation that shows the great lineage of Capcom titles.

With so many re-releases over the years, it won’t be hard to imagine that players looking at the Capcom Fighting Collection might be wary of approaching it since they might have some of the titles already, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it features quite the list.

Capcom really knows their stuff with regard to fighting games with stable netcode and an arcade-accurate experience, giving us a taste of what it’s like to be at an arcade in the 90s minus the cigarette smoke and obnoxious regulars.

*Capcom Fighting Collection was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.