What is there to expect from Capcom’s newest fighting game collection title? Well, surely there's a list of exciting and well-crafted fighting games, a plethora of crazy characters to pick from, and super secret extra content. Yes on all accounts! Capcom Fighting Collection has very quickly become one of my favorite fighting game collection titles of all time and boasts one of the most interesting lineups I’ve played to date. 

Story

This is a collection of old-school fighting games mostly re-released from arcades so the stories on display here aren’t what you can come to expect from a narrative adventure game. With that said we do get something for those of you that enjoy knowing why these characters are punching each other senseless. 

Story and lore is an extremely interesting avenue for a fighting game to explore and while some of these games offer very little, some are a gold mine! Red Earth is one of the newly localized titles here and it features character stories that are explored after each fight won. Simple as they are, learning the motives behind some of these characters is really cool and gave me a reason to finish the game with each fighter. Learning about Kenji’s motive and backstory was one of the highlights of my whole playthrough. Alongside Red Earth, the Darkstalkers (or Vampire) games offer unique ending screens for each character and give us a glimpse into their stories. These stories are simple and fun without any complexities. This still holds up today as a fun little insight into the context behind these fight-fests! Unfortunately, we don’t get anything new with Street Fighter 2 which was a bit of a disappointment. Having been released so many times, I hoped for something new story-wise but alas that is not the case with this one.

Gameplay

Does a collection of Capcom’s fighting games have good gameplay? Ummm…yes. What did you expect? Every game in this collection is considered a gem amongst the fighting game community for a very specific reason: they are super fun to play! Most of these titles offer differing gameplay experiences and deliver on that Capcom gold standard we have all come to expect. Despite the age of these titles, the controls feel both nostalgic and revamped for modern gamers. Plus the addition of mapping any move including combos to a single button was a very welcome improvement and allowed me to play with friends who aren't big fighting game players. It also gave my thumbs a break when I felt like they were about to crumble away after trying to perform some stupid complex combo maneuver.

One of my favorites was Red Earth which was a game I had never played before this collection. It features a gameplay mash-up of old-school beat 'em up and arcade fighter. This is a match made in heaven for me, the controls are tight, the characters are amazingly designed and the soundtrack is killer! Add on top of that my two most nostalgic genres of games and there you have the highlight of the collection. A new Red Earth fan is born and I am itching to jump back in.

Another favorite of mine from this collection is the Darkstalkers (Vampire) series. There are a couple of them here and they are all great. This series ended up being my favorite true form fighting game, and yes I prefer it over Street Fighter 2. The mechanics here are super easy to pick up and offers a deep understanding of each individual character's play style. Definitely a series I’ll be revisiting with some friends.

Surprisingly I also found myself enjoying the chibi fighting game Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix which is a collection of fighters across Capcom’s lineup all cutified up and trading blows in the funniest and cutest way imaginable. Played this title a lot with my partner and had a ton of laughs discovering all the wacky moves available.

Audio and Visuals

The visuals here are especially on point. It’s one aspect of this title that needs to be noted because it’s of a quality that I want to see in future collection titles. The sprites are straight out of the arcade games and look amazing! Even down to some of the minute background details, everything here is crisp and looks exactly the way it should. One element that really stands out is the CRT filter over the screen that adds that extra level of detail that I didn't even know I needed. If you lose yourself enjoying the games for a minute you can totally forget you're playing a modern console and not a classic console or arcade machine. It's perfect. 

As for the audio, it's the same deal here. Super crisp and perfectly edited for the experience on offer. Audio has been a big element in these classic games for me since as a kid I would watch friends and relatives play a lot of games rather than play them myself. The sounds and music here don't miss a beat and can really tug on those nostalgia chords. 

There's really not much to improve here at all. Dare I say, the visuals and audio on offer here are the best we can expect from the industry right now. If this is what we have to look forward to with future collection titles then I am very very excited.

Replayability

The nature of the titles here offers an amazing level of replayability. From seeing each character’s ending screen to just attempting to beat those nasty final bosses, there's a ton to do for even just a single-payer journey. When friends get added into the mix, this whole experience is virtually endless. I have played this collection multiple times with friends and it is still as fun as the first time. I’m not stopping anytime soon and I don't think you will either. There's a great level of replayability here and it definitely adds a lot to the value of this collection.

What It Could Have Done Better

My one point here is something I’ve been asking for in fighting games for a while now. A difficulty setting! Games like Street Fighter 2 can be tough sometimes when you're hit with a bad matchup but damn this version of Hyper Street Fighter 2 really handed me my ass! I was begging for an easy mode by the end after getting whooped again and again by the first fight. I felt like I was battling an esports pro player who had hacked into my game and was messing with me.

In all seriousness, a difficulty setting is something sorely needed in an entry like this especially when these games were designed with the philosophy of being difficult and eating coins in arcades like they’re cookies. 

Verdict

Definitely worth the purchase and has a ton to offer. This collection gives exactly what you would come to expect from a big hitter like Capcom and might even introduce you to a new favorite series or game. I can’t wait to show more friends Red Earth and beat em down in Darkstalkers!

Capcom Fighting Collection is available now on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S.