Thanks to Limited Run Games, Marvel MaXimum Collection brings a handful of classic ’90s superhero beat ‘em up titles back to the present to scratch that nostalgia itch. It has a multiplatform release including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S, and Steam.
The crown jewel of the collection is X-Men: The Arcade Game. Some would consider it on the Mt. Rushmore of multiplayer arcade games that just swallowed up quarters next to The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This version is a nice console port that keeps the action and spirit of the original.
It allows two, four, or even six player co-op either via couch or online. Each X-Men member, Wolverine, Cyclops, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Dazzler, feel distinct especially with their special attack that adds a bit more strategy, as much as you can have in the genre. The graphics are colorful and don’t feel as dated. The characters and enemies feel like they are in a comic book or X-Men: The Animated Series. It’s a real delight coming back to after all these years.
Marvel MaXimum Collection also contains different versions of Captain America and the Avengers. This one wasn’t as well known during its initial release, but could experience new life due to the recent growth in popularity of the characters thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Other than the skins for Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Vision, they more or less play the same. Throughout the levels, it’s fun to do battle against recognizable villains and some other familiar Avenger faces appear to provide power-ups. One interesting aspect is the inclusion of some side-scrolling shooter action to vary the gameplay.
Spider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage and its sequel Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety are a step down from the above two titles. It’s admirable that it incorporates gameplay mechanics to convey the characters’ superhero powers from wall crawling to web slinging, but they’re a little tricky to get accustomed to taking away some of the fun. Also, things can become repetitive and monotonous fighting your way through waves of enemies.
Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade’s Revenge upgrades the Spider-Man mechanics, but still falls short of being a smooth experience. It’s cool to have a Spidey and various X-Men to use with each having different attacks, though the lack of choice is disappointing. A specific character is designated for each level.
The most obscure title from Marvel MaXimum Collection is Silver Surfer. It’s the odd one of the bunch since it’s a a scrolling shooter. Unfortunately, it is frustratingly difficult with the number of enemies on the screen, the amount of fire coming your way, and the tight maneuvers needed. The music is a nice plus particularly with the 8-bit sound adding retro charm.
The bonus content is enjoyable as well. It has an extensive archive for each title that includes box art, commercials, and something lost in the present day, instruction manuals. There is a music player that has access to the favorite tunes from the collection. Also, since many of these games didn’t originally have the luxury of save points, the Rewind and Save States features come in handy for those especially difficult times.
The inclusion of X-Men: The Arcade Game makes Marvel MaXimum Collection a worthy buy already, but it also provides many other titles to explore. Even though some of the other games have their flaws, they are still fun to replay or experience for the first time.
Marvel MaXimum Collection is currently available digitally and with the physical copy up for pre-order.
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