Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Game Collection: Arcade Classics ($49.99)

As a fan of Marvel, Capcom, and fighting games in the 90s, Capcom’s line of fighting games based on Marvel characters was a dream come true. Starting out great , these games just kept getting larger and higher. Moving into the broader Marvel universe with , then the then-incredible crossovers between Marvel and , then the over-the-top Marvel vs. Capcom , then the insanely over-the-top in just the correct way , Capcom kept upping the ante. It wasn’t the tip of the series, but it surely does bring us to the tip of what is covered in . Oh, and you get Capcom’s excellent bar scrolling as an additional treat. A improbable set of great games.

This collection seems to have been developed by the one that created it, and in some ways it has similar features and additions. Unfortunately, it only includes one save state in the whole collection, shared across all seven games. That was annoying enough in a group stuffed with fighting games, but it surely’s even worse with beat ’em ups, where it is advisable to, you already know, save your progress no matter what you are doing in the fighters. Oh well. Everything else is here as you’d want it to be. Tons of options, like visual filters and gameplay options, great extras, including a big selection of graphics and a music player, and online multiplayer rollback. New to this set is NAOMI hardware emulation, and whoever Capcom hired to do the job did a great job. It looks and plays great.

I do not mean to criticize, but I do need to say that I wish among the home versions had been included. The PlayStation EX versions of the tag-team games are different enough that it will have been nice to have them here, and the Dreamcast version has quite a lot of cool extras that make it a more sensible choice for solo players to play at home. I also would not mind Capcom including their two Super NES Marvel games here, even when they are not the most effective games. Well, the name of the gathering says all of it, and unlike Blizzard, it looks as if the word is used appropriately here.

Marvel fans and fighting game fans alike have reason to rejoice in this excellent collection. The games are gorgeous, they’ve been given proper attention, and you get a great set of extras and features. The undeniable fact that the games only have one save state is a significant letdown, but aside from that I can’t find much to complain about here. This is one other must-have compilation from the parents at Capcom that runs great on Switch.

SwitchArcade Rating: 4.5/5

Years of Rise ($29.99)

I’ll admit I used to be pretty skeptical about this game from the moment it was announced. I like quite a lot of it. One of my favorite 2600 games. So after I read that WayForward had been chosen to make a Metroidvania-style game featuring a young, bare-bellied hacker codenamed Yar, I felt like I’d unintentionally stumbled onto a parody site. Just the proper storm of “why,” you already know? So do I even have to eat my words? Yes and no. First and foremost, it’s a great game. WayForward does a solid job at the sort of thing, and that was the case here. It looks and sounds good, plays well, and the map layouts are adequate. In true WayForward style, the bosses are likely to drag on for too long, but that is no reason to quit.

WayForward must also be commended for doing every little thing it could to tackle the difficult task of attempting to mix this game with an old-school shooter on one screen. Quite often, you’ll be able to play through sequences in the form of the sport, the skills you gain are paying homage to the unique game, and the sport integrates with the relatively fleshed-out story in addition to possible. It still looks as if an enormous stretch, but I suppose Atari has no selection but to try and make long-winded transitions like this. After all, its classic library can only go up to now. It just looks like a game torn between two audiences with little or no overlap, and I’m unsure if that was the correct decision or doing something completely original.

Still, while there could also be debate about whether it is sensible conceptually, there’s little doubt that the sport itself is enjoyable. I don’t think the most effective in the genre have much to fret about, but in case you’re searching for a Metroidvania you’ll be able to sink your teeth into over a weekend or so, you won’t have a foul time with this one. And who knows? Maybe they’ll revisit it a couple of times and it’ll all feel natural.

SwitchArcade Rating: 4/5

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland ($24.99)

I’m a couple of years too old to feel nostalgic for , though not sufficiently old that I haven’t watched it with my younger siblings every now and then. For example, I do know the names of the primary characters and the theme song. Don’t ask me in regards to the movies or the adult versions, and definitely don’t ask me to recall specific episodes. I’m aware of , but I don’t have any very hot and fuzzy feelings in regards to the franchise. With that in mind, I didn’t know what to anticipate from . I’d heard someone say it was like , and that matches Tommy’s physical construct if nothing else. Well, there’s just one solution to discover needless to say. I booted up the sport, chosen Tommy, and went through the tutorial.

The very first thing that struck me was the crisp graphics. Sharper than the show, if memory serves. The next thing that struck me was the awkward layout of the controls. Thankfully, there’s an option for that. The music was the Rugrats theme, so all of it matches. There were a couple of Reptar coins to gather and a couple of easy puzzles and enemies to resolve. Okay, no problem. Platformer with some exploration in the degrees, a proven formula. Not very -ish, but that was never promised.

At one point Tommy took a couple of hits, so I made a decision to change to Chuckie to enjoy his full health bar. That’s after I noticed he had a really familiar jump. A really high, but somewhat difficult to manage jump. I suppose they didn’t? I switched to Phil, who had a low jump, and then to Lil, who could… float. They could. Seriously! This is an inspired game (USA)! Of course, the enemies I used to be just stomping on may be picked up and thrown. There were also blocks that I sometimes had to select up and stack to achieve higher places. Slightly non-linear stages with quite a lot of verticality! Stages where you might have to dig in the sand, and you already know Phil is the expert digger of the bunch. Awesome.

Sure, there are a couple of homages to other platformers, however the core gameplay might be considered one of the best-selling classics that never gets imitated. Not bad, not bad in any respect. The boss fights are even interesting and enjoyable. After some time, I even noticed that I could swap the graphics and soundtrack between the sleek, modern versions and the 8-bit NES-level versions. It plays well each ways, and each styles have their merits. Oh, and you need to use a filter. There is in case you want. But yeah, creative and fun. Inspired by a game I actually like. Makes good use of its license. Playable in multiplayer! Aside from the controls, the one grievance I even have is that it is a bit too short and easy.

is a greater game than I expected. It’s a high-quality Western-style platformer with a couple of extra elements and features that keep it from being too near its source. The Rugrats license is implemented well, although I discovered myself wishing the sport had voice-overs in the cutscenes. A bit short and light, but value playing for fans of platformers and the like.

SwitchArcade Rating: 4/5