S&S; Review: Marvel Vs Capcom Origins

Title: Marvel vs Capcom Origins
Format: PSN, XBLA
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Price: $15
ESRB Rating: E

Marvel vs Capcom Origins is a love letter to fans of the original games that helped make MvC a household name.  You get two games for the price of one, but is this package worth your time and money.
Presentation:
Even though these games came out back in the 90s, the two games aged surprisingly well.  The large pixelated characters look pretty much exactly the same from the arcade versions with some slight but noticeable improvements.  Thanks to a number of HD filters included in the game, you can set up your game to fit any style you want.  They even have the original arcade filter to experience the game as it was meant too look, well back in the 90s.  If you're looking for the exact amount of viewing options you have at your fingertips, the final count is slightly north of 30, its pretty impressive to say the least.  Besides the visuals, you're not getting any new animations or characters with this new re-release.  The awesome soundtrack is just as action-packed as before.  I've spent many quarters and an abundance of my time in one of my local arcades hacking away at any opposers who chose to fight against me.  This game has a lot memories tied into it, not only from me, but from other hardcore fighting game fans around the world.  This has to be one of the games that helped propel the genre forward into new heights, and the over stylized presentation has to be a standout as well.
Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:
Above the first screenshot, I wrote you get two games for the price of one.  The two games included are Marvel vs Capcom and Marvel Super Heroes.  I had dabbled in Super Heroes only briefly, but I am very familiar with MvC.  These two games are fully functional with some great online play.  There are a lot of challenges spreading across both games, boosting the replay value of each game immensely, seeing if you are a completionist type of gamer.  In terms of the actual fighting, there is still the same amount of balance issues between the characters.  Its pretty obvious that certain characters are better than others.  I wish they would have tweaked some of the characters a little to offer the best gameplay possible.  Too many people are choosing Red Venom for their online fights and just wiping the floor with their opponents, just because Venom is pretty nerfed.  The game is also pretty difficult going up against the CPU, seeing how this game was designed to make you pour quarters into the arcade machine.  Even with the balance issues and difficulty, the game is still a ton of fun.  I have always found this game to be more accessible to newcomers, the heavy button mashing mechanics can attest to this.  Street Fighter and Tekken rely more on precise analog placement and perfect timing to pull off their specific special moves.  I can actually get a few wins in MvC, surprise surprise.  The online is robust, with a cool feature to adjust the GGPO netcode to suit you perfectly.  The spectator mode keeps you in the action while waiting for your own match to begin.
Final Thoughts:If anybody needs a nostalgic filled adventure back to the mid 90s, or if you just want a great fighting game to play, this origins collection is your best bet.  Two full games with HD filters and other visual options, and a full online component, this is a steal at $15 bucks.
S&S Rating:8.75/10 @whatsPlay